Craig awoke to the sound of a heart monitor, the slow steady beep ringing in his ears. He looked around the run down room, noting that he was, in fact, in a hospital. The apathetic boy stood and exited the room. To his realization, he had grown substantially; from what he could tell, he was about 18. How long had it been since he was placed in this hospital? He could find out later, at the moment there were more pressing matter, Craig needed some clothes; he couldn't run around clad only in a hospital gown. The tall boy wondered through the halls, looking for just about anything to dress himself in. Eventually he came upon some camouflage pants shoes, socks, boxers, a black shirt and a baggy grey sweatshirt. After putting on the clothing he departed from the almost post-apocalyptic looking building. South Park was in ruins, dead bodies scattered the ground and smoke rose from some of the buildings. Before Craig could get a good glimpse of his now destroyed home town, someone tackled him to the ground. The raven haired boy blinked a few times, realizing that he was gazing at this best friend, Clyde Donovan.
"Clyde?" he questioned. Without answering Craig, Clyde wrapped his arms around Craig tightly, nuzzling his face into the other male's chest. Craig, who was thoroughly confused now, picked Clyde up as he stood. "Dude, what's going on?" he asked again, hoping to get an answer this time.
"There's no time to explain, come on!" Clyde insisted, grabbing Craig's hand and rushing off towards the thick pine forest that surrounded the town. "We gotta get you to the others where it's safe before he finds you." the shorter male said.
Craig's mind was whirling with questions. Who was he? Others, what others? Where the hell were they going? What happened? How long was he out for? "Clyde" he finally spoke up as the two charged through the thick brush. "h-how long have I been out?" he questioned.
"8 years." Clyde replied blankly. "Dude, I know you're confused and all, but I can explain when we get to the base" he said.
"what base?" Craig interjected, very confused at this point. Clyde disregarded the question and slowed his pace, looking ahead. "There's the base" he smiled, pointing to the old building in front of the two teens. Two of the windows in front of the building were broken and the roof seemed to be caving in. Craig raised an eyebrow. "I know it looks bad on the outside, but trust me, it's much better on the inside" Clyde said, pulling Craig through the beaten wooden door that was handing loosely from the hinges.
Craig looked around the room. Long streams of light pouring though the battered roof illuminated the run down walls of the building. A few posters speckled the wall, they were odd, saying things like "he's watching" or "He sees all". Craig was utterly confused at this point. "so who is this 'he'?" he asked Clyde.
"Mysterion" Clyde said quickly, looking up at Craig.
"Mysterion? You mean Kenny's persona in that stupid coon n' shit thing Cartman made?" He asked.
"Um, that's Coon and Friends" the tubby boy interrupted from the far side of the room by a door way.
Craig turned to see Cartman. "Yeah, whatever, that was a really stupid group anyway, I'm glad I wasn't part of it." he scoffed. "Now can someone please explain what's going on? I haven't gotten a straight answer about this whole situation since I woke up" he said.
"You're going to have to talk to Stan" Cartman said, gesturing to the door way. "He's probably in his room; Clyde will show you where it is."
Craig nodded, walking through the doorway. Before him lay a large flight of stairs leading down into the darkness below, though Craig was a bit hesitant, Clyde rushed down them, pulling Craig behind him. The stairs creaked as the two hurried down them. When they reached the bottom they were met with a large iron door. Clyde entered a code into the keypad beside it and it opened, revealing an blasé hall. The red carpet clashed with the black walls and the lights above flickered every now and again, this wasn't much of a new sight to Craig. The two boys' footsteps seemed to echo loudly off the walls as they walked onward. Large labels were fastened to the doors, the names of some of their childhood friends on them. Craig read them to himself as they went. "Kyle, Cartman, Clyde, Token, Tweek, Butters, Timmy, Jimmy." He halted, making Clyde stop short as well since he was clenching Craig's hand tightly. One of the doors read "Craig" with a red "x" on the door.
"Why is my door marked up?" he asked. Clyde simply answered with "We thought you were dead, so your room is off limits" Craig just looked at him, knowing that if he asked, Clyde would just tell him to wait until they arrived at Stan's room.
Soon the two teens arrived at a door marked "Stan". Clyde opened the door and walked in, Craig trailing behind him. Stan looked up from the floor at the two, brushing a few locks of raven hair from his eyes. "Craig?" he questioned, genuinely surprised. The tall boy nodded. "yeah, it's me. Now how about you tell me what the hell is going on." he demanded.
