Both Mono and Six dove to opposite sides of the hallway to avoid the pouncing porcelain parasite. It landed with a squeal from its mouth. Its eyes darting to and from Mono and Six deciphering which should be the better prey. Making its mind up it ran toward Six appearing to be the weaker of the two. It grabbed her arms and pinned her to the wall. Its mouth creeping forward ready to drain her of her vital fluids. Serrated teeth pulsing in and out ready to puncture her pale skin when a hook was suddenly stabbed into the side of this Parasite's mouth. Mono, face filled with rage, pulled back on the piece of rope yanking the creature back towards him. Six now free looked around for any means to attack the creature. She saw it, in the teacher's hand was a wooden ruler.
Not wasting any time Six heaved the ruler over her head and began to slam it down on the Parasite. As it tried to pick itself up from the floor the creature looked up only for a few seconds when its head was slammed into the floor. Shards of porcelain dispersing over the floor, its eyes rolling backward in its head as it lost consciousness. The mouth however was still moving. Mono still holding onto the rope began pulling on it again. The mouth of the creature began to slip out. Right until a mass half the size of Six poured out of the thing's face. The black mass then stood on two legs and began charging back towards Mono and Six still thirsty for more.
"RUN!" Mono pulling on Six's arm getting them away from the bipedal leech at the cost of his grappling hook.
Seeing the painting covering the hole in the wall Mono with Six's help chucked the ruler at it. Luckily, it hit with enough force to knock it down. Not wasting anytime Mono boosted Six up and Six held her hand out for Mono to climb up and over into the hidden room with the hatch.
Dusting themselves off Mono said, "So… the Teacher's not a threat so at least there's that. Are you doing okay there Six?" Mono held deep concern for Six to the point that he had a nice fuzzy feeling about it. "I'm fine Mono just a little rattled. I was not expecting part of that thing to still be alive. Why'd you even pull it out to begin with?" "Honestly, I was kind of hoping that the mouth was connected to something vital. By pulling the mouth out I wanted to see if disconnecting it from the body would stop it."
Mono eyed Six over just checking for any injuries. Other than a bit of redness around her wrists from where she was grabbed.
"So… what's the plan?" Mono paused before answering, "Well for right now we need to just watch each other's backs. The second one of us sees any of those things we bolt for the next area. As of right now we don't have many means of defending ourselves." "What about your knife?" "I don't have it anymore I used it to escape the Predator's grasp by stabbing his wrist and then It tried to use the knife on me. After the Predator was dragged into the water by the tree, I couldn't see the knife anywhere." "Our best bet right now is to stay quiet and quick. If we get caught by one, we try to subdue it but if there are more than one, we run, okay?" Six nodded in confirmation with a determined look on her face.
Accepting that Mono gestured towards the hatch in the floor and jumped on it a couple of times to get it to collapse. Crawling out of the vent after helping Six to her feet they walked back-to-back keeping an eye on anything and everything. Both on edge as they heard quick steps on woodwork and in the plaster of the ceiling overhead. They heard a squeal coming from the end of the hall and they saw another Parasite charging right at them. Tightening his grip on Six's arm he glanced over with a small questioning look. Six looking right back towards him understanding his intention she nodded. Facing back towards the Parasite they charged it. Their arms still locked together as the clotheslined the creature knocking it onto its back. As it was getting back up Mono and Six grabbed either side of its head and proceeded to slam it right back into the ground repeatedly until the Parasite's head cracked open. Not wanting to be around when the leech slipped out Mono took Six's hand and led her down the hallway to the locker trap. Just when two more Parasites lurked out of the lockers. Running back towards the intersection of the two hallways Mono made a circular gesture pointing back toward the suspended locker. Splitting up at the end circling around the monsters running back towards the window. The monsters oblivious to their surroundings chased their prey until they heard a click, looked up and saw no more.
Mono and Six gave each other a small high five right before two black lumps started wriggling out from under the locker.
