e[Also, I should have addressed this in the first chapter. The Batter in this story is incredibly ooc for what was originally presented in OFF, if anything in this story he's the literal opposite from the cannon personality. This is done very intentionally, as I came up with the concept of a "Friendly" Batter because it seemed to be an interesting road to take to have a man that looks like a monster, instead of a monster that looks like a man. Still, there are times where he does the same action as the source material, just with different intentions behind it. I'll stop rambling and we can get back to the story.]
The Batter smiled, though in a rather stilted way that kept his lips pressed against his teeth so that they wouldn't be so obvious. He furrowed his brow, thoroughly confused with the whole situation, and while the boy drank his water the purifier spent the moment to take a look around.
"This place is absolutely repulsive." The man says frankly, curling his upper lip as he examines the filth-encrusted basement. Isaac made no move to disagree and merely shrugs.
Staring fixated at the blood-stained spikes that were affixed to the floor, The Batter stands up and walks over to them. Poking the side of the hazardous protrusions with his boot, he found them to be very sturdy and built right into the ground. For what end, he could only guess.
He didn't waste too much time wondering, instead focusing on his company and watched him for any sign of further hunger or thirst. "Are you still hungry, thirsty? Anything else I should make for you-Ah. Say, lad what is your name?"
'Isaac.' The boy replied, after wiping his mouth. 'And, no, not right now. I don't want to eat too much and throw up.'
"I see. Pleased to meet you, Isaac." The Batter nodded. Clearly, this child had much experience with bodily discomfort if he knew about that sort of thing. But, he didn't want to pry and went back to looking around at their environment.
"Say, where exactly are we? I didn't intend on transporting myself into this horrific dungeon when I went into The Nothingness. So, is this where they keep political prisoners, or perhaps criminals?" The Batter guessed, turning his head to Isaac for confirmation.
'This is my basement.' The child said, to the purifier's immense bafflement.
"What? What do you mean this is your 'basement'? People don't just have these sorts of things underneath their houses unless they're cannibals I suppose?" He really didn't want to deal with cannibals, and he really hoped that this child wasn't one. They're so gross and messy. And almost always diseased! He could just imagine that if he tried carrying the boy again, after long enough he might find a chunk missing out of his arm.
The poor thing looked hungry enough, so honestly The Batter he wouldn't blame him. I'll just chastise him for how it's a display of poor manners and character. Yes, that should do it.
'We're not cannibals. Well, at least I'm not...' Isaac paused after some thought and shook his head. Now that just seemed to confirm The Batter's suspicions, and at this, he frowned. Though not for too long, he didn't want to make the boy think that he did something wrong when he was just being honest.
"I believe you. So um, Isaac. Since this is your basement, you wouldn't happen to know how to get out of here, would you?" The purifier asked with a patient smile.
The child had a hopeless expression on his face, and The Batter suspected that Isaac's reply would be no. However, Isaac answered miserably, 'We have to go down.'
"Down? Is there a secret tunnel perhaps, that we go through to get outside?"
Isaac was hesitant to answer. 'No...There's no way outside.' He said meekly.
The Batter was incredulous, but he tried to keep up a good cheer. "No way? Preposterous! We had to have had a way in, so there shouldn't be anything stopping us from getting out. I remember falling down somewhere, let's go find that place again, and see if we can climb back up."
Isaac doesn't respond and continued to be silent as The Batter stood up and walked around, looking at the ceiling. "Come on then, it has to be around here somewhere. Isaac, could you do me a favor and make sure that I don't walk on any spikes will you?"
They walk around the entirety of the level, save for the boss room, and The Batter couldn't find the trap door he fell through.
"Bizarre, there's light coming down from the ceiling, but I can't find the source of it. There's no windows or even any electrics. Isaac, are you sure you know where we are?" The purifier said with a furrowed brow.
'Yes.' Isaac said. 'I've been here a lot, and. We have to go down. There's no other way.' The boy said, not looking at The Batter. Instead, his eyes were locked with an intimidating red door, morbidly decorated with a frame carved to look like a skull.
