Eugene and Kovacs gripped their bottles tightly, while Mark set his down for a moment.
"I'm going to help you up, alright?" Mark announced, and looked over to Fitzherbert. "Flynn, grab his other arm.
"Yeah, get me the fuck up." Kovacs nodded, as Eugene and Mark held him by his shoulders and helped him stand up.
"Oh boys!" Alexis' voice shouted from the other side of the door. "The Lord will execute judgement by fire, and those slain will be many. Isaiah 66:16."
"Oh, chapter and fucking verse!" Val laughed.
Eugene frowned. He remembered reading a few passages in the Bible, and that one was vaguely familiar.
"Ready?" Mark asked, and Flynn noticed Kovacs slightly nod.
Eugene's eyes suddenly widened, realizing why the girls would be reciting that particular passage.
"FIRE IN THE HOLE!" Alexis yelled from the other side.
"Get away from the door!" Eugene shouted, grabbing Mark and Kovacs and pulling them roughly back. A second later, fire shot out from the crack under the door, not unlike the mouth of a dragon.
"Fuck!" Kovacs groaned, falling on his back.
"Do it again! Do it again!" Val chanted, as the fire began spreading fast. Mark grabbed the blanket that was covering Kovacs earlier and smothered the fire, doing his best to put it out, while Eugene stayed with Kovacs.
"Fuck you!" Mark yelled. "Fucking God damn. Psycho fucks!"
Val kept chanting for Alexis to 'do it again', until the fire suddenly stopped.
"Alexis!"
"What?!"
"They're here!"
"Shit! Stay there!"
The boys heard two sets of footsteps leave, and Eugene realized what was happening. The cops were here.
Eugene heard the front door open and close multiple times, before a new voice spoke up from outside. This time, the voice sounded male.
"This is the county Sheriff! I need any and all occupants of this house to come out and put your hands up! I will shoot!"
"We should go." Kovacs murmured, as Eugene held up him.
"Wait." Mark warned. "We still don't know if they're out there."
Several seconds later, the Sheriff's voice boomed again, causing Kovacs to look more frantic.
"I repeat! This is the Sheriff! Come out with your hands up, now! Final warning!"
Mark sighed, and opened the door to the pantry. In the process, he, Eugene, and Kovacs set their broken bottles down.
"Hey, hey, don't shoot!" Mark called out, exiting the pantry first. Eugene and Kovacs followed, where Fitzherbert saw a man wearing a dark tan shirt, with a brown hat over his head, and holding a gun. Interestingly, the gun reminded him of the one Rapunzel had first given to him to defend himself from the demons of Hell. Did everyone have one of those in this time period?
"Hands up!" the Sheriff ordered, training his gun on them.
"My friend needs help!" Mark pleaded, and raised his hands in the air.
"Shut up, I said get your hands up where I can see them." the Sheriff snarled, cocking his gun. "Hands where I can see them. All of you, now!"
The guys did as they were told, despite protesting.
"Shut up, turn around, put your hands against the wall."
"Just listen, there's three girls in this house that are trying to fucking kill us, alright?" Mark pleaded. "Can you just get us out of here?"
"Three girls did this to you?" the Sheriff asked, trying to contain his disbelief.
"Yes, and they killed one of our friends in the other room!" Mark continued.
"They're psychopaths, officer." Kovacs added.
"Turn around, face the wall." the Sheriff ordered, apparently ignoring what they were saying.
"Please, he needs to get to a fucking doctor!" Mark shouted. "He's bleeding out!"
"Turn around and face the wall!" the Sheriff yelled. "Before I shoot all three of you!"
Eugene groaned, having a sense of deja vu with the royal guards back in Corona. Except with the guards, what they did was warranted. Unfortunately, they had no choice but to comply, and turned their backs towards the Sheriff.
"Fuck, you're making a big mistake man." Mark pleaded.
"Shut up." the Sheriff growled, cuffing Eugene first.
"Officer, listen-" Eugene tried to say calmly, but heard footsteps behind them.
"I said shut up-"
Bang.
"Shit!" Mark yelled, turning around to see Val grinning maniacally, and holding the cop's gun.
Outside, Beverly heard the gunshot, and her eyes widened. What the Hell was going on? She looked out towards the driveway, seeing a police vehicle with the sirens flashing, and one thing became clear: somebody died.
Beverly swallowed the lump of fear forming, and gripped the boat motor tightly, before continuing to walk back towards the house.
Val began laughing, as Mark and Kovacs scrambled back inside the pantry. Eugene turned to look at the blonde maniac, just in time to see Rapunzel tackle Val to the ground. Flynn watched, stunned, as the two wrestled on the ground, with Rapunzel struggling to point the gun away from herself or Eugene.
"Fuck, get back in!" Mark called out to Eugene, who broke out of his shock and barreled through the doorway headfirst. Mark quickly placed the chair back under the door handle, and Eugene jumped up in the air, swinging his arms out from under his feet so that his hands could be in front of him.
Back in the kitchen, Rapunzel continued fighting Val, reaching out and pinning her gun arm to the floor. Val squirmed underneath her, but Rapunzel didn't let go, until she heard a voice behind her.
"Hey!"
Rapunzel turned her head, just in time to be hit in the face with a frying pan. The princess of Corona growled in pain, rolling on the floor and away from Val.
"Hurts, doesn't it?" Alexis sneered, dropping the frying pan to the floor and seeing the dead cop laying in a pool of his blood. "Holy fuck Val, what did you do?"
"Stick to the plan, right?" Val reminded her friend, getting up from the floor.
"Val, you killed a cop." Alexis chastised.
