Slenderlanders: The Eight Pages

A collaboration by Life Strong and Hootie Hoot

Disclaimer (because Slender Man is apparently not in the public domain): We do not own Skylanders, Slender or their affiliates. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter One - How We Hunted The Hunter

Grim Creeper stretched, his back sore from his slumber on the floor. He had been researching the Slender Man legend again and was quite pleased with his findings. One of his best friends, Flameslinger, was sleeping nearby in a chair.

"Wake up, Flame," Grim whispered, making the pyro elf groan.

"It's about time," he huffed, rubbing his blindfold. He could tell from the eerie silence that he was still in Grim's room, and the ache in his back told him he'd been sleeping in that wooden chair for a considerable amount of time. "I hope you've actually found something worthwhile this time."

Grim Creeper grinned at him, his ethereal blue body flickering excitedly. "Well, actually, yes I have. How familiar are you with Germany?" Grim smiled as he picked up a book from his desk. It had a solid black cover and gold lettering that spelled out "Evil Myths of Earth." He would have to thank Whirlwind for letting him borrow it.

"Germany?" Flameslinger echoed, standing up with a stretch and a yawn. "I just know that...*yawn* that it's a country on Earth. I think my Portal Master told me about it when she was doing her history homework." He looked at his Undead friend skeptically. "Why?"

Grim smiled almost evilly. "Because that is Slender Man's home country."

"Ha, ha, wh-what?!" Flameslinger chortled incredulously, making the ghoul frown. The elf turned away to light the candle on his desk and his thermal vision kicked in, allowing him to see clearly. "Stop pulling my leg, you know as well as I do that there's nothing magical or even creepy about Earth!"

Grim put the book back down and opened it up to a page depicting a rather sinister-looking creature. It resembled a man in structure, but its face was blank, its arms far too long to be natural. Grim pointed to the text beneath the black-and-white painting: "Der Groβmann."

"Der Groβmann?" Flameslinger questioned.

Grim nodded. "Yes. Der Groβmann. He was a bedtime myth to scare German children away from the woods. Those who did not obey would have their souls devoured by Der Groβmann, and their bodies mutilated."

"Uh-huh..." Flameslinger mumbled, unimpressed. "So, what, this bedtime myth is supposed to be the Slender Man that you've been after? What does 'Der Groβmann' mean, anyway?"

"It means 'tall man,'" Grim snapped as he shut the book. "And it's the best lead I have to finding this monstrous spirit!"

The harshness in his tone made Flameslinger realize he was being too critical. Grim had been searching for the Slender Man for months now, looking to apprehend him before any more mysterious disappearances could be carried out. Most believed the monster to be just a myth, even among many Undead communities, but Grim's ghost-hunting instincts told him otherwise, and the missing count climbed higher every week.

"Well, it's definitely something," Flameslinger conceded with a nod. "And I guess we won't find out if it's something or nothing until we investigate."

Grim smiled and swung his arm into a thumbs up, "Now that's the spirit!"

Flameslinger rolled his eyes, although Grim, of course, couldn't see it. "So, what's your plan? I'm sincerely hoping you have one, mon amie."

Grim smiled again, a gleam in his blue eyes. "How do you feel like an impromptu portal ride to Germany, friend?"

Flameslinger reached for his quiver and bow, which had been placed behind his chair, and slung them over his back. "I feel like picking up some sausage while we're there. That way if it's a dead end, it's not a total loss, right?" He flashed a smirk at his companion to show his commitment.

"Of course you want sausage," Grim said mischievously. But food does sound good…

"Oh, real mature, Grim!" Flameslinger punched his snickering friend in the shoulder good-naturedly. "If anyone here is a sausage enthusiast, it's you!"

"I am. Now let's go," Grim smiled as he picked up his scythe and sashayed out the door.

Flameslinger shook his head and smiled to himself, following at a slower pace. "...Now I've lost my appetite."

Grim burst into Master Eon's office, a smile on his glowing face. Hugo, who had been reading a book, jumped and looked at Grim and Flame. He smiled as he saw the black book in Grim's hand, "I was wondering when Whirlwind would give that back to me."

Flameslinger folded his arms across his chest. "I still can't believe Whirlwind borrowed it in the first place..."

Grim shrugged. "She's into some pretty odd stuff. Have you seen the way she looks at Ghost Roaster?" he asked as he handed the book to Hugo.

Flame emphatically adjusted his blindfold. "No, but I've heard the way she looks at him!" he joked.

Hugo ignored him and looked at Grim expectantly. "Well, you sure look happy about something," he observed.

Grim nodded. "We're going after Slender Man! Oh, this shall be the best reaping in all of history!"

Hugo dropped his book in surprise, staring at the reaper as if he had just grown a second head. "S-S-Slender Man?!" he stammered. Flame quirked a brow at his reaction.

"Don't tell me you actually belie—" He was cut off by a harsh glare from Grim, and hastily corrected himself. "Er, I mean, why would Slender Man scare you so badly? I thought sheep were your phob—er, the cause of your anxiety."

