A/N: Just to clarify, this is a spinoff to Old Man Doomguy: Tangled Fate, and is more or less a retelling of the 2019 film We Summon The Darkness. I really liked the characters in that movie, and after writing an epilogue of sorts that took place after the flick, I decided to come back to this setting, and insert Rapunzel and Eugene from my Tangled/Doom crossover into the mix. Also, since
Enjoy.
Music: "BFG Division" from Doom 2016 OST
Rapunzel, also known as the Doom Slayer, stood among the Umbral Plains of hell, as demons began charging towards her. The princess of Corona's eyes narrowed in determination, as she lifted up a double barrelled shotgun. After opening up the barrels, she reached into her belt on the dark purple suit of armor she wore. The armor, though still giving her room to move, was a gift from the last warrior who held the title of the Slayer, William Blazkowicz. He came to her many moons ago, and rescued her from a life of captivity, from a vile woman named Gothel. In the process, he trained her to be his successor, as his time was quickly waning, and together, they defeated the combined might of Gothel, her demonic master Zhan Tiri, and the legions of Hell and the Icon of Sin, but at the cost of his life. Even now, Rapunzel heard Blazkowicz's final words to her.
Rip and tear, until it is done.
Rapunzel took a deep breath, and squeezed the trigger of the super shotgun.
Boom Boom.
The powerful shots blasted through several imps, tearing their brown and purple bodies apart. A cacodemon was about to lunge forward, but Rapunzel fired a grenade from her shoulder mounted cannon into its maw, while extending her wrist blade and slicing a zombie in half. The red ball of flesh accidentally swallowed the grenade, and promptly exploded in a shower of blue blood and guts, as Rapunzel grabbed a Hell knight by the throat and loudly snapped its neck.
The princess of Corona turned around, swapping the shotgun for the chaingun, and sprayed at the hordes of Hell. Cacodemons and barons threw fireballs at Rapunzel, but she allowed the deadly projectiles to splash against her armor. After all, one of Blazkowicz's last acts was to grant her the same strength he had. Rapunzel kept her finger on the trigger, roaring in defiance as a sea of lead penetrated the demons, until there was no one left… for now.
Rapunzel breathed out a long awaited sigh, and pressed a button on her armor's chest piece, which looked like a golden sun. A blue portal suddenly materialized, and she jumped through, feeling the cold rush of darkness overwhelm her for a moment, before she found herself in the foyer room of Corona's castle.
"Hey, Blondie!"
Rapunzel turned around, smiling knowingly, as her lover, Eugene Fitzherbert stood in the corner, next to the bookcase.
"Eugene." Rapunzel grinned, walking over and hugging the former thief, despite her armor. "I missed you."
"Same to you." Eugene smiled, as the two awkwardly hugged. "How'd it go?"
"Bad for them." Rapunzel shrugged, before they both saw the walls illuminate slightly. "I think someone wants to see us."
"Or you." Fitzherbert told her, as he got on one knee. Rapunzel turned around, seeing a hooded figure floating above the ground, with his face shrouded.
"Seraphim." Rapunzel greeted, getting down on one knee as well. They both knew his real name to be Demanitus of course, but given how Blazkowicz had known him as the Maykr angel, it seemed fitting to refer to him by that name.
"Rise." the Seraphim told them, causing Rapunzel and Eugene to do so. "I am… disappointed, Slayer."
"What do you mean?" Rapunzel asked, frowning. "I've been keeping the legions of Hell at bay."
"Perhaps, but you are relying too much on your predecessor's gift." the Seraphim explained. "You are allowing the demons to harm you. You are not fighting as if your life depends on it."
"Well, she's still here, so what's the issue?" Eugene asked. The Seraphim turned his gaze to the man who was once named Flynn Rider, and he quickly shut his mouth.
"Suppose you lose your strength. You will not survive." the Seraphim warned, before he began to illuminate in a white light. "Your next mission will not require your armor."
"What?"
"You are required to investigate demonic and ritualistic murders." the Seraphim told her. "Be warned, not everything will be as it seems."
With that, the Seraphim vanished, and seconds later, Rapunzel felt herself be engulfed in a white light. Unbeknownst to her, Eugene felt the same thing happen to him, and they both vanished from the foyer.
Rapunzel looked around, finding herself on the side of a road of sorts. However, unlike back in Corona, where the roads were simply dirt, this one appears grey in color, with yellow lines painted in the middle. The princess took a look at herself, finding she no longer had her armor on her person. Instead, she had on a brown jacket, appearing to be made of leather, with a black shirt and red pentagram symbol portrayed on the chest. The pants she wore were a light blue, and more or less felt tight. Finally, her armor's boots were replaced with more comfortable ones, black in color and reaching up just above her ankles. Rapunzel brought a hand up to her forehead feeling something there, and pulled back, revealing a piece of cloth that was a dark purple. She unfolded it, revealing an image of a sun on it. The crest of Corona.
Rapunzel snorted in amusement. She assumed it was the Seraphim who gave her a change of clothing, and it looked like this was the only article he left that gave a clue of her home.
