I dedicate this chapter to WaterdragonWave, Icy_Niam, and Leafwing. Because even though Waterdragon and Icy don't speak English as their first language they took the time to read my story, and all of them encouraged me when I felt...well it's not a one word feeling. I felt like hardly anyone liked my story despite how many people have seen it, and I was ready to just begrudgingly finish this book and just abandon making a sequel. But then they wished me well, and instead of just making each upload take two or three weeks because I stopped caring about the story, I'm going to keep updating at "lightning speed" because I'm a fast writer. However, I also had a small existential crisis, and now feel like the sequel is absolutely necessary for emotional closure, and to potentially give some good life advice for people reading.
Nea was still utterly bewildered beyond belief.
She had no idea what to think, what to feel, what was right to feel and what wasn't. But it only got worse when the others got back.
Nea wasn't happy to see them come out of the trees. Her face twisted from a previously star struck gaze into a snarl, but she didn't say anything. She just glared at them unflinchingly and unblinking as they came scrambling out of the trees.
The other survivors ran over to greet them. "What happened?" Someone in their crowd asked loudly over the others, it sounded like Jeff.
Nea watched with a raised eyebrow as they backed away to show Ash, Elodie, Felix, and Yui. All of them looked disgruntled, exhausted, and in pain.
Nea couldn't help but feel twisted satisfaction at the sight of it.
Murdering scum bags deserved it.
But when they spoke all of Nea's previous excitement, anticipation, and hope to see Phillip again was forgotten in an instant.
"There's a new killer." Elodie gasped.
The other survivors almost went into a frenzy, the mass hysteria frighteningly similar to before, and as such, Nea and her friends began to scoot closer to each other.
Ace stuck an arm out and around Kate's shoulders, pulling her close to him, David did the same to Feng. Dwight, Jake, Claudette, Bill, and Laurie all came closer to each other. Bill's face was turning harsher as he watched.
"She's...psychotic. I don't know how else to put it. She can disguise herself as a survivor!" Yui said. The survivors began shouting questions like an angry riot.
"Stop it!" Yun Jin shouted, her fists clenched as she glared at all of them.
"Now she wants to act rational." Nea heard Laurie spit from beside her. She just nodded her head, they didn't need to verbalize how much they all hated the producer. It was an equally shared and viscious contempt.
With the silence returning to the main group of survivors. Yui continued her retelling of the story. "She could disguise herself as us, and we couldn't hear a heartbeat whenever she was disguised-" Felix cut Yui off.
"She came up behind me when I was working on a generator disguised as Yui. She slammed my head into the generator before she grabbed me, and she looked like a weird mix of The Trapper and The Legion." Felix said. Ash and Elodie nodded their agreement.
"Yeah." Yui said. "Her mask looked just like The Trappers, but the eyes were on fire, but she was wearing a hoodie and jeans like that one Legion freak." The racer said, and Jake bristled.
Ash took the stage. "Fire is her thing apparently, because she attacks by burning us, hurts real bad too. Same with her mori, she burnt me alive at the end there." Ash said quietly, as if thinking back on the torture. "Her hands are disgusting too, the skin was completely scorched. And she was real angry, kept yelling threats at me whenever I stunned her." Ash said.
"What I'm concerned about was how good she was. She nearly killed all of us, she probably would have if she hadn't froze after she mori'd you Ash." Elodie said. "None of our loop fakes worked on her, it was like she could read our minds." The cultist said with a shiver, bringing one hand up and rubbing her shoulder blades.
"Yeah, what's up with that? I thought new killers were supposed to be easy to beat?" Ash said, looking over at Nea and her group expectantly.
Nea snarled. How arrogant could this guy be! Without thinking she stood up and shouted. "Even if we knew don't expect any help from us you worthless scumbags!" Nea yelled with fire. "I hope she kills you again next time!" She yelled angrily before plopping back down with her friends.
Bill gave her an approving nod, most of them did. Only Claudette and Dwight seemed uncomfortable at the escalating tension.
Ash gave her a nasty look, but Nea returned it with all the more anger behind it. Eventually the one armed man backed down and looked away. Nea smiled wickedly, served that coward right.
"The Entity is freaking losing it." Felix mumbled, but almost everyone heard, and then turned to stare at him. He seemed to lose any courage he had at the two dozen stares but managed to force out a few lines. "I mean that bird freak showed up way too soon after The Pinhead, and now right as the maps start changing some of the killers vanish from trials and a new killer shows up who actually knows what she's doing?" Felix said incredulously, as if expecting them to figure out whatever he was trying to convey right then and there. "The Entity obviously has her as damage control, now that half of the experienced killers have gone soft it needs someone to pick up the slack, so now she's here, and she's doing a good job at it." Felix begrudgingly admitted.
Nea leaned backwards until she was on her back, her head upside down as she watched the trees with a small smirk. The man really had no sense of pride or dignity at all did he? Nea knew there was a reason she, Feng, and sometimes Meg called him a soy-boy to each other, but she didn't think he was that self-loathing. Or was it cowardice?
However, he did have a point. Nea had noticed the strange occurrences in the trials as of late, such as what Felix just mentioned. All of them had noticed it, and surely the killers like Phillip had too. Now with this new disguising fire killer the circumstantial evidence was overwhelming.
Out of the corner of her eye Nea thought she saw something orange and yellow flash in the distance. It lasted only a split second, but it had fully caught her attention. It seemed Claudette had noticed it too, because the healer looked over at her, gestured towards the forest, and then nodded.
