Miss me everyone?
So I have two excuses as to why this took so long, one entirely legitimate and the other a joke of an excuse. First, the illegitimate one. I started playing Elden Ring and it's really fun but long, so you can imagine how that's going when it comes to personal time allocation. It's also the first dark souls game I've ever played. Secondly, the legitimate one. It's the end of my junior year in highschool and still had three class finals to finish by the 3rd. Oh I also turned 17 on May 27th so that was cool. Oh yeah once again I dedicate this chapter to all the people encouraging me with their comments, but for this one I give it to Icy_Niam for his amazing art of chapter 15's conclusion.
To say Meg was furious was an insult and an injustice. Because she was positively fuming with rage and regret. She was currently waking up in the woods of The Macmillan Estate within the Ironworks themselves. A discolored generator was to her left, the normally faded red paint a bright neon green.
The trees had turned pink. Meg could hardly believe it, some were black as well. The texture of the tree bark was different too, switching from the standard tree bark expected of the tall oaks to the erratic layered bark of pine trees, sometimes even redwood.
The Entity was loosing its mind, a random piece of equipment was sideways and sticking out of the ground, vaults too high on brick jungle gyms or upside down.
Meg wandered momentarily, taking in the messed up scenery and thinking back on her and Evan's conversation.
Why had she been so stupid! She'd been so hesitant, so doubtful of herself in such a childish and trivial manner!
The only thing that calmed her was Evan's words before they'd both been taken. He obviously was still very much infatuated with her, and she still had time. So she should probably calm down and stop acting like that was her last chance to tell him how she felt before some mystery woman swooped in and stole his attention away.
She just needed to relax, there was no rush, no ticking clock timer.
Unfortunately, the roaring dragon of jealousy had always been a powerful voice in her head, and its focus was entirely centered on the beast of man who she'd been living with.
A man who until shortly ago, she would've thought impossible to feel this way about. Of course if she didn't admit it now nothing would probably happen except she'd want to tear her own hair out in frustration. Although Meg was sure her mom would be proud of her for finding such a good man to fall in love with, and that helped her relax a bit.
The dragon didn't back down though, it had no enemy to focus on, so all it did was whisper in her ear. It egged her on, playing to what possessiveness she had and demanding she make sure Evan was hers.
Had his claim of her really affected her this much? Turned her into some love struck girl now hell bent on staking her claim on a guy like he was an inanimate object? Well... then again she had enjoyed it to no end when he had, so to speak, claimed her.
Now she just wanted to return the favor, and she was furious at The Entity for taking him away from her, even if it was only for a short time.
Meg was distracted so much so that she didn't even register the tree she was slowly walking towards until she bumped into it. Her head hit the bark with a quiet thump and the stinging flared up immediately.
When she took a step back, her heel got caught on a branch she had previously stepped over, and down she went. Her burnt and scarred skin, though somewhat protected by her clothes, still grated against the rough ground. Hot pain flashed outwards from her spine to her entire back and thighs. Meg even felt her eyes water momentarily from shock.
At least the cold went away when her blood rushed to her back.
Meg whimpered in pain as she rolled off the dirt and small rocks onto her front. Once she was on her stomach she simply laid face down in the dirt to breathe, taking a second to recollect herself and her priorities.
She was in a trial, she was expected to kill, and she had a sinking feeling in her gut telling her it wouldn't be those worthless scumbags who tried to sacrifice her. Very hesitantly, Meg checked the buzz in the back of her head, and static blared.
Meg winced loudly, rolling onto her side and clutching at her head in agony while the static continued to press on her. She did her best to press on through and see which survivors she was up against, and who she saw made her heart want to stop.
Jake, David, Bill, and Yun Jin.
Her brother, her other but older brother, and then her father figure respectively. The Entity expected her to kill them. She'd have no problem stomaching Yun Jin's death at her hands, nor would she have a problem catching her.
But Meg wouldn't be able to live with herself knowing she killed any of the three men in this trial that she held so dear, even if it wasn't permanent. That, and she doubted she'd be able to catch them, even with her apparent natural skill. She might have been better than them as the survivor, but could she outplay them from the other side? Doubtfully.
Suddenly a loud explosion could be heard across the map. Pink and black flames shot into the sky while dark debris, unable to be identified against the brightness of the fake moon, arched up before coming back down. All four of the survivors were injured immediately after the explosion, and Meg's heart constricted in worry.
Slowly pushing herself to her feet, Meg instinctively went to choose what survivor to disguise as, and that was her biggest mistake. Because the moment she realized what she'd done her eyes winded behind her mask and the static screamed in her mind.
She fell to her knees, scraping them lightly, but completely oblivious to it as she squeezed her skull as tightly as possible. The static was so loud, painful to the point of making her ears ring and her head throb, almost sounding like a massive drum. She even began to see shadows in the corners of her vision as she grew woozy. Her head swam, and she felt something bumpy and hot hit her in the back again.