Music: "Back In Black" by AC/DC
As Rapunzel still marvelled at her clothing, a bright red vehicle zooming towards her. Throughout Rapunzel's travels to stop the demons of Hell, she had sometimes had to go to Earth to stop an invasion. She had seen these vehicles before, and if her memory was correct, it was called a "car". In short, it was like a metal carriage that didn't require horses to pull it, as it ran on some type of fuel from within.
The red car stopped right next to Rapunzel, and she could just barely see the name Jeep on the front, just between the lights. A young woman stepped out, wearing a jacket similar to hers but in a dark black. Her hair was long and a lighter shade of the jacket, and around her neck was a cross that was upside down, as well as matching ear rings. Rapunzel had to resist balling up her fists. She'd seen that symbol before- in Hell. A twisted perversion of a symbol of Christ. Why was this girl wearing it?
"Hey, you need a ride?" the young woman asked.
Rapunzel stared at her blankly. In all honesty, she didn't know where to go. The Seraphim's instructions were extremely vague, and he just plopped her down in the middle of God knows where.
"Sure." the princess shrugged, as the other woman waved her towards the back of the car. Rapunzel walked closer to the vehicle, and got inside the back, seeing there were two other people there. Both women, one with blonde hair and a revealing black shirt sitting in the front seat to the right, and the other wearing a jacket appearing to be made of the same material as Rapunzel's pants, while also having long brown hair. The color of the young woman's hair was similar to her own, but was much longer, and curled.
"I'm Alexis, by the way." the girl in the black leather jacket announced, returning to the vehicle and turning a dial in the car. Once the dial was turned, some form of music began playing, at a loud volume.
"I'm Val." the blonde said happily, turning to stare at Rapunzel.
"Beverly." the brunette slightly smiled at their new companion in the back, while sucking on a piece of candy that took the form of a ring.
"Nice to meet you all." Rapunzel smiled back. "I'm…"
Rapunzel stopped, wondering what to say. She didn't want to use her real name; she didn't know these people. Besides, the last time she went to Earth to stop Hell from invading, she quickly discovered Rapunzel wasn't a common name. So instead, she opted to use the name of her mother.
"...Arianna."
"Good to meet you Arianna." Alexis smirked. "Were you going somewhere?"
"I… no." Rapunzel frowned, still not sure where she could have gone.
"Well, we're going to see a rock concert." Val grinned. "Wanna come?"
"Sure…" Rapunzel had no idea what a rock concert was. Perhaps it was something created in the future on Earth, possibly by thousands of years. Then again, one of her last missions had been to the year the Seraphim had said was 1928…
"What year is it?" Rapunzel blurted out. The other three women stared at her in suspicion.
"1988?" Beverly frowned. Rapunzel sighed. So, just sixty years after one of her last visits.
"Is this New Orleans?"
Alexis began laughing hysterically, causing Val and Beverly to look at her worriedly.
"What?"
"That's on the other side of the country!" Alexis snorted. "This is Indiana!"
Rapunzel was taken aback. Of all the places she had gone to root out demons; Agrabah and France to name a few, she'd only ever been to the country known as America once or twice. The first time was when she was kidnapped by said demons, and was brought to the future to resurrect their champion, the Icon of Sin. That was before Blazkowicz saved her. Before she was granted a gift of strength. And the second time was when she was dropped in 1928, to battle a demonic uprising in New Orleans…
"You're so lying."
Rapunzel snapped out of her thoughts, realizing her companions were still talking amongst themselves.
"What?" Alexis asked, turning to Val. "Turn the music down, I can't hear you!"
Val did as she was asked, turning the same dial, and the music volume decreased.
"I said 'You're so lying'." Val repeated, rolling her eyes.
"No really, I read it in an article that your pupils dilate when you're attracted to someone, which makes your eyes look bigger." Alexis insisted. In the back, Rapunzel arched an eyebrow, wondering if that's how she looked when she and Eugene first met.
"I don't know about you, but I fuck with my eyes closed." Val told her. Rapunzel stared at Val in surprise. She'd heard the word "fuck" before, mostly in some of the risque books she had found in her family's castle, or her kidnapper's tower, but rarely had she heard a living person use it.
"Bite me Val." Alexis muttered, causing Beverly to laugh.
"Where?" Val smirked.
"Wait, what magazine did you read this in?" Beverly asked, leaning forward in her seat.
"...Bop."
"The tabloid?" Beverly mocked, while Rapunzel stayed silent.
"Stop, I'm trying to explain something to you guys!" Alexis shouted. "It goes back to tribalism, where women would paint their face, and their lips and accent the eyes to play with the male's subconscious."
"So… Bop says that makeup is war paint… for sex?" Beverly chuckled. Before she could stop it, Rapunzel let out a small snicker, causing the brunette to turn back to her.
"What?"
"I believe it." Rapunzel told everyone. It's true, she did. It certainly explained why Gothel had kidnapped her all her life and used her hair to keep herself young. Her hair… Before going short and brown, it was long, flowing, and golden, like the sun. The hair stayed golden, as long as it was still imbued with the magic to heal any wound, as well as restore one's youth. When Gothel and Zhan Tiri used her hair to resurrect the Icon of Sin, it's power was lost, and with no further use, Blazkowicz had cut it off to be shoulder length.