Nea nodded her head, still upside down, and then rolled over onto her front. She held a hand out to wait. Once the other survivors moved on to furthering the conversation about theories of the new fire killer's identity she motioned that it was clear. She and Claudette calmly stood up as to not draw attention to themselves, and then disappeared into the tree line. It took easily less than two minutes for them to reach where they thought the flash of color had come from, but when they arrived there, it was just more trees. Nothing was in sight.
"You see anything." Nea asked Claudette, the healer facing the opposite direction and also watching the trees. "No, but someone's gotta be out here, although I don't know why we're doing this when they could probably be waiting to kill us." Claudette said sarcasm mixing with worry.
"We'll be fine Claud', if we have to we're fast enough to make it to the campfire, and besides, what if it's Phillip and The Hillbilly?" Nea explained eagerly, and earned a raised eyebrow from Claudette. "You're certainly excited to see The Wraith again." Claudette commented with raised eyebrows.
Nea spun around to bore into her friends skull. "Ok I have several things I can think of, some of which involve swearing so we won't use it. His name is Phillip first of all, and you can't say anything because you came with me because you're hoping to see The Hillbilly." Nea said with her arms crossed, smiling smugly.
Claudette blushed, stuttering out something Nea couldn't hear before huffing and turning back to the tree line. The Swede laughed. "Oh come on, let's have a little gossip? I know you feel something for The Hillbilly." Nea teased, feeling like a stereotypical teenage girl.
What was the harm in letting that side of her out? Everyone had their inner child, and this was harmless.
Unfortunately Claudette refused to budge, and Nea knew she needed something juicy on her part to jumpstart the conversation. So she searched for something herself and Phillip had done or something she could taunt Claudette about with The Hillbilly, and now that she thought of it...
"Well then again I can't really talk. The Wraith kissed me last time so..."Nea drawled, looking at Claudette from the corner of her eye for a reaction. Her sister didn't react at first, she absently nodded her head while scanning the tree line.
Then Claudette spun around with wide eyes and screeched. "What!" Her voice so loud it could probably be heard from the campfire.
Nea wheezed loudly, almost light headed from how hard she exhaled. Laughter bubbled up from her stomach and through her chest. Nea didn't try to hold it back, letting it spill out joyously. It felt great, and it had been a while since she'd felt this genuinely happy. The last time had been what felt like months ago, probably before Meg died. She put her hands on her knees to keep herself from falling over.
Claudette crossed her arms. "Alright laugh it up, but I'll be the one laughing when you're swooning like a school girl the next he kisses you." Claudette said with an arrogant tone, even going as far as to cock a hip at her.
Nea stopped laughing as her jaw dropped. She stood up straight in challenge and mirrored Claudette's posture. She took several seconds to come up with a witty, but friendly retort. However, she couldn't come up with anything good enough that wasn't mean. "Oh, you are so lucky I love you." Nea ground out, giving Claudette a glare.
Claudette smiled sweetly. "Love you too bestie." She said, sounding overly bubbly.
Nea cracked a smile at Claudette's behavior despite how hard she tried not to. Claudette giggled loudly. "Oh my gosh!" She said loudly. "I couldn't keep that up any longer." She exhaled harshly. Soon enough they were both giggling in tandem like a bunch of high school girls talking about the latest gossip.
Suddenly the sound of rustling leaves could be heard from behind them.
Both of them immediately stopped laughing and whirled around, and Nea backed up so she was almost shoulder to shoulder with Claudette. The Swede nodded her head towards the campfire, and Claudette nodded, both beginning to slowly back up towards safety.
"We should be close enough to run for it." Nea informer her friend, and the healer nodded nervously. Her eyes were still glued to where they'd both heard the movement.
Before they could take more than about ten steps the culprit revealed himself. He was tall, wearing dark boots and matching colored pants. He wore a white tank top, and wielding a hammer and chainsaw.
Claudette immediately sighed in relief, loudly at that, and Nea hesitantly did the same.
His weapons were placed on the dirt uncaringly as the killer took a couple steps forward. Claudette matched his steps, and even upped the ante by getting close enough to touch him. Nea remained where she was, watching curiously, but also feeling like she was suddenly intruding on something intimate.
Claudette slowly raised a hand towards the killer. His dark brown eyes, which had been locked onto her from the beginning, switched to her appendage. When he didn't object, Claudette closed the gap and rested her finger tips on his sunken left cheek. She traced the skin delicately.
Even though Nea couldn't see her sister's face, she knew she was carefully gaging the southerner for negative reactions. Yet he never gave one, only seeming inquisitive, yet pleased as he let the healer trace his face.
Claudette moved her hand to his other cheek, slowly moving down the skin that connected his jaw and shoulder. She examined him closely, but before she checked anywhere else, her head turned up to look at him.
"I never learned your name." The healer said, and Nea almost didn't hear her from the short distance she was away.
"And now that I think of it, I never told you mine either." The girl said, sounding regretful. "My name is Claudette, what is yours?" She asked curiously. All traces of fear had vanished from the Canadian's body, and suddenly Nea was reminded of herself around Phillip.
They both had become completely unafraid of the killers who spent time with them. Then a wicked smile slowly spread across Nea's face.
Now she had the perfect retort to use on Claudette the next time she was teased by her about Phillip.