"Yes I did." Val grinned, picking up the sheriff's keys and tossing them to Alexis. "And now, I have his gun."
Alexis just barely caught the keys, as Val began parading around the kitchen.
"You hear that bitches! We got a fucking gun!" Val hollered, aiming at the pantry door and firing off three shots.
Inside the pantry, the bullets penetrated the wooden door, forcing Mark, Kovacs, and Eugene to lay on the ground and cover their heads.
"Jesus, fuck!" Kovacs shouted, while Eugene kept his hands over his head.
"Stop wasting the bullets, you fucking moron." Alexis scolded, as Rapunzel was coming to.
"Don't call me a fucking moron." Val told her friend.
"Then don't act like one."
"Okay, then how's this for a moron?" Val asked, walking over to Rapunzel and grabbing her by the hair. "Hey boys! Come on out, or we're going to put a bullet in Arianna's brain!"
In the pantry, Eugene's eyes widened. He's already seen firsthand what that weapon could do. Even though it wasn't nearly as powerful as the guns Rapunzel has used, it could still kill someone.
"You better come out in five! Four! Three! Two-"
"Val, give me the gun." Alexis ordered, making a grab for the weapon, but Val moved her hand away.
"I'm not going to give you the gun." Val snorted, looking at her funny.
"Give it." Alexis insisted. "You're being a retard."
"I can handle a fucking gun, Alexis!"
"If you don't give me the gun, I'll fucking kill you-"
"You're going to kill us both-"
While the girls were bickering, Rapunzel looked towards the front door, seeing it quietly open, and a familiar head of curly brown hair stepped in. Rapunzel smiled, throwing her elbow back and hitting Val in the stomach. The act caused the blonde to drop the gun, and Rapunzel kicked out, causing the pistol to skid along the floor and into the living room.
"You bitch!" Alexis snarled, as Rapunzel punched her in the stomach, and scrambled for the gun. Just before her fingers brushed against the cold steel, she felt someone grab onto her ankles, and fell face first. She looked behind her, seeing Val crawling past her towards the firearm, but before she could reach it, a small red boot pressed down on it. A whirring noise could be heard, and Rapunzel looked up, seeing Beverly holding onto an object that sounded strikingly similar to the Doom Slayer's chainsaw, yet looked completely different.
"No one is killing anyone." Beverly declared. She looked over towards Rapunzel, and nudged her head, prompting her to crawl forward. Beverly took her foot off the gun, and Rapunzel quickly grabbed it, before standing up and checking the magazine. Thirteen more rounds. Sounds about right, given she heard four gunshots.
Rapunzel looked back up, seeing Alexis and Val slowly stand up, and back away.
"Now, wait a second Beverly-" Alexis tried to say, but was cut off.
"I knew it, I fucking knew it!" Val accused, pointing her finger at Bev.
"Get the fuck out of my way!" Beverly growled, revving up the boat motor while Rapunzel cocked the gun.
"I knew you'd fucking do this!" Val exclaimed, her voice dripping with anger.
"Val, shut the fuck up!" Alexis yelled, before turning her attention to Beverly. "Beverly… what's wrong?"
Beverly shut off the motor for a moment, and looked at Alexis in disbelief.
"What's wrong?" she asked, her mouth hanging open as if it was obvious. "This whole fucking thing is what's wrong."
"We are doing the Lord's work here, Beverly." Alexis insisted, before pointing to Rapunzel. "This usurper, this false idol has poisoned your mind-"
"Oh shut the fuck up already!" Beverly shouted, while Rapunzel's eyes widened. There's only one person who had called her, as well as called the previous Doom Slayer a false idol…
"Boys, I'm coming for you!" Beverly shouted, directing herself towards the pantry door.
"Fuck you!" Kovacs shouted from the other side.
"Hey, stay the fuck out of this!" Val yelled, pounding her fist against the door.
In the pantry, Mark and Eugene helped Kovacs up, and grabbed hold of their bottles.
"We gotta go now, alright?" Mark announced. "It's our only chance!"
"Now?" Kovacs asked groggily.
"Yes, now! Come on!" Mark said desperately.
"I don't think I can go out there man, look at me." Kovacs said solemnly.
"No, we're fucking going together." Mark insisted. "Look, you wanna sit here and die by yourself, that's fine. But I'm going. I'd rather go out fighting and I'd rather you be there with me."
"So would I." Eugene added. "At the very least, to give time for Rapunzel to escape."
Mark looked at Flynn strangely, wondering why he was still calling Arianna by her nickname.
Kovacs looked between the two other men with him, and nodded.
"Fuck it, let's do it."
Eugene and Mark nodded, as they prepared to charge out of the pantry.
Back in the living room, Beverly and Rapunzel kept Alexis and Val at arm's length, who tried to reason with them.
"You came to us." Val reminded Bev. "We took you in. We gave you a home, we gave you a family. We gave you a fucking purpose, Beverly-"
"No, you took advantage of me!" Beverly yelled, staring Alexis down. "You took advantage of me. Just like your father is taking advantage of all of his followers."
Rapunzel looked at Beverly with a confused expression, while Alexis shook her head in denial.
"What're you talking about?"
"You know exactly what I'm talking about." Beverly insisted. "I know what he's doing with the donations, Alexis. Val, he's pocketing all of them. He's not building youth shelters, he's building more fucking rad pads like this one."
Alexis began to chuckle, until it turned into a hysterical laugh.
"You poor little lamb." Alexis said condescendingly. "You're so lost, you don't even know what's real anymore. And now the Doom Slayer has twisted your mind, feeding lies to you-"
"I didn't know about this until now." Rapunzel coldly interjected.