The other three girls continued talking, as Rapunzel listened. What caught her attention the most was when Val mentioned she had to pee, and Beverly and Alexis told her to hold it.
"My Dad never pulled over for us, he made my brother pee in a pickle jar!" the brunette revealed, shocking everyone.
"What was going on in your family?" Alexis asked, raising her eyebrows in surprise.
Rapunzel, though keeping quiet, felt the need to sympathize with her. For some odd reason, it sounded like Beverly had talked about her father with disdain. In a way, she could almost relate, especially with Gothel, but this was worse. She was talking about her assumed biological father, not someone who kidnapped her and made her believe she was related by blood.
The princess of Corona continued sitting in the back of the Jeep, listening to the others' stories, until they decided to take a stop at what they called a gas station, as Val had to go to the bathroom, and they needed to stock up on food for this rock concert.
Music: "Dirty Deeds" by AC/DC
Eugene woke up on a side of a road that was painted grey, and he slowly stood up, looking around to see nothing but fields around him. The former thief looked down at himself, seeing that he was wearing an outfit similar to his normal clothes, except that the pants and vest were black, with red pentagrams adorning his shirt sleeves. Eugene frowned. Why had the Seraphim sent both him and Rapunzel here? Speaking of Rapunzel…
Eugene looked around, seeing that he was the only one there. That was, until a blue vehicle came towards him down the road. Fitzherbert squinted his eyes, barely seeing a yellow stripe across the side. If his memory was correct, Rapunzel had told him this was known as a car on Earth, presumably hundreds, if not thousands of years in the future.
The blue vehicle slowed down, and a heavier set man with short hair and a brown mustache stepped out, wearing a dark gray vest over a black shirt.
"Do you need help?" the man asked, waving over to Eugene.
"I'm… where am I?" Eugene asked, still confused as to why the Seraphim sent him here.
"You're in Indiana, miles away from the closest city." the other man told him. "Hey, we can give you a ride there."
Eugene weighed his options in his head. He remembered the Seraphim's orders, to investigate ritual styled murders, but he had no idea where to start. Perhaps he did need a ride there…
Eugene nodded, and followed the man towards the vehicle.
"I'm Ivan, by the way." the man introduced himself.
"Eu- Flynn." Eugene stopped himself, deciding to use the name he claimed as a thief.
"Well, Flynn, meet my friends." Ivan smiled, opening the vehicle's side doors to reveal to other young men, one with curly brown hair, and the other with short black hair and a beard. All were dressed similarly to Eugene, with black clothing and wearing pentagrams, whether it was on their clothes or in jewelry.
"Flynn, meet Kovacs and Mark." Ivan pointed first to the guy with curly hair and wearing a white flannel shirt, then to the one wearing a short black beard and pentagram necklace with a black leather jacket. The two men in the back nodded their heads in greeting, causing Flynn to do the same.
"Where are you headed?" Mark asked.
"I'm… not entirely sure." Eugene said truthfully.
"Well, we're going to a rock concert. Wanna come?" Kovacs asked. Eugene nodded, having no idea what that was, but decided it wouldn't hurt. Besides, maybe he could start the "investigation" there.
Rapunzel walked around the gas station, seeing all these different foods and drinks there. Her mind was fascinated by everything she saw; drinks labelled soda in a chilled container, yellow colored tubes labelled twinkies…
Rapunzel stopped, seeing Beverly staring at a piece of paper, and she walked over, looking over her shoulder. On the paper, in big bold letters, was Teens Slain In Newest Satanic Killing!
"What is that?" Rapunzel asked, staring at the headline.
"You haven't heard?" Beverly asked grimly. "There's been ritualistic murders around the country, apparently glorifying Satan."
Rapunzel furrowed her brow in confusion. So those were the killings the Seraphim wanted her to investigate. But why send her here of all places, if they were being held all around America-
"Boo!"
Rapunzel physically jolted, and Beverly let out a small gasp, when Alexis suddenly appeared in their vision.
"What, spooked much?" Alexis grinned, snatching the paper from Beverly. "That's supposed to scare other people, not us."
"I guess…" Beverly murmured, as Alexis walked away.
"What does that mean?" Rapunzel asked, confused. Beverly stared at her blankly, and simply followed Alexis, causing the princess to do the same. At the same time, Val entered the store, having finished her bathroom break, and they had set down what they wanted on the counter, where a man wearing a red and white plaid shirt, with an orange hat sat in a chair. Behind him was a small box, which showed the image of a pastor of sorts, with the name John Henry Butler at the bottom, and he was speaking towards what could be assumed as his followers.
"The threat that is heavy metal is growing. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but be warned, they are ferocious as wolves."
"Hi." Alexis smiled, causing the man at the counter to turn towards them. "Just this, and the gas."
"And these." Val quickly grabbed a small, bright red package.
