Hey, wassup? I just recently got back from a trip, so I had more than enough free time to catch up on my stories. Not much else to say I guess. Enjoy the chapter!
House of the Reaper
"So, how exactly did you know that throwing that jar would cause the zombies to stop chasing us?"
Tiny sheepishly rubbed her head at Bobbery's question. "I didn't really know, actually. I just thought that it was slowing you down, so I chucked it."
Bobbery nodded and turned away. The two continued on down the hall in silence.
Though neither of them admitted it, they were both slightly suspicious of the other. Bobbery doubted that Tiny would have just thrown the jar for the heck of it. She must have known that it was connected to the zombies.
Tiny wondered why Bobbery had kept the jar in the first place. It hadn't really served any purpose, and since Jojora had ended the bet, there hadn't been any point in carrying it with them. Perhaps Bobbery had known that it was connected to the zombies?
Bobbery glanced at her and gave her an odd look, and Tiny realized that she had been staring at him for a moment too long. She quickly turned away, cleared her throat, and asked him, "So, what do you think happened to the others?"
"No idea, but I doubt that they're in any better a condition than we are."
"So...we should hurry back?"
"Exactly."
The two broke into a run, hoping that they could reach their friends soon.
7Z7Z7Z7
Koops sighed as he limped through the storage area, one arm wrapped around Jojora's shoulder for support.
His leg still hurt like hell, but at least he wasn't running from zombies anymore.
He groaned in pain again as a new wave of white hot agony shot up his leg. His arm slipped off of Jojora's shoulder and he crumpled to the floor, hissing in pain.
"Come on, get up!" Jojora snapped, roughly yanking him to his feet again. "I see the exit just up ahead. We're almost there."
Koops resumed the same position from earlier and the two continued on.
Jojora was the first to break the silence.
"Hey, Koops. You know all that shit I was saying earlier about you being weak and stuff? I was just joking."
Koops glanced at her in surprise. Her head was turned the other way, but he could see the hint of red on her cheek. For her, apologizing and complementing were clearly difficult.
He couldn't help but smile as she continued.
"You're a pretty strong person. Not psychically, of course, but mentally. You've gone through all of this insane crap and haven't snapped yet."
Koops felt slightly embarrassed, but he didn't know why. "Nah, I'm just good at not showing it..."
"No, I'm serious. Sometimes I'm not even sure if the stuff I'm doing is really what I want to do. Am I going insane? Have I already been insane?"
Koops opened his mouth, but stopped and stared at the floor instead, unable to provide an answer. He wanted to tell Jojora that everything was fine, that they would make it out, that no one was going crazy. But he seriously doubted it.
They walked for some time, lost in their thoughts. They didn't even notice that they had entered a dark, basement like room, but, miraculously, they found a staircase and ascended it.
As soon as they reached the top, they heard screaming.
"Goombella!" Koops gasped. Forgetting about his broken leg, he lunged forward, only to fall flat on his face.
"Koops, you have to be careful!" Jojora warned him. "I'll go check things out. You wait here!"
'Like I have a choice...' he thought bitterly.
He watched as Jojora drew her katana and ran down the hallway.
7Z7Z7Z7
The first thing Jojora did when she reached the living room was gasp.
Toadette was ripped in two, her top and bottom half lying in a pool of blood. Goombella was shrieking, desperately trying to wipe blood out of her eyes. Ms. Mowz was holding the scythe before a fuming DK, an odd mask on his face, his fist pulled back, ready to throw a punch.
She was still trying to process what was happening when she felt the katana being pulled from her grasp.
Bobbery now held the sword. He charged at DK, jumped high into the air, and brought the sharp edge down DK's spine.
The great ape howled in pain and fell over. He lay motionless as blood poured out of his back.
Bobbery was panting. He dropped the sword and it clattered to the floor.
When he had caught his breath, he glanced around. "What the hell happened here!?"
Jojora rushed forward and grabbed the scythe from a very frightened and tired Ms. Mowz. She gratefully accepted the help, and collapsed on the couch. However, she was in no position to explain all of the events that had occurred.
Soon after, Tiny entered the room as well, Koops being supported by her.
7Z7Z7Z7
It took several minutes for the group to calm Goombella down and guide her to the bathroom, where she was finally able to clean herself off.
As Bobbery and Tiny helped Goombella, Ms. Mowz pulled Koops into the kitchen with her, and, making sure that they were out of Jojora's earshot, whispered to him.
"Koops, there's something I need to share with you. But you have to promise me that you won't tell the others."
"What? Why?"
"Just promise me!"
"Um, okay, I promise, but wh-"
Ms. Mowz showed him the recordings she had found. "I found these down in some storage area in the basement. I think they were left here by previous victims."