"Get the fuck out of our way." Beverly growled, revving up the boat motor again and pointing it directly at Alexis' neck. She snuck a parting glance at Rapunzel, who smiled as a means to thank her for the inclusion.
In the pantry, Mark and Eugene led Kovacs over towards the door, and readied their makeshift weapons.
"Ready?" Mark asked, seeing Kovacs and Eugene nod. He grimly nodded as well, and removed the chair from the pantry door.
In the living room, Beverly and Alexis kept staring each other down, while Rapunzel kept the gun trained on Val.
"There's only one way out of here, Beverly, and it's with me." Alexis told her, lifting her hand up to showing the jeep's car keys. As she spoke, she kept moving around the room, causing Beverly to reposition herself to always be facing her. "So are you with me, or not?"
Beverly found herself pressing her back against Rapunzel's, causing the battle hardened woman to look over her shoulder. Unfortunately, that provided an opportunity for Val to charge at her, twisting the gun to the side. The princess growled in frustration, tackling the blonde forward and slamming her back into the wall. The act caused Beverly to look towards the two women, distracting her from Alexis. The ringleader grabbed the boat motor, attempting to pry it from Beverly's hands, but Bev quickly turned back and slammed her forehead into who was once her friend, reopening the wound already made by Rapunzel earlier that night with the frying pan.
Val continued wrestling with Rapunzel for the gun, punching her in the face and making her drop the firearm. Alexis tried to run for it, but Beverly slashed the motor in a wide arc, cutting into her leg. She turned back to the other two girls, watching Val kick Rapunzel away from her.
"Arianna!" Bev called out, hefting the boat motor and tossing it across the room. Despite her strength being temporarily removed, Rapunzel easily caught it, and slashed the spinning blade at Val, cutting her forearm. She looked over to Beverly, who bent down and picked up the gun, aiming right at Alexis' head.
Before any of them could make another move, the pantry door burst open, and Mark, Kovacs, and Eugene charged out. The noise caused Beverly to turn towards the commotion, seeing Kovacs tackle her to the floor. Rapunzel's eyes tracked Kovacs going to stab Beverly in the chest, and she quickly dropped the boat motor. Her hand shot out, grabbing Kovacs' wrist and stopping him from attacking.
"Wait, stop!" Rapunzel shouted, as Mark saw Alexis scramble upstairs, as well as Val quickly run out of the living room. "She's with us!"
"She just tried to kill us two minutes ago. Including you!" Kovacs protested.
"Kovacs, stop." Eugene ordered. "Rapunzel vouched for her."
Again, Mark, and now Beverly, frowned, wondering why Eugene was calling Arianna by her nickname.
For Rapunzel's part, she looked at Eugene, seeing her give her a look that seemed to say it didn't matter if they knew their real names now.
"I'm not with anyone. I'm just trying to end this thing." Beverly groaned, as Kovacs got off of her. Rapunzel extended her hand, and Bev gratefully took it, where she was pulled back onto her feet.
"Okay. Alright." Kovacs breathed shallowly. "I'm gonna call the cops."
As Kovacs stumbled away from the group, Rapunzel checked on Eugene.
"Are you okay?" Rapunzel asked worriedly.
"I'll live." Flynn humorlessly smiled, and raised his arms to show he was handcuffed. "Not the most pleasant memory to revisit, though."
"What the fuck are you doing with these two?" Mark asked Beverly, indicating the two psychotics still in the house.
"It's not entirely their fault." Beverly reasoned. "They were brainwashed, man."
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Mark asked angrily. "Ivan's dead. Kovacs-"
The four of them heard a thud, and looked at the floor, seeing Kovacs' body laying there.
"Hey, hey, hey." Mark said frantically, lifting his friend and setting him in a chair. He looked from Rapunzel, to Eugene, to Beverly, and pleaded. "Get us some water."
Beverly nodded, going back to the kitchen and pouring a glass. She momentarily returned, and Mark quickly brought the water to Kovacs' lips.
"Hey, look me in the eyes." Mark told his friend. "You're going to be okay."
"It's okay." Beverly added. "You're safe."
Just then, music began to flood in the house, and everyone looked up, hearing upbeat and cheerful music.
Music: "Heaven Is A Place On Earth" by Belinda Carlisle
Ooh, baby, do you know what that's worth? Ooh, heaven is a place on earth. They say in heaven, love comes first. We'll make heaven a place on earth.
"We gotta get him outta here." Mark declared, diverting everyone's attention back to Kovacs. "We have to get him to a hospital, where are the car keys?"
"They're… with Alexis." Beverly realized, much to everyone's dismay.
"Fuck." Mark sighed, going back to the kitchen and picking up a knife.
"Mark, wait." Beverly called back. "I don't think it's a good idea if we split up-"
"What choice do we have?" Mark shot back. "Kovacs is bleeding out. The only way he'll make it is at a hospital, and the only way we'll make it in time is in a car, okay? Stay with him!"
Beverly reluctantly nodded, and looked up the stairs.
"I still don't think you should go alone."
At that point, Eugene stepped forward, standing right next to Mark.
"I'll go."
Rapunzel's eyes widened in concern, and she stepped closer to Flynn.
"Eugene, you can't." Rapunzel protested. "You won't be able to defend yourself-"
"This isn't the first time I've had my hands tied." Eugene smiled wryly. Rapunzel's lips arched up in a small smirk, and she placed her hands on either side of her boyfriend's head.
"Come back to me."
"You know I will, Blondie."
Rapunzel grinned, and the two kissed. Both of them knew they had to move fast, so their embrace only lasted a few moments, before Eugene pulled away, and he and Mark crept up the stairs.
