The air shimmered for a couple of seconds in front of both the Eavesdroppers and Monster as the barrier disappeared into the air. The Eavesdroppers stood in front of the Monster with no fear for they believed their god with its beautiful vocal tones would protect them from this horror in front of them.
Unfortunately, their hopes and beliefs were ignored as the Monster lashed out to the one wielding an axe. Slashing its claws horizontally the Eavesdropper dropped to their knees. The other two watching as the fellow listener's head slid off their shoulders and fell with a meaty THUNK. The other two started running away only for one of them to look down seeing three massive claws poking through their chest.
The remaining Eavesdropper turning around to see the Monster slam their comrade into wall. Impaled on a metal pole the second Eavesdropper could only watch as the Monster reached for their arms and pulled. With relative ease the Eavesdropper's arms were torn from their sockets and Monster clamped their teeth on them. Shredding and swallowing what little arm meat remained on those two twigs. The Monster then reached down to where it originally stabbed the Eavesdropper in the stomach and back and plunged its claws in there. Pulling out the Monster grabbed all manner of organs from the still alive still screeching Eavesdropper. Throwing them down its gullet as their victim continued screeching out in pain. Hearing enough the Monster bit down hard on the Eavesdropper's neck and with a couple of sickening crunches swallowed the entire head.
It turned back towards the first of its prey and kneeled to pick it up along with head. Chucking the head into their mouth and crunching heavily the Monster was still incredibly disappointed.
Not enough.
Not enough to fill its void.
Not the being for which they were craving.
Still its hungry so it dove its teeth in the cadaver. Ichor dripping the creature jaws as it saw the mutilated corpse it left behind. Sniffing the air, the Monster charged down the street beginning its rampage to the soul keeper. The Monster had only made it into a couple of streets when a large squeal filled its ears. Clutching its ears in annoyance the Monster felt a sharp pain in its leg. Looking down it saw a woman covered in a myriad of metal and a large drum on its back. The One Lady Band looking up at the creature in defiance as it continued to slash at the Monster's legs. The Monster reared a leg back and kicked the One Lady Band flying backwards into a glass window.
Because it was outmatched the One Lady Band struggled to get inside the drum and roll away. The Monster however had other plans as it grabbed the now moving drum. Shaking it couple of times the Monster went ahead to slam it against the walls and concrete around it. The drum continuously getting banged up and dented. The screeches from the pipes inside were slowly dying down more. Then using a single claw, the Monster sliced the skin of drum and the One Lady Band slipped out. Laying in a crumpled heap the pipes around her body both bent out of shape and stabbing into various parts of her body. The One Lady giving out a pitiful swan's song as they coughed out blood. The Monster cruelly mimicking her squeals as it picked her up by the arms and legs and pulled. The wounds around her waist opening further and further until she couldn't feel her legs anymore. Although she could clearly see them as they were tossed into the Monster's mouth. Though she didn't have to have to live with that imagery much longer as said Monster's jaws were rapidly getting closer to her face.
The monster continued its path through town smelling meat inside a dusty old shop. The Monster had to crouch to enter a shop filled with a collection of children's toys. Dust lining the shelves with broken toys that laid on the floor. Keys separated from their backs their gears no longer turning. The Monster crawled through a door leading to a small bedroom in the back. Lying in bed was an old man not stirring as the Monster drew closer and closer. The Monster sniffed the air near the Toymaker's bed and hissed in disgust.
Already dead. Just a piece of cold dead meat slowly rotting away.
Still meat is meat, and the Monster was still hungry.
Wiping its mouth clean of the stale blood the Monster sniffed the air and prowled further into the center of town. Its ear flicked when the sound of metal clacked in front of it. Preparing to strike the Monster stalked the alleyway as the Barber came into view with its massive pair of shears. The Monster pounced upon the Barber breaking several bones from the speed and weight of the larger creature. The Barber weakly raised its scissors to stab this thing in the neck. The Monster merely batted the pair of clippers away clutching the Barber's head with both hands. Its thumbs slowly raising in arch above the Barber's small eyes. With a deep plunge the Barber only felt a painful pair of stabs into their eyes and a splitting headache that lasted a second. The Monster licked the cerebral matter from the Barber's massive skull. Ripping tendon from vein as what once was the Barber lay in a wretched mess.
