Welcome to first part of the Perfect Insanity Dump Week. I leave the update I posted earlier for others to read. Expect a remasterd, already existing chapter along with a brand new one every day. Chapter 1 has been remastered now and this... is chapter 9.
Chapter 9: H(a)unting
It's 4:39 AM as he opens his eyes. He dozed off after quite the session with Krystal on the phone. He can remember the words they said to one other very vivid. Arousing, dirty gestures suggesting what they would do to each other. It was so realistic. As if a horny and naked Krystal was right there, on top of him. He feels his privates become stiff and hard again as a satisfied smile comes up on his face.
*That was one hell of an experience. Best phone sex ever!*
He reaches over to his nightstand and grabs a napkin. He uses it to clean any sperm that dispersed itself when he ejaculated. Another vivid memory comes to mind. He came at the same time as Krystal, a wonderful moment. With that in the back of his head, he cleans the last stain of his own "children" before tossing in a trash can across the room. When it goes in without hitting the sides, it's like the decisive goal in a basketball game is made.
He rises from the bed and zips his pants back up. When putting his shirt and suit back on, his phone receives an ad making it buzz. It could very well be Krystal but he finds out it's a stupid ad about losing weight.
'Gah! As if...' He closes the ad as the screen returns to the list of contacts. A profile pic of Krystal smiles at him.
There was something rotten about the affair. Namely that Krystal started to get emotional after it. She regretted every moment and vowed to never speak to him again. Like it was his fault that she agreed on it.
It doesn't matter. Panther is pleased. Besides, he has another waiting for him. He drools at the sight of Estelle naked before him. Krystal is off his mind because he had her already. He exits his room, completely dressed and patched up.
Leon's state of mind is still an important issue for him. Much like Wolf's words.
*Hope everything is fine with that lizard. Last time I saw him... Brrr. It made me shivery inside.*
Before placing his paw on the scanner to gain access to the bridge and find out about Leon, he looks around. The still dented door reminds him of his close call just an hour or so ago. He never saw how the creature looked like, just that he sounded like beast and had the strength of a 1000 well-shaped adult men. His blaster didn't seem to hurt it but kept it at a distance. If the monster would have broken through... what would have happened? Who would he attack first? How would he be able to stop it? Would he run, fight or watch paralyzed as his friends and eventually he too were devoured?
He gives himself a good slap in the face. He drifted off way more than he intended too. He was just wondering where such a behemoth could be. Not how he and his were gonna die. The idea alone makes him shiver.
'You coming in dreamy?' speaks Leon over the intercom. It's great to hear his voice that is free of worry and fear. It is a little numb sounding but that's something to be expected. He was as pale as a corpse and wheezing worse than a fish on dry land.
'Nice to hear from you Leon.' greets Panther back friendly. 'Feelin' a little better?'
'Hmm... A little. Wolf told me you helped me up in that chair.' He sighs thankful; 'I needed that. Come on in.'
The door opens like there wasn't even a dent in it.
'It was a... childish feeling.' philosophizes Leon hanging back in his own chair when Panther enters. He's wearing a black headset with a microphone attached to it. 'You know? That feeling you get when you got to be in the cockpit of an airplane or commercial space craft. Maybe even getting to wear the captain's hat. That feeling.'
He said that without looking at Panther. He turns to Panther a second later and shows a grateful smile.
'Hey Caruso!' is shouted from the captain's chair. As it turns around, Wolf is wearing his old black eye patch instead of the blue cyborg version he had before.
'How do you like me now huh? Just trying to get back to the golden years.'
'Heh heh. When we were feared across Lylat.' adds Leon nostalgic.
'Before you got your asses whipped that is.' laughs Panther. An apology follows as Wolf and Leon are not amused.
'Apology accepted. Just... watch your mouth next time.'
'Yes mother.' says Panther before taking a seat in his chair. He stares out the window as a question comes to mind. Will it be Krystal, or Estelle?
'Why not both?' answers Panther to his own reflection with a sneaky undertone.
'You say something Panther?' inquires Wolf half interested and half busy with trying to get his profile logged in again. Something kicked him out of the system.
'What the shit?' exclaims Wolf. 'Leon! You messed up!' he ends with joking intent.
'Hey. Don't blame me for something that scared the bejesus out of me.'
He checks the system schematics thoroughly but can't find any obstructions. Or can he? The screen displays a network of connections. Much like a system of pipes. All seem clean except for one; right between Wolf trying to access the system and the actual system sits a lone dot; a red one. Leon hesitates not a moment longer.