"Kovacs, listen." Mark called back. "We're getting out of here."
Kovacs nodded, and the two men disappeared upstairs, leaving Rapunzel and Beverly with him.
"Okay, keep drinking." Beverly told Kovacs, standing next to his chair. "You have to stay hydrated."
Kovacs frantically nodded, and continued gulping the liquid. Beverly looked over to Rapunzel, and a single question kept nagging at her brain all night.
"Why do they keep calling you the Slayer?"
"Doom Slayer." Rapunzel explained. "It's a long story-"
The lights suddenly flickered out, and the music ceased. At the top of the stairs, Mark and Eugene strained their eyes, trying to see in the dark.
"Fuck! Here." Beverly whispered, handing Kovacs the gun. "Give me your light."
Kovacs reluctantly did what she asked, and handed Beverly his lighter.
"Okay, I have to stop Val."
"You're not going to leave me, are you?" Kovacs asked.
"What choice do I have, man?" Beverly told him, and looked at Rapunzel. "Arianna will be with you."
Kovacs numbly nodded, as Beverly picked up the boat motor and began walking out of the living room. She stopped, however, when Rapunzel called her back.
"Rapunzel."
Beverly turned around, looking at her with a confused expression, though she wasn't sure the other young woman could see it.
"What?"
"It's not a nickname." Rapunzel explained. "It's my real name."
Beverly wordlessly nodded, deciding to ask once this was all over, and headed towards the basement, disappearing from view. Rapunzel turned back to Kovacs, lifting his good arm over her shoulders, and slowly carried him outside. At the same moment, a black colored car pulled up, momentarily blinding the pair with its headlights, before turning off, and the dark silhouette of a tall man stepped out.
"Officer, please, help." Kovacs begged. Rapunzel frowned. That wasn't an officer…
"What's going on here?" the silhouette asked.
"You have to help us sir." Kovacs began rambling.
"Just calm down, okay, and tell me what's going on." the silhouette said, and Rapunzel squinted her eyes. That voice. It sounded familiar, but she couldn't remember for the life of her.
"Oh God, it's so fucked up-"
"Why don't we start with why the police are here."
"They killed the police." Rapunzel told him. "Please, he needs to get to a hospital."
"Who killed them?"
"It was the three girls, man." Kovacs rambled on.
"Two." Rapunzel corrected.
"Yeah, they killed my friend, and my other friend's in there." Kovacs continued. "You gotta help them, please."
"Listen, there's a cellular phone in my car. I want you to dial 911." the silhouette instructed. "Just give me the gun. Please."
Kovacs and Rapunzel began to move forward, but he suddenly stopped.
"They're… they're fucking psychopaths, man."
"I understand. Just give me the gun, and I'll go get your friend." the silhouette repeated. "Please son, just hand me the weapon."
Rapunzel and Kovacs walked forward again, and Kovacs unslung his arm to hand the man the pistol. Once they were a foot apart, Kovacs placed the gun in the man's hand, but he suddenly looked up in mortification.
"Hey. I know you." Kovacs realized. "You're that pastor-"
Bang.
Rapunzel jolted from the noise, and looked towards Kovacs, who crumpled to the ground. She was overcome with shock, giving the pastor the time to backhand her to the ground.
"I'm the wrath of God." John Henry Butler sneered, staring down at Rapunzel. "I'm disappointed they were unable to kill you, Doom Slayer. But perhaps I should be thankful, so that I can do it myself."
Butler fired the gun once more, and Rapunzel felt pain explode from her stomach. That pain radiated throughout her entire body, and she groaned in agony. She'd been shot before, but that was when she had the Slayer's strength. This time, though, she was mortal, like before she met Blazkowicz. And God, did it hurt.
Mark and Eugene slowly walked upstairs, quietly searching for Alexis. They had heard the gunshot, but they couldn't dwell on that. For now, they had to get those car keys and get out of here.
Beverly walked down the basement steps, and began searching every inch of the underground floor. She heard the gunshot outside, and wasn't sure what had happened. Unfortunately, she couldn't think of it right now, and had to turn the lights back on.
Eugene and Mark quietly creaked open a door, peering inside. Once they saw no one was in there, Mark closed it just as quietly, and the two of them continued searching the second floor of the house.
Beverly continued searching the basement, until she found the circuit breaker box, hanging next to the chair she had tied Rapunzel to. She momentarily set the boat motor down, and pulled out the lighter. After two flicks, a tiny flame appeared, barely giving her enough light to read the writings on the breaker, but enough.
Rapunzel laid on the ground outside, breathing heavily. She slowly glanced over to Kovacs, seeing his body not moving.
"I'm sorry, Kovacs." Rapunzel whispered. There was no response. Then again, why would there be? She had expected him to be dead from the wound on his arm alone. The wound caused by Alexis and Val...
Rapunzel grit her teeth, feeling her rage rise up. Slowly, and painfully, she flipped over onto her stomach, and pushed herself back up to be standing. Clutching her bullet wound, Rapunzel slowly walked back towards the house, intent on stopping Alexis, Val, and now Butler for good.
Mark and Eugene continued searching room to room, despite barely seeing anything in the dark. Unbeknownst to them, a shadowy figure began moving behind them...
Beverly strained her eyes, focusing on the light, when she heard footsteps behind her. She quickly closed the lighter and turned around, seeing Val run straight towards her, and slash at her with Mark's switchblade. Beverly brought her arm up, where the leather jacket miraculously protected her from getting sliced, and she ducked from getting stabbed, causing Val to strike the breaker box. Val yelped from the small shock the box produced, and back up, glaring at Beverly.