It took her several more seconds to realize that it was the ground she'd hit. The tree leaves above her began to swirl together in a psychedelic, blurry, and pink mess.
Sounds of fire could be heard through the static veil, the screams of the survivors, and her own echoed from somewhere else.
Tears fell down her complexion. She brought her hands in front of her face, taking in their burnt appearance. Suddenly a white flash took over her vision, and she saw blood dripping down her palms and in between her fingers. Then with another flash it was all gone, her hands were still burnt, but they were free of blood.
Finally, the static relented, and Meg sobbed in relief. She rolled onto her front again, unable to find the strength to get up, but trying to stay as comfortable as possible.
She let her forehead rest against the ground, her breathing heavy. She could feel built up moisture on the inside of her mask whenever it bumped against her lips or chin. Her vision was still blurry from tears, but the trees were stationary once more, even if their leaves were still an assortment of all colors, mostly dominated by pink and black.
Meg slowly forced her self to her knees, and then sat up. Her hands were back in her sleeves, and she used the cloth as a barrier to brace herself against the dirt and rocks.
The static was still there in the back of her mind, but as Meg focused on her surroundings, and then on Evan. When she did, the static began to grow quieter, until eventually Meg found the strength to almost forget about it entirely.
Almost.
Her eyes were still moist, and she couldn't reach under the mask to clear them. It was infuriating, and all she could now think of was Evan's hands. How whenever she had cried he'd wiped away the first few tears before letting her hide her face in his shoulder, using his shirt or skin to soak up the water.
Her skin pulsed with heat at the thought of him, the desire to feel one of his soothingly warm bear hugs. Meg felt as if she could cry in frustration, at being taunted with the comfort she wanted in that moment so badly. Yet being so distant from it.
Meg stood to her feet, and now didn't dare to go near the buzz in her head. She'd let it tell her if they were hurt or not, but she was not touching her "gifts" from The Entity. Meg would sooner die than hurt them, and if it meant just walking around until the match ended...well that wasn't so bad.
Meg slowly began fo put one foot in front of the other. Her pace hardly faster than a shuffle, but the slowness of each step gave a comforting sense of control. As if everything wasn't just flying by too quickly for her to keep up with. That she set the speed and not The Entity.
Meg thankfully was able to look up at the sky and take in the beauty of the moon. Of course, as she stared at it, she couldn't get the little reminder that it was fake out of her head. Everything was pink, black, an assortment of other colors, or outright defying physics. So there wasn't much Meg could look at to distract herself from the miserable situation she was stuck in but the sky.
Instead Meg simply stared towards the ground, hugging herself to stay warm and looking just high enough to not bump into anything. Even with the slight variations in terrain she still knew the map by heart, and could navigate it almost entirely distracted.
If only she had some of her old rock music playlists to listen to.
She slowly wandered through the trees, and as she did, her mood lightened ever so slightly. Sensing that Bill, Jake, and David had all healed each other. Yet it wasn't enough to bring her out of her slump. She considered taking a deep dive, trying to find reason in all of it and hope.
That was always a gamble though. Diving into her own psychology and trying to find meaning in everything was a coin flip on finding the answer she wanted or the existentialism crushing her. However...in this moment, Meg hoped the luck Ace always had was backing her. So she began to think, hard.
For a while, she went in circles, thinking back on recent events, her own past fears to see if they connected with what happened to her. She couldn't see any symbolism with the fire, she'd never been scared of it before. What was the connection!
Was there even a reason for her to be here? She didn't think this was Hell. Once she'd started to mature a bit more and left her old self behind she'd studied philosophy. The philosophers of old had some valuable things to say, eventually she'd gotten to the beliefs of Christianity, and by extension, Atheism. It's natural counterpart.
Those two had fascinated her, the former most of all. Meg knew what it was like to be an Atheist, it's all she'd been for her whole life, her mom too. Meg could still remember how surprised she'd been when she realized how unique Christianity was from other religions. Ones in the past and in the modern earth.
Meg had listened to what actual Christians had to say to some of her questions. She'd done it for the other still living religions, and while all of them had been respectful and polite, there was something different about some of the Christians she'd spoken to. A type of carefree happiness to them that Meg had initially thought was childish.
But after enough time, she figured out why some of them seemed to be so relaxed and carefree, like nothing could hurt them. Although, Meg had come in to contact with the unpleasant Christians. The ones who faked it, or the ones who were just atheists who called themselves Christian.
It was a surprising contrast of people who identified with it. However, when her half hearted attempts to figure out why some Christians seemed so joyous failed, Meg took it a step further. She had actually attended a church service out of curiosity, and surprisingly her mom had even come with her.
The experience had been almost otherworldly. It was like an entirely different society in those walls than outside in the rest of the world. Yet Meg still had no doubt there were many churches that were not like that, she'd been to them actually. Back when she was little and her mom had still cared about taking her to them, until she'd given up.
Although, some part of Meg had wished they'd kept going until they found the right one. Unfortunately that side only emerged when she was an adult, and she'd only had a few years in that mindset before she was taken.