Stan sighed, offering Craig a seat, then began explaining about the events that led to their current situation. Craig stared at Stan as he explained the horrors of the past 8 years. All the bloodshed, the horrid deaths of some of their colleagues. As Stan continued, Craig remained stoic, just absorbing the information. Clyde, on the other hand, was near tears as Stan went into excruciating detail about what 'he' had done to the citizens of South Park, Colorado. After Stan had finished he looked at Craig. "I'm sure that Clyde has already told you that Mysterion is behind all of this" he sighed.
"You too, Stan? Why don't you just call him Kenny?" Craig questioned, thinking that calling the parka wearing boy 'Mysterion' instead of Kenny was foolish. "He likes to be called Mysterion now..." Stan said blankly.
"Do you mean he's parading around in that dumb outfit from when we were 10?" Craig asked, suppressing a small chuckle. "He made a new one, but yes, it looks the same" Stan said.
"And you're all hiding out here from him? Why not just fight" Craig asked. "We don't have many weapons, and no matter how many times we seem to kill him, he just comes back like nothing happened to him. None of us understand how though" Stan sighed
Craig heaved a sigh and looked at Stan. "So, since I've been out of it for 8 years and all this shit has gone down, would either of you mind explaining how I became comatose?" he asked, expecting an answer from Stan because Clyde probably had little to no idea about that was going on.
"None of us really know, but we think Mysterion might be behind it." Stan said. Craig looked at the floor, letting out a loud sigh. "Dear god, can you please just call him Kenny, I can't take any of your seriously when you call him Mysterion."
"But Craig, I already told you -" Stan said as Craig interrupted him. "I don't care if he likes to be called Mysterion now or not, I'm calling him Kenny and that's the end of it. If you don't want to, go ahead and keep calling him Mysterion, but like I said, I'm not going to take you all seriously." he finished, looking up at Stan. Stan was a bit surprised that Craig burst out like that, but he didn't make it very obvious, he tried to remain straight-faced and calm.
"I suggest you do." Stan finally spoke, looking into Craig's dull blue eyes. "Our advice could end up saving your life. Especially since you have no idea what the hell you're actually doing." he added with a hint of anger in his voice.
Craig glared at him, rising up from his seat and leaving the room. Clyde followed after him, trying to coax him back into the room so Stan could continue talking with him. "Craig, wait! Come back! Stan still has to explain the way things work around here! You can't just run around doing whatever you want!" he said, tugging on Craig's arm.
The taller boy pulled lose from Clyde's grip and stalked off to his room, opening the heavy metal door. His eyes darted around the room, observing every small detail. There was dust on the small table beside his bed and on the window sill. Bright blue blankets decorated the bed, which seemed like it had not been touched in years. The musty air and eeriness of this so-called 'base' made Craig very uneasy, but he knew that he was going to have to stay here, or face the dangers that had led to his hometown's destruction. With a loud sigh, he flopped onto the dusty bed.
Sneezing and coughing due to the sudden puff of dust, Craig rolled over on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Though the top flood of this so called base were disheveled, the bottom floor was in pristine condition; well not pristine, but close enough to be called so. Craig continued to stare at the ceiling, letting himself become occupied with his thoughts. He was quickly snapped out of them when he heard the heavy metal door to his room open. Sitting up quickly he realized it was just Clyde. "Dude, don't scare me like that" he said blankly.
Clyde blushed, looking at the floor. "heh, sorry buddy." he sighed, taking a seat next to him on the bed. He looked at Craig, a spark of something in his eyes that Craig couldn't quite decipher. This was odd for Craig, he was usually so good at reading others' emotions through their eyes; that was the main reason he always kept his feelings hidden, he didn't want anyone to read them. Craig decided to shrug it off as a hallucination.
After moments of tantalizing silence Craig finally spoke up, looking down to the shorter boy. "So what's up, I understand you haven't seen me in like 8 years, but you're not one to just barge in unannounced." he questioned. Clyde blushed again, gazing at the ground. Craig rolled his eyes, Clyde was just being a cry baby like usual. He sighed, wrapping his arm around the smaller boy.
Clyde burst into tears. "Dude, I missed you so much. I thought you were dead! I can't even begin to explain how empty life was without you, I know it sounds cheesy...but Craig, I-I love you" Clyde said.
Craig looked down at the boy, not really knowing how to react. Of course he knew-or at least thought he knew- what Clyde meant by that, but he just had to be sure. "Yeah buddy, I love you too, you're one of my best friends." he said.
The smaller boy looked a bit disappointed, obviously thinking his friend was smart enough to figure out what he meant by that. Craig held back a small snicker, he knew it, Clyde had always hinted at those sort of feelings while they were hanging out. Aside from that, Craig was in fact a bit surprised that Clyde still had those feelings after 8 years, but why question it? In all honesty, Craig felt the same way too, he just never found the right way to tell Clyde. The taller boy let out a long sigh, looking down at Clyde. "Clyde. I feel the same way" Craig said, a small smile slightly evident on his face.