"Alright. You don't have to do this Val." Beverly reasoned, raising her hands in a peaceful gesture.
"Oh, I don't have to do this?" Val repeated mockingly. "What, you wanna be best friends, and braid each other's hair?"
"She's brainwashing you." Bev tried to explain.
"Fuck you." Val sneered, before tackling Beverly to the ground and punching her in the face. "You wanna be my best friend, huh?"
Rapunzel quietly stumbled back inside, catching a glimpse of John Henry Butler in the kitchen. She wasn't sure what he was doing, but she could hear a struggle going on downstairs. Slowly, and quietly, Rapunzel moved around the living room, careful not to alert Butler, and made her way to the basement's entrance.
Beverly and Val continued their scuffle, with Bev twisting herself around so that Val was pinned underneath her. The brunette turned around, scrambling for the boat motor, but the blonde tripped her and got up, grabbing Bev by the hair and slamming her into the foosball table in the corner. Val laughed cruelly, as she threw Bev into the wall next to the circuit breaker, and watched her fall to the floor.
Eugene and Mark entered a bedroom, presumably Alexis', and saw a set of keys laying on top of a vanity dresser. As Mark went to pick keys up, Flynn frowned. Having been a thief, he had stolen a variety of goods and riches, and he knew that if something was left out in the open, it was most likely a trap. His eyes scanned the room, just barely seeing Alexis' face poke out from the closet in the back.
"Mark, look out-" Eugene yelled, right as Alexis body slammed into him. Mark whirled around, just in time to see Alexis push him into a wall, and twist the knife out of his hands. Eugene got back up, attempting to shoulder ram their attacker, but Alexis sidestepped and tripped the former thief, sending him crashing to the floor.
Alexis refocused her attention back on Mark, slashing at him blindly. Her attempted victim backed up, falling backwards onto the bed, where he scrambled to get off. The moment his feet touched the floor, he felt Alexis jump on top of them, and they both landed on the hardwood. Eugene tried to pick himself up, but Alexis smashed her foot in his face, before straddling Mark and stabbing downward. Mark reached up, wrapping his hands around Alexis' wrists, and struggled to keep her from killing him.
Val walked over to the circuit breaker and picked up the boat motor, kicking Beverly onto her back and slamming the rod onto her neck.
"Oh, can you breathe?" Val taunted, as Beverly gagged. "Oh, sorry baby."
Beverly continued choking, but secretly reached into her pocket, fumbling for her lighter.
"Hey, hey. Look at me." Val smiled. Beverly gagged again, but raised her arm, flicking on the lighter and holding it up to the blonde woman's hair. Val gasped, as the flame instantly spread from her abuse of hairspray, and she quickly got up, trying to put out the flames. She screamed, stumbling around the basement, until Rapunzel suddenly appeared, smashing her fist in her face. The blow resulted in Val being knocked out cold, falling to the ground. Rapunzel and Beverly watched, as the flames licked at Val's hair, burning her scalp.
"Jesus, what happened?" Beverly asked, seeing Rapunzel's bullet wound.
"The Pastor's here." Rapunzel told her, bending down to pick up the boat motor. "John Henry Butler."
"Alexis' father." Beverly's eyes widened, while Rapunzel turned on the motor, hearing the blades spinning, and slashed downward, cutting through Val's neck. Blood sprayed across the basement, and Val made small gurgling sounds, before dying.
Beverly quickly steeled herself, getting over her shock, and turned back towards the circuit breaker, turning the lights back on.
"Come on, we have to help Mark and Eugene." Rapunzel told Beverly, handing her the boat motor.
Back in Alexis' bedroom, the moment the lights and music flickered on, Mark smashed her wrists back into her face, breaking her nose. Alexis screamed, and Eugene suddenly got back up, throwing her to the ground, while Mark began strangling her.
Rapunzel and Beverly walked back upstairs, reaching the living room and seeing Kovacs slowly crawl back inside.
"Oh my God." Beverly gasped, running over to Kovacs' side. "Fuck. What happened?"
"Butler shot us both." Rapunzel groaned, causing Kovacs to nod slowly.
"Save… save Mark." Kovacs gasped out, before he drew his last breath. Beverly squeezed her eyes tight, breathing heavily, and opened them back up to find Rapunzel staring at her.
"Come on." Rapunzel held the motor towards her. "We still have to save Mark and Eugene."
Beverly nodded in determination, and after taking the boat motor, started up the blades, and the two women began to walk towards the stairs. Along the way, Rapunzel stumbled, falling forward, to the concern of Beverly.
"Rapunzel!"
"Don't worry." Rapunzel smiled. "I'll catch up."
Beverly widened her eyes, but shakily walked up the stairs, ready to save Mark and Eugene.
Eugene stood over Mark, watching her strangle Alexis, as a shot suddenly tore through his back.
Bang.
Mark toppled over, getting off Alexis, and Flynn looked back at the doorway, seeing a man wearing a grey colored suit and black shirt standing across from them, and having short black hair. The man raised his arm, which held a gun, and fired off another shot.
Bang.
Pain exploded in Eugene's shoulder, and he fell to the ground, landing right next to Mark's body. Fitzherbert squinted his eyes, fighting off the urge to slip into unconsciousness, as he heard Alexis speak.
"Dad?"
Eugene looked up towards the ceiling, trying to think of where he'd seen that man's face. Someone Ivan mentioned while stopping at a gas station-
Oh yeah, it was that preacher.
John Henry Butler walked over to the sound system and shut it off, killing the music.
"Phew." Butler whistled, tossing the gun onto the bed. "You really screwed this one up, Alexis."