"OH, COME ON! What's it gotta take to kill these things?" Mono complained as they leapt up into the vent leading to the next hallway.
"Let's just get out of here as fast as we can the sooner the better." Six said as she offered her hand to him.
Leaving the vent and looking at her surroundings Six realized that this was the hallway that she was captured by the Bullies in the previous run.
"Mono about this the room." Six started to say but Mono put a calming hand on her shoulder as he looked into her eyes. "Don't worry Six I remember I won't fall for it this time. Let's just keep an eye out."
Upon saying that they heard more skittering around they decided to run for it. This time however the locker didn't fall and the skittering still growing ever closer. When suddenly, the Parasites ran right past encircling them and running forward again. Six not realizing why until she looked down. Tied to each leg of the parasites was an end of a rope. That circle around them was to get the rope lassoed around them. Six had jumped out of the way and was about to reach for Mono. Just as the rope went taut and began pulling Mono away from Six.
"SSSIIIIIXXX!" Mono cried as he was pulled away further into the school leaving Six by her lonesome.
Six began to run after Mono in the hopes to rescue him when a sharp pain struck in the back of her head.
"WaKeY WaKeY." A voice said in a singsong tone.
Six opened her eyes to once again find herself locked up in the bathroom tied right in front of another Parasite however this one was different. For one this one didn't have a porcelain head. It had the body though it was dressed up more in a suit than a schoolchild outfit. The second thing she noticed this one didn't have a leech where its mouth should have been just a hole. Six struggled in her chair and immediately got socked in the face for it.
"You've seriously pissed me off you know that." It said in a quiet voice.
"I do admit killing off my creation by drowning him with a tree was pretty creative but that's just slicing on the cake of pissing me off."
Six just glaring back at it in defiance. "The fact that you refused my little bargain despite giving my word and I don't even understand why you keep insisting on helping the little boy. After all the hard work I kept sending my little shades to taunt you making him think he was dead."
Six raising her head at that, "And why exactly why did you send them after me?"
The eyes on the fleshy mass gleeful when asked that, "I mErELy nEeDEd tO DEteR yOu; To KeeP YOu fROm COmINg baCk tO THe TOWEr. I dIDn't wANt To HaVe tHe chANCe oF loSINg My lItTle battERY To mY IMmORtaLity."
The Parasite chuckling to itself as it turned around looking at something in its hands. Sounding like the impact of wood but then the clinking of metal?
"BUT tHEre's oNE thING I JUst cAN't uNDeRsTAnd abOUT yOu TWo. I fiGURed yOU wOULd At thE vErY lEAst bE cAUtIOUs ArOUnd hIm AnOthEr bUt yOU twO hAvE bEEn clIngIng tO EAch OthEr lIkE A pAIr of mAgnEts. Why?"
The Parasite turning around to face Six directly in the face as if trying to decipher it. Six turned away trying to avoid its gaze. And then the three eyes widened in amusement and it exploded in laughter. "ThAt's trUly hIlArIOUs. AbsOlUtElY hYstErIcAl!"
Before the eyes looked upon her in malice, "YOU lOvE hIm; And nOw thAt yOU'vE bEEn gIvEn thIs chAncE tO stArt frOm whErE yOU lEft Off. HOpIng tO lEAvE thE cIty wIth yOUr hAppIly EvEr AftEr." It glared at Six who only glared back.
Wiping tears from its three eyes it said, "WIth thIs InfOrmAtIOn I cAn EAsIly brEAk thE bOy And brIng hIm bAck UndEr mY cOntrOl. MY TOwEr wIll bE brOUght bAck tO Its rIghtfUl glOrY. I cAn End thIs hErE And nOw bEcAUse I knOw yOU cAn't EscApE. EvEn If thE bOy mAnAgEs tO frEE yOU frOm thOse bOnds And dEfEAt thIs shEll And mY crEAtIOns; yOU twO stIll hAvE tO wOrrY AbOUt mY mAss sUrrOUnding thE schOOl." Then the Parasite raised its fleshy hand as it shifted and warped into knife.