Wandering into the center of town the Monster saw the dead body of the Goon. Snatching it up with their teeth the Goon was fat. A big fat snack and in two minutes… a pile of bones. Smelling similar prey from before it turned its attention to the broadcast station and slowly painfully took its time knowing full well its prey knew the Monster was coming.
Inside the Broadcast Station
The Broadcaster had listened to the Tower's words and brought down the Ferryman's symbol. In doing so the frequency was much clearer and the Broadcaster got to work. Flicking switches and turning dials trying to do their best to bring back their god. The static began screeching and the room began to darken. Pulling out from the speaker a black cloud of static began forming. Growing arms and legs as it stood as tall as the Thin Man. It held out its hand in front of the Broadcaster. The Broadcaster seeing it as a form of acceptance slowly reached out their hands to accept their god's acceptance.
Only for the Tower to grow a fedora and place it on their head. Not paying any mind to the crippled man in the chair before them. It walked through the wall and left no trace. The Broadcaster leaned back a broken man. He sacrificed the lives of his comrades ever waiting for the Tower's gentle graces. And when the Tower finally appeared before him, he was abandoned by their god. A tool chucked to the side no longer serving a purpose. Just for the door to burst open with the last Eavesdropper quickly barricading the door. The Eavesdropper screeching at the Broadcaster wondering where their lord was.
The Broadcaster buried his head in his hands. Grieving at what it all amounted to. All the sacrifice and bloodshed. He would never be able to walk again he was forever fused to this machine. All for a bastard monster that used them all as puppets and ran. The Broadcaster looked up to see the camera monitors and started in shock. Right outside the Broadcast station was the Monster slowly making their way to the door. The Broadcast and Eavesdropper both looked at each other as they waited in trepidation.
With a bang the door burst open, and all the Monster tasted was copper, salty tears, and broken hopes.
Six pulled from Mono's embrace and looked him over. From the small glance she took Mono was perfectly fine. His skin a normal color, His eyes were their normal heterochromatic shade, the seizures stopped but he did have the occasional small twitch.
"We have to leave NOW. I don't why but when the Tower was possessing me it warned me to be prepared to run."
"Mono how did you get possessed?"
"When the radio turned on it let out a broadcast made by a few faithful followers of the Tower. Turns out the Tower was barely alive after the Wind crushed it. Its small amount of static drifting by passively following us. That's how it was able to get in the town with us. When the radio turned on the signal boosted the Tower's strength and it joined me. Our minds battled for dominance over my body."
"Why did you try to stab yourself?"
"Honestly, I was just trying to scare the Tower out of me. I wasn't going to follow through with it of course. I don't want to leave you again."
Mono wiped his eye of a small tear that drifted. "Listen Six, the Tower? It cannot do anything anymore. It was struggling just to keep me contained and controlled. It just wants to walk free and it can't harm us anymore. Whoever they were, if the Wind says that's whoever started this whole thing. They're nothing but signal now. The Tower warned me that we need to leave now."
And right as Mono finished saying that the sound of wood breaking apart could be heard in the distance. Both looked up to the window in fear and apprehension. They clambered up to the window and looked to the building parallel to theirs. An old broadcast station with shadows moving inside of them. Mono and Six watched in horror as the front window blasted open as the Broadcaster's body was flung out. Turning over and over tumbling onto the cobblestone. A broken heap collapsed in glass and flesh. And then Mono and Six saw the monster. Blood draining from their faces white from fear. A tall massive creature clambered out from the window.