'Guys! Over here! It's back.'
'What's back?' asks Panther hanging over Leon's shoulder. Wolf joins too.
'You guys see this too, right?' points Leon questioning. He wants to make sure that everything that the previous one caused was not an illusion. Then again, if it was, how could Wolf and Panther experience it? Unless he's still in an illusion. That he's still having a spasm attack on the floor, consumed by fear while Wolf and Panther are being consumed by the monster that tried to break in.
'Urgh...' sighs Leon nauseated. 'This red dot is haunting my sanity.'
A consoling and supporting paw is pressed on Leon's right shoulder.
'No worry Leon.' comforts Wolf. 'We're here with you. If that dot thinks he's all that, let him show his bite, not his bark. We're with you.' he emphasises once more.
But Panther and Leon back up a little. It's a miniscule move, barely noticeable. Both feel a presence coming from the dot. Panther visions the Roaming Evil dwell the hallways all over again while Leon has the distorted picture of himself printed on his retina. A tunnel vision keeps them from turning their head away as their sights are focused on the screen, the red dot in other words. As Wolf, unaware of his friends turning into some kind of zombies, moves the cursor over to the pixel, a textbox appears. It's a grey one, with red lines and an offset word simply saying "Window" with an arrow pointed towards the main window.
The creepiness of the situations strikes Wolf now too. He doesn't want to turn towards the window, afraid to look a possible death in the eye. However, two spots on the back of his begin to burn. He can feel being glared at from outside the main window. Thoughts, horrid visions of dead and tragedy play as vivid as poor veteran suffering from PTSD. It makes his stomach turn, his breathing stagnate and his head boil on the inside. Forced, for conservation of his own health, he turns his head around. From the thick forest, where Wolf at first could stare into like a real leader would, two tiny red dots look right into his soul. A bright shining, sharp ordainment of fangs are shown underneath the dots. Ignited by spontaneous combustion, the pentagram irises form as the main pentagram on the being's forehead turns into the Sigil of Baphomet, radiating faint red. The five Hebrew symbols within only enhance it. Wolf simply falls to the ground as his sanity dropped below absolute zero. The last thing he hears, is a mocking laugh of both Délarbé and possibly Fox McCloud.
Inside the thick forest, Délarbé walks into a clearing where the moonlight shines bright. Still without clothing on except for his backpack, bow and quiver. He has a plan to cover himself at a later time. He has more important matters on his head.
He spreads his arms, looks up in the sky and closes his eyes. A hazy appearance of Fox comes out of his person and materializes into a being of flesh and blood. He just stands before him. It seems the situation can't possibly more serious. As to enemies they glare at each other, waiting for the other to make a move. Délarbé pulls up his upper lip like he did at James's house as Fox uncovers his teeth.
'That was awesome, wasn't it?' suggests Délarbé before the both of them burst out laughing. There never was any tension, just a friendly stare-off.
'Of course that was freaking awesome!' replies Fox over excited. He never had so much fun in beating Starwolf. It's another territory, the one of fear and mind instead of space fighters and lasers but that doesn't kill the mood at all.
'Oh. Have you seen Wolf's face? Hilarious!'
'I'm talented Fox. You don't have to compliment me on something I was made to do.' grins Délarbé a little self-centred.
'Whew… let me catch my breath again.' says Fox wheezy. He bends over, putting his paws on his knees. He's very exhausted, but barely did a thing. The feeling is glorious, but empty at the same time. As he looks up to Délarbé, he sees a similar feeling reading from his face. He's breathing heavily, like his lungs are about to explode.
Suddenly, this lump of evil, death and destruction seems weaker and less frightening. More someone lost, searching for a place he calls home, just like he is.
'Are you… as tired as I am?' wonders Fox with a swallow in between to moisten his sore throat.
'You ain't got shit on how tired I am… ergh.' groans Délarbé. 'This is abnormal. I haven't even started and I'm already feeling like… like…'
'A useless sack of salt? Know the feeling.'
Fox rises when he feels it's possible. He's a little shaky but manages.
'What did you mean by "I haven't even started"? We scared them to death, didn't we?'
'True. But to reach the full symbol, we need to break a relation. This only enhanced theirs.' He looks away from Fox, back at where the Great Wolf stands. 'We have no need in breaking their bond. All we need to do is catch Panther on his own.'
'Yeah.' comments Fox diminishing as he allows himself to fall on the grass ground. 'Like that's ever gonna happen.'