Meg momentarily stopped to reorient herself, no longer at risk of slamming her head into the outer wall of the ironworks. She noticed that this side of the building, the one facing the back of the map, wasn't solid like it usually was. There was a hole in the wall. It was wide open, and the giant hole spread up the wall to consume some of the upper iron walk ways on the second floor.
An ever expanding hole, just the like the horrible, evil darkness of the Entity. Like the misery that she had felt creeping throughout her life. It was the feeling that everything she did was meaningless.
She wasn't able nor willing to accept that she was just dust in the wind, a blip in the span of existence and that the world was just one big cosmic accident. Meg knew that it was her existentialism, and she knew that even if she got to tell Evan exactly how she felt and spend a century in his arms that it would keep gnawing at the back of her mind.
Was it too naive or too stupid to hope that there was something bigger? Or something that she could truly see as worthy to rest her will to live on? It wasn't exactly fair to rest it all on her friends or Evan, because they were just human. They had their own will to live, their own aspirations and their own struggles. They couldn't balance theirs and hers.
What kind of a selfish monster would she be if she did that?
Meg walked wide around the building, heading towards the giant door on the side. She walked past a giant set of what appeared to be treads, she could never tell. Unfortunately, the thought of what it was almost literally flew from her mind when the pallet resting on it slammed down on her head.
Meg shouted in pain, stumbling backwards with her balance lost and hitting the dirt for the third time. She growled lowly in her throat as she slowly stood, her head still throbbing and now completely sure she'd have a headache for the rest of the trial. Her flaming mask turned to face the perpetrator, and she wasn't surprised at who she saw.
Yun Jin-Lee stood with her eyes wide and her posture shaky from the other side of the pallet. Her arms were spread out as if she was nervous she'd fall, and her knees were bent in preparation to run. It was almost like she didn't realize that the killer was her.
None of that registered to Meg. Instead she saw red.
The static flared up, but this time Meg did little to resist as primal and demonic rage rose up from her chest. Because it was Yun Jin, it was the first time Meg had seen her since she got pushed into the fire, and Meg was loosing it.
Meg hardly registered anything other than Yun Jin's fearful shout, not focusing on how she broke the pallet, only on closing the distance.
The chase was on and she wasn't loosing!
Her focus zeroed in on the producer, there was no doubt she was her obsession, no way she wasn't. Meg's vision tunneled, and anything outside of her immediate field of view flew over her head. The only sounds she could hear were the other girls foot steps, her vaulting, and any pallets, everything else was muted and fuzzy.
She thought she had heard something, something that sounded like a shout, but she ignored it.
Meg backed up just in time to avoid another pallet slamming into her skull, glaring at the survivor from across it. With a huff that bordered on a growl Meg slowly clenched her fingers until a flame grew in her palm, then, she tossed it at the pallet. The wood dissolved into ash instantly, not even any scraps were left afterwards.
Yun Jin had already ran to the opposite side of the jungle gym, and Meg went to give chase before skidding to a halt.
Jake had vaulted through the window and placed himself directly inbetween her and her prey. His stance was tense, ready to dash away at any moment, but his face was an unreadable mess.
Meg recovered quickly, even through her static and hazy focus she still refused to hurt him. She wouldn't stick around any longer, because if she did then the static would start screaming. Her feet dug into the ground and she sprung to the side, her athletic prowess showing itself again as she started to zip past her brother.
She thought she had seen Jake flinch, and felt hurt grow in her chest, but she couldn't blame him. She didn't think on it anymore, it would just make her feel like more of a monster.
"Meg!" Jake roared from behind her.
The girl in question almost choked on her own spit, stumbling in a failed attempt to stop running and almost falling to her knees. Her head snapped over to Jake. The woodsman still stood where she'd left him, but his face now showed a hope brighter than she'd ever seen from him.
Hope that the static wanted to devour.
Soon David and Bill came running towards Jake from the ironworks. All three of them, she noticed, had bandages wrapped around their arms and shins, but other than that, they appeared to be unharmed.
A shadow passed over Meg and the boys momentarily. The runner looked up to see what had caused it, but was only greeted by gently swaying pink leaves and an empty ironworks balcony.
"Jake? What's happening?" David asked, Bill looked at her unflinchingly, his eyes just as dark and piercing as she remembered. They held the same authority that Meg had once felt as a child with her mother, perhaps even more so.
Jake didn't glance back at the scrapper, his gaze staying locked onto her just like Bill.
"Meg?" He said tentatively. "Is that you?" He said hopefully, taking a step forward. David himself fell into the same mood as the other two men, his expression hopeful but serious.
Meg couldn't stop the flinch at hearing her own name. She'd heard Evan murmur it to her several times every day, but now hearing it from her family after their separation, it felt scary. She didn't want to hurt them.
The static hadn't gone away.
Meg took a step back. "Stop!" She shouted. "Don't come any closer." Her voice fell to a pathetic plead, her hands began to tremble. This wasn't supposed to happen, they shouldn't see her like this, she couldn't let them endanger themselves like this!