"It's not my fault-"
"QUIET!" Butler roared, slamming his hand on the vanity.
"Yes sir."
"There's a sheriff's corpse in the kitchen, your stepmother has bled out like a stuck pig in the family room, and I had to shoot one of the bastards and the Doom Slayer in the driveway." Butler explained to his daughter. "How are we going to explain this?"
"It was Beverly." Alexis insisted, slowly standing up.
"Beverly?" Butler asked, confused for a moment.
"The runaway." Alexis explained. "Val's taking care of her right now."
Butler grimly nodded, and leaned in to look at his daughter.
"You told me she was ready. You told me she could do this." Butler scolded. "But I'm glad I listened to my instincts, and told you not to tell her about the Slayer."
"I thought that she was." Alexis sobbed. "I'm sorry, but I can fix this."
"It's too late for that now." John snarled. "They already suspect us, and now this? We're going to have to make some sacrifices."
"What kind of sacrifices?" Alexis asked nervously. Butler smiled, and hugged his daughter.
"What did Daddy call you, when you were a little girl and you fell off your bike?"
"Reckless Alexis?" the girl asked, remembering.
"And that's what you've been all night." Butler chastised. "Reckless and careless. You put everything I worked so hard for in jeopardy. But don't worry. We'll do something drastic, unexpected."
"I don't understand-"
John's hands wrapped around Alexis' throat, and he slammed her into a wall. Eugene weakly looked up, just barely seeing their forms clash.
"Why do you think I chose you for this mission?" Butler growled. "Why do you think I chose you for this house? It's the only way to erase any doubt in their minds. They'll have no choice but to believe. But it's okay, baby. You're going to die a martyr, like-"
Butler suddenly stopped, and looked to the side, just in time for Beverly to pummel his face with the blunt end of the boat motor. John let go of Alexis, where she fell to the floor, and before he could get back up, Beverly smashed the motor into his face again, knocking him out for now.
"Beverly, you saved me!" Alexis smiled happily, standing back up and leaning against the wall. "Thank you. It was my dad. You heard him. He set me up. He set us up."
"Shut the fuck up Alexis." Beverly panted out, still not believing she was trying a cowardly attempt to save her skin.
"Just listen to me." Alexis pleaded. "We can get out of here, just you and me. Just help me. We're innocent. We're victims. I'm a victim!"
"No." Beverly shook her head, anger beginning to cloud her mind. "This is on you."
"It was my dad." Alexis insisted, but Beverly glared at her in anger.
"This is on you!"
Beverly stepped forward, but Alexis reached out, grabbing her by the throat in a stranglehold.
"You've always been fucking useless!" Alexis screeched, causing Beverly to drop the motor. "Always a fucking waste!"
Alexis pushed Beverly over towards the window, grinning maniacally.
"You've always-"
Rapunzel suddenly appeared behind Alexis, grabbing her by the shoulders and slamming her into the vanity set. Blood sprayed everywhere, and Rapunzel continued slamming Alexis' face into the vanity, until it looked like her face had caved in. Once Alexis' nose was pushed backwards in her face, Rapunzel dropped her body, and looked down at Beverly.
"You okay?" Rapunzel asked, helping Beverly up.
"I should be asking you the same thing." Bev retorted, sucking down air and looking towards Mark and Eugene, who were slowly getting up. "Jesus."
"Rapunzel?" Eugene lazily looked towards her.
"Eugene." Rapunzel whispered, wrapping Fitzherbert in a hug. Their embrace was short lived, when out of the corner of her eye, she saw Pastor Butler groggily wake up, and grab the boat motor.
"Look out-"
Butler turned on the motor and slashed at Beverly's leg, cutting through her pants and causing her to scream in pain and fall to the floor. John proceeded to kick Eugene's legs out from under him and bash Mark's face with the blunt end of the motor. Rapunzel's eyes widened, as Butler got up and rushed her, pressing the motor's rod against her neck and forcing her against the wall.
"What, can't fight back without your strength, Slayer?" Butler sneered. "Not surprised. You're nothing but a usurper. A false idol."
Again, those same words Rapunzel had only heard a handful of times before rang out, causing her to glare at Butler. She kicked him in the groin, making John stumble backwards, and the princess dove towards the bed, her hands wrapping around the gun laying there. She quickly turned around, pointing the pistol at Butler, and firing off two rounds, both in the chest.
John Henry Butler slumped on the ground, breathing heavily, as Rapunzel slowly walked towards him.
"Who told you I would be here?" Rapunzel demanded, pointing the gun at his face. "Was it the demons?"
"You know." Butler smirked, revealing bloodstained teeth. Rapunzel's eyes narrowed. This man claimed to serve God, but he was working with demons from Hell in order to become rich and powerful.
Rapunzel squeezed the trigger, and a bullet penetrated Butler's skull, painting the wall behind him red. A second later, she felt as if she just had a rush of power go through her, and her eyes widened.
"Huh, guess those six hours are up."
Rapunzel helped Eugene back up, grabbing his wrists and breaking the handcuffs apart with her returned strength. Mark and Beverly, seeing what had happened, widened their eyes.
"Whoa…" Beverly murmured.
"How'd you do that?" Mark asked.
"Long story." Rapunzel shrugged, as she checked the gun's ammo. Six rounds left. Damn.
Rapunzel sighed, handing the pistol to Eugene, while Beverly picked up the boat motor.
"How'd you know what Butler was doing with the donations?" Rapunzel asked, looking at Beverly.
