"Chelsea, what were you thinking?" Jen hollered, throwing her arms up. "You can't beat him in your condition!"
"You wanna damn bet?" her friend retorted back. "I've done this before! Remember?" Jen quietly nodded, remembering vaguely of their first fight. She sat down on the bed, watching her friend pace the room.
"But you've never gone into a final battle before. He'll kill you!" Jen wailed, trying to discourage her friend from battling the king of nightmares. "You've only fought him at one of his lower levels; never at his best."
Chelsea momentarily stopped her pacing and stared at the floor. Her friend had a point: when she'd first fought him, Freddy hadn't really been trying. This time was different. He was going to put his powers to the best, and there wasn't going to be any more fucking games from now on.
She looked at Jen, but not directly. She was looking past her, trying to see the outcome of the final battle. As much as she wanted, the chances seemed very, very slim.
"I can't turn back now, Jen. You know that already." She sat down beside her, thinking. "You don't suppose my dream power will come in handy, do you?"
Jen eyes widened, a small smile playing across her lips.
"You can beat the shit outta him with it! You almost did last time if he hadn't turned you back," she agreed. "At least you have another power against him instead of weapons… Wait, he can't die in the dream world. We gotta drag him out; otherwise you've got no chance."
Chelsea grinned.
"You're right. And he never specified where we'd be fighting, now did he?" They giggled wildly and flopped back on the bed. "Loophole! Suddenly I have the feeling we might actually beat him."
Jen sat up, suddenly alert. Chelsea glanced at her, then noticed why she'd sat up so suddenly. Boilers and piped hissed around them.
"Did we honestly fall asleep that fast?" Jen whispered hoarsely. They clutched each other in terror; they only had a day to prepare and they'd fallen asleep… Probably from exhaustion or maybe, just maybe, they weren't the ones who'd pulled them in…
"Shit…" Chelsea swore, standing. "Damn, fuck, shit… We don't have much time. He'll be here any minute."
"Or any second," a voice drawled form behind.
They whirled and glared back at him as Freddy took a step forward. He smirked at them, standing in a casual manner. Jen felt her friend tense in…what? Fear? Anger? She couldn't tell.
"Shut the wise cracks, Krueger," Chelsea spat, disgusted he'd lured them here without them knowing it. She clenched her fists, trembling hard.
"Ohh, you've hurt my feelings," Freddy replied sarcastically, clutching whatever passed for his black heart. He grinned at them and dropped his arms, swinging the glove slightly in anticipated excitement. Soon… Soon they would be his.
"Shut the fuck up, Freddy!" Jen yelled, angry at him for mocking them. She'd had enough of his wise cracks for a lifetime.
Freddy turned to her, his face set in a serious glare. His glove twitched, as they noticed, and slowly grew still. An agonizingly long tension ran between them, drawing silence between the three.
"So, shall we begin?" Freddy drawled.
Chelsea's anger burned and she let out a screech as she changed form. She was glad to see a slight flicker of fear in his eyes—very slight, mind you.
"I don't think quite yet Freddy," she growled. She watched his expression change to fury.
"And why not?" he demanded.
"Because you never set limits to where we're going to fight. So now, I call dibs on the real world," she replied, giving him a smirk.
Freddy tensed slightly; she was right. They'd never set limits on the fighting area. He growled in fury and clenched his fist.
"Damn…. Very well. Real world. But when we're there, we play by my settings." He stood tall and crossed his arms across his chest.
Chelsea glanced at Jen; she shrugged. It sounded fair enough if he was agreeing to fight in their world instead of this namby-pamby fucking dream world.
"Okay, sounds fair enough," she reluctantly agreed.
Freddy glanced at Jen, and she nodded, agreeing with her friend. He sighed in mild-disgust and nodded. Waving his blades, they reappeared in Jen's bedroom. They looked around, mildly surprised.
"Now… Where shall the arena take place?" he pondered, giving them a sly grin. He suddenly shot out his arms and a large pool formed around them.
They stared at him, incredulous. Since when did Freddy choose water arenas to kill his victims? They'd thought it be the real abandoned boiler factory, not here. Or at least somewhere else. The background shimmered as they slowly materialized in the real world.