A flash of amber flew through her mind.
The Hillbilly interrupted her train of thought. "M-Maaaaaaa...Maaaaaaaa-" He coughed violently, but tried again. "Maaaaxxxx." He managed to squeeze out, looking immensely proud of himself at the feat of simply saying his name.
Nea couldn't see Claudette's reaction, but if she knew her friend she was probably smiling at him kindly.
The silence of the trees seemed to invade the small gap they were in, and as Nea watched the two, she noticed that Max's eyes kept wandering to something behind her. Just before she could start to worry she felt breath hit her shoulder and the side of her face as the mystery man spoke.
"Hello my dear." A humorous and flirty voice said. Nea jumped, her arms instinctively coming up and her legs tensing to run, but then he grabbed her. His hands fell on her wrists as he stared down at her. His gaze held something similar to the last time they had spoke, although there was something different in the way he observed her, and it made her shiver.
Nea looked over at Claudette, already blushing in embarrassment and ready to be teased when she saw that Max had occupied Claudette's attention completely.
He had hugged her tightly, and Claudette was returning the embrace with all her feeble might as well. Nea could see the tension in her friends arms and almost laughed at how hard she was trying.
Phillip however, was taking a page out of Max's book. Because he too, was now occupying her focus.
"My dear Nea I simply have to ask. I would love to have a repeat performance of our last meeting. That is...if you wish?" Phillip said charmingly, cocking one eyebrow at her while leaning close to her.
Nea's flush came back full force, vividly remembering the way he'd kissed her. Now he was asking her for another. Her eyes narrowed and her finger came up to point underneath his chin. "In your dreams pal." She said.
Phillip's look softened. "I understand my dear." He drawled, taking one of her hands and spinning her as if they were dancing unexpectedly. However, Nea refused to get dizzy, and focused hard on her surroundings. "What your words mean and what you're really saying. It pays to know how people think. So you have my apologies for any time I made you feel flustered. I just can't help it, it's too much fun. However, I do think you'll change your mind eventually." He said cheekily, briefly holding her chin with his thumb before stepping back and slowly clasping his hands together in front of his chest.
Nea gave him a confused glance, but nodded her approval. "Thank you? I think." She said, now wondering if what she said was in fact the correct response.
Phillip chuckled and held a hand out to her invitingly. "Thank you my dear. Now, shall we perhaps walk through the woods. They're especially easy on the eyes today." He noted, giving the tree tops a glance.
Nea scoffed with a smile. "Gosh you are so cheesy." She jabbed. "But fine, only if Claudette can come too though." She demanded, looking up at him expectantly.
"As you desire my dear." Phillip said with a laugh. He was clearly having more fun with this scenario than he should have, but Nea couldn't say she hated the chivalrous actions or tone. It was just embarrassing or only slightly irritating when he got cocky in his flirting.
Phillip looked over at Max and Claudette once she accepted his hand, his fingers curled gently over hers and held it in a firm but harmless grip. "Well? Max, Claudette? Care to join us?" He said, one side of his mouth upturning in a lopsided smile.
Claudette turned back to look at them, and she shot Nea a smile, not an arrogant one much to her surprise, and then nodded. She looked over at Max. The killer looked down at her, then over to his friend before nodding enthusiastically with an excited groan. Claudette gave a small chuckle, and Max beamed.
"Well then I guess it's decided." Claudette laughed. "What about the others though?" Claudette asked, pointing to the campfire in the distance. Nea looked back, focusing on the orange dot rather than the moving shadows around it.
Nea could hear Meg's screams in her mind.
She didn't want to be accused of the same thing, and then sacrificed because of it. Her family wouldn't always be there, and there would inevitably be a moment where she'd be alone.
Although, that required them to catch her with Phillip, and she wouldn't let them see her like Meg had.
But what about Claudette? She had the same pressure and potential death if she was seen with Max.
Nea didn't want to make them worry about her, but didn't want them to come after her like before. Especially when something could go wrong and the others were out of control. She couldn't just go over there and tell them what she was doing though, that was asking to get killed. There really wasn't a middle ground here.
Go with him and leave everyone unsuspecting as they panicked at the thought of the new killer, or return and stay miserable for who knows how long.
Nea turned back to Claudette. "Sorry Claud' but we can't. The others will get too suspicious of us, and I can't stand to be near them any longer. We'll make it quick, alright?" The artist asked hesitantly. The botanist nodded, reaching out and taking Max's right hand.
"Take us some place nice" Nea said sarcastically, giving Phillip's hand an affirmative and short squeeze.
Without much fanfare Phillip smoothly began dragging her into the forest, almost making her fall over as she was whisked away. Claudette could be heard laughing from behind, before a prolonged squeak, that was basically a squeal, slipped out. Nea looked over her shoulder to see that Max had clipped his hammer to his belt, picked up his chainsaw, and somehow also managed to lift the dark skinned girl onto his shoulders.
Nea laughed. "That's what you get!" She shouted.
Claudette gave her a cross look, her hands rested on Max's head, but then she tapped him to get his attention. He looked up at the healer, and all she did in response was point at her and Phillip.
"Get them!" She said playfully, her face cracking and revealing the smile she wanted to show.
Nea's eyes widened when Max began to run forward without hesitation, a smile making itself apparent on his deformed face. She immediately turned to Phillip. "Run." She ordered.
Phillip obliged.