"Really?" Alexis rolled her eyes, and Rapunzel just barely noticed the words fireworks on the package.
"Come on, where's your Fourth of July spirit?" Val whined.
"What about you, Arianna?" Beverly asked. "Do you need anything?"
"No, I'm good." Rapunzel shook her head.
"Twenty five, forty eight." the older man told the four of them, and Alexis took out green colored paper, with several silver colored coins.
"But it is not too late. Join me in ending the darkness. Your donations will help incinerate the demons and send them to Hell from whence they came!"
Rapunzel snorted. She killed demons on the daily, and she didn't need donations for it.
"You girls be careful now." the old man told them, handing Alexis the change.
"Why, you think we can't handle ourselves?" Alexis snarked.
"There's evil out there, and you just seem like nice girls is all."
Alexis, Val, and Beverly began giggling, and walked towards the door, shouting thanks. Meanwhile, Rapunzel stared at the small box, or more importantly, at the pastor's speech.
"Arianna, you coming?" Alexis asked. Rapunzel blinked, staring at her three companions, and nodded, walking out with them and getting back in the red jeep.
Once they were back on the road, Beverly began turning the dial in the vehicle, and the music kept changing.
"Police found another grisly murder last night-"
"Ooh, keep it there, I wanna listen to that!" Alexis ordered. Rapunzel looked over to Beverly seeing her reluctantly move her hand away from the radio's dial.
"Where they found three youths stabbed to death in a suburban home, the walls covered in Satanic symbols. This brings the death toll to eighteen, and what many believe to be the workings of a Satanic cult burning their way through America's heartland. Pastor John Henry Butler denounced the murders today-"
"Okay, change it." Beverly groaned, reaching out towards the dial. She stopped however, when Rapunzel laid a hand on her shoulder.
"Wait." Rapunzel almost pleaded. "I want to hear this."
"Seriously?" Beverly's eyes widened. "Why?"
In truth, this was the only way Rapunzel was gaining more knowledge about these ritualistic murders. And if the radio was changed-
A longer, blue colored vehicle with a yellow stripe flew by, and the windshield of the jeep was suddenly splattered with a brown liquid.
"Jesus!" Beverly yelped. "Alexis, pull over!"
"Dammit!" Alexis groaned, activating the windshield wipers and pulling over to the side of the road. The four of them got out, where Alexis and Val began hurling colorful insults at the van, while extending their middle fingers.
"Hey, fuck you, assholes!" Alexis yelled, as Val went to the other side of the road and squatted down. Rapunzel approached the windshield, and extended her hand, wiping her finger across the brown liquid.
"Don't touch it." Beverly wrinkled her nose in disgust. Rapunzel looked back at her and wore a wry smile. She'd been to Hell and back multiple times. Whatever this was, she could handle it. The Slayer brought her fingers up to her nose, and upon finding there was no odor to the liquid, tasted it.
"Tastes like chocolate." Rapunzel frowned, having a vague memory of that sweet taste when she was a little girl. Aside from hazelnut soup, there wasn't much Gothel fed her to make her happy.
Alexis dabbed a finger at the brown liquid and brought it to her lips as well, before rolling her eyes.
"It's a chocolate milkshake." the young woman sighed in relief, as she took a washcloth out of the car and tried wiping the rest off the windshield. Rapunzel attempted to do the same, but found that the cloth was quickly making it worse.
"Fuck, just use the wipers." Alexis groaned, as Beverly looked over to see Val still squatting by the road.
"Really? Now is the best time?"
"Hey, I got a weak bladder!" Val protested, quickly making her way back towards the car.
"Just get in the damn car." Alexis ordered, before turning to Rapunzel. "Thanks for the help, Arianna."
"It wasn't a big deal." Rapunzel shrugged, as they all got back into the vehicle.
"At least it wasn't shit." Val announced, and the car sped back off down the road.
Music: "I Love Rock N Roll" by Joan Jett
Nearly an hour later, the red jeep came to a stop in front of a building that was crowded with all sorts of people that Alexis called "metalheads". As usual, Rapunzel didn't know what it meant, but she was beginning to get an idea what they meant by rock concert.
"Beverly, Arianna, please don't slow us down tonight!" Val said happily, as the four of them exited the vehicle and opened the trunk. Alexis pulled out a bottle of alcohol, labeled Bacardi, and poured a small amount into three red cups. Val took the bottle for herself, while Alexis handed two cups to Beverly and Rapunzel.
"Okay, here's to a night we'll remember."
"Oh come on, I don't drink anymore." Beverly protested.
"And I've never." Rapunzel added.
"C'mon, guys, drink!" Val insisted. "It's just for one night!"
Val and Alexis began chanting for them to drink, prompting both Beverly and Rapunzel to give in. The moment the liquid trailed down her throat, Rapunzel felt her insides burn from the bitter taste. She retched, and looked towards Beverly, seeing her have a similar reaction.
"Okay, now let's go!" Alexis told them, shutting the trunk and walking forward. Rapunzel looked towards Beverly, giving her a reassuring nod, and the four of them began walking towards the building, until they noticed a certain blue van with a yellow stripe on it…
"Is that-" Rapunzel was about to ask, but was cut off.