Mono recognized it at once from Hatebreak's book as the Monster, but Six recognized it from her dreams as the horror. This was her ugly reflection from her past life. Never ending hunger with no care whether it was alive or not, animal or human, and adult and… child. Frankly she was glad she wasn't cursed with hunger in this body. She could never bare the possibility as a mental picture appeared in her mind.
It was her leaning over Mono's dead body with his throat torn out and his blood on her hands.
Shaken out of her thoughts Mono grabbed her shoulder and pulled her down.
"So, what's the plan to get out of here Six?"
Six pulled out the sewer map and gestured towards the center.
"There's a drainpipe in the tavern we can follow down into the sewers below the city. The smell will be unpleasant yes, but there are many ways in the sewers we can follow that will take us all to one exit."
Six took one last look out the one window only to see a pair of feral crazy eyes staring right back. Mono grabbed the scruff of Six's coat yanking her back towards the restroom with drain cover. The Monster thrusting its arm through the window just barely clutching Six's fabric.
The Monster began pummeling the window doing everything it could to get inside. This was it, the little girl was the source of food they were looking for. Extremely angry, the Monster scrambled to get inside as it watched food and other food lift a metal grate and jumped down into in. The Monster getting enough room dashed inside the tavern. Its massive body scattering both furniture and bodies as it reached for the open pipe. Shoving its claw down the hole it reached frantically as it touched nothing but air. Roaring in frustration it clawed at its face grasping its antlers in annoyance. But it didn't notice the floating figure behind as they raised their arms.
"Now… while I don't normally engage in the affairs of other creatures aside from the Ferryman. This time I'm going to have to make an exception for you." The North Wind raised its arms and the Monster was caught stuck under the grips of this superior being. "I understand your ceaseless hunger seeing as your one of the reasons this world is screwed up, but I can't let you off the hook so easily." The Wind placed one of its foggy limbs on the Monster's right arm and with a snap pulled off their forearm. The Monster howled as it grabbed it right arm blood slowly leaking from the wound. "Now I have to be off there's one last thing I must be sure of. I don't recommend you follow me you could die."
The North Wind lifted into the air and flew off in a direction out of town. The Monster took a sniff of the air and began following the Wind not caring about the threat made against it. The Wind noticed the pursuing creature and smirked to themselves.
"All according to plan."
Mono and Six were sliding down the pipe going further and faster down. Both grasping onto each other tightly as they descended into the darkness. They both looked into each other's eyes and they closed their mouths. Suddenly they were falling free for a couple of seconds before plunging into water. Mono and Six swimming up to the surface as they gasped for breath. Quickly learning to breathe through their mouths for as soon as the putrid stink filled their nostrils making them gag.
"You alright Mono?"
"Aside from the possibility of my ability to smell dying I'm fine. We should get out of this water and begin getting out of here."
With that Mono and Six began swimming towards a walkway unaware of the large creature swimming underneath them. Mono made it onto the walkway simply fine but before Six could make it she was dragged down under the water.
"SIX!" Mono screamed as he flung out his hand trying to activate his powers only to find nothing happened.
"NO NO NO! NOT NOW WHY?!" he screamed out completely unaware of the necklace around his neck. Bubbles began forming around the water and a shadow slowly floated up to the surface. It was the size of a man's leg with a head on either end. Two snarling grins and wide eyes slowly losing their glow. Laying on top was Six who had her arm extended as she leapt off the creature's back and onto the walkway. Mono immediately hugged her.
"I'm sorry I don't know why but my powers still aren't working."
Six unclasped the necklace around his neck, "This is why Mono. I found that when I was searching for an escape route from the town. I was hoping it would have pacified you until we could find out a way of the sewers. It seems to have worked too well." Six then pocketed the necklace.
They then began walking away from the now dead eel when the sound of water rushing caught their attention. Three shadows under the water began rushing towards the two. The one in front of the other two jumped out of the water and began running towards Mono and Six.
Six and Mono began running trying to get away from all three of these things. One of the two still in the water descended into the water away from view. From one of the walls one of the pipes covered with a grate began to shudder. Mono and Six made a small slide just as the grate popped open to reveal that snarling grin and glowing eyes from one of those accursed eels. It was knocked back into the pipe by the one that was still chasing the two of them on land.