The static is all the incentive she needed to stay far enough away for them to be safe.
Bill's face softened immediately, and Meg realized she probably shouldn't have spoken. Of course they'd recognize her voice.
The veteran took a step forward. "Meg." He said quietly, his arms widening in a rare display of affection. "Come here." He said.
Meg's sternum felt like it might burst from emotion. She couldn't even put into words how badly she just wanted to throw herself into his hug and cry her eyes out, but the static just wouldn't shut up! No matter how hard she tried she just couldn't make it go away, and the longer she stayed with them the more murderous it's commands became.
"I-I can't." She almost cried. "I won't...hurt you." She seethed out, now placing her hands back on her head as the noise grew more painful. She needed to run before her willpower gave out.
"I know you won't." Bill comforted. "I trust you Meg." He said, taking a couple steps forward.
"So do we." David chimed in, coming closer with a smile on his face, speaking for himself and Jake. The woodsman nodded his head in acknowledgement, his own reassuring smile forming.
Meg wondered how she even had any tears left as they fell down her face, dripping uncomfortably from her chin to the inside of her mask. "I don't trust myself." She almost whispered. "The Entity...this static in my head. It won't stop screaming at me...it wants me to kill you." Meg forced out, taking another cautious step back. Her voice was audibly distraught now, it was shaky, and they could surely hear how erratic her breathing was.
"I'm sorry." She sobbed, and then turned around and ran. She couldn't afford to use her power to run faster, the static would just get stronger then. So she ran, she ran and ignored her family shouting behind her as they followed after her. Eventually her faster speed allowed her to put some distance between them, but she knew she couldn't hide from them. They could hear her terror radius and they'd find her again.
With only Yun Jin working on generators it could take a long time for the gates to power, and she knew those three. They wouldn't stop until they found her.
Running wouldn't save her.
What was she supposed to do!
Meg momentarily paused at the shack, running inside and taking a moment to compose herself and hopefully stop crying. She didn't have long, seconds at most before they found her, she was running out of patience and sanity.
The urge to just give up was crushing, just let them find her and let Bill hug her. Wanting to bury her head in his shoulder like merely a minute ago.
"Meg!" She heard David shout, and unconcealed footsteps grew louder. They weren't even trying to be quiet anymore.
"Stop!" Meg pleaded. "I don't want to hurt you guys!" She said, all her progress and briefly gained composure going out the window.
She wanted Evan. He'd be composed enough for the both of them, and he'd somehow find a way to lift her spirits.
"We know the risks Meg." He said now coming into view. He stopped and rested an arm on the doorway, leaning on it as he started to relax. "You know that we understand, but we're not just gonna leave you. We're family alright? And we trust you, I believe you're strong enough to not hurt us, but if you do, I'm not gonna hold it against you. I can only imagine whatever's going on up here." He said while tapping his own head.
Meg spun her head around when she noticed that Jake had gone around to the window, his back facing the wall of the map while the boarded window faced the stretch of land towards the ironworks. Bill was in the other doorway, and he was no longer hiding the sadness he felt.
"I love you guys." Meg said sadly. "But the static in my head won't stop, and it just gets louder when you're close." She said, her tone was pleading in an attempt to convey her despair.
"Is this static always there?" Jake asked, looking at her with concern.
Meg shook her head. "Only in the trials." She breathed.
"Then if you're scared of hurting us here, we'll find you when this is over..." He paused. "Susie told me she's been staying with you and The Trapper. We just don't know how to get there on our own, tell us please." He asked.
Meg glanced and Bill and David, the two seemed completely unfazed by his confession. This obviously wasn't the first time he'd mentioned it.
"M-most of the killers live in their own maps. But they're all in once massive piece instead of separated. It's in the shape of an omega, and The Macmillan estate is at the top." Meg said hesitantly.
She'd have to under no circumstances let them arrive without Evan knowing beforehand. Hopefully he wouldn't be upset with her telling them where they were.
"What do you mean most killers? You mean the ones who don't have their own place?" David asked sounding confused. All three of the boys had relaxed, no longer at the ready to block her from escaping. Jake had come over the vault, now sitting in the window as he watched.
"Yeah." Meg said quietly. "Those killers have their own houses in the woods inside the omega. The Entity even gave me my old house in there too, I'm pretty sure all the killers who don't have a map of their own live out there." Meg said, doing her utmost to remain calm. She felt on the edge of a breakdown as tears threatened to form.
She couldn't take this much longer.
Bill, David, and Jake went quite as they processed the information, and Meg glanced at the boarded up window. It was now or never.
"I can't even describe how great it is to see you guys again." Meg said said oh. "But this is all too much, and I'm still worried about hurting you guys. Please just finish the generators and get out quickly. I can't keep telling the Entity no forever." Meg requested, but before she could pull off her plan David called out to her.