"Yes!" Alexis grinned. "That's the van! Let's teach them some manners!"
"By what, knocking on the door?" Beverly asked, realizing whoever drove the vehicle was still in there.
"Wait!" Val shouted, holding Alexis back. "I got this."
Val crept towards the van, pulling out the small pack of fireworks from her pants.
"Oh, Hell yes!" Alexis grinned, while Beverly averted her gaze. Val pulled out a lighter, igniting the fireworks, and threw them through the open window before running back to her friends.
"HOLY SHIT!"
Rapunzel heard faint popping noises, like a miniature explosion, and the side door to the van flung open, where four men scrambled out.
"Happy Fourth of July, dickwads!" Val laughed. One of them wore a gray vest with a maroon hood, and had a small beard. Another had curly blonde hair, and wore a white flannel shirt. The third wore a black leather jacket, similar to Alexis', and also sported a necklace with the pentagram symbol. But the one who caught Rapunzel's attention the most was seeing the face of her lover, wearing an outfit similar to what he usually wore, but with pentagram symbols.
"What the fuck is so funny about that shit?" the man in the gray vest asked, while the man wearing the pentagram vest kept his ears covered.
"I dunno, were you driving on Route 9?" Alexis asked.
"Yeah, what of it?" the guy with the curly hair asked.
"You threw a milkshake at our car and we almost died." Beverly explained. Rapunzel scoffed. Almost dying seemed like an exaggeration. Besides, she was still wrapping her head around the fact that her boyfriend was standing in front of her.
"Eugene?"
Eugene finally looked up, seeing Rapunzel, and he lowered his hands.
"Rapunzel?"
The two walked forward, staring at each other in confusion, before wrapping each other in a hug.
"What are you doing here?" Rapunzel whispered, soft enough so only he could hear.
"I don't know." Eugene admitted. "I just woke up on the side of the road, and they were nice enough to pick me up."
Rapunzel frowned, pulling away from the hug. The same exact thing had happened to her. Why did the Seraphim send both of them here?
"Wait, your name's Eugene?"
Eugene turned around, seeing Ivan pointing at him.
"You said your name was Flynn!"
"It's his nickname." Rapunzel quickly said.
"So I'm guessing your nickname is Rapunzel, Arianna?" Val asked amusedly. Eugene looked at Rapunzel curiously, before nodding.
"Her hair used to be blonde, and insanely long." Eugene smirked, causing Rapunzel to snicker.
"And you two know each other?" Kovacs asked, pointing between the two.
"Yeah. He's… my boyfriend." Rapunzel smiled.
"Hell of a small world." Mark shrugged.
"Look, we're sorry, and we want to make it up to you." Ivan told the girls.
"Not interested." Alexis shook her head. "Unless you got anymore of those Pabsts."
"Done." Ivan grinned, pulling out a cooler and opening the lid. He reached into the box, pulling out beer cans and tossing them to the ladies. Once he tossed one to Rapunzel, however, she caught the can with one hand, surprising everyone.
"Whoa, nice reflexes!" Kovacs commented, as he continued drinking from his own can.
"Thanks." Rapunzel smirked, though she didn't drink from the can.
"I'm Ivan, by the way." Ivan told the girls. "That's Kovacs, Mark, and you've already met Flynn, or Eugene."
"Alexis." Alexis introduced herself, before pointing to her friends. "And that's Val, Beverly, and Arianna."
"So, were you guys circle jerking in there or something?" Val snidely asked.
"Yeah, just finished up." Ivan snorted with laughter.
"You guys ready for Metallica?" Beverly asked, stepping closer to the gang.
"Hell yeah, we've followed their tour!" Ivan boasted. "They were last in Cleveland!"
"You're caravanning?" Val giggled. "I thought that was for dead-heads."
"Fuck those assholes, we do it differently." Kovacs snorted.
"So, you guys in a band?" Alexis prodded.
"We were." Ivan scoffed. "Mark's moving to LA to be a drummer."
"Man, shut the fuck up." Mark murmured.
"What, it's true." Ivan shrugged, as he picked up a book from the van that said Satanic Deaths Plague Nations!
"That's not creepy at all." Beverly commented.
"How many people have been killed now?" Alexis asked.
"Eighteen." Rapunzel answered, but frowned. They already knew how many died from the radio. Why did Alexis pretend she didn't?
"Wait, I thought after last night, it was fifteen." Ivan declared.
"She's right." Mark told everyone. "Remember the three they killed in Tallahassee last week?"
Everyone, save for Rapunzel and Eugene, nodded, and continued talking about their first shows. Kovacs and Val did what they called shotgunning a beer, where they poked a hole in the can and drank the alcohol from the bottom, while Rapunzel's eyes drifted towards Mark and Beverly talking to each other.
"Look at them." Rapunzel nudged Eugene. "Do you think we were like that?"
"I seem to recall you tied me up in your hair, then you and Blazkowicz interrogated me." Eugene smirked.