Chelsea glared at him, angry for forcing her to do this. He was looking back at her, indicating that either she moved, or he'd make the move for her. Casting him a dark glare, they stood at the edges. Freddy was the first to submerge, followed by the raptor-girl.
Jen watched from the side, trying to see the distorted shapes underwater. She watched as a black-and-red shape hurtled through the water towards a red-and-green blur. They collided and bubbles frothed furiously on the surface.
Freddy pulled back as the raptor swam away for another shot. She'd caught him off guard, swimming into the depths, then swimming horizontal to him. He snarled and smiled to himself; that was the great thing about being what he was: the raptor-girl had to surface for air; he didn't because of the Dream Demons.
Chelsea rose and stuck her snout above the surface for a quick breath. She lowered her body under again and turned to face him. He was glaring back twenty feet away, mocking her. She lashed her limbs and hurtled towards him. He moved at the last second, allowing her to swim by, but grabbed her tail as she passed.
He snarled, hefting her up through the water.
The raptor screamed as she exploded out of the water in an eruption of waves and droplets, landing hard in the water on her stomach. The wind was punched out of her lungs as she sank, clawing frantically. She surfaced briefly, just getting enough air into her lungs before he pulled her back under.
Freddy swam to the bottom, holding onto the raptor-girl's tail. She was thrashing in his grip, trying to kick out at him, but her tail length wouldn't allow it. He hurled her over his shoulder, slamming her into the cement bottom.
Dark blood gushed up around them as he pulled back, surveying the damage. Waving his talons to clear the blood away, he saw the raptor slowly floating up to the surface beside him. There was a dark, gaping wound on her side. Her limbs were moving slowly, trying to force herself up to the surface. The eyes suddenly flashed open and she lunged at him, clamping down hard on his glove. Rank black blood spilled around them as they thrashed, churning the water with gore and blood.
"You motherfucker!" she gurgled, taking off to the surface again.
He watched her shoot up to surface, take a deep breath, and turn back to him. Freddy smiled. She couldn't keep this up forever. Eventually, her body would tire from swimming back and forth and from making her attacks. Then he could finish her off at last when she was weak enough. He watched the raptor form carefully. The limbs were slowing down, exhausted from so much movement.
Freddy stood on the concrete floor, waiting patiently. Staying down so deep would wear her out; she'd have to take extra breaths to reach him and by the time she actually did reach him, her lungs would be so tired from taking long dives, she wouldn't be able to escape.
He watched as the raptor-girl swam down to him and glared at him, teeth bared. She shot forward, whipping her tail like a crocodile's, and made a direct hit-bite on his leg. Freddy let out a surprised yell and grabbed her by the skull, pushing out at her. The jaws refused to let go so he tried a different approach. He readied himself, his free leg tensing.
Bubbles spilled out from between her jaws before she knew what had even hit her. Her lungs were desperate for air, desperately trying to get her to inhale. He'd kicked her!
Chelsea coughed, swallowing water, and made for the surface. A strong hand on her tail made all attempts futile. Turning her head, she could see that awful grin on his face as he began pulling her back down, down towards those deadly blades. Oh, God! Oh, shit! her mind screamed at her, trying to pull her away from the dangerous demon.
She swiped at his face; too slow, water slowed her down. She kicked out at him, catching his arms and spilling dark blood into the water again. Chelsea hauled ass, kicking up to the surface. She quickly scrambled onto the slippery sides of the pool, pulling herself out for a little. Her chest was aching as she breathed heavily, heaving from the strain of swimming. She could see him looking up at her from the bottom, daring her to come back down to him.
Her limbs were getting extremely tired now, almost to the point where she couldn't move. She tried to shift them; they felt heavy. Oh, no…he's got me again. He's wearing me out so he can finish me off… She glared back at him, trying to show him that she hadn't given up.
"Chelsea, you okay?" Jen asked, getting down beside her. Her friend shook her head.
"No. I know what he's doing. He's standing on the bottom, trying to draw me down to him," she gasped, still trying to catch her breath. "I can't keep it up much longer. Sooner or later he's going to come up when I can't push any farther and he'll drag me under."
Jen glanced down into the water, grimacing at the gore and blood blended in the water. She could see him staring back, making furious motions for her friend to get her ass back down there.