'Come on Fox. Have a little faith in me.' tells Délarbé with a demonic undertone. He pulls an arrow out of the quiver as a chain of flames forms at the end of the arrow. It becomes longer and longer until it cools down. A faint reflecting, thick steel chain of around 20 meters is the result.
'We're going to have some more fun. You know tug of war?'
He seems to be restored from his exhaustion and slight desperation. Like it never happened. It's possible that the thought of more souls to destroy is a miracle worker. With a gesture of his right paw, Fox vaporizes into the hazy form he was before. He re-joins Délarbé as the two leave the clearing, dragging the chain along with them.
Back in the Great Wolf, things seem to have calmed down. A splash of ice-cold water awakens Wolf with a shock and a gasp.
'Wakey wakey Wolf.' greets Panther as he and Leon help him up. Wolf coughs up some water he unwillingly ingested before thanking his friends for the help. He resets his eye patch.
'Can someone tell me what happened?'
Panther and Leon look at each other, as if they too have no idea what happened.
'Well… uh… the red dot is gone?' suggests Leon awkward, scratching the back of his head. The screen has no red dot indeed. All systems work fine. Wolf's profile is back in the system but that still doesn't explain what happened.
'You guys ain't got a single clue huh?'
The both shake their heads. Wolf exhales reluctant but tries to control his temper. What made him faint? Who is terrorizing them?
'We need someone to cleanse this place. I think it's haunted by some kind of demon. All this shit can't be explained by a just a virus or bug. I read dozens of Creepypasta's but this crosses a line.' states Wolf taking a well-deserved seat in his chair.
He throws his head against the headrest and spins around a couple of times, staring blandly at the ceiling. 'Anyone know a guy for something like this, by any coincidence?'
Though it wasn't meant to be answered, Panther knows the perfect candidate for this. He grabs his phone and looks through his phone book. Under the tab "Estelle's tips" stands a name known as Nether.
Unknown to him, the number is tapped and will be diverted the moment it's called. He proceeds to call, expecting Nether on the other side. Instead, he gets Krystal on the other side.
Hello? Again? she greets sleepy and grumpy.
K-Krystal? Wha… what happened?
I don't know. You tell me.
SHUT UP YOU TWO! is shouted from the other side of the wall of Krystal's room. Don't make me come back there again! warns Phantom fed up by not being able to get a proper sleep.
Uhh… am I interrupting something?
Nono… that's Phantom. That's the PI assigned to protect me and investigate the case. He took the protection of me on him even though it was never requested of him. And yes, he was the one that came in telling us to be quiet in the midst of what I mostly regret.
Sounds like trustworthy guy.
Hrrrgh… why are you calling again Panther? I told I was never gonna speak to you again. And look where I am now.
I know, I know. Something got switched; I wanted to call someone else.
For what?
Uhm… that evil guy that might have visited us, did it again.
You-you serious? she asks concerned. Panther might be an asshole and a scrounger, but no one deserves what she has seen with her own eyes.
Couldn't be more. He got Leon and me trapped in some kind of tunnel vision and made Wolf faint.
Wait up. I'll get Phantom on this. He knows a lot more about this stuff.
The phone leaves her ear as she covers it with her left paw. With her right, he knocks on the wall.
'Phantom! Caller on line 2!' she yells.
It's humorous to hear Phantom curse and complain in Fichinian as he has to pick up the phone. Struggling with his bedspread and getting out of bed, he eventually succeeds. Grumbling and still cursing, he picks up the phone the moment Krystal sends Panther through.
Better be important. is Phantom's standard greet, but this one is agitated and sounds more like a snarl.
Is this Phantom? asks Panther before he gets distracted by Leon and Wolf staring out the main window. Leon claims he saw some kind of presence on the radar coming from the forest. Scans show it's not made of metal or steel and approaching. It should be visible from the window but it isn't.
Yup… verifies Phantom, wiping in his tired eyes. He hates bags under his eyes and can't wait to see them in the mirror tomorrow morning. This Panther better have some good stuff or he'll be his breakfast.
Krystal told me you know more about that "Roaming Evil"?
Phantom remains silent. He's struck with astonishment on how stupid they have been.
You… gave that sick fuck… a name?
It seems I gave it, but I can't remember it at all.
Feeling drunk? inquires Phantom. If his hunch is right…
Yeah. H-how do you know?
Feeling a presence inside an otherwise lifeless thing?
When Panther confirms this, he's overjoyed yet afraid for Panther's life.