Koops wondered if the storage room she was speaking of was the room that he and Jojora had passed through, but Ms. Mowz had started one of the recordings, and he listened intently.
Instantly, he felt a small twinge of recognition. He had heard Kori's voice somewhere before, but he just couldn't remember where. He felt the same with James and Toad as well, but he just couldn't put his finger on it.
"I've heard their voices before." Koops said after Ms. Mowz had finished with both of the tapes. "I can't remember where, exactly, but they sound familiar."
"You have? Then maybe this is important after all." She tapped her chin with one of the recorder's corners thoughtfully. "Perhaps if we can find more of these recordings, than we might be able to find out how to escape this place."
Koops nodded. "Maybe there are more in the basement. We should look there."
Before either of them could move, however, Bobbery, Tiny, and Goombella returned from the bathroom. Ms. Mowz quickly hid the tapes as they sat Goombella in an old armchair.
"Oh god, I can't believe it..." Goombella sobbed, trying not to stare at the bloody carcasses still lying on the floor. "They're really dead. And DK...I can't believe it...he was only trying to help us...and Roy..."
"Wait, Roy? What happened to Roy?" Tiny asked.
Bobbery nodded, just now realizing that he was missing. "Good question. How did this all happen, anyways?"
Ms. Mowz explained what had occurred since their group had left. She told them about their journey in the basement and the storage room, how she had returned to find everything the same, and how Mischief had shown up and ruined everything. However, she left out the part where she found the tapes.
Goombella sniffed sadly, her eyes puffy and red. "Toadette said that Roy got dragged away down there. He's probably dead now."
As if on cue, memories of DK and Toadette flashed through everyone's minds.
Koops shut his eyes as tightly as he could, as if it would help dispel the inappropriately cheerful memories that washed through his brain. With the two dead right beside him, he wanted nothing more than to think about something else, anything to take his mind off of his now dead friends.
"So," he started, still trying to erase the images from his head. "What do we do next?"
"I say we review." Jojora suggested, turning to Bobbery with a suspicious look on her face. "Let's start with you, old man. Those were some impressive moves for someone your age. Hell, those were impressive moves for someone of ANY age! I doubt that any of us younger folk could have brought that big ape down in one clean slice like you did!"
The old Bob-omb narrowed his eyes. "What are you saying?"
"Me? Oh, I'm not saying anything. I just think that maybe someone here isn't who they say they are..."
"Are you accusing me of working with the Reaper?!"
"Well, 'accuse' is such a strong word. I believe I'm only 'implying' that you're working with him. How else could you be that strong and agile? Maybe some other force is helping you..."
Bobbery was about to retort, but Tiny jumped into the arguemet. "Well, as long as we're pointing fingers here, I think that Jojora is pretty suspicious herself. How did she know that the key was in some random jar of eyes sitting on a shelf?"
Those who had attended Loopy's tea party nodded in understanding.
Jojora sighed and tried to defend herself. "I saw the glint of something gold in there and thought it was the key. I admit, it was a bit farfetched, but I did save all of your asses, didn't I? I think that deserves some thanks."
"Well what about the time I knew which statue was the correct one? We would have failed that challenge if it wasn't for me. I think that negates any suspicions about me helping that villain." Bobbery growled at the blue fairy.
"A mole has to benefit the group sometimes in order to seem less suspicious. That's what you're doing."
"What about Roy?" Goombella suggested. "He's acted pretty suspicious too, and there's also the fact that we haven't remem-"
"Oh, can it, you stupid Goomba! If there's anyone we should really be suspicious of, it's you!" Jojora snarled.
"Wha-ME!?"
"You've been useless this whole time! I can't believe that no one's suspected you yet!"
"Hey, don't start with her! She's been more useful than you!"
"Well maybe it was Toadette? Perhaps she was-"
"She's dead! I doubt the Reaper would let his little helper die!"
"DK might have-"
"DK's dead too!"
"Everyone stop yelling!"
"Jojora is a lying little bi-"
"I have half a mind to drop this scythe right now-"
"Fighting is only going to make things worse-"
The roars of arguing voices were instantly silenced as the door burst open and slammed into the wall, sending bits of chipped paint flying off of it.
In the doorway stood Roy. He was bruised and bloodied with many cuts all over his body. One of the lenses on his sunglasses was cracked. A sharp bone was clutched in his fist, a line of blood trickling down its side and steadily dripping to the floor. He was pale and shaking, panting heavily as he leaned on the wall.
He gazed at his stupefied comrades. They were clearly too stunned to speak.
"You would not BELIEVE...the SHIT...I went through to get here..."