Hugo scowled at the mention of the wooly beasts. "Oh, sheep irk me like nothing else in Skylands, don't get me wrong!" he spat, but then became fearful again. "But sheep don't make innocent people disappear, I'll give them that!"

"That's why we're going after him, Hugo. We want to put an end to this," Grim said with confidence.

"G-g-going after him?!" Hugo was hysterical. "Oh, no no no nononono!" he stammered, putting up his hands and shaking his head rapidly. "I can't let you do that! Brave warriors though you may be, the Slender Man can't be caught or fought! Please, can I get you to reconsider?" he pleaded.

Grim paused. Maybe Hugo was right. Maybe going after Slender Man was biting off more than he could chew. Then Grim remembered why he wanted to find him in the first place; too many innocent people were dying because of him. "I'm sure."

Flameslinger nodded, mostly because he didn't fully believe that a paranormal entity was the cause of the disturbance. "And I'm going with him! If only to see where this lead goes."

Hugo fidgeted with his claws anxiously, but said nothing. He's really worried, Flame thought. Granted, the guy's worst nightmares come from animals as harmless as toothless Chompies (Gummies?), but what if he's right? He truly believes this Slender fellow is behind all this.

Flameslinger looked back to Grim. "So, where in Germany are we headed?"

"Some sort of forest. I have the picture memorized, so the portal should take us there," Grim said with a nod to Flameslinger. "Hopefully he won't be too hard to find."

"Nothing can escape my ears!" the elf boasted in an attempt to chase off his own doubts. "If he's out there, consider him caught!"

Hugo still looked perturbed, but nonetheless led them out to the balcony where Eon's old portal sat, glowing steadfastly. The two Skylanders hopped up onto its shimmering surface while Hugo brought up the nearby control panel, upon which buttons inscribed with Skylands runes were fitted. Without a Portal Master present, it was the only way to send Skylanders back to Earth. The trembling Mabu punched in the coordinates to the Black Forest in Germany, for he'd done his own research on the entity, and stood back to watch the portal power up. The runes embedded in the sides shone brightly, and within moments the Skylanders were obscured from sight.

Hugo looked on with trepidation. "Please, just... be careful," he mumbled unhappily.

Grim smiled at him reassuringly. "Don't worry, Hugo. We'll be fine."

A thumbs up from Flameslinger was the last thing the Mabu saw before—

FWASH!

...they were gone.

Grim blinked as they appeared in Germany, his normally blue skin a pale ivory color.

Whenever the Skylanders teleported to Earth by free will, they took on a human appearance so they wouldn't stand out among the humans on Earth. Grim looked particularly pale and scrawny adorned in his grey hoodie and skinny jeans, but he didn't really mind. He liked the 'emo boy' vibe his black hair and attire gave off. His eyes were still blue.

Gripping his scythe tightly, he looked at Flameslinger, snickering at his new appearance. "Ready to find this monster friend?"

Flameslinger in human form wasn't horribly different: no longer green, his skin was tanned, as if the original pigment was too strong to blot out completely. His hair was also black, for it was the closest match to his natural color the disguising magic could manage, although it still maintained its bluish sheen. His elf ears, of course, were blunted, and without the green backdrop to provide a striking contrast, the blindfold no longer clashed with his ensemble so much.

"Hmph," the former elf grumped, lifting his blindfold a bit to look down at himself. With the disguise in effect, the beacon-like light in his eyes was extinguished, but he knew the magic would wear off upon taking too much damage. "I guess I can't complain too much as long as we're still magical where it counts." He replaced the blindfold before Grim could see his humanized eyes and put his hands on his hips. "I don't know how the humans get along."

Grim shrugged, his hair flopping into his eyes. "Well, it usually helps when they have a decent personality."

They took stock of their surroundings. It was nighttime in the Black Forest, and the sky glittered with stars, not a cloud to be seen. The new moon meant no moonlight, however, and the many tall pine trees were too closely packed together to allow much starlight onto the forest floor: the vast wood truly lived up to its name.

"This the place, Grim?" Flame asked.

Grim smiled, his teeth perfect. "Why yes it is. Now let's find us a monster."

"Oui." Flameslinger started walking, taking two steps before smacking face-first into a tree. "Ow!"

Grim rushed over to Flame, concerned for his friend. Flameslinger looked at him with his blindfold, a note stuck to his forehead. It must have come off of the tree. "What's this?"

"A bruise, I'm sure," Flame sulked. Grim peeled the paper off of his head and the archer rubbed the sore spot. There wasn't any fire for miles around, making it difficult for him to see his surroundings, hence the collision.

"No, silly, this note. I can't read it," Grim sighed, his eyes hopelessly scanning the page. It had some words on it and pictures of a few trees.

"Didn't you bring a flashlight?" Flameslinger asked doubtingly. Grim gave him a sheepish smile, and he face palmed. "Of course not..."