"I know, but think of it. If you win, no more Freddy. Ever," she said, urging her to fight.
Chelsea glanced at the water and nodded, all set. She dove back into the water, preparing herself.
Freddy grinned as she came towards him, taking tentative strokes. He laughed silently to himself. She'd finally figured it out. Tough shit; it made no difference. He splayed his talons wide as she dove at him, jaws open wide in a striking position.
Chelsea narrowed her eyes. Wait for it… NOW! She barreled to the side as he lunged at her, missing her completely. Now it was her turn… She whipped around and grabbed him by the back of the sweater, hauling him up to the surface. The deadly blades swiped by her face, missing her by mere inches.
"Chelsea!" Jen cried. She watched the raptor-girl drag the raging dream demon from the water, pulling him up onto the grass.
Freddy snarled and rolled over, taking her with him. He pinned her down and kept well back from the snapping jaws. He plunged a blade deep into her side, and she let out a shriek.
Clawed forelimbs lashed out at his face as he stood quickly to avoid the worst of it. The raptor leaped to her feet, snarling, and charged him. She plowed him into the water, running swiftly until her feet could no longer reach. Still going, she hauled him out to the deeper water, staying just where she'd be able to turn back.
Chelsea released him and turned, splashing frantically away from him. An agonizingly strong grip on her tail made her yelp in pain as Freddy grabbed hold, dragging her back out into deeper water. Her hind legs raced hysterically, desperately trying to touch ground so she could make a run for it.
Freddy pulled her out to him and turned her, keeping the clawed limbs at bay. He grabbed her just behind the skull and shoved her head under. A storm of bubbles frothed on the surface as she moved in his grip, trying to force her way back up. Freddy kept his grip firm, keeping her head under the water. She surfaced once, coughing, but he pushed her back under. She thrashed powerfully in his grip, slowly growing still. Her efforts weakened and he lifted her into the air.
Water streamed in trickles down the sides of her jaw as he held her close, getting a good look at her. He'd nearly drowned her, the bastard. She let out a strangled cough and shifted her limbs slightly. Her lungs heaved, aching from their load of so much water. Her chest rose and fell with labored breathing as he held her away, almost as if she'd offended him somehow.
"You…fucking bastard!" she yelled hoarsely.
"Chelsea!" Jen screamed standing up. Freddy turned to glare at her, infuriated she was interfering. She grew deathly silent, hands clapped over her mouth.
Freddy let the raptor-girl drop and stared down at her. She barely moved, even when he sunk a blade into her thigh. The leg twitched as he raked the talon down, cutting tendons and muscle.
"You little bitch…" he sneered, smacking her away from him. A huge eruption of water temporarily blinded him and he shielded his face. A second later and he dropped his arms, looking around wildly.
A minute of silence passed as he peered intently at the water, trying to see where she'd gone. He turned, wading into the shallows, keeping an eye on the deeper water. He stopped near the three-foot mark and stared out at the water. Where the hell had she gone?
Hssss… The red-and-black Velociraptor attacked from behind, slamming him face-first into the water. They wrestled for a moment, spraying water in all directions, soaking Jen.
A screech rented the air as Freddy stumbled away, bleeding badly in the left shoulder. He glared at her as she crouched, ready to spring. He raised his glove as she leaped, intending to stab the razors into her throat. He never had the chance.
Chelsea snapped her jaws around his own, tearing into his throat with disgust. She forced him to his knees in the shallows, gripping his head with her forepaws. She suddenly felt a burning pain in her stomach and slowly let go. It felt so deadly cold, but it was quickly followed by a red-hot searing pain. Looking down, she let out a gasping yelp.
Freddy smirked and sank the blades in deeper. Dark crimson blood spilled from the wounds, pouring into the water. He glanced up as the raptor stared down at him, her jaws agape with morbid shock. Her form slowly slumped against his as she let out a silent wail, splashing him with blood. Freddy stood, shoving the body off him, and stood over her, breathing heavily.
She stared up at him in horror, not comprehending what he'd just done. Her eyes followed him as he leaned over her to deliver the final blow and felt a pulse of adrenaline burst through her.