Clyde's face lit up like a stop light, but he smiled happily. "Wow what?! T-this is great!" he exclaimed, hugging Craig tightly.
Days turned to weeks, weeks to months, and eventually Craig found that he had been staying in the base for a whole year. Things had remained normal for the most part, a random gun shot fired somewhere in the distance heard every once in a while. Craig woke with a start, he heard yelling. That couldn't be good. He quickly pulled on his clothes, grabbing his blue chullo hat before heading out his bedroom door. He walked down the hall way quickly, thinking of worse case scenarios to explain this uproar. Someone was hurt; Kenny had actually showed his dirty mug around here for once; or even worse, some had gotten themselves killed, just like Tweek had last year. All these things whirled in Craig's head, though he didn't let it show. Bracing himself for something horrible, he took a deep breath and walked up the stairs. He arrived at the top, only to find himself staring at Kyle and Cartman in the middle of some stupid argument. Obviously these two fools were the source of all this commotion.
Craig pinched the bridge of his nose. "Will you two shut up? You damn near gave me a heart attack, I thought something bad was happening." he said. "I'm pretty sure you woke everyone in the base up." he rolled his eyes before returning to his room. He sat and stared at the wall, it's not like he had much to do around here. A light knock on the door tore him from his thoughts. "Yes?" he questioned.
Clyde opened the door, Stan standing next to him. "Stan said that you and I should go around and see if there's any food still out there. He knows it's been a year and all, but you never know." Clyde said.
Stan nodded. "Just be careful. Also, here" Stan said, walking up to Craig. The raven haired boy handed Craig a pistol, a pocket knife, and some extra bullets. "Keep yourself safe out there, we can't afford to lose another member." he sighed, walking out of the room.
Shoving the weapons in his pockets, Craig walked out of his room. Clyde followed close behind him. "I think Stan is just sending us on a wild goose chase here, obviously there's no food left. It's been a year, we're running low on food, and the only other person around here with food would be Kenny. "Craig said blankly, gripping the pocket knife.
Clyde rolled his eyes. "Don't worry so much, I'm sure we'll find something." he said happily.
The two boys exited the base, making the long trek through the forest to town. Though there were no fires, the town seemed to be covered in a thick smoke. Quietly Craig signaled for Clyde to go up ahead without him, he wanted to split up and cover as much ground as they possibly could. Clyde nodded, rushing off into the heart of the town. Craig surveyed his surroundings, there was a clear path to a few small stores, but he wasn't very interested in those, they would all be empty. No, Craig was more interested in the overturned car adjacent to him. Scavenging around a bit, he found nothing of particular interest. He knew that this trip was for nothing, they wouldn't find anything here in town, it was a wasteland.
Craig continued on, looking for more interesting things to inspect, though in the end it was to no avail. Suddenly a foolish idea popped into his head. He had heard, many times actually, that Kenny was still somewhere in town. Maybe if Craig found him he could learn something about all of this, a reason to this madness maybe. As foolish as it was, Craig needed a bit of excitement, so he decided to head off and look for any signs of the blond-headed fool prancing around in his hero outfit. The heavy thud of his boots on the ground seemed to echo far and wide. Drifting off into thought once more, Craig was caught off guard by the shriek coming from the direction Clyde had wandered off in.
Without even thinking, Craig sprinted across the town. Anger was the lone emotion burning through his veins when he came upon the scene. There was Clyde, his closest friend, and lover, hunched over in pain. Craig gently wrapped his arms around Clyde, immediately being washed over by sadness. Multiple stab wounds covered Clyde's chest and back. Blood dripped from his mouth, and his breathing was labored. Craig wanted to help, he wanted to run back to the base with Clyde and get him fixed up; that wasn't going to happen though, it was too late, they wouldn't make it back in time to save his life.
Clyde, who was surprisingly, still conscious, looked at Craig. A sad smile on his face. "Craig? Dude.. Just leave me; you're not going to get me back in time. It's alright though, just tell them that I died trying." he laughed, though it didn't last long before the laughter gave way to a coughing fit which splattered blood onto the ground.
The taller boy tried to remain stoic. He wasn't known to show emotions, but in this very moment Craig Tucker did something that many though he was incapable of; he showed feeling. Tears streamed down Craig's face and he was chocking back sobs. "Clyde, don't you d-dare talk like that! We-we're gonna get back to the base and get Kyle to fix you up" he sniffled. He lifted Clyde up bridal style, getting blood all over himself.