"Meg, you're stronger than you give yourself credit for. You've managed to stay here as long as you have without giving up hope, so you can endure this. Haven't other killers chosen not to kill?" He said rhetorically, and Meg realized he had a point.
Meg slowly nodded, her legs relaxing as her plan was delayed further.
But the static just Wouldn't. Shut. Up.
Meg tensed again.
"I'm sorry." She said. "But I'm not willing to risk it." And with that she threw herself at the boarded window. Her hand came up blazing and burnt the boards to cinders as she leapt through the square opening and made a dash through the clearing in the trees.
The boys did shout and start following behind her, but she didn't look back to see why no matter how badly she wanted too. If she looked back, her heart wouldn't let her leave them, it would take over and she'd put them in danger. That couldn't happen.
The only problem was that she couldn't check to see if they were still behind her, and she didn't want to unnecessarily run around like a headless chicken. So Meg tried to come up with an idea, she couldn't hear anything from behind her, no footsteps, nor or any voices. There wasn't any sound cues either of them vaulting after her to make up for her speed advantage.
They'd either given up or were far enough away for her to make a move. Meg ran around the corner of the iron works and blasted a small plume of flame towards the trees while she quietly slipped into the building. She tipped toed up the stairs as quietly as possible until she was in the main control room. Once she was there, she slumped to the floor, resting her back on the bottom of the control panel.
She took the moment to catch her breath, because despite having limitless stamina in trials, they always felt pretty winded once they were done running. If the killer wasn't chasing them anymore that is, or if they were downed. The entity never gave them a break...ever.
Suddenly quiet, but certainly real footsteps could be heard from the metal stairs.
And it seemed she wasn't going to get a break now either!
Meg initially was ready to groan, about to stand up and start running again, but just before she did, the sheer deepness of the footsteps fully registered.
Those weren't a survivors. That was a killer's, a large killer, not a smaller one like Ghost Face.
Wait a minute...two killers in one trial! Well she really shouldn't have been surprised. There were pink and black leaves after all, alongside physics defying structures. Not to mention they were in a place where their deaths were temporary, able to come back repeatedly like a video game character.
Meg tensed immediately, looking down at her hands. Fire still terrified her, and the only way she'd been able to stand her previous uses of it was by closing her eyes and doing her best to focus on something else. That wasn't going to work if she had to fight someone, she was going to need to see, and seeing fire so close to her was absolutely going to make her panic.
What if it was the clown?
Evan had warned her of his disgusting obsession with her, although hopefully she didn't know who she was. The mask and baggy clothing would hopefully keep him from leering or getting any ideas. Although there wasn't anything saying he wouldn't just assault her anyway in hopes that she was a looker underneath. She didn't put him above that.
Meg felt too nervous to peek over the control panel, the chance of whoever that was seeing her wasn't something she was willing to risk. No matter how low the chance was. So instead she creeped over to the other side of the door, the window directly behind her just in case.
Strangely, the wooden door blocking the second exit had been destroyed. The other killer must have been up here earlier.
They must have been that shadow that passed over her earlier!
The footsteps grew nearer and Meg still wasn't exactly sure about what to do. She didn't want to fight, she was no pacifist but she'd be screwed if she tried. Without any fire she had no chance against a killer as large as the one approaching.
Did she run? The footsteps were too close now to try and make a stealthy getaway. She'd be spotted leaving and have to truly run for her life this time.
The shadow of the figure appeared in the doorway, never ceasing it's stride.
Meg made her choice.
With a war cry she lunged at the figure as they came through, sparks flying from her hands.
Much larger, calloused hands caught her wrists, and before Meg could even begin to trash reactively the figure was chuckling at her.
"Evan!?" Meg borderline shouted, shock and then relief crossing her features behind her mask.
"Hello my little rabbit." He purred. "Could you please remove this mask for me. I have something I need to show you." He said letting go of her wrists.
Meg was still too bewildered to speak, so she simply nodded dumbly and reached out to peel the bone face from his complexion.
"Thank you." He said, but before she could respond in kind his hands swiftly slipped her mask off, making her squeak in surprise at his speed. Then before she could hardly blink his arm had snaked around her waist. She felt herself get pulled flush against him, and then his lips were on hers.
Meg's eyes went wide at the action, but after a few moments they closed as she relaxed with a sigh. Her hands, which had previously been on his upper biceps, slid up until they encircled his neck.
Finally!
That possessive, jealous dragon inside of her had never been louder as it roared in victory. So much so that it had even made the static stop. Meg was completely unaware of that though as she finally got to kiss her new love.
All too unfortunately for her Evan eventually pulled back, leaving Meg to whine childishly at the loss. Although her protest had achieved its aim, Evan smiled in genuine amusement and hopefully understood she wasn't quite satisfied with just one. His other arm had come around her back too, resting higher on her spine while the other remained at the small of her back, keeping her close against him.
"I did tell you." He said. "You are mine, and I shall not let you go." He came down to her ear.
"Ever." He rumbled.
Meg shivered on the outside, but soon the giddiness she felt inside spilled out and she was grinning like a fool.