"He keeps them all in a toolbox in the barn." Beverly explained, as they all walked down the stairs and saw Kovacs' dead body. Mark's shoulders sagged, silently mourning the loss of his friend, before Beverly ushered him outside. Rapunzel and Eugene soon followed them, where they began walking towards the red jeep, when a flash of crimson light blinded everyone's vision.
Music: "The Only Thing They Fear Is You" from Doom Eternal OST
Rapunzel's eyesight was the first to return, and she saw a being with grey skin and black veins walking towards them, holding onto a gray colored rod. He wore dark green armor, appearing similar to Rapunzel's, and atop his red eyed head were curved horns. Eugene inwardly groaned, Mark and Beverly widened their eyes in fear, while Rapunzel grit her teeth in anger, glaring at the demon. So this was how Butler knew about her being the Doom Slayer, and how Alexis knew she'd be waiting on the side of the road.
"You were never one of us." the Marauder sneered, activating his Argent energy axe. "You are nothing but a usurper. A false idol. One who stole from their usurping predecessor. My eyes were opened long ago. Allow me to help you see, Slayer."
Rapunzel glared at the Marauder, before turning to Eugene.
"Eugene… get them to the car."
"I'm not leaving you." Flynn protested.
"I'll be fine, my strength has returned." Rapunzel told her boyfriend, wrapping him in a hug. "Keep them safe."
Against her hug, Rapunzel felt Eugene nod, and after pulling away, stared down the Marauder.
"Go."
Eugene and Beverly grabbed onto Mark, who was the most injured of the group, and began running towards the red jeep. In that time, Rapunzel slowly walked towards the Marauder, balling up her fists in anger.
"You told him I'd be here." Rapunzel accused. "And you gave him the means to strip away my power."
"You are correct, false idol." the Marauder gloated. "John Henry Butler was easy to manipulate. He was already hungry for power."
Rapunzel narrowed her eyes, and ran full speed ahead, ducking under the Marauder swinging his Argent axe. The princess of Corona sidestepped, dodging the demon's punch, as crimson light appeared again, spawning zombies around them.
Beverly, Eugene, and Mark kept running towards the jeep, when Mark began slowing down.
"I'm not gonna make it." Mark wheezed out, holding onto his side.
"Yes, you will." Beverly insisted. "Come on!"
Just then, a zombie with a pentagram engraved on its forehead appeared in front of the scarlet vehicle, and Flynn raised the pistol. He fired six shots, each aiming for the head, but unfortunately, the zombie was mildly fazed. The slide was locked to the rear on the pistol, and Eugene groaned, tossing it away. Damn. Now they were down one weapon.
Beverly saw the pale abomination, who was slowly stumbling towards Mark and Eugene, and her breathing quickened. She'd seen plenty of demonic imagery and nightmare fuel before, mostly from the satanic rituals plastered on television or in the papers, but this… this was new.
As the zombie lurched forward, Beverly pushed her fear down, knowing what had to be done. She started up the boat motor, hearing the blades spinning, and ran forward, slashing at the zombie's arms. The attack resulted in the monster losing one of its arms, and Beverly slammed the motor's blade into its neck, spraying blood in her face. Bev yelled in anger, until the zombie's head was cut clean off, and its body crumpled to the ground.
Beverly stood there, covered in blood and breathing heavily, until she looked back at Mark and Eugene.
"Good work." Flynn complimented, clearly impressed. Beverly gratefully smiled, and the three walked back towards the car. As they opened the jeep's doors, Beverly and Eugene looked back up the hill, seeing Rapunzel continuing to fight the Marauder and the other zombies.
Rapunzel grabbed a zombie and smashed her knee into its face, completely obliterating the head, before ripping another's arm out of its socket and slapping it in the face. A third zombie met its end when Rapunzel kicked it to the ground, following up with a punch that split its skull apart, then proceeded to grab the fourth and final zombie by its head and twist its neck by one hundred and eighty degrees.
The Doom Slayer turned back towards the Marauder, quickly bringing her arms up to stop his Argent axe from embedding itself into her chest. The axe quickly vanished, reappearing in the Marauder's hand, and the demon rushed forward, kicking Rapunzel to the ground in her confusion.
"And now, false idol…" the Marauder boasted, raising his axe above his head. "You will die-"
The red jeep suddenly crashed into the Marauder, sending his body flying across the yard. Rapunzel looked up, seeing Beverly get out of the driver's side, and held out her hand.
"I told you guys to get out of here." Rapunzel chastised, but grabbed Beverly's hand and was pulled up.
"Looked like you needed help." Beverly shrugged, before handing her the boat motor. Rapunzel nodded, and turned back to the Marauder, who was slowly getting up.
"Stay in the car."
Rapunzel ran forward, swinging the boat motor at the Marauder, who brought up his axe just in time. The motor's rod clashed against the axe handle, and Rapunzel pressed down, forcing the Marauder to one knee.
"You will not have peace, Slayer." the Marauder taunted. "The legions of Hell will always be coming for you."
"I'm not looking for peace." Rapunzel sneered, kicking the Marauder in the knee. The blow caused the demon to lose his balance, and Rapunzel slashed the boat motor across his neck, creating a deep gash. The Marauder's hand shot up to his throat, and Rapunzel dropped the motor, picked up his Argent axe and cut his head clean off, seeing his horned skull roll across the grass.
Rapunzel exhaled out a sigh, dropping the Argent asked, and looked back towards Beverly, who was now joined by Eugene and Mark.
"So, Rapunzel… not a nickname." Beverly smirked.
"No." Rapunzel agreed, grinning as well. "Not a nickname."
"So, you got named after a fairytale?" Mark asked, confused.
