A/N: I bring you a new chapter ! I hope you're all liking this story; I'm really enjoying writing such dark, depressive setting.
Enjoy!
After rehearsal, Kenny went home and began dressing in black attire. Karen gave him a dirty look as he stashed his balaclava mask in his backpack.
"Where are you going?" She had a knowing look, and he stopped putting his things on his backpack. He sighed. "You know where Kara."
"Will you return in one piece tonight? Or will your wails as you resuscitate in your room wake me up again?" Kenny squeezed his eyes shut. He hated doing this to Karen. She carried his blood, so she knew about his powers and constant dying and resurrections. It pained him to repeatedly see her suffer for his demise, but he tried to make her understand it was all for her. She was a freshman, which meant she still had three more years of high school to do, and Kenny worried about what would happen if she didn't return home someday.
"The killer's still on the loose, Kara." He tried, but Karen was having none of it. "Bullshit! It's been months, Ken, months! You keep getting yourself in stuff that doesn't concern you, and time and time again, die for nothing!" She was breathing hard, and she crossed her arms. Her eyes were glassy, and a few black-stained tears rolled over her cheeks.
Kenny dropped his backpack and hugged her sister. "It's okay," He comforted her as she sobbed in his arms.
"It's just so unfair. Out of all the people in the world, why did it have to be you?"
"I know, Kara, I know." Kenny wondered the same thing. He had suspicions about where he got his powers; his parents were the main suspects. But, unfortunately, he doubted they'd ever give him an answer.
He let go of her and gave her a reassuring smile, and she gave him a weeping one in return. "See? You made me ruin my makeup, asshole! Ugh, I'll have to re-do it before I see the guys. And don't give me that smile, Kenneth!" Kenny laughed and ruffled her bangs. She slapped away his hand with a small smile.
"Now go and fight crime or whatever. And please, please return in one piece, or else I might start thinking you're doing it on purpose."
"Take care, Karen. And say hi to Henrietta and the guys for me."
"You too, Ken, and I mean it. Promise me you'll be careful."
"I promise," Kenny knew he'd had to try hard and keep Karen's promise, but it was all worth it if he could see her smile every day.
Kenny had been tagging along one of the men responsible for some of his deaths. One of the underbosses' subordinates and lower hitmen for weeks. He knew Gino was amidst the whole mafia fiasco, but something was still missing. Something that Kenny couldn't yet decipher what it was.
Walking along the dark and stenchful streets, he saw something he did not expect. Wendy Testaburger, "What the fuck is she doing here?" Kenny mumbled to himself as he silently approached her. She seemed to be taking notes, and if Kenny knew any better, he guessed she was also here for the intel. Is she trying to get herself killed?
Kenny knew the dangers of the job. He could be called a stupid, young punk for doing it, but Kenny didn't know anyone besides himself that could die and live to tell it. Most of the time, it was annoying, but his "gift" was also helpful if he thought about it. Nevertheless, he certainly did not want to witness if Wendy could also resuscitate if killed.
He saw her taking out a camera, and while they were too far to hear it, a camera flash would not go unnoticed. "Fuck," Kenny walked faster and quickly intercepted her before the flash went out. She tried to scream, but Kenny covered her mouth with his gloved hand and dragged her further into the back alleys. She tried to fight at first but promptly relaxed in his embrace, sensing he didn't pose any danger. Wendy was close enough that Kenny could smell her perfume, a combination of amber and sweet, fruity cherry. It filled his nostrils and almost made him forget what he was doing.
After he uncovered his face and led Wendy away from sight, Kenny still sensed they were in danger. He wore a mask, but Wendy didn't. He couldn't risk her getting recognized. It was a death sentence.
"Here," He gave her a black scarf he had stashed in his backpack and wrapped it up around her, covering most of her face.
"What's this for?" Her cheeks were red; Kenny wondered if it was the garment's heat or a blush.
"If you're going to go waltzing around in the lion's den, you can't have your face showing, Testaburger. It's crime-fighting 101. You'll get yourself killed." He said, tucking her long ponytail under her beret. Kenny was satisfied with the outcome; it was dark enough and she wouldn't be easily recognized.
"Geez, calm down, Mysterion. I wasn't doing anything dangerous – I'm merely writing about the town's nightlife." There was arrogance in her tone, but Kenny wasn't buying it. She was a terrible liar.
He scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right, and I'm just here, selling bread. I wasn't born yesterday, Wendy. What you were doing back there was hardly an article about South Park's nightlife." She had big, brown eyes and uncertainty on her face. Kenny tried to ignore how utterly adorable she looked wearing his scarf. He sighed. "Does Stan know what you're doing?"
Her eyes were quickly alarmed, defensive. "Stan doesn't need to know what goes on with my life." She said in a serious tone and lowered her stare to the ground."We're not together anymore, so it doesn't matter."
"How could it not matter? You're still friends, right? You still attend our rehearsals and gigs," Wendy crossed her arms, and Kenny added in a lower tone, the masochist in himself showing, "And he clearly still misses you,"
It was her turn to roll her eyes, "Oh really? Stan misses me? He may miss how I helped with his homework, or I can believe he's nostalgic over the moments of happiness we spent over the years, but with Kyle at his side, I doubt it's attention or company he misses." She arched an eyebrow, and Kenny said nothing to her in return. It was true what she said; Stan was still moping around, but he didn't talk about Wendy as much as one would expect after a breakup.