Evan simply held her there, letting her process everything as she smiled against his chest. Her cheeks were starting to hurt it had been so long. Finally she was able to get her mouth to work with her vocal cords.
"I'm so happy to hear it." She teased. "Knowing that, I'm gonna make sure you stay mine, because if I'm your only dance partner, and I better be." She threatened with a smile. "Than your my only one." She affirmed with a tight hug.
Evan hummed, sounding pleased with her response. "I am quite sure you will find that to be very easy my blood bird." He reassured.
Meg gave no protest when he didn't move, simply resting her head on his chest and swaying side to side ever so slightly. She didn't bother to keep track of time, although she was mostly positive only two generators had been completed.
She could have missed one in her happy haze, but she didn't care.
Evan leaned down to her. "I do suppose I already told you..." Evan drawled, and Meg looked up at him curiously, aware he was hoping for a reaction out of her. "But I can stand to repeat myself...I love you Megan." His hands slid off of her back and resting on her sides. In one motion he lifted her up until she was eye level with him.
Meg hardly tried to hide the squeal in her voice at her newfound elevation, noticing the pleased smirk the sound earned from Evan. Perhaps she could indulge him every once in a while.
All the while her heart melted. She loved his little nicknames for her, she really did despite how they once were symbols of his psychotic obsession, but hearing him call her by her name with those three words behind it just made it feel more intimate.
Meg even felt a few tears slip out as her emotions got the better of her for the hundredth time that day. Gosh she was such a mess, she should be able to handle something like that without bawling like a baby.
"I-I-" She tried to stutter out, but was cut off by her second kiss. Her second of many if she got her way.
Instead of trying to verbalize it, Meg tried to convey her response through her lips, through eagerness and her clinginess. When they eventually pulled apart Meg's tears had stopped and she felt stable enough to talk. "I love you too." She breathed with a smile, hugging him tightly. Her legs wrapped around his waist for stability as she buried her head in his hook free shoulder, smiling into his skin.
Evan held her up for a few more moments before setting her back on her feet. His head swiveled around the room, most likely checking for any unwanted ease-droppers. Meg herself followed suit, she didn't think she'd be able to look any of her friends in the eye anymore if they caught her in her position moments prior. Thankfully the area was clear, although Evan did briefly let go of his hold on her to check over the balcony at the landscape below.
Once he was satisfied she saw him turn around and come back to her, sliding his hands to her waist as if he'd held her like this for years.
"Now what?" Meg asked with a tiny tilt of her head. If her words hadn't made it obvious, she was rather lost on where to go next. All she knew was that defiance of the Entity made it weaker, so they just had to do the opposite of what they usually would?
So the generators shouldn't be touched, and the killers shouldn't live up to their names.
"Well. Now that I know you are safe, we must wait for this trial's end." He said plainly, and Meg was tempted to give into his embrace and forget about anything else. It seemed to be what he was doing, so for just a moment she did.
She closed her eyes and looked for something to zero in on, still on an emotional high from the kiss. She focused on his heartbeat, feeling the force behind each pounding contraction force his chest to extend the tiniest bit, and subsequently move her face with it. She kept forgetting just how huge he was, always letting it slip her mind with how gentle he was or how easily sleep lulled her in his hold.
Meg's mind wandered, and idly she hoped that her mother would one day get to meet Evan. She knew now that her mom would love him, and would be proud that she'd found someone better than her father.
If only she could see her again.
Meg came too when she felt her body move without her accord, her eyes opened to see that Evan had lifted her in his arms. Her head now high enough to rest on top of his re-masked one as she sat in the crook of his elbow. His other free hand held her mask up.
"I am afraid it is necessary that we wear these, for a little while only." He said, his voice sounding sympathetic.
Meg looked down at his mask wistfully and reached a hand out. Her fingers gently ran over the bone cheek, taking in what little bit of texture her burnt nerves could register before her fingers slipped away and onto the mask as she nodded. She slid the piece of wood over her features as Evan gently pulled her hood back over her fiery hair.
Meg set her hands around his neck and rested her cheek on the crown of his head. "You're gonna teach me chess when we get back right?" She whispered, trying to make a joke to bring herself out of the creeping melancholy.
"Of course Megan." He murmured, before walking out onto the metal pathway.
"Good." Meg responded. "What do I get from you when I win?" She challenged.
Evan laughed quietly. "That is a very dangerous game my rabbit. To engage in gambling with someone more skilled than you? You are smarter than that." He said, pausing his stride just before the last set of stairs.
Meg let out a huff in indignation, offended even though she knew she would get her butt kicked in the beginning. "Scared big guy?" She teased, needing a comeback to keep the fun going.
Evan made a bold move and took her mask off, seemingly willing to take the risk of exposing her identity. Meg automatically did the same for him, and was very pleased when he kissed her again, and she also couldn't help the excitement when he temporarily set her down so he could gently push her back against the wall.