'I got him…' he says to himself. Krystal, listening with them and Panther hear it too. Panther. Get your guys out of there. Leave. NOW!
Outside of the conversation, Wolf sees Délarbé appear and disappear just like Leon described. Fed by anger and craving for revenge on the cheap trick he made him undergo, he reaches for his weapons. A part of the wall flips, revealing a small arsenal.
'Leon. Grab one. We're gonna rip some mofo to pieces!' states Wolf pissed off.
As Panther keeps listening to Phantom's instructions, he misses out on Wolf and Leon leaving the ship to hunt Délarbé down. When Phantom is finished, Panther wants to warn them, but they are long gone.
'Guys? Guys?' calls Panther in the blind.
What going on? asks Phantom. Are they still there?
Panther takes the phone from his ear and stares out a side-window. Wolf and Leon are out there, armed with rifles and shotguns. Shining with under barrel flashlights at the forest in order to find Délarbé.
Oh no… Phantom. They're out there. They're hunting him down.
Get them back then. says Phantom obvious.
Good idea. agrees Panther as he reaches for the door. Just as he tries to scan his paw, he hears the growl of the mysterious creature he ran away from hours ago. The one he was stressed out about before entering the bridge away. He hesitates.
You got to them yet? he hears inpatient over the phone.
Something is in here with me… replies Panther stagnated. I think it's him. What do I do?
It makes Phantom a little confused. *In there with him? That's not how the Gatekeeper does that… He loves lurking people into a trap and then kill them. This is a warning, not an invitation.*
You still there Phantom?
Yeah. I'm still here. Listen Panther, that thing isn't real. No matter what your ears may hear or what your eyes may see; it's not real. Now get out there and find your friends!
Outside the ship, Wolf and Leon are coming closer to the forest, away from their ship. Wolf is bloodthirsty with "tear that mofo" written all over his face. He feels paranoid though; he could be everywhere in the dense forest surrounding him. Even behind him for all he knows.
Luckily, his long-time friend Leon has his back. He got the shotgun out so any pop-ups should receive a load of buckshot to the face.
'When are we gonna find this fuck!?' calls Wolf out. It's a provocative tone meant for Délarbé to hear, especially with the emphasis on "this fuck".
'We'll find him. And then we can get our slice of the haunting.' assures Leon, now looking at the forest. They're nearing the edge of the forest, where the grass ends and the dark green bushes and trees begin. Their bright flashlights barely make a difference. It's like shining in a black hole; no reflection.
'Wait a sec…' halts Wolf as Leon tries to enter the forest. 'We miss someone.'
He turns his head towards the Great Wolf. The lights shining inside haul Panther's pondering shadow over the wall from time to time. He has no idea what to do. He doesn't want his friends out there but he also doesn't want to be devoured by whatever creature roams through the hallways. Does he believe his own mind or Phantom's words, still on audible through the phone?
*No!* thinks Panther as makes the decision. *I'm not gonna let some fear shatter myself and kill Wolf and Leon.*
A little less shaky then before, he does now place his paw on the scanner. The scan is slower than usual, but that could be Panther's slowed perception of time after all he's been through. A pleasant PING is heard, indicating that the door will open any second now.
Panther exhales as he grabs his blaster from the holster on his belt. In anticipation of the door opening, he aims for the, about to be, crack.
The exhale is undeserved and punished by a roar coming from the other side of the door before the dent is made larger and the doors malfunction completely. The lights flicker and eventually all pop in the most explosive way possible. Glass drops down from the ceiling along with millions of sparks. Panther covers himself as best as he can before Wolf sees the lights go out.
'Panther. Shit! Leon, go get him.'
Leon nods and sprints off. Wolf turns around to focus on finding Délarbé again. Unknown to him, Délarbé already has their eyes on them. Leon in particular, as his left leg seems to be the target for the crosshairs within a scope that is attached on the side of Spawn. An arrow with the chain he created out of fire attached to it is the projectile of choice. With Tug of War in his head, he lets go of the string as the arrow travels exceptionally fast.
Suddenly, a short, loud scream behind Wolf is heard. As Wolf looks behind him, he sees that Leon is floored by an arrow to his left calf. Leon tries to crawl on, holding the pain to himself. He bites his tongue and does what he's commanded to do. But without a warning, the chain tightens.
'Oh… n-no. Please… leave me alone you fiend!' pleads Leon desperate as he crawls faster. Délarbé thinks it's mostly amusing before he tugs Leon towards him. Notch by notch. Wolf has no idea what he has to do.