"BUt fIrst I'm gOIng tO hAvE A lIttle fUn wIth yOU gIrlIE." As it inched closer and closer starting with her arm, lifting the trench coat sleeve.
"I wOUldn't wOrrY tOO mUch It'll OnlY hUrt A LOT."
Mono was dragged through the hallways his mind full-blown concentrated on Six's outreached arm and wondering where these two Parasites were pulling him. One of his thoughts were answered as he was pulled into the teacher's classroom. Just when he tumbled to a full stop an arm grabbed and put him back towards the wall. Not being given any time to recover a metal bar was shoved towards his throat. Straining to open his eyes hit the open face of another parasite using a key to choke him. The eyes of the monster looking at him in victorious glee. Darkness clouded his vision Mono only had one thought.
'Is this how I die?'
He thought about what had led him to this moment thinking about how he had tried to save himself. How the Tower was unrelenting in its desires. About how fruitless his efforts were in saving in Six. Pausing on that Six Mono reflected deeply. He remembered how they interacted in their reconciliations, their regrets, their forgiveness, their embraces. He realized he wasn't ready to die yet because she was in trouble. He was going to save her not just because Six was his friend. No, she was more than that; Mono loved her and he was not going let the Tower kill her just to mess with Mono.
Feeling a surge of anger and taking a chance he focused his energy on trying to blast the Parasite. His hand glowed as static rose from it like ash from a new fire. The Parasite hesitating as it saw this new development. Before it could react promptly, with a loud pop, the Parasite flew backwards dropping the key and into the chalkboard cracking it in two.
Not wasting anytime Mono grabbed the key, wielding it like a battle axe, and swung it at his captors breaking both porcelain heads. Remembering what the Bullies used to do to the frogs with keys stabbed the leeches before they started crawling out of the Parasites' mouth. When that happened, the flesh became inert unanimated. Satisfied Mono carried the key to the elevator and went to the next floor.
Upon entering the second floor Mono headed to the right with the knowledge of the vent in the storage room. Before that he came upon the room that usually contained the Dunce Bully. This time the room was empty with the chain still on the floor. Mono decided to drop the key he was using as a weapon and took the chains instead. Six still had his coat and thus he didn't have the pocket space to carry a massive key like that. He ended wearing the chain like a sash. Feeling better equipped he moved onto the storage.
Preparing to climb up to the vent he heard the sound of glass breaking. Peering over the edge and saw the source. Five Parasites down below were breaking their hands. Sharpening them so they were riveted and able to puncture. They then faced the wall and began sinking their arms into the wall and began climbing up the walls. Not wasting anymore time Mono began to quicken his pace around the storage room climbing up higher and higher to reach the vent. The parasites becoming ever closer with their squeals of anger. At the top Mono had almost reached the top when one of the Parasites had climbed up from under him. Mono frantically kicked the thing in the face knocking it off the platform falling a couple of stories with a small crash. Mono could tell from the fact that the leech inside wasn't moving that it died immediately from impact.
The library seemed empty, so Mono was able to quickly move through it. Just as he was about to leave a thought crossed his mind.
'How are we going to be able to get out of here?'
Even if he rescued Six from her captors how would they leave. Considering the last time, he saw the mass of Tower flesh it was STILL coming from the window entering the schoolyard. Who was to say it hadn't surrounded the school already waiting for them on all sides? If they were to leave Mono needed a way to get rid of it. As Mono pondered it he stared at the books. All beautifully bound and well organized. The contents of all that paper filled with a lot of important knowledge.
'Wait.'
Mono reached into his pockets and pulled out the box of matches. Looking back at the books and the matches a crazy idea went through his head.
'It's not like anyone important is still alive in here, this city's already dead, I will have Six out of here before it gets too bad.' As he eased himself into doing this.