The kiss wasn't too deep, so Meg thankfully wouldn't have to wipe her own face off afterwards and neither would he. Meg didn't have a problem with French kissing, but wasn't afraid to admit it became kinda gross in the wrong situation.
Evan finally pulled back, leaving her dizzy with how long he'd held it, and leaned down so his head was close to hers. "I am not the one who should be scared. You are the one desiring to gamble with a man who is very, very attracted to you emotionally, and also physically. So...are you still willing to risk loosing a bet? Especially when you look so irresistible?" Evan emphasized his point by squeezing her waist in his hands.
Meg blushed all the way up to her ears and down her neck. She fully understood his implications, but instead of being terrified like every other time that offer had been made she had to resist tossing herself at him. Heck, half of her desire wasn't even physical!
That was what made her realize just exactly what she wanted from him and what kept her from giving him a written invitation.
Evan gave her one last quick kiss before slipping both of their masks back on and lifting her back up before she could respond and deepen it, which probably would have gotten them stuck there for the rest of the trial.
Meg still felt her blush slowly receding, but was able to think coherently. "Hey Evan." She said, earning the bear like man's gaze. "If doing the opposite of what we're supposed to makes the Entity weaker, then maybe we should go to the extreme." Meg said, looking around at something that could work with her idea.
"I would make an insinuating comment about your last statement, but that is not gentlemanly, and I would be unable to watch the blush on your face." Evan teased. "So what exactly is your idea." He asked, following wherever she looked to see if that would clue him in.
Meg felt a little more heat in her face at his insinuation, which wasn't even a full insinuation she noted, but quickly composed herself. "I-uh, I mean it's a long shot but we could try trashing the place?" Meg suggested, looking at the walls of the building.
Evan hummed, his free hand came up to rub his chin and neck. "I see no reason why we should not try." Evan said, setting her down on her feet. "Does my lady have any particular object in mind?" He said in a posh accent, keeping his sophisticated dialect but throwing in a snobby tone with it
Meg snorted. "You with the flattering words." She said. "Well smooth talker, how about that hook over there?" Meg said, jerking a thumb over her shoulder.
He nodded. "That shall do nicely. Will you be partaking in the demolition or shall I do it?" He asked, no longer snobby but actually questioning.
Meg turned around to look at the ominous metal contraption. She'd seen them thousands of times, and they had lost much of their scare factor from sheer overexposure. Yet...Meg only thought of The Entity when she looked at it. Of pain, misery, suffering, death, seeing it for the disgusting abomination it was when used on living things.
She hated it, she hated this realm, she wanted out. She wanted to get out with Evan, with her family, and to see her mom again. A normal life sounded really appealing honestly.
And that hook was standing in her way, it had been since the beginning.
"No." Meg said with quiet fury. "Let's shred that thing."
Evan needed no further prompting. He walked forward and unclipped his cleaver in the same motion he used to twirl it. The sharp and bloodstained metal came up high and wide, and crashed down into the body of the hook with a metallic screech. Another screech followed when he pulled it out, much more egregious than the first.
Meg looked around his form to see the deep gash he'd left in the metal. It was several inches deep, going more than halfway through its width before stopping.
Meg looked at the inside of the gash, seeing the contraption with metal wire inside that allowed survivors to sabotage and drop the hook from the base. She'd always needed a toolbox to get to open the panel at the base, and then a wrench to loosen the tension enough for the hook itself to fall.
Meg didn't understand why they were designed like that when a simple metal pole and hook without wire inside would have done the job better. That was how they were made in the real world for butchers anyway, but Meg wasn't going to complain.
Evan practically read her mind, going around the hook and readying another swing. Meg stepped far back, and watched with satisfaction when the cleaver lived up to its name. It cleaved the hook in two. The entire top half of the hook groaned and then fell forward with a loud crash.
Evan stepped over the fallen metal and held his free hand out to her. "Shall we continue?" He said cheekily.
Meg smiled and took his hand, following him out of the iron works and to the back of the map. "I don't mean to ruin the mood." She said, squeezing his hand. "But the three guys in here are my friends and I can't face them like this, not here in a trial." Meg said, and Evan stopped walking.
"As much as I do not like the idea of the survivors coming to the estate, I will allow it if you wish." Evan said preemptively. How was he able to tell what she was thinking so well? And how in the world did she ever find someone like him? So in the spirit of appreciation Meg hugged him tightly, giving him her thanks repeatedly until he started chuckling.
"This means so much to me Evan." Meg said, barely able to get her fingertips to touch around his massive torso.
Evan held her back, his grip tender and soft. Meg melted into it. "You deserve the best I can offer Megan." He said, sounding almost comforting.
"Stop making me love you more!" Meg said in faux annoyance. Her fake annoyance was ruined by her amused tone and quiet laughter, she shook him to the best of her ability with a smile.
"That I am afraid, shall never happen." Evan retorted, giving her mask a light bump with his own.
Jake was eventually was brought back to the campfire. He didn't know how exactly, but if he has to guess then the Entity simply realized they weren't feeding it and took them out before any more damage could be done. Everything had sort of...just turned black.