Mono and Six weren't really caring where they ran if it was away from these slime covered beings. Dodging and weaving as these Eels continuously tried to chomp and chew the two kids. One of these Eels had enough form the one poking its head from the pipes and took a huge chunk out of their head. The one coming out of the walls laid there as its other half slowly dragged it back into the walls.
Mono and Six reached a room with a deadbolt door. They both dashed inside with Mono using his static powers to push the door shut. Six at the same time used her powers to turn the locks quickly shut. The door creaked and grinded as the three different Eels were doing their best. Mono took a quick look around the room trying to find a means of escape. Looking down he saw how big the room they were in was. The door they had locked just lead to a walkway overlooking a massive room filled with water. There was only one way out of there the main drain that was continuously allowing water to flow.
The door dented a small bit as the Eels continued pounding against. Six taking a small step backward as Mono grabbed her shoulder.
"We're going to need to jump Six. Otherwise, we aren't getting out of here alive."
Six nodded and hand in hand they began to walk over to the edge.
"On three, okay? One…"
They didn't even get to count to two as they were pushed forward by a massive gust of wind. Mono twisting in the air as he saw what pushed them. The North Wind with a massive frown on its face as if it didn't want to do that. A form of reluctance but for what? Mono couldn't decipher that as Six and Mono plunged into the water. The current of water pulling them under the water. Unable to fight against Mono and Six struggled to keep themselves afloat. Doing their best to stay in the middle away from any flotsam. Six opened her eyes only to see the current of water quickly slamming her into a wall and all she saw was darkness. Six had fallen limp in Mono's grasp quickly letting go. Mono just gripped tighter fighting a battle to keep them both afloat.
Then Mono saw it an exit via waterfall. Mono began swimming towards the side of the waterfall trying to find any means of holding on to. His hand scrapped against the concrete walls until his hand met a metal pole jutting out the side of the wall. Holding Six limply by the arm in one hand and holding onto the bar for dear life he looked up when he heard clapping.
"Congratulations Mono you won my little wager. You managed to get out of town without murdering a single person. You've proven me wrong in that you're not like the one who started all this. Who inconsequently made me and the other monsters that plague this world. And yet the Tower seemed to cling only onto you for some reason. I wonder what that may be…" The North Wind looked down menacingly at Mono who stared back in panicked eyes. "So, I have another game for you Mono. Survive this night and you shall never see me again. But I warn you boy if I find that a cycle has been restarted all-over again I WILL FIND YOU. TTFN."
And the North Wind swept its arm and the metal pole Mono held onto snapped in two. In shock Mono could only look up as the North Wind flew off into the night sky. Questions firing off in his head until he hit the water and saw black.
A few hours later.
Mono slowly blinked into consciousness as he felt dirt in face. Trying to rise realizing he couldn't when a sharp pain dug deep into his leg. Looking down he saw a fragment of the metal pole impaled him in the side of the leg. Heart pounding in his ears he started crawling forward away from the water. Looking forward he saw Six. Still unconscious and surrounded by shut off televisions. Looking around Mono saw no impending threats just a singular of boars grazing nearby. He began crawling towards Six when a small thud reached his ears.
And then another thud followed by another. The boars tensing up slowly backing away from the sound. Mono looked back towards Six and he saw it again.
Only this time looking much more feral and gleeful. It was missing its right forearm with an already closed wound. Mono still struggled to get up even more furiously trying to use his static powers to get up from the ground.
To… To… pull Six closer, his head pulsed in pain as he tried to teleport again, he tried bringing the static up to his fingertips to blast the creature.
No.. no… the Monster knelt to pick up the fallen girl. Dangling from her raincoat Six hung limply. The Monster opened its gaping maw. A massive canyon of teeth and drooling flesh as it prepared to eat the little girl.
Mono could only watch as the Monster let go and swallowed Six whole.