Freddy suddenly found himself with the raptor's jaws clamped onto his right wrist. He watched in amazement as she quickly tore his glove off, hurling it across the pool, and sank her killing claws into his stomach.
He fell to his knees in the water beside her, holding his stomach. Staggering to his feet, he found himself just barely holding his intestines in. He turned to look at her, his face contorted with genuine surprise. The raptor retracted her claws, and he fell to the water on top of her, dragging both under. If he couldn't kill her with his glove, he'd make due by drowning her while he had strength left.
"Chelsea! No!" Jen screamed, racing down to the water. She dove under, swimming out to meet the bloody adversaries. She grabbed her friend by the tail and pulled her out from Freddy's grasp as he swiped at her. She dragged the raptor back onto the grass, trying to wake her up.
"No, Chelsea! You can't die on me now! You can't!" She held the raptor close, tears streaming down her face. "Look, you beat Freddy! You did it! You beat the shit out of him!" No response.
An hour passed as Jen sat by her friend, holding her close. Freddy's blood was smeared over her, along with her own, giving her a blood-red sheen as the sun began to set. Jen closed her eyes and quietly said a prayer, holding her friend close.
"Did I win?" the raptor croaked. Jen immediately looked down and cried out. Chelsea grinned back weakly as Jen hugged her, causing her to cry out in pain.
"Oh, God, I'm so sorry!" she cried, loosening her grip around her friend's middle. The raptor weakly kicked her legs, trying to see if she could walk. "Can you walk, Chels? We need to get home so we can get you fixed up."
The raptor-girl staggered to her feet with Jen's help and they limped back towards town, back to Jen's house. They approached town, keeping to the shadows, and Jen suddenly stopped.
"What?" Chelsea croaked, her voice nearly gone from pain. She lifted her head a little and felt a wave of extreme terror flood her.
Freddy stood before them, quivering with fury. His wounds had healed, but very roughly. Until he returned to the dream world, he'd remain that way.
He strode towards them, stopping short of the raptor-girl and her friend.
"What do you want?" Jen hissed angrily. "She beat you fair and square. You have to leave us alone forever."
The Springwood Slasher glared at her, creeping towards the raptor. Jen protectively stood in front of her as he reached them, glaring furiously at him. He backhanded her and she fell, dropping her friend. The raptor stared up at him fearfully as he leaned over her, crouching.
Freddy placed a blade to her throat and slid it down to her middle where he'd stabbed her. Violent tremors coursed through her body as he gently dug it in, just far enough not to badly hurt her. To her amazement, she felt as if she were getting stronger, and stood shakily. Turning an eye to him, she growled softly as he took a step back.
"Why'd you do that?" she growled, fearing he'd snipped a vital organ in half or something even worse. Freddy glared at her bitterly.
"You've won. And I have to leave you alone for the rest of your life. Without harm or shape-shifting." He crossed his arms as they faced each other, annoyed to hell that she'd beaten him.
She raised her head triumphantly and stuck out her clawed hand.
"Too bad." She grinned, splaying her claws. Reluctantly, Freddy took her hand and shook. "You did your best, what can I say?" she sniggered and let go. He stared back with hate as she turned on him, helping her friend back up. Realizing something, she turned back to him. "It's only fair that I return the favor."
Freddy glared at her, remaining silent. He didn't need no fucking bitch returning him a fucking favor. He'd get back his own way.
"And what would that be?" he snarled.
"That I return you to the dream world," she replied simply. Freddy's gaze softened slightly. As much as he hated her, he did need to get back before he got killed in the real world and get sent back to Hell...for the ten-thousandth time.
"Fine, you fucked-up bitch," he snarled, glaring furiously at her.
"Jen, you know the deal," Chelsea told her friend. Jen nodded, and she closed her eyes in ultimate exhaustion.
Freddy's form dimmed and he glared at them furiously as he vanished back to his own world. Jen quickly shook her friend, and she opened her eyes. She'd returned to her human form.
"We did it," Jen awed, her smile widening. "We did it! We got rid of Freddy Krueger forever!" Chelsea smiled with her as they walked back to her house, cheering. She glanced back towards the battle ground, her eyes shining. Maybe, just maybe, it wasn't the end yet…