"I, suppose I'll take your word for it. And that's the way down I take it?" The Batter says, inspecting this strange entrance.
"And you don't look happy to see it." The purifier remarked.
'Not really.' Isaac said blandly, letting out a sigh while he continued to look at the door.
The empty doorway opened into a shadowy abyss, almost as foreboding and entropic as the youtube comment section. The Batter shuddered, why in the name of God was his puppeteer so interested in the internet? While it has some good, it's tainted by ignorance and hatred, in a putrid cesspool of filth and sin-
'...Batter?' Shit, now wasn't the time to get sidetracked.
"Oh! Sorry about that Isaac, I just got lost with a train of thought. But now I'm ready to focus on the present moment. Whatever is inside, I'll deal with it and you can wait out here."
Isaac suddenly smiled, and the purifier smiled back. Awww, the little guy has dimples-And cavities. First thing I do when we get out of here is to get us both to a dentist.
Of course, he didn't say that out loud, that would be rude. "Say, Isaac. Mind telling me what I might be running into, if you have any idea?"
The smile is gone, and a cold, calculating expression takes the place of joy on Isaac's face. 'It'll probably be Monstro or Larry Junior. Or maybe one of the horsemen. You look strong, but the horsemen spit out acid, and Pestilence even does Ipecac.'
"I beg your pardon, are you talking about the four horsemen of the apocalypse?" The baseball player who fought ghosts and flying whales in shopping malls thought that would be too ridiculous to be truth. Must be his imagination, monsters that Isaac had come up with due to an overactive imagination fueled by nightmares.
Whatever it was, he was resolved to purify this area.
Man, this guy was weird. Not in just how he looked and spoke. Beats splattering me against the wall.
Licking his chapped lips, Isaac let out a sigh of satisfaction and relaxed. Just a little bit. His eyes were still trained on this 'Batter' as he walked around and spoke.
Yeah, this place is pretty gross. Isaac mentally replied. As he would go forwards, the shit would gradually become less and less common. It made collecting resources a lot harder, but at least it wouldn't smell so bad. Aside from the womb anyways.
Just how was he going to explain this? Assuming that they don't die first. Ok, we killed my mom and now we have to enter her womb. I bet he'd say "what the fuck is wrong with you?" This Batter would think that he was so dumb, and stupid. Crap, just said the same word twice. I really am stupid.
"Are you still hungry, thirsty? Anything else I should make for you-Ah. Say, lad what is your name?"
Jolting to attention when The Batter came back over and spoke to him, Isaac was ready to open his mouth, but his mother's words rang in his ears. Don't speak with your mouth full, you filthy sinner!
Isaac swallowed, and wiped his mouth on the side of his arm. 'Isaac. And, no, not right now. I don't want to eat too much and throw up.'
The concept of food was a complicated one for Isaac. On the one hand, he was absolutely starving and ready to eat a whole mountain of it, especially if it was as good as The Batter's sandwiches. The only issue is that if he ate any more than a little, Isaac knew that he'd get sick. Food was poison, as well as life. Maybe since it wasn't covered in blue fuzzy stuff it'd go down okay? Nah, I don't want to risk it.
'Say, where exactly are we? I didn't intend on transporting myself into this horrific dungeon when I went into The Nothingness. So, is this where they keep political prisoners, or perhaps criminals?'
The Batter kept talking about more things, most of the words Isaac didn't know, but he was able to pick up the words prisoner and criminal. Yep, that's me. Isaac thought, but didn't say out loud. The last thing he wanted was for this stranger to know about his many sins and decide to stop being kind to him.
"This is my basement." He said simply. Isaac could imagine all sorts of ways that this monster of a man could tear him limb from limb, and at this point, Isaac wouldn't have anything to defend himself with aside from a bomb and his tears. Great, now you're letting the devil plant ideas for sin in your mind. Typical, filthy Isaac.