"Not that, I meant after." Rapunzel lightly laughed.
"Oh." Eugene nodded. He knew what she meant. That night they were in the woods, where he, Rapunzel, and the previous Doom Slayer shared their stories. Why she was locked in that tower for so long. Why he chose the name Flynn Rider. Why Blazkowicz hated the demons so much.
"Hey, you guys coming?"
Rapunzel and Eugene looked up, seeing both trios walking towards the building.
"Yeah, we'll be right with you." Eugene told them, but when he looked at Rapunzel, he noticed her frown. "What's up?"
"We already knew about the murders." Rapunzel murmured. "And Alexis acted like we didn't."
Eugene furrowed his brow in confusion. Something wasn't right…
Flynn slowly nodded, and led Rapunzel towards the building. In any case, both groups should have an eye kept on them.
Music: "Master Of Puppets" by Metallica
Rapunzel and Eugene entered the building and went through an arena of sorts, eventually finding their respective trios already dancing to the insanely loud music. If they had to compare it, it was almost similar to the ruffians singing at the Snuggly Duckling back in Corona, except way more intense.
"What do we do?" Eugene asked, seeing everyone jumping up and down, while bobbing their heads to the music.
"Blend in." Rapunzel smiled wryly, and she began dancing with everyone else. Eugene smiled, remembering why he loved her in the first place: despite being hardened by killing demons, she still kept her upbeat and fun personality. Fitzherbert grinned, and began dancing his head to the beat as well. Even though they'd never heard this kind of music before, they had to admit, it sounded great.
Once the concert was over, Rapunzel, Eugene, and all their new friends walked holding.
"Whoo! Best fucking concert ever!" Ivan shouted at the top of his lungs, as Alexis, Beverly, and Val turned around to face them.
"Right, we're going to go to our car." Alexis declared, pointing outside.
"Wait, the night's young." Ivan insisted. "Why not keep the party going?"
"Depends what you have in mind." Val giggled.
"Well, let's hit up a bar."
"There's no bar around here for miles, dumbass." Alexis snarked.
"How about we hang in the van?" Kovacs suggested.
"As appealing as that sounds…" Val chortled, before Alexis rested her hands on her friends' shoulders.
"One second guys." Alexis ordered, bringing her, Val, and Beverly into a small huddle. At the same time, Ivan, Kovacs, and Mark began talking amongst themselves, leaving Rapunzel and Eugene standing close to each other. The two of them pretended to talk amongst themselves, but Rapunzel strained her hearing to listen in on what they were saying.
"They're kinda perfect, and Drummer Boy is really into you, Beverly."
"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing."
"...Fuck it, okay."
Rapunzel looked back up, seeing the girls' huddle end. Perfect for what, she wondered.
"Alright, we're staying at my dad's place, thirty minutes from here." Alexis announced. "We have booze, a great sound system, Nintendo… a little bit of everything."
"Aw, sweet. I love Metroid like a mofo!" Kovacs grinned.
"Oh, great!" Alexis smirked, as she, Beverly, and Val began heading outside. "So, meet us outside, we're in the red jeep."
"Alright, we'll be right behind you." Ivan called out. "Hey Flynn, you coming?"
Eugene nodded, then stared at Rapunzel.
"Are you going to be alright?" Eugene asked her. "I don't trust them."
"I'll be fine." Rapunzel shrugged off the concern. "Doom Slayer's strength, remember?"
Eugene smiled, and the two lightly kissed, before Rapunzel headed off to join the rest of the girls.
By the time both groups made it to Alexis' parents' house, it was already night time. The two vehicles stopped just outside the gate, and Rapunzel climbed out of the vehicle, seeing a colossal house on the hill in the middle of nowehere. She'd figured houses were different here and would be different from the ones in Corona, but she didn't expect this one to be so… giant. It was like a miniaturized castle.
"Why are we parking this far away?"
Rapunzel turned her head, seeing Beverly speaking with Alexis.
"No one needs to know we're here."
Before she could ponder what that meant, Eugene, Ivan, Kovacs, and Mark walked up to the group, and they all went up to the house. Once they got inside, both Rapunzel and Eugene marvelled at how big it was, appearing to have expensive furniture everywhere. In the dining room was shining silverware. The living room, sofas and chairs made of leather.
"Why don't you guys wait outside, yeah?" Alexis suggested, ushering the men out the door. "We'll take the party out there. You too, Arianna."
Rapunzel nodded, and she, Eugene, and the other boys went outside, sitting in chairs already set up around a campfire. Moments later, the ladies returned, and they all began talking about heavy metal bands and drinking more beer. The couple found themselves sitting in between Ivan and Val, who were next to Mark and Kovacs, respectively. Directly in front of them were Beverly and Alexis.
"What are you thinking?" Eugene asked, noticing Rapunzel wasn't talking.
"I don't know." Rapunzel murmured. To be honest, she didn't know what to think. Her head was still stuck on why Alexis pretended not to hear about how many deaths were reported. Why? And why did she insist on parking so far from the house?