Soon enough she was hoisted onto the Nigerian's back not unlike before, and was keeping her grip on him tight as he ran through the woods away from their friends.
Nea laughed loudly as the wind rushed past her face. She felt like a kid again, just having fun with friends and doing dumb and potentially harmful games for kicks. Although it probably wasn't as dangerous in the real world. The Entity could just heal them, that, and Nea had little doubt Phillip and Max would let them fall. They were too strong and perceptive for that.
So who said games were just for kids?
Meg rested in Evan's arms for what felt like the thousandth time.
At this point, she had abandoned her pride in the situation. If felt good to let him carry her weight, especially because she was abstained from guilt since he was basically as strong as Hercules. She was fully conscious, her sleep hadn't lasted long, and her head laid over his heart. She had listened to the rhythmic beating for easily ten minutes now, and it only made Evan feel more human.
He wasn't a killer, and despite his bear like physical traits. He was just a man. A complete giant of a man. But a man at heart and in mind.
He had his weaknesses, he'd done horrible things. He'd killed her and everyone she cared about more times than she cared to count. Yet he'd found the strength to free himself, to spare her, and then spare the others when she had encouraged him. That was his strength, and Meg admired him for that feat deeply.
She knew, and God knew she needed that strength right now.
"Thank you." Meg murmured from his chest, glancing upwards at him through her mask. She had all but demanded that he take the disgusting thing off of her, but he had refused. After a brief but hysteric conversation, at least on her part, he'd convinced her to keep in on for her own safety. No matter how much It made her hate herself for what she did.
Evan looked down at her and then lowered his head, bumping his mask against hers softly. Meg accepted the affection without resistance, laughing softly. No matter how many times he acted like a giant fuzzy bear she just never got tired of it. "You are welcome, and as previously stated, you are forgiven. I should know of failure to make the right choice. However, your presence has made me believe there is the possibility of self betterment." Evan stated, giving her one last playful bump with his mask.
Meg watched his jaw move from beneath the mask as he spoke, absorbing his words and committing them to memory.
Soon after Evan shifted her, placing her on her own feet and moving to reposition her on his shoulders. Meg however, was not having it, smacking his hands away when he tried to. "No." She said. "I'm cold, so you're gonna carry me like before, and you're gonna like it." Meg said, sounding both demanding and humorous with how she choked back a laugh.
Evan chuckled. "Your wish is my command."
So he scooped her back up and continued walking. She was just trying to leech body heat from him like a blood sucking worm. As they passed what felt like the millionth tree, Meg remembered what she had wanted to ask him before she'd fallen asleep. "Evan?" She asked softly, not wanting to disturb the peace and quiet of the woods, nor raise her voice.
He hummed in response giving her a light squeeze.
"Do you think I'll be able to see my friends again? They're probably worried about me." She said with guilt.
Evan nodded his head. "It is a completely possible situation." He stated. "You were able to find me, so they will be able to find you. However, not long ago, Phillip, Max, and myself located the campfire where your friends stay. We were unable to advance past a certain distance. An invisible barrier prevented us." He told her, giving her a comforting squeeze and bringing her tighter against him.
Meg closed her eyes briefly, enjoying the flood of heat that eased her freezing burn wounds. "You did?" Meg paused, slightly unsure about her next question. "Do you think they'll come looking for me?" She asked.
Evan stopped. He looked down at her, the mask concealing his expression. But Meg could feel the telepathic "Duh" through the bone visage. "If they do not come looking for you than they either believe you are dead, or they never loved you." He said. Evan shifted her in his grip, pulling her tightly to his frame in a pseudo hug. Meg brought her arms up and hugged his neck in response, unashamed of squeezing him for comfort or completely submitting to his hold on her.
Once she let go he kept walking again, and Meg simply relaxed, watching the tree branches above pass by, below the dark and miserable sky.
Eventually, Evan found the estate again. But they were both rather surprised at who they found waiting for them there.
Two legion members stood talking to each other next to the wrought iron gate. Both of them sitting on either side of it with their knives out. One of them was a male, the one who always wore the skull hood and used a karambit. The other was the one with the colorful hair and strange mask. They were chatting animatedly, and while Meg couldn't make out what they were saying, it seemed to be important.
She tensed in Evan's arms, not knowing how to feel, and her fingers twitched. The bear trap wielding killer held back in the trees, and he leaned down so his head was right next to hers. "Do not be afraid." He whispered. "They will not harm you, as they are not like the others." He reassured her.
Meg hadn't taken her eyes off of the two Legion members, and her hand had reached up and gripped Evan's fully intact white tank top strap. She noted that her hands were not as warm as the rest of her, because when the back of her fingers touched his skin she could feel the visceral warmth of his flesh. Evan set her down on her feet, and she immediately whirled on him accusingly, about to demand what he was doing before he held a finger out to her.
He shushed her quietly. "Joseph and Susie are the most humane of The Legion, however, I do not know how they shall react when they see you. Stay behind the closest tree and do not reveal yourself until I say so." Evan commanded quietly, and Meg nodded hesitantly.
He stepped around her and continued forward slowly, watching her as she slowly crept forward until she was behind the last tree before it opened up to the road, she nodded that she was safe. Evan, having already been spotted by the two legion members, just turned to face them and walked into the dirt path.
"Joseph, Susie." Evan said professionally. "If I was obligated to guess, than you have reached a decision regarding your apparent, friends." Evan said with invisible air quotes, moving his hands behind his back and clasping them together calmly. Meg thought he looked like a business man, one conversing over an important deal.