'What? What do you mean this is your 'basement'? People don't just have these sorts of things underneath their houses unless they're cannibals I suppose?'
It was almost as if this stranger could read his mind, and Isaac gritted his teeth and watched The Batter carefully. Paranoia was already running wild in the child's mind, but unseen years of experience was allowed him to keep a cool head. Relax, this isn't any different than keeping Daddy Long Legs around. Just do the right things and don't make it mad.
"We're not cannibals. Well, at least I'm not..." Naturally, Isaac was going to paint himself in the best light possible being the wretched liar that he is. But what he said was an inconvenient one, so he changed his words to try to be closer to the truth and try to alleviate his guilt. Besides, it's not like Isaac himself was a cannibal. He may have eaten a lot of mystery meat, but he's pretty sure that it wasn't human flesh. He hoped.
Those things that are usually down here, are they my brothers? They look just like me. Maybe, they are me. Just like me in the church. But, ugh. Now's not the time to get lost in my thoughts. And just like that, The Batter asked him a question that made his heart sink.
'Down? Is there a secret tunnel perhaps, that we go through to get outside?'
"No...There's no way outside."
Against Isaac's expectations, The Batter kept up his happy demeanor as he spoke to him, and Isaac made sure to pay attention and stay in his good graces. He knew it wouldn't last long though, once he knew that Isaac was telling the truth.
He slowly followed The Batter around the level, not bothering to look at the ceiling. No, he was on the lookout for danger. Even if he hadn't seen any on the first passover, that didn't mean that they won't eventually appear. With any hopes, his new ally would smash them to bits.
Eventually, they got back to where they started, and Isaac watched the entrance to the boss room with growing dread. The Batter asked him where they were again and Isaac repeated his answer. He wasn't surprised that The Batter didn't believe him at first, but having to repeat himself isn't exactly Isaac's favorite activity. He tried not to let it show though.
"Not really." Good, The Batter put two and two together for himself. Then, there was a long silence. While Isaac did like having someone to talk to for once, using his voice so much was starting to hurt his throat a little, and his voice was rough from disuse. Isaac turned to the purifier expecting another reply from him, but the tall man stood with a dark look on his face.
Immediately fearing the worst, Isaac tried to call out to the man.
"Batter?"
'Oh! Sorry about that Isaac, I just got lost with a train of thought. But now I'm ready to focus on the present moment. Whatever is inside, I'll deal with it and you can wait out here.' The darkness was fast to vanish, and Isaac let out a sigh of relief. The Batter even started smiling again, a bright, warm smile that looked very out of place on his fearsome face.
Wait, he says he's going to handle the boss for me? Sweet! Not having to die so early to a monster sounded great to Isaac's ears. Maybe he would be able to handle this challenge without dying! Yeah, right.
'Say, Isaac. Mind telling me what I might be running into, if you have any idea?'
Don't get ahead of yourself Isaac. His momentary joy was fleeting, and instead, Isaac went ahead and pondered The Batter's question. Since they were still in the basement, there's only so many monsters that could appear in the boss room.
"It'll probably be Monstro or Larry Junior. Or maybe one of the horsemen. You look strong, but the horsemen spit out acid, and Pestilence even does Ipecac."
The Batter instantly looked confused and skeptical, questioning Isaac's words, and Isaac had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. Man, for a familiar this guy sure talks a lot. But, is he a monster or not? I can't really tell.
Without any warning The Batter went forwards and walked straight into the boss room, and Isaac had to sprint to follow after him before the door closed. Wait, why did I follow him? Whatever, no time to think!
The boy turned to face whatever abomination would do battle with him. What he saw was a familiar sight, that of a sweaty mound of twisted flesh and skin, with a split lip and a warped mouth, and two beady little eyes filled with infinite spite. It roared at its prey, blood oozing from the gaping infected sores in its mouth, a severed head with it's neck stitched closed and it's lips pouring from internal bleeding.
"Oh, it's Monstro." Isaac said calmly, as if discussing the weather.