"Craig, please. You're just helping a lost cause. No matter how fast you run, we're not going to make it back in time for me." Clyde said, wrapping his arms around Craig's neck.
"I-I swear Clyde.. I will find Kenny, I know he did this to you.. I'll find that f-fucking bastard" Craig said, resting his chin on the top of Clyde's head. It was too soon to lose him, they had only just confessed their feelings for each other, Craig had just woken from his coma. This was all happening too soon.
"Craig, you don't have to" Clyde said. "I-it's so dangerous.. Just know.. that" Clyde trailed off a bit, his vision blurring. "T-That I love you " he smiled, kissing Craig on the cheek. "and also that this past year that I've been able to spend with you...has been the best year of my life. I'm sorry that I have to go so soon, but it's not your fault, I should have defended myself better" he sighed, coughing up some more blood.
That was the last straw, Craig broke down right there on the demolished street. Sinking to his knees, the once apathetic boy clutched his dying friend tightly. Tears rolled down his face as he looked at the boy in his arms. "Y-you did the best you could, I'm sure of that.." he waited for a response from the brunet. However, he never received one.
Craig looked down to see that his friend's chest had ceased it's rise and fall pattern. Sick to his stomach and overwhelmed by a mixture of sadness and pure rage, Craig placed Clyde's limp body on the ground and stood up. He was determined to find Kenny. Though he wasn't sure how he'd go about it, he knew one thing; he would avenge Clyde, or at least die trying to that is. His footsteps echoed through the town as he marched forward. Craig was just waiting to find Kenny, he'd teach him a lesson he wouldn't soon forget, if he was even alive to remember it. Was that a silhouette he saw in the distance or was he just seeing things? No, that was a silhouette, he wasn't going crazy.
The raven haired boy ran towards it, ready to strike. He stopped short, looking at the blond haired boy before him. It was Kenny. Blind rage surged through Craig and he charged at the blond, clutching the pocketknife firmly in his hand. Kenny smirked, stepping to the side before Craig could cause him any harm. Not that it mattered much to the blond, he could always just resurrect if his revenge-seeking acquaintance succeeded in fatally wounding him. He let a small chuckle lip out of his mouth as he looked to Craig.
Craig glared at the taller male. "You sick f-fucker. I don't know why, or how you did all of this, but you didn't have to kill Clyde." he was still clutching the pocket knife, ready to fight back if Kenny approached him.
"He got in my way" Kenny said curtly.
Craig's stomach was in knots. His brain was buzzing with emotions; anger, hatred, loathing, sadness. He pushed all of them to the back of his mind and reverted to his normal apathetic state. Approaching Kenny, he kept his dull eyes locked on the malicious blond.
"I'll give you 5 minutes to go hide" Kenny grinned.
"what?" Craig questioned, a bit surprised by this statement.
" 5 minutes, Craig. I suggest you run, your time has already started" the psychotic blond replied.
Craig decided not to question him again, he was only wasting his time. Like a bolt of lightning, Craig was gone. Running for perhaps his life, Craig darted around. He peered into buildings, looking for the perfect place to hide. Finally he found somewhere to conceal himself; a small space beneath a desk in an abandoned office building. Pulling his knees to his chest, Craig awaited his possible extermination. Though he knew it could put him in grave danger of being killed, Craig let a few tears slide down his face as he held back a sob. He knew it was all over now, Clyde was gone, he was no longer to retain his apathetic nature, and Kenny was looking for him. There was no hope left for him now.
Footsteps echoed through the streets of south park as Kenny walked along. He knew Craig was around here somewhere, and he would find the raven-haired boy. He eventually came upon the old office building. After tedious hours of searching for Craig, he knew that he must have been close. Entering the building, he noted that there were many papers and office supplies scattered on the ground. There! Footprints; Craig must have been very careless at the time, because he didn't make much of an effort to hide his tracks.
Craig hugged his knees to his chest tighter as he heard Kenny enter the building. Tears were streaming down his face at this point, he wasn't ready to die, let he had nothing left to live for. His family was already gone, and now Clyde. Though he was going to put up a fight, he needed to get back to the base. As much as he hated it in that dusty safe-home, he needed to help his friends, surely they needed him to help. Of course they did, or at least Craig though that they did. He was snapped back to reality when he noticed the barrel of Kenny's gun pointed towards his face.
The blond boy was smiling at him. "Bye Craig" he said.
Craig didn't even flinch as the bullet penetrated his head. His dull blue-grey eyes lost all the light of life as he fell to the ground. He would never know if his friend really did need his help back at the base.