"Y-Yes." Susie said nervously, clearly intimidated by Evan's size. Joey looked less nervous, standing with his arms hanging by his sides and occasionally glancing at the surrounding area, making Meg duck back behind her tree each time he looked in her direction.
However, Joey soon stepped in to take over the conversation from Susie. "Both of us took your advice. We stopped killing the survivors, and we left Ormond before The Entity could bring Frank and Julie back. We don't have anywhere else to stay out of the trials, so we were wondering if you'd let us stay on the estate." Joey asked, his head remained straight, but it was obvious his eyes were looking elsewhere in the mask. Susie looked just as awkward, she looked at the ground, leaning on one leg, holding her wrist and twisting the ball of her foot into the dirt.
Evan didn't respond immediately, instead he tilted his head in thought. His delayed response had its affect, because both Joey and Susie seemed to grow more nervous at his silence.
Meg herself was torn on what she wanted Evan to say. On the one hand, her primal animal side wanted to say no as many times as it took, but Meg forced that territorial side to be quiet.
Her other side, the side she tried to be the most, said yes, that they were kids younger than her who got in too deep and now were clawing their way out. Who was she to turn away such poor souls?
Just before Meg could reveal herself and plead for Evan to say yes, he nodded, humming his approval as the two killers looked up at him excitedly. "Really!" Susie gasped out, and when Evan nodded, flung herself at him in a hug.
Evan visibly braced for the impact, looking down at the young girl as she squeezed him with all her strength. "Thank you, thank you-" She kept muttering.
Meg couldn't stop one of her eyebrows raising at the action, but she did beat down the animal urge to come out and announce herself at Susie's actions. She didn't have the right to just declare she was the only female who could hug him.
Meg cursed herself for wanting to act so childishly, and instead payed attention to Evan's reaction. That would tell her everything she needed to know.
The man in question looked down at the small killer, unaffected by the squeezing taking place around his abdomen. Evan raised one hand up and rested it on top of her head, patting it gently. "You have made the correct decision. There is more than enough room in my mansion. However, if you are to stay here, you must be aware of my other guest." Evan stated cryptically, giving a chuckle at the confused grunts that came from their throats.
He turned back and looked right at the tree she was behind. "You may come out now." He said. Meg almost didn't cognize the tone in his voice, as it wasn't monotonous, but it revealed nothing about his emotions. The only reason she did recognize it was because Ace had almost as good a poker voice.
Meg hesitated, and the thought that the legion probably assumed he was crazy went through her mind. But before Evan had to move to get her, she slowly stepped out from behind the tree, trying to maintain as neutral a posture as possible. She kept her arms loose and hid her hands in her sleeves, but tilted her head slightly as she stepped close to Evan, moving until she was behind his right shoulder and just barely off to his side. Their hands brushed together from proximity.
Meg was tempted to reach out and grasp his hand for comfort, but decided against it. Her cold skin and anxiousness could wait a few minutes while Evan talked to the two other killers.
Susie, was far more excited to see her than Meg had anticipated. The girl gasped loudly and over dramatically. "You must be the new fire killer!" She said in a excited and friendly voice. "I've seen the house that showed up with you! Have you been staying with The Trapper the whole time! What's your name!" Susie rattled off excitedly. Joey was laughing behind her, ignored by the now animated and lively ex Legion member.
Evan laughed as well, although much quieter. He looked down at her, and even though she was a little startled at Susie's enthusiasm, she looked up at Evan, and found the confidence to speak. Of course before she could Susie beat her too it.
With a gasp as loud as before Susie almost squealed in excitement. "Oh my gosh! You two totally like each other!" She squeaked out, both of her hands curling into fists which she pressed against the bottom of her mask. Joey laughed even harder, now becoming that much harder to tune out.
Susie whirled on him. "Oh shut up!" She said. "It's been years since I've been able to feel like a normal person again and this is too good! I mean look at their masks, they look like they were made for each other!" She said, already slipping back into excitement.
Evan re-asserted himself into the conversation. "I had no idea you were this lively Susie." He said with humor.
Susie laughed embarrassed, one hand scratching the back of her neck. Her sense of shame had obviously come back now that it wasn't just Joey poking fun at her. "Y-yeah. Frank and Julie hated the noise, so I kinda stopped after a week or two of getting to know them, it feels good to let it out again." She admitted, looking at Meg and Evan both before back at Joey.
"Even more proof that I was right." Evan said plainly, and Susie seemed surprised by it. She looked down at the dirt for a moment, looking almost like one of those philosophers Meg saw statues of.
"Yeah. You were." She said, before her attention shifted back to Meg. "Hi! I'm Susie, what's your name?" She asked, taking a step forward.
Meg almost took a step back, but was blocked by Evan's arm suddenly materializing behind her shoulder blades. She looked up at him in a manner she hoped was pleading, but he didn't move, giving her a small push forwards.
"I apologize on her behalf. She is not one to relax or trust easily. She is called 'The blaze', and as for her real name, I shall allow her to decide when she desires to tell you." Evan said, and Meg looked up at him appreciatively.
Susie nodded understandingly. "Oh I get it." She said. "Well it's nice to meet you." She said, her tone still very friendly.
Meg nodded her head back, one of her hands reaching up to rest on Evan's hand that found it's way onto her right shoulder. "It's nice to meet you too." Meg said quietly, her voice a little raspy.