Rapunzel knew Alexis was hiding something, but kept silent. She didn't have the full picture, and she certainly didn't want anyone to go into a panic now, especially if her suspicions were wrong.
"What about you lovebirds?" Ivan asked, pointing to the couple. "What are your favorite bands?"
"Oh, uh, we like them all." Eugene quickly said. "Don't really have a favorite."
Rapunzel smiled and nodded, before looking around, noticing one member of their group was missing.
"Where's Beverly?"
Inside the house, Beverly began pacing around the kitchen, still contemplating what was happening tonight. What she and her friends were about to do.
"Hey!" Alexis walked into the house. "You're being antisocial."
"Well, I've never done anything like this before." Beverly reminded her.
"Yeah. Well, just relax, and do what I do." Alexis suggested, as she grabbed a beer pourer and filled eight red solo cups.
"Look, Bev, I know you're new to our group, and I know Val and I tease you sometimes, but I'm glad you came with us tonight, and that this is a big step for you. I'm proud of you."
Beverly's lips quirked up in a smile, looking Alexis in the eyes.
"Yeah, thanks for being good friends."
"We're more than friends… we're sisters." Alexis smiled, before reaching into her jacket and pulling out a tiny glass bottle. The neck was incredibly thin, with the base being spherical, and inside was frothing with a dark red liquid.
"What is that?" Beverly asked.
"Don't worry about it." Alexis smirked, pulling the cork off and pouring the contents into one of the cups. "Let's get this party started!"
Rapunzel and Eugene watched Alexis and Beverly return, holding onto several red cups. Also noticeable to the couple was the fact that Beverly was now wearing Mark's black jacket, instead of her own. Alexis began handing out hers to the men in the group, while Beverly handed one to Val, and another to Rapunzel.
"Thanks." Rapunzel smiled, looking the other brunette in the eye. Her smile faltered, however, when she saw a strange look in Beverly's eyes. It was almost… guilt?
"...And here's one for you, 'Flynn'." Alexis snickered, handing Eugene a cup.
"Uh, thanks." Eugene told her, and looked into the cup to see a frothing brown liquid.
"Alright everyone, a toast!" Alexis announced, raising her cup. Everyone, including Rapunzel and Eugene, followed suit, raising their cups high in the air. "Let the madness begin!"
Everyone downed a portion of their drinks. Rapunzel sipped hers, and looked out amongst the circle, noticing Beverly doing the same.
"You guys wanna play a game?" Alexis suggested.
"What kind of game?" Ivan asked, having downed the last of his cup and throwing it into the fire.
"Never Have I Ever." Alexis grinned.
"How do you play?" Eugene asked, as he and Rapunzel never heard of such a game.
"Basically, you go around in a circle, say 'Never Have I Ever', and then you say something you haven't done, but then if you've done the thing the other person says they haven't done, you have to drink." Alexis explained. "Does that make sense?"
"I'm a quick learner." Eugene smirked.
"Okay, I'll go first… Bev, sit down." Alexis ordered.
"No, I'll just watch. You guys can play." Beverly shook her head.
"Oh, c'mon, play!" Val insisted, causing everyone else except for Rapunzel and Eugene to chant for her to play. Eventually, Beverly reluctantly sat down, and the game began.
"Okay, never have I ever gone streaking." Alexis started off.
"Whelp, I'll be drunk in five minutes." Ivan grinned, downing a bottle of whiskey.
"What's streaking?" Rapunzel asked innocently.
"It's where you run naked publicly." Val said, without missing a beat and taking a drink herself.
Rapunzel had to stifle her laughter. She wouldn't even think of doing that in Corona.
"Alright Mark, you go." Alexis suggested, as Beverly wasn't into the game that much.
"Never have I ever… spent the night in jail." Mark looked over to Ivan as he spoke.
"Come on, that's fucked up." Ivan whined, taking a swig from his bottle. "You can't just target people like that."
Everyone began to chuckle, until they noticed Beverly take a sip as well.
"Wait, you too?" Ivan asked, seeing a ghost of a smile on her face. "What were you in for?"
"Shoplifting." Beverly replied nervously.
"Shoplifting?" Kovacs asked. "What, clothes?"
"Food."
"What, food, like-"
"Kovacs." Mark snarled. "Drop it."
Eugene looked towards Beverly, feeling a small stab of pity in his heart. He knew what it was like to have to steal to be well fed.
"You're not alone." Eugene declared, taking a sip from his cup.
"Jesus, you too!" Ivan's eyes widened. "For the same thing?"
"Yep." Flynn murmured. "And for clothes. And I stole a royal crown."
"Okay, I have to call bullshit on that one!" Ivan laughed. "That would've been front page news!"
"You're right. Just joking." Eugene corrected himself, realizing he went too far, but smiled at Rapunzel knowingly.
"Ivan, you're up."
"Okay, never have I ever… pissed my pants." Ivan grinned mischievously. Both Eugene and Rapunzel snorted with laughter, until Val drank from her cup.
"What can I say, I got a weak bladder."
"Eugene, or do you prefer Flynn?" Alexis asked Fitzherbert. "Either way, you gonna go?"