He began by tearing page after page out books placing them in select areas under bookshelves. Lighting one of the matches he lit all the papers on fire and watched. Each one of them successfully managing to get quite the blaze going.
Mono satisfied at that left the library quickening his journey to save Six. Not wasting time, he solved the chess puzzle with relative. Although he did imagine the king and queen were him and Six while the checked King was a cowardly Tower with a quivering eye. Grabbing the key, he returned only to see the fire was growing a lot faster than he anticipated. On the plus at the same time, he heard a loud roar of pain outside the school.
He smirked to himself 'Checkmate Tower.'
Leaving the foyer room and the ever-growing fire he entered the kitchen. One of the Parasites noticed him and screamed. All noise in both the kitchen and cafeteria stopped as they turned to face Mono every single one of their eyes turned to burning rage. Mono simply unwound the chain as he faced the crowd.
"It was a mistake not to possess the Teacher who like the Hunter would have been a bigger challenge to hide from. Now? You are delicate and it won't take long to beat all of you. Now get out of my way or burn like the rest of this school." Mono said eyes crackling full of static and ready to save the one he loved.
Rising to the challenge a wave of Parasites came out of the crowd the faces open and mouths ready to latch onto this foolish boy. Surrounding his fist with the chain Mono reared back and socked the monster in the face effectively knocking it down.
Just for the next two monsters two come up and shoved Mono down to the ground. Mono rolled out of the way and undid the chain this time using to trip the two of them. Their heads bursting apart as they hit the floor.
Three monsters this time one of them being from the Parasites that had broken their hands. Another one of them carrying a butcher's knife. The unarmed one attacked first attempting to tackle Mono to the floor. Only being knocked down Mono looked up to see the one with the butcher's knife raise it ready to chop off Mono head. Struggling Mono instead pushed the pinning Parasite up towards the knife instead. Still down on the ground Mono once again focused a lot of power into his hand. The sound of heavy static filling the area before Mono pushed out his energy into the Parasite. The monster dropped the knife and went flying taking a couple Parasite body with him. Exasperated at the sudden expense of energy Mono picked up the knife and faced the last one with jagged limbs. With a horizontal slice he cut that flesh monster's head off.
Turning to face the crowd he said, "Who's next?" The crowd of monsters just rushed towards him and all Mono saw, was red for the next few minutes amongst the sounds of panicked and enraged screams.
When his vision he was standing over a pile of broken glass and leeches. Staring at the knife in his hand he realized that he'd broken the knife. Chucking the broken handle, he left the cafeteria still determined to find Six. He breezed past the last few rooms knowing full well at this point where Six was being held. Coiling the chains around his bruised fist he quickly dispatched the last remaining Parasites.
He entered when the bathroom where one last Parasite was kneeling over an unconscious.
"YOU," Mono shouted in fury. He charged towards the Parasite repeatedly punching it in the face. Its eyes full of terror when it saw the look of anger the boy had towards him. Of course, that vision did not last long as Mono punched out its eyes and it too collapsed to the floor. Mono stood over the monster's corpse with only ebbs of anger quickly replaced by fear and desperation as he ran over to Six.
Six… Six was in rough shape. She was breathing shallowly, bruises lined her arms and legs, her face was red while she also had a black eye. Mono gently went to pick her up when he realized something horrid. Her back was bleeding. Mono carefully turned her onto her back and lifted her shirt up. Mono gasped, before he had killed the last Parasite it had sliced wounds on her back in the shape of an eye.
"Don't worry Six I've got you now. No one's going to hurt you right now." Mono said as he gingerly picked Six and bridal carried her towards the exit of the school. Six weakly opened her eye and looked up. "T-Thank Y-You M-Mono." His heartbreaking at that as he looked down. "I love you Six I'm sorry I didn't get to you sooner." "You're here now and that's all that matters." With that the two of them left the school. Leaving it in their past as a loud scream of agony ripped through the night as it and the school burned to the ground.