Evan pulled her against his side playfully. "As much as I would prefer not to interrupt this conversation. It would be better if we continued this inside the mansion. I already had to kill The Trickster just yesterday, and I do not wish to put any of you at risk." He said, looking at each of them for any objection. When he found none, he lifted Meg up and placed her in the crook of his left arm. She squeaked in a rather embarrassing manner, something which Susie was silently gushing over while making Joey laugh at his friends antics.
"Come then." Evan said. "Stay behind me. It would be very unpleasant should you step in one of my bear traps. The Blaze has already made that mistake." He said, flicking her leg playfully.
Meg grunted in annoyance moved to kick him in the chest, but he just caught her ankle and held it until she signed in defeat. Only then did he let it drop. Susie giggled quietly behind them. Meg turned around to stare her down, but instead of scaring the killer she just made her giggle even more.
The brand new killer huffed and turned her head back, resting her hands on his bicep and shoulder. The action was mostly to balance herself, but Meg would only admit to herself that she, at least in part, also enjoyed the feeling of his muscles beneath her fingers. However, that fell to the back of her mind as they walked through the woods single file. Joey and Susie followed the hulking killer like chicks with a mother duck to avoid loosing a foot.
Meg focused on his previous reassurance. Would her friends hate her? No...they weren't like that, but, she also was a killer now, and would be forced to try and kill them. Would how their feelings change then? Could she even look them in the eye in this state?
She almost lost herself in thought, but was snapped out of her worries when she was jostled in Evan's grip. She looked down at his feet and saw the concrete steps that lead to the front door. She also noticed that the blood pool she'd left from her bear trap injury was gone.
"So...Blaze, how long have you been here?" Susie asked from behind Evan's back.
Meg tensed up, although it hopefully wasn't obvious since she wasn't moving herself. What should she say? "N-not long. I just had my first trial." Meg said with a cough, clearing her throat. Susie didn't say anything in response, and for a moment Meg feared that perhaps she had said the wrong thing.
Susie however, eased her fears. The killer started speaking, and she was passionate about it at that. "Oh...Yeah, I understand, I hated it too. I still do it actually. But I don't think you need to worry. Ever since Evan told me I shouldn't be around Frank and Julie any longer, and when he told me he thought there was a way out. I've felt so alive. Like I have a second chance, and I wasn't gonna waste it. I genuinely believe we're gonna get out of here...but, I don't wanna leave without making amends first." The blue haired girl said from behind her mask.
The miniature speech had been inspiring to Meg, her chest felt lighter. Although, when Susie had spoke of amends, Meg had almost sneered silently. She didn't blame the other girl, her family might not have been good people before their time here but they were now, and they deserved an apology.
The others didn't.
Meg's anger swirled again, and she got lost in her recollections of her trial, the anger of what they'd done to her.
"Woah, that's so cool. You can shoot fire from your hands!" A voice marveled.
Meg snapped out of her flashbacks and immediate looked down at the offending phalanges only to see that they were on fire. The flames floated over her skin, causing no harm or even change in temperature whatsoever.
Meg didn't register that part. She saw only the deep organs hue of the fire, heard only her own screams as she burned alive.
Meg screeched loudly and flailed her hands around trying to put the flames out. When that didn't work, she began frantically trying to stamp it out on her hoodie, and in doing so she lost her stability and almost fell.
Evan was who saved her from cracking her skull open. The arm that hadn't been holding her swung around and caught her hand. He pulled her back upright, and as she tried to slow her breathing she glanced back down at her hands. The fire was gone, instead replaced with itchiness from where Evan grabbed her, but scratching the spots hurt too much. So Meg had to simply bare with the pain.
She grit her teeth in frustration and yelled in her own head.
What has she been reduced too?
She used to be the tough as nails runner who never let anyone push her around or intimidate her. The most skilled of all the survivors who made killers rage in their failure, and the girl who was never scared of what The Entity had to throw at her.
Now here she was, having a panic attack over a little fake fire that was her own doing! This wasn't her! She was stronger than this.
Her thoughts were met with laughter.
Static flared up in the back of her mind, sounding like a distant echo taunting her.
Meg wanted to scream in defeated rage.
It wasn't until she looked back up again that she noticed the Macmillan mansion's massive steel door looming in front of her. Had she been that delirious that she hadn't noticed it last time?
Evan was unlocking said door while Joey and Susie waited patiently at the rear. Large hands pushed an equally large key into a socket on the door and twisted. Loud metal groaning and the grinding of gears sounded, signifying their return.
"The door shall always take several seconds to fully unlock. Do not forget that, nor think that it is malfunctioning." Evan spoke, his directed mainly to the two other killers, but she made sure to mentally write it down.
As the door began to finally open, Meg leaned closed to Evan's mask. "Sorry about that." She whispered, sounding ashamed.
Evan didn't hesitate. "You are forgiven." He brought a hand up and idly brushed a finger over the cheek of her mask. Meg didn't know why that specific action of his hit her so deeply, but it made her heart ache at the symbolic gesture. Meg even felt her eyes water, and now felt stumped on how she was supposed to return the sentiment. So until she thought of something she simply leaned into him as he walked.