7Z7Z7Z7
Once they had all recovered from their initial shock, they assaulted Roy with a flurry of questions.
"Roy? Is it really you?"
"What happened to you?"
"How did you escape?"
"Toadette said-"
"OOOOH! TOADETTE! Don't even get me STARTED on that bitch!"
They were all taken aback by his loud statement.
Ms. Mowz hesitantly questioned, "Wh...what do you mean?"
"That lying piece of shit...I bet she told you how I got dragged away and how she tried to help, right? How she couldn't save me, right? Well, that's a filthy LIE!"
He slammed the sharp end of the bone into the wall, and it stuck there, the end vibrating from the impact.
His wild eye behind the broken lens swiveled around, analyzing the faces of his terrified allies.
He exhaled heavily and stumbled to the kitchen, one hand over his forehead. "Ah, goddammit, I need a drink..."
After he had downed four cans of soda, let out a mighty burp, and turned back to his friends, now much more calm, he explained what had happened.
"Wow, she really did that?" Tiny asked, dumbfounded. She glanced at the torn body on the ground, then quickly looked away.
"What a bitch. Glad she's dead..." Jojora muttered.
"She did a terrible thing, but that doesn't make it right to be happy about her death." Bobbery said sternly.
"Keep your lectures about morals to yourself, old man."
"You'd better watch yourself, Jojora. Disrespect the dead, and it might just come back to bite you later."
Jojora snorted, but said nothing more.
Another figure walked into the room, clapping slowly.
Everyone glared at the Reaper as he sauntered to the middle of the room. They may have all had suspicions of one another, but they all shared one common enemy. The Reaper.
As he passed by Ms. Mowz, she was caught off guard by a faint, but familiar, smell. She would have missed it if it wasn't for her highly sensitive nose. Was it...strawberry shampoo?
"Well done." he congratulated, gesturing to the two bodies on the ground. "You've successfully killed two more of your friends. Will the entertainment never cease?"
"We didn't kill them. You did! Why can't you just let us go?" Goombella partly pleaded at the last part.
"Because, it's just too dang fun torturing you all! Plus, I have my own reasons..."
This piqued Tiny's interest. "And what are those reasons?"
The Reaper turned and made his way back to the door. "You'll see. I mean, those of you who SURVIVE will."
When he reached the door, he turned back, one finger in the air as if he had just remembered something. "Ah, that's right! You guys can stop the whole scythe thing, now. It's lost its charm and has become frightfully boring. Plus, you'll all have to work together in order to take on the tougher challenges that await you."
He snapped his fingers and the scythe and heart disappeared without a trace. Then the Reaper did as well, leaving seven confused mortals behind.
Bobbery broke the silence. "All right. From what the Reaped just said, it means we need to work together. That means staying together, and trusting one another. We can't be efficient if we all are suspicious of each other."
Tiny nodded. "We all know now what happened with Toadette. Her's was a radical case, but that doesn't mean that the same thing can't happen again."
"Agreed." Koops chimed in. He stretched his hand out, palm down. "Let's form a pact. From here on, we trust each other, help each other, and don't leave anyone behind."
Bobbery and Tiny joined him first, with Goombella and Ms. Mowz soon following. With a sigh, Jojora and Roy finally put their hands in as well.
"Good." the Koopa nodded. "So what happens now?"
"We use the key that Jojora found to open the next door." Goombella said. "It seems like there's a pattern happening here. We go into a room, beat the trial that awaits us, collect a key, and move onto the next one. Simple, but difficult. I doubt the Reaper has anything easy in store for us."
"Right." Ms. Mowz agreed. "So we'll all tackle this next one. Together."
The others nodded, and they filed out of the room, anxiety creeping up on all of them.
'Ooh, together!' the Reaper's voice echoed with a mocking tone to it. 'We'll see how long that lasts...'
I felt like this chapter was a bit short, but I put everything I wanted into it.
So, Roy's not dead! I'm sure some of you will be happy about it, and others won't.
Lucky for some of you. Ms. Mowz was actually supposed to die instead of Toadette, but I changed it since A) You guys seemed to like Mowz more and B) I was starting to hate Toadette myself. She changed drastically as compared to my original idea for her, but whatever. Still, that doesn't mean Mowz is exempted from death! She could die later…
DK was always meant to die there, so R.I.P. DK.
Anyways, just wanted to say thanks to all of you who are actually reading this fic. It seems like it's become my most popular one yet. I find it hard to believe because, honestly, I didn't think it was that good. Nevertheless, I appreciate all of the favorites, follows, and reviews, so, thank you.
Anyways, this has dragged on long enough. I'll just end it here.