She looked at him expectantly, and he gave in, "Fine, you win. Stan may not miss you as much as he thinks, but it's true he cares about you. A lot. We all do, actually." He mumbled the last part mostly to himself.
"What was that?" Wendy said with a gleam in her eyes, and Kenny pierced his eyes at her. It wasn't safe to be this vulnerable around her. He had to be more careful around her from now on.
A sharp sound alerted them, and Kenny quickly pulled his mask down and put himself in front of Wendy. "It was a mistake for you to come here," He hissed at her as they saw a man slowly approaching them from the other side of the street.
"Hey, you two!"
"Leave before it's too late." He told her, the man approaching them taking out a pocket knife. The man was twice his size, but Kenny could take him out easily. It'd be easier if he were alone though.
"And what? Leave you all alone here? I'm staying, Kenny. We're two against one; our odds are better than his,"
"Not when you're not-, forget it, we have to move, now!" Kenny grabbed Wendy's hand, and they quickly ran in between the alleys alongside the shabby part of downtown.
"What does he even want? We were doing nothing!" She panted, trying to keep up with Kenny. He was naturally fast, but Wendy was much shorter, so he had to run slower.
The man quickly caught up to them, and Kenny pushed Wendy out of the way as he faced the man alone. "It's me you want; leave her out of this,"
The man laughed and gave Wendy a long look before setting his eyes on Kenny. "After I'm finished with you, punk, I'll have my fun with her."
Kenny's blood boiled. He moved before the man could and punched him square in the face. The man reflexively swung his arm with the pocket knife, and it managed to graze Kenny's cheek. He hissed as his mask tore.
Wendy threw a nearby can to the man, and his eyes turned to her. She looked scared. Kenny was silently grateful she was covered enough to be recognized but was still alarmed when the man directed his attention towards her instead of him.
The man quickly ran towards her, but Kenny was faster. He put himself in between the two, and in a second, he felt a sharp pain in his chest.
The man had stabbed Kenny.
"Kenny, no!" She launched towards him, and the man sliced Wendy's arm with the knife. Blood was quickly staining Wendy's jacket and Kenny's shirt, and her eyes were horrified at the sight. Her gash would probably leave a nasty scar.
She staggered, and before the man could launch a second attack, Kenny quickly threw himself at the man and managed to take the knife out of his grasp. He punched him in the face, rage taking over him. The man beat Kenny back, and as he fell to the ground, spitting blood, the man took the opportunity and kicked him in the face.
He could hear Wendy screaming, and Kenny's vision blurred. He tried to stand up but fell once more, spitting blood. The man laughed and disoriented as he appeared, he tried to get up and finish Kenny.
"You little rats," he rasped while he staggered towards him.
"Fuck you!" With a loose iron, Wendy yelled and hit the man before he could hit Kenny, knocking him out on the spot.
"Kenny!" Wendy approached him and quickly wrapped her jacket around his torso, tightening it so the blood would stop.
"We need to get you to a hospital!" Her hands trembled, and Kenny gently pushed her hands away. The damage was done – he would die soon, but Kenny had to ensure Wendy was safe first.
"What are you doing, you idiot? We need to get you out of here!" He ignored Wendy's pleas and crawled towards the man. A few feet from where the man lay, there was the bloodied knife. He grabbed it and made two deep slashes in the man's eyes. He knew it wouldn't be enough to kill the man, but it'd at least blind him. Kenny was no killer, but the man had seen Wendy, and Kenny couldn't afford to put her in danger.
"What are you-"
"We can't let him recognize you, Wends. It'll be too dangerous if they know who you are." He was stammering his words, and as Wendy crawled to him, he let her hug him. The wound of the knife was deep enough to make Kenny bleed all over Wendy. He was tired, and Kenny was slowly losing his consciousness.
"Kenny? Kenny! Don't you dare die on me now, you hear me?" She grabbed his face with a bloodied hand, and Kenny raised a finger, slightly touching her arm's wound. Her arms and body were stained with blood, making the gash on her arm appear much more gruesome. "Y-your arm." He whispered, trying to wipe his blood off her arm, and she laughed humorlessly. "Don't worry about my arm. You're bleeding to death!" She was crying now, her tears falling into Kenny's cheeks and lips. They tasted salty.
Wendy tried to stand up to get her phone, and Kenny's hand stopped her. He mused his last bit of strength and pulled her down to him once more.
"D-don't call an ambulance. It's no use; I'll be back to normal in a few, and you'll forget about it. " Kenny whispered, and Wendy shook her head in disbelief. Black spots began to appear in his vision.
"What do you mean "Don't call an ambulance?" Kenny, you can't die! I promise I'll keep you safe in the future, but please, stay with me." He tried to laugh at her hysterical blabbering but instead felt the metallic taste of blood.
"You're beautiful…." Were his last words before he gave into the darkness once more.
"Kenny!"
A/N: See you soon!