Evan waved for the ex Legion members to follow him as his expansive but graceful stride never ceased. He gave them a brief tour, Meg still on his arm. "There are dozens of rooms in the mansion. Each floor contains different designs and intentions behind its architecture. The first and second floors were primarily made with the idea of work and cooking. You two shall sleep in the third floor as all of the bedrooms are there. Blaze and myself will be sleeping on the fourth floor." Evan instructed.
Meg blushed behind her mask at his words, not oblivious as to how he was subtly telling her that him spooning her would not be a one or two time occurrence.
"What's on the fourth floor?" Joey asked with a tilt of his head, a little mischievousness creeping into his tone.
"Yeah! What's up there!" Susie almost shouted enthusiastically, bouncing on the balls of her feet.
Evan looked over to her at the question, and Meg hesitated. What was the harm? Evan could protect them both, and it's not like he had to tell them how to get up there. So she nodded, and Evan nodded back.
"The fourth floor contains the master bedroom, two other bedrooms, and two more rooms which shall remain unspecified." Evan spoke calmly, and it even made Meg question just what was in those two other rooms.
Perhaps he was just waiting until they were alone to tell her? Hopefully that was the case, because it was going to be kind of awkward to just go up and ask him what was in there when he had said they would remain unspecified. Either case, Meg held back her raging curiosity and simply waited as Evan lead the two killers to the third floor. Although she did wonder if he was getting tired or not from holding her up so long.
The third floor was quite large, but thankfully the higher the floor the smaller it got, so this floor was not the size of a football field. It mostly consisted of ornate hallways with well decorated and painted walls. It was a vast and twisting array of halls, rooms, and graceful maze like design. There were even railed ledges that allowed unrestricted viewing of the second floor. Some walls were made of stained glass, forsaking privacy to show the beauty and size of both the second and third floor and all they held.
Any intersections in the halls were rounded, almost like a roundabout with some type of desk or statue like design in the center. One hall even openly jutted out over a ballroom on the second floor, the support beams for the path perfectly aligned to look like columns for the ballroom.
Meg was amazed as she took it all in. It was certainly different from her small bungalow with her mom, and she couldn't deny it would've been very nice to grow up in a place like this. However, when she thought of how Evan had described his father, she didn't think that the trade was worth it.
A small but homey bungalow with a loving and caring mother was far better than a large maze with a demon lurking in the heart of it.
Suddenly the maze like design of the mansion and its vastness became much scarier at the thought of a psychotic killer chasing her through it, not a killer like in the trials. No, a monstrous killer who should have been a role model, someone who hunted you down and tore your mind apart.
When Evan finally was finished, Joey and Susie picked two rooms right across from one another close to the central staircase that connected the three floors. "I don't think I'll find my way out if I sleep anywhere else." Susie joked as she looked inside her new room.
Suddenly Susie and Joey's moods both shifted right before her eyes. The two suddenly gained a somber and almost melancholy posture. That same aura also weaved into their voices. "Thank you so much for letting us stay here." Susie said, looking at Evan appreciatively. At least, that's what Meg thought she was trying to convey.
Joey took over. "Thanks for helping us get out of there. I don't know how long it would've taken us to get out ourselves, if ever." Joey said rather morbidly, and Meg sympathized with him deeply.
She had been in that situation, surrounded by fake friends who really didn't care about her, who were just using her. She was one of the lucky ones, because she had managed to mature enough to get out once high school ended. Even then, her mother had played a massive role in saving her.
In reality, everyone needed another person to help pull them out of the pits of addiction or poor choices. There was strength in numbers, because alone, your own mind turned on you.
Meg surprised herself when she found the will to speak. "I understand what you went through." Her voice was weak and raspy at first, but she cleared her throat, steeled her mind, and continued. "I know too well what it's like to have friends that just used you. And I just wanna say I'm sorry you also had to suffer through that." Meg said sympathetically.
Her words were met with what seemed to be stunned silence. The two hoodie wearing killers staring up at her while Evan tilted his head and gave her a side glance. Meg felt nervousness start to creep up, but in the spirit of her former thoughts, she crushed it back down, and summoned her inner confidence.
She could do this, she'd dealt with much scarier in the past, killers and other horrors alike.
"I hope this isn't crossing any lines Trapper but-" Susie was cut off.
"Please, call me Evan." The large man rumbled kindly.
"Oh, well I hope this isn't crossing any lines but, is it okay for me to hug her?" The shy girl asked timidly, looking back and forth between Meg and Evan for permission.
Evan turned his head to look at her questioningly. He was waiting for her to decide. It was obvious his mind was made up already. Meg nodded.
Evan gently set her down on her feet and watched carefully as Susie slowly stepped up to the red head and wrapped her arms around the burnt killer's neck, as Susie was a couple inches taller. Meg hugged her back around the ribs, putting light pressure into it. The hug was awkward, as Meg had expected, but she could get used to it.
When Susie was done Joey gave her a nod, obviously a little less comfortable with physically affection so soon compared to his pseudo sister. Evan nodded back to him, and then lifted her back up into his grasp.
Meg sighed over dramatically, exasperated at Evan's possessive need to always hold her in his arms, but accepted the embrace. It was kinda nice after all.
"It is pleasant to know you both are rid of that loathsome couple, you made the right choice. So, goodnight to you both." Evan said politely. And with that Susie and Joey nodded one last time, and Evan walked off with her.
Now alone, Meg felt a little more apprehensive. She'd been unable to decipher what Evan had been trying to unconsciously say what he couldn't verbally since the two other killers were near.