David, Bill, and Yun Jin had all made it back in one piece like him. But Bill didn't seem happy about it yet.
"So what happened Bill?" Ash asked. Which only got him nearly a dozen glares from Jake and his friends. He hadn't even been particularly cocky with his tone, but was acting as if nothing had ever happened and they were still all buddy-buddy.
Bill, somewhat surprisingly, did what all the guys and even some of the girls in their group wanted to do and shoved Ash to the floor when he walked past him. He let his back face the one armed man, and while Jake would've thought that was stupid, he noticed David was certainly close enough to step in if Ash tried anything.
"Hey! What gives?!" Ash shouted back at him with his human hand in the dirt.
Bill stopped walking and looked over at all of them. The others had similar stoic gazes, and while Jake couldn't read their minds, he had a feeling he knew what they were all debating. There was a reason Bill was mad after all.
Jake couldn't say he wouldn't be if he found his daughter after assuming she died, and then not even being able to bring her back home with him. He'd be murderously angry.
Jake thought back to what Meg had told them. It hadn't been much, but it very much conveyed how upset and afraid she was. He focused on how she'd given them direction, direction right to where she was staying.
The Macmillan Estate.
Jake and the others had briefly seen her and The Trapper that trial. The cleaver wielding killer had directly cut them off after Meg burned a hole in the killer shack wall, threatening them to leave her alone. They had listened, but they hadn't wanted too.
Every once in a while they would catch a glimpse of the pair around the map. Meg had been staying extremely close to The Trapper's side, only straying when he would cleave a hook in two. Then she would sometimes rip the hook off of the remains and toss far away.
Bill slowly swiveled his head to look at each of them, slowly gaining a nod from almost each one of them, hesitant ones or not. Finally, his gaze fell of Jake, and he knew he had to make up his mind now.
Jake looked the older man right in the eye and nodded.
Bill turned around and presumably glared. "We're leaving." He said. On that note, he turned around and began to grab what few things he had, mostly his supplies for the trials, and his Entity assigned book.
Even Jake and the others were rather surprised at how simple he'd kept it. They had been hoping he'd give them a verbal beat down for their transgressions and then tell them she was alive just to rub it in that they failed. Although, maybe it was best for Meg's safety that they remained unaware of who she disguised herself as.
"I'm sorry what!" Someone shouted from the other group of survivors. Yun Jin lee stepped forward. "You can't just leave!" She shouted. "Where would you even go! The killers will just sacrifice you!" She shouted, sounding furious.
One by one all the survivors in Jake's family began to grab their supplies, all of them in rather close proximity to each other. Jake was the last one to follow, keeping a close eye on the others. He was now at a complete loss as to what Bill would do. The man was staring the others down while waiting for the rest of their family to finish packing, and he seemed to be stoutly ignoring giving Yun Jin and answer.
Jake almost smiled at the absurdity of it all. Then he turned around to grab his things, at least all of this trouble would be worth it. Hopefully.
Although he was looking forward to seeing Susie again. If what she said was true and was living at the Macmillan estate with the skull wearing Legion, Meg, and The Trapper. However...he probably had to worry about her cornering him alone and using some version of unusual torture as payback for their last trial.
He gave a couple seconds of thought. Yeah he could stand to risk that, it shouldn't be too hard to stick with someone else for most of his stay there.
Focusing back on the more serious task at hand. They needed to get away from the other survivors and also make it to the Macmillan estate, and from what Nea said there would be other killers out there.
And not all of them were friendly.
The last time all of them had made it there they had The Wraith as their guide. That wasn't an option this time around, he wasn't here and it was doubtful he would be there on the journey. They'd be relying on their own memory for this one, and Jake couldn't remember the way. He had been too focused on making sure The Wraith wasn't threatening Nea into covering up any abuse.
Surely one of them had to remember right?
"We're leaving, and none of you are going to follow us. Understood?" Bill threatened lowly, backing up until they were all in one ready group. Then, slowly, each of them stepped through the trees until the light of the campfire slowly faded away.
Almost as soon as they were sure they weren't being followed everyone turned to Bill.
"Please tell me you remember the way to where I think you're going." Kate said from Ace's side, sounding rather worried, earning a reassuring squeeze from the smiling gambler. She gave him a quick smile in appreciation.
Bill turned to face her. "We saw Meg in the trial, she's the new killer, and she's staying at The Macmillan estate." Bill said, and Jake watched with him as everyone but David's fave morphed into shock, and then pure elation.
"Well then what are we waiting for!" Claudette shouted uncharacteristically. "Let's go!" She said, bouncing on the balls of her feet like Meg would right before one of her runs.
"Hold it!" Bill shouted, ceasing any movement from the others. "We're going to go there, but, we gotta be careful. The other killers are out there and we can't take that risk." He warned, looking each of them in the eye to make sure they took it seriously.
Everyone nodded.
"Alright then! Who remembers the way to the estate best?" Bill asked.