Rapunzel smiled even wider. She knew what fairytales were. After one of her missions in killing demons, she discovered someone had written a fairytale based on her life, albeit with a few key moments taken out.
"Yes, exactly."
Just then, Rapunzel noticed the jeep become illuminated in a white light, and she turned around, seeing a floating figure shrouded in a red hood and cloak.
"Demanitus." Rapunzel greeted, getting down to one knee. Eugene quickly followed, and in their confusion, Beverly and Mark knelt down, despite their injuries.
"You all may rise." the Seraphim told them, and everyone promptly stood back up. "Good work. You've won, it's over. You stopped the murders."
"Did you know what they were planning?" Rapunzel asked.
"I had my suspicions." the Seraphim revealed. "But it worked in our favor."
"How so?" Eugene asked. "Ivan and Kovacs are dead."
"A tragedy that lives had to be lost, but unavoidable." the Seraphim murmured. "But you were able to survive and fight back without your strength or your armor, Slayer. Your predecessor would be proud."
"Unavoidable?" Mark shouted, stepping forward. "My friends are dead!"
"Do not mistake me for an enemy." the Seraphim warned. "I am not the villain in this story. I do what I do because there is no other choice. The Slayer needs to be ready."
"Ready for what?" Rapunzel scoffed. "Demons invading Earth again?"
"Demons invading all the worlds. Across the multiverse." the Seraphim corrected. Rapunzel widened her eyes in shock, but slowly nodded.
"Are you ready to go?"
Rapunzel drifted her eyes towards Eugene, Beverly, and Mark, and held out her hand.
"Come with me." Rapunzel offered to Beverly. "Come with us."
"What are you offering?" Beverly asked, staring at Rapunzel's hand skeptically.
"A choice." Rapunzel told her. "A purpose."
"Like Alexis' and Val's purpose?"
"No." Rapunzel quickly said, and took a deep breath. "I was once like you. Trapped with a familial figure who didn't truly love me. It took me years to finally escape and find my calling, but I had some help. Let me help you find yours."
"And if I refuse?" Beverly nervously asked.
"Then I won't press you." Rapunzel told the other young woman. "I'll let you go on your own. But if you come with us, we'll let you stay as long as you need for you to figure out what you want to do."
Beverly looked from Rapunzel's hand, to Eugene and Mark, who slowly nodded. Ever so gingerly, Beverly took the Slayer's hand, and shook it.
"What about Mark?"
"I'll be fine." Mark smirked, as Beverly wrapped him in a hug. "I'm going to California, remember?"
Beverly laughed, before turning back to Rapunzel and the Seraphim.
"Wait… there's transfer certificates, and donation money, in the barn." Beverly revealed to everyone. "Evidence on what Alexis' father was doing."
"Rest assured, I have already transported the evidence next to John Henry Butler's body." the Seraphim told everyone. "Tomorrow, the authorities will discover his activities."
Beverly nodded, as a white light enveloped her vision, and she, Eugene, Beverly, and the Seraphim vanished in a blinding light, leaving Mark next to the red jeep.
"Huh. Wish I could do that to get to LA."
Music: "The Betrayer" from Doom Eternal OST
Beverly opened her eyes, finding herself in what appeared to be a space station of sorts. The entire place was made of metal, with futuristic computer screens everywhere. There was a giant window, overlooking the planet Earth from space, and in the center of the room was a podium with an orb that had a claw like symbol.
"What is this place?" Beverly murmured, looking around.
"Welcome to the Fortress of Doom." Rapunzel said behind her. "I had a friend build this. He also built the portal here."
"Looks like something out of a sci-fi movie." Beverly said, more to herself, as she turned to look at Rapunzel. Instead of the clothes with satanic imagery though, her friend now wore what looked like heavy battle armor, which was painted a dark purple. On her forehead was a gray band with a yellow circle in the middle, and on the armor's chest was a golden orb, appearing as a sun. Beverly looked closer, realizing it looked almost exactly like the headband Rapunzel wore when they first found her on the side of the road.
Next to Rapunzel was Eugene, wearing similar clothes to what he wore earlier, but with different colors. His pants and boots were brown, the shirt was white, and his vest was a dark green.
"So… this is how you guys normally look?" Beverly asked.
"Yeah." Eugene nodded, as he walked over to one of the computers.
"Did Varian improve the computers to scan the multiverse?" Rapunzel asked.
"Yes." Flynn told her, as he looked at the screen. "Looks like there's a sizeable demonic presence trying to invade Earth 214."
"Ready?" Rapunzel asked, pulling a glowing blue pistol seemingly out of nowhere and handing it to Beverly.
"Now?" Beverly asked, eyeing the weapon.
"Yes. Now." Rapunzel repeated, as she pulled out a single barrelled shotgun and handed it to Eugene. She herself pulled out a large double barrelled shotgun, and shoved two shells into the firearm. The Doom Slayer proceeded to walk over to the podium, pressing the orb down, and two metal rings rose up. A blue light flickered, creating a circular portal, and Rapunzel turned back to Eugene and Beverly.
"Ready?"
The brunette got over her shock, and watched Eugene rack the slide on his shotgun.
Click Clack.
Beverly's mouth formed into a smile, and she raised the pistol to her chest.
"Ready."
The End.
A/N: And that's the end of another fanfic! I always wanted to go back to make a sequel to Tangled Fate, and I'm hoping on writing two more that follow those events. I was actually planning on setting this short story between my 2nd and 3rd planned fics after Old Man Doomguy, but with everything going on in the world, and my personal life, this was was easier and faster to write. Hopefully in the future, I am able to write a proper sequel to the first story, then a follow up to this one.
Until then, stay safe out there.