Instead of going to the fourth floor as she had expected, Evan instead took her down to the second floor, to the large ballroom they had seen earlier in their exploration of the third level. The room was beautiful, it matched the rest of the house with its red and gold like interior coloring, but the ballroom had splashes of beautiful silver mixed in.
Evan walked over to large window at the opposite end from where they'd entered. The large glass window lead to the outside right above the front door. Meg noticed a large and out of place mechanism over the window. It looked like the mechanism to open a zoo cage, but she ignored it.
Evan stared out into the woods for a moment, taking in the sight in contrast to the well lit ballroom with the massive chandelier hanging in the center and large candles on it's edges. There were still many spots of shadows, but none were large enough to hide someone. Yet it just set the mood of the room better. Setting it as a beautiful, yet mystic area that promised of something she was too afraid to admit.
Soon Meg was set back down on her feet in the center of the ballroom, and she looked up at Evan confused. Neither of them had spoken a word to each other since they'd left Joey and Susie, and now she was beginning to wonder just what he was doing.
Evan turned away from her and looked back at the glass window. He appeared to be deep in thought, or like he was contemplating something important.
"Evan? Are you alright?" Meg asked worriedly, taking a step forward and ready to take several more until she could touch him, but she was stopped after just one.
"I have waited many a year to hear someone like yourself ask me that inquiry." Evan said cryptically, looking down at the floor before turning back to her. His voice sounded almost humorous, but the tone didn't comfort her. It wasn't a joyous humor, it was a derogatory one.
He approached slowly, pacing his steps so each deep and strangely comforting thud was timed after three of Meg's heart beats. Once he was so close she had to crane her neck up to look at him he gently set his fingers on her mask, and lifted it up and away from her.
Finally her vision was unrestricted as she took in everything, his boney visage, large toned muscles that were lined with scars and metal, and just how large and powerful his hands were. Yet those hands were so gentle with her.
Further proving her point Evan carefully brushed a loose bang out of her face and curled it behind her ear. Then he bent down on one knee, and without missing a beat she took his mask off too. She rubbed his bald head, exploring the texture, as well as repaying the favor he'd just did for her.
Evan's eyes were closed as he stood to his full height, both of his hands then cradled her skull, and Meg leaned into his hold.
"I no longer believe it possible to describe my gratitude for you." He said quietly.
Meg's heart rate picked up at his words, and instinctively she stepped closer, placing a hand on his chest in a way she hoped was comforting. "Oh I'm sure you can. I haven't done that much have I?" Meg asked with a small smile, which was returned to her.
"More than you could possibly believe." He said, staring down into her eyes with his penetrating green ones. "I however, must confess, a thought in my mind. It has not relinquished it's hold on me for quite some time." Evan informed as he looked to the side, but something in his voice quivered, almost like he was scared.
Meg's heart clenched at what it could have been, something that could make a man as strong as the one in front of her sound afraid was something to take seriously. Instinctively she moved her arms around his ribs and hugged him tightly. "You can tell me anything." Meg soothed.
Evan paused, holding her tightly to him like she'd vanish if he let go. "That is precisely why I fear it."
His words were like a riddle, and Meg wasn't always the best at them. She hadn't seen or heard many, except for movies, and she was usually horrible at figuring those out. She was just gonna have to wait until Evan told her the answer.
"However, you deserve to know. So I shall not deny it, nor shall I ignore it any longer." Evan said as he let go of their embrace. Meg missed his warmth immediately once he pulled away.
Evan took a step back, looked her right in the eyes, closed his own, and then opened them again.
"I love you." He said.
Meg's eyes went wide, and both her hands crept to her mouth.
What! What was she supposed to say to that! She didn't even know how she felt, and there was no way on earth she was going to screw something this important up!
Evan continued before she could finish organizing her thoughts. "Weeks ago, Myself, Phillip, and Max met at Autohaven. We discussed what we thought our interests to you, Claudette, and Nea were. Phillip suggested that it was an attraction, and previously I denounced the idea as insanity. However, I no longer subscribe to that belief." Evan said.
"I realize now that as I began to understand who you were, and realize how much more I still can know, that I am in love with you." Evan let the words hang, seemingly trying to find the right ones for himself more than her.
"However, I understand that your situation is chaotic at the moment. So you are not obligated to respond. You may take as long as you desire to think on my declaration." He said, sounding polite, courteous, and kind all at once.
Meg felt tears well up in her eyes, a few even spilling over and down her cheeks.
"Please do not weep my dear." Evan said, taking a few steps forward, one of his hands came up to wipe the offending water off of her. But it just made her cry more, at his kindness, at his patience, and everything he'd done for her.
Meg smiled behind her hands, and soon wrapped her arms around his neck. She tugged on him until he bent down so she could rest her head on his chest, her eyes closed. "Thank you." Meg said. "For everything you've done for me, and now for letting me think it through before I respond." She said, sounding devastated, but was more joyful in reality than she'd been in a long time.
Eventually they lost track of time with how long they stood their together. Evan didn't respond to her comment, he just hugged her to him, now displaying just exactly why he'd been so possessive over her.
Meg smiled at the thought of it, laughing quietly.
After several more minutes, they both finally broke away, and Evan carried her to the fourth floor with him. There, Evan changed into more sleep appropriate clothes, and soon he had her back to his chest as they laid in bed. His chin was over her head.
As Meg's eyes drifted shut, her body caged by Evan's, she already felt she had found her answer.