Flameslinger reached into his quiver and struck an arrow to his bow, effectively lighting it on fire and casting a substantial amount of light onto their immediate surroundings. He held the makeshift torch close to the paper, careful not to set it alight.

Grim, grateful for the new light source, looked at the paper. "Well, this is creepy."

"Oh, good, so it's not just me," Flame remarked. Now able to see clearly, the two scrutinized the note. As it turned out, there was only one tree scribbled on it, the tall figure next to it resembling the picture of Der Groβmann from the Earth myths book, only a bit more modernized. There was no doubt about it: it was a picture of the Slender Man that Grim was after.

The note was obviously a warning, but a warning for what? Who had left these here? Grim had a feeling that the note was connected to their Slender Man monster. The most disturbing part of the picture, however, was the text written from top to bottom next to the drawing, which read, "FOLLOWS."

Flame turned back to his no-longer-ghostly companion. Grim had a look of morbid fascination plastered on his pale face, and the archer could tell he was just as determined as ever to hunt down his quarry. "Well, we found something. What do you think, Grim?" he asked. "I mean, it might be a trick."

Grim felt giddy with excitement. He knew Slender Man was real, he just knew it. Now here he was, in the monster's forest with a warning in his hand. "I knew it," Grim whispered, his high-pitched voice laced with wonder.

Suddenly, they heard rustling behind them. Grim turned around, but as soon as he did, he wished he hadn't.

Behind the duo was Der Groβmann himself, his suit stained in blood.

Grim's blood went cold. "Oh, s***."

Flame had heard the rustling before the ghoul and already had the flaming arrow nocked to his bow, training it on the monster looming silently over them. He was about to loose it when a horrible ringing erupted in his eardrums. "Arrgh!" he screamed, dropping his weapons and stumbling away, clutching his still-sensitive ears. He was briefly aware of Grim pulling out his scythe and standing his ground, but that was all he had time to register before a horrible sense of chilling fear gripped his chest and turned his blood to ice.

Grim looked at the monster and then at Flameslinger. Should I run or fight? Run or fight? Grim defiantly stood his ground and swung his scythe at the monster. A ringing noise erupted in his ears and he groaned. Maybe it's a better idea to run.

The Slender Man took a step toward the indecisive Skylander, baring its wavering tentacles threateningly. Fear-inducing waves of supernatural power accompanied by the terrible sound poured off of it, it's white, almost mummified head startlingly clear in the darkness. It reached forward with an unnaturally long arm, stretching out its long ivory fingers to ensnare its prey.

Grim grabbed his fellow Skylander friend and flew like a bat out of the underworld. He had to outsmart this man and he had to do it fast. With Flameslinger stumbling groggily behind him, the two barreled blindly through the trees, fighting through the onslaught of fear and nearly tripping on multiple occasions.

Only when the noise finally died down did Grim stop, allowing the two to catch their breath. "Okay. We… have to come up with a plan," Grim panted.

Flameslinger was trembling. "That was..." he heaved. "That was Slender Man?!"

Grim nodded slowly. "Yes it was. Maybe Hugo's fear wasn't something to mock after all."

"B-but...I-I..." Flame still couldn't get over what had just transpired, and was on the verge of panic. He straightened up and grabbed Grim's shoulders, forcing him to look him squarely in the blindfold. "That...that thing is what you've been hunting?! Are you out of your—?!"

BOOM.

If Flameslinger's ears had still been elven, they would have twitched. His head jerked back in the direction of where they had just run from, and Grim followed his gaze. Standing behind them, again, was Slender Man himself.

Grim smiled at Flame. "Hey, let's continue this after we get out of here, okay?"

"...Yeah," Flame agreed, cringing as the noise pounded in his head once more.

They ran.

How's it going, guys? I'm Hootie Hoot!

And I'm Life Strong. :)

And this monstrous tale is the result of us throwing around some ideas in the forums!

Wow, nice pun there Hootie.

Thank you! :D Anyhoot, we can churn these chapters out fairly quickly...

Thanks to Hootie that is. If it was me it would be really slow.

You've got that backwards. Have you SEEN my posting schedule? Trick question, there isn't one! (*Seriously, this was written months ago!)

True. So, in this edition of Slenderlanders, Grim Creeper and Flameslinger aim to hunt down the infamous Slenderman, but the hunter soon becomes the prey. Will they make it? Say tuned my pretties *EVIL SMILE*

Mwa ha ha, yes... In case you couldn't tell by our unique writing styles, we each took on a Skylander. Jane took Grim Creeper and I took Flameslinger. We hope it keeps things interesting for you readers!

Ah, yes, Grim is so much fun to write as. I made him so imaginative.

Yeah, Grim's perfect for you! I tend to forget to give Flameslinger some French lines or boastful tendencies...but I'm still happy with the end result!

I was supposed to make Grim all innocent but a few jokes in here prove that I didn't. Ooops.

I can take the blame for that, too. I inadvertently set you up for one... Anyway, hope you enjoyed! Let us know if you want to see more and we will deliver! See you owl later!

Really, Hootie? XOXO Everyone. Stay strong.