"Flynn's fine." Eugene replied, and looked at Rapunzel with a glint in his eye. "Never have I ever… tied someone up with my hair."
"Ooh, sounds kinky!" Val laughed. Rapunzel lightly slapped Eugene on the chest, but nevertheless drank from her cup.
"Wait, what?" Kovacs asked. "How does that even work? And who'd you do it to?"
"I told you her hair was insanely long." Eugene smirked.
"And she tied you up?" Ivan put a hand over his mouth to cover his snicker.
"Arianna, do you have one?" Alexis asked.
"Yeah, uh…" Rapunzel racked her brain, trying to find something to say. "Never have I ever… been held at gunpoint?"
Everyone's eyes widened, especially Eugene's. It never actually occurred to him that she never had a gun pointed at her before, whether it was from the Doom Slayer or from the demons of Hell. Nevertheless, he drank.
"So, what was that about?" Ivan asked. "Who'd you piss off?"
"Her, actually." Eugene wrapped his arm around Rapunzel. "After tying me up, she pointed a gun in my face."
"Jesus Christ. And you guys are still together?" Ivan pressed.
"What can I say, we got off on the wrong foot. I broke into her home, she hit me with a frying pan…" Eugene's voice trailed off, as Rapunzel giggled. She stopped laughing, when she noticed Beverly also drinking.
"You too?" Rapunzel asked.
"Yeah." Beverly murmured. "My dad."
Eugene and Rapunzel looked at her in sadness, as the pieces slowly began to come together, from what she'd said all day.
"Okay, Val, what do you got?" Alexis asked, changing the subject.
"Never have I ever… hurled in a church." Val grinned, watching Alexis drink from her cup.
"Seriously, that's what you went with?" Alexis scoffed, once her swig was done. "It was just the stomach flu."
While the rest of the group began laughing and talking about something involving pea soup and an exorcist, Eugene noticed Mark stand up and walk behind the group. Odd, it looked like he was getting sleepy.
"Kovacs, your turn."
"Awesome. Never have I ever…" Kovacs looked at Mark. "Ditched my friends to go to California and become a rockstar."
"Oh, fuck you." Mark's voice slurred out, as he drank the last of his cup's alcohol.
"Dude, that was a low blow." Ivan scolded, as Mark began to lay down in the grass.
"Alex? You think you can top that one?" Val asked, wearing a cheshire grin.
"Yeah." Alexis wore a smirk of her own. "Never have I ever drugged someone's drink."
"Ah, no." Ivan quickly said. "Not me."
"Yeah, that's just fucked up." Kovacs agreed. Eugene and Rapunzel nodded in agreement, but watched, as both Alexis and Val drank from their cups.
"Drink up, Bev." Val called out, and Rapunzel turned her eyes towards Beverly, seeing her reluctantly take a drink.
"Oh, no shit." Ivan's eyes widened. "All three of you have drugged someone's drink, at some point?"
Rapunzel began to get a bad feeling, and she looked towards Eugene, seeing the same worried expression on his face.
"Whose, and why?" Ivan blurted out, seeing Alexis, Val, and Beverly all giving him smiles. Only Beverly's felt reluctant, and forced.
"Oh, you're saying it's us?" Ivan's eyes widened in surprise. "Well I don't buy that shit for a second."
A few moments after he said that, he tried to stand up, but crumpled to the ground.
"Ivan?" Kovacs asked, standing up and looking towards his friends. "Mark!"
"You should go check on him." Alexis mocked.
"Oh no…" Eugene murmured, attempting to stand up, but stumbled forward.
"Eugene?" Rapunzel panicked, holding him up. "What's happening?"
"Set… me… down…" Eugene requested. Rapunzel nodded, and after setting him on the grass, his eyes closed, but his breathing was normal.
"Eugene? Eugene!" Rapunzel cried out, lightly slapping his cheek, but he wouldn't wake up.
"What did you do to him?" Rapunzel yelled, glaring at Alexis.
"Same thing that's happening to you… any second now." Alexis smirked. Suddenly, Rapunzel began to feel tired, and her vision became disoriented. She attempted to throw a punch, but given her slowed movement, Alexis easily ducked, and kneed her in the stomach. Rapunzel keeled over, landing on her back, and stared up at the stars above.
"You think we wouldn't know you'd come?" Alexis' voice whispered in Rapunzel's ear. "We knew you'd be here, and we were prepared… Doom Slayer."
Rapunzel felt a flicker of fear race up her spine. It had been years since she had felt that sensation. The last time was when Gothel forced her to resurrect the Icon of Sin. But this… this was different. Somehow, these girls had drugged her, and the strength granted to her by the Seraphim's divinity machine was ignored.
Alexis laughed, and stood up, just as Rapunzel's eyes closed, and her vision was replaced by an overwhelming darkness.
A/N: As Alexis said, let the madness begin. Don't expect a lot of music to be played during other chapters. The music here was just for the fun moments, not anything serious.
Speaking of, I replaced the band they were seeing to Metallica so I could sneak in one of their songs, because fuck it, Master of Puppets is the GOAT!