'A stunned leader against Délarbé. Who oh who will win this?' grins Délarbé.
Wolf snaps out of it and aims his rifle for the chain. Délarbé sees this and starts toying with it. Sending waves and moving it around to evade the chain getting shot. Every move moves the arrow as well, cutting only more into Leon's calf. The plan of holding the pain for himself begins to fall apart.
'Get me out!' he screams at the top of his voice. He reaches for his pierced leg, trying to pull it out. Barbs on the arrow tip prevent this, being stuck in muscle and bone. No matter how hard he pulls at the chain.
Wolf then sees an opportunity. He notices a pattern in the chain's movement. Also, the part Leon's pulling at barely has any movement.
*If I can get a burst on the immobile part without the chain moving, I've freed Leon.*
His crosshairs move over to that part of the chain. He waits for the right moment. He sees his chance: 'Let go Leon!'
Not expecting it, yet complying; he lets go as Wolf squeezes the trigger. Délarbé betters his grip on the chain. It's a game of milliseconds: who is faster?
Three shots coming from Wolf's rifle are heard by Panther who undoes himself from a layer of shattered glass covering him. He stands up, still on the phone as he looks out the window.
He gasps out of horror; Wolf shot Leon. Délarbé was earlier, pulling Leon into Wolf's sights. Phantom, knowing that was a sign that one of them died, gives his condolences.
Panther sees smoke coming from the rifle barrel as a petrified Wolf stares at three bullet holes made by him in Leon's chest. His eyes, wide open and motionless, pleading how and why, shed one last tear before the last air leaves his lips. Coincidence or planned by Délarbé, it doesn't matter to Wolf.
Whistling his awful two-toned tune, he hauls Leon into the forest like fish out of the water. Panther and Wolf simply watch it go. Feeling a failure, a flopped leader, he drops to the ground. Again, the burning eyes in the back of his head. This time closer and fiercer. He feels the warm air exhaled in his neck. The red dots appear as the pentagrams surround it.
'Here's your apology Wolf' whispers Fox in Wolf's ear, before puncturing an arrow through his back and out through the ribcage. Panther sees it all happening. The hunt turning into a haunt. Wolf is pulled into the forest as a death-rattle sounds.
'They... are all gone.' sobs Panther.
Phantom remains quiet as he hangs up on Panther. It was not the worst Phantom heard all night. By the way, why should he care that much? He wipes his paws across his face, wiping his eyes before groaningly turning on his side to knock on the wall, giving the line back to Krsytal.
*That's done.* thinks Phantom as he covers his head with his blanket, wanting nothing more than the sweet pleasure of closing his eyes. There's no alarm clock set so he can sleep till late in the afternoon. Within a matter of moments, he's already away.
Krystal on the other side is less psyched as she gets an emotional weak Panther on the line. She regrets all she said to him. At the moment, he's all she cares for.
P-Panther...? asks Krystal unsure. She has no idea how to help Panther right now.
Urgh... Krystal. I-I... don't know what...
He starts to choke on his words. Though some sniffs come through, he manages to the halt himself from crying his heart out. He haggles once.
Krystal... I'm getting you out of here. What happened to Wolf and Leon will not happen to you.
Where do we go then?
Don't know yet. But I'm texting you the address of where we'll meet. Be there at 9:00.
I'll be there. assures Krystal. It makes Panther sound a little more vivid.
If it's not too much to be asked, don't bring that Phantom. requests Panther as he kinda blames Phantom for all this too.
Why not?
You're not his responsibility anymore. claims Panther. He can search for someone else. You're my girl.
It's an eye-opener to Krystal; this is Panther on his very honest. But she has gotten a little attached to Phantom. While mostly passive and because it articulated with Phantom's traumatizing past, it was genuine. Without him, she would have been sleeping somewhere else, possibly worse and less safe.
I appreciate the compliment, but I can't just leave him after all he's done for me. I wouldn't be able to call you if it wasn't for him.
Very reluctant, Panther complies. Good. If you really want to, he can come too. But he has to find someone else to get off this planet.
Thanks Panther. Be seeing you...
Very soon my dearest. Panther loves you.
Krystal puts her phone down and allows her head to fall in the pillow. She feels like she's forgetting someone. It's like she can set her mind on only one thing. And Panther is on that spot now.
Wolf and Leon are dead by the hands of Délarbé and Fox. They seem to become unlikely friends. Panther and Krystal are growing together. Is all of Lylat going insane? In the next chapter, we'll see some relationship therapy.