"You know when I look back on it…Everything, I can understand, the reason these strange things, the Walrider, the Mara, decided to pick me. I understand what it was saying now…I understand why Jeremy Blaire wanted me, a woman in this facility to endure the experiments. It was both a trial test and to see if I could connect with the Walrider. He achieved one thing but the other…I'm thankful that it never happened."
Eddie Gluskin, the notorious serial killer and now the infamous Groom, never once did he allow 262 out of his sight, even if it was to help aid him. In fact, since waking up, over the past several hours 262 noted how stubborn and suspicious he was of her every movement. It became bluntly obvious to her that this man was afraid to lose someone, afraid to be alone and left in the darkness and yet he refused to leave this place. Probably due to the tumours eating in his brain, crippling his senses even more and forcing him to be nothing more than a man with a primal instinct. Produce a legacy, wasn't that something the Walrider wanted as well?
Sitting on the edge of a soft mattress that was supposed to be some kind of bed, 262 looked at her bare feet on the ground while Eddie hummed away in the distance along with the over powering sound of a sewing machine. Looking up in his direction she noticed how happy he looked while sewing together a dress for her, she didn't like dresses but 262 really didn't have a say in the matter. Gluskin had locked her up in this small room, it was just big enough to house a sewing machine, that of which Eddie had pulled from one of the other rooms, a large set of lockers that had also been dragged into here as some sort of makeshift wardrobe, not to mention the beds which were two single cots pushed together.
That was it, that was all 262 had to enjoy to look at as she decided she was too tired to do anything anymore, the man himself was insane beyond reasoning. "I think I'm going to take a nap." 262 stated as she laid back on the mattress looking up at the horrible dark ceiling.
Eddie had turned his attention to her and only chuckled softly in the background with a wicked smile plastering his face. "Ok my dear, I'll wake you when the dress is ready. Then we can go to the ceremony" Eddie spoke so humble and happy like. 262 didn't like the idea she was about to get married it wasn't her thing and too fast but she had to remember that this man was also the reason that the area was so…vacant like.
Rolling onto her side she looked away from the ceiling and away from Eddie hearing the machine continue on, a wedding dress for what should have be the happiest moment for anyone and yet here it represented the complete opposite. Closing her eyes and trying to push the thoughts out of her head, 262 dared to do something that wasn't exactly sleep. She'd lied to Eddie because she didn't want to mention anything about the Walrider, heck he didn't even know what was really going on in the rest of the Asylum, so 262 had to keep this to herself as she tried to bring herself into a lucid sleep, something she found too easy.
Once more in her subconscious state and surrounded by the darkness she called out to the only aid that might help her in this horrid situation. "Walrider are you there?" Gently she called out unsure of how she should really act. Though she willingly allowed the cold sensation to overlap her, the numbing feeling of her body letting go. Although her brain was active she could tell her body was sleeping.
In the darkness the coldness spiked and a horrible strange sound came forth, something eerie that 262 had started to question if it was the Walrider. No doubt the inky figure appeared before her once more, this time clearer. It looked almost identical to the thing she had seen in the chamber room with the sphere, with Billy Hope. What scared 262 the most was the fact she was looking into something that was now a part of her, a part of her brain and soul. What madness this must have been as she sighed looking into the eyeless creature that floated before her. It was larger than her, had a muscular build and almost humanoid features thought it shifted between a figure to smoke as if it was unable to maintain a stable form.
"Not many can achieve this state without the aid of the machine." The walrider stated bluntly, its voice seeming to be disembowelled like once more.
Sighing 262 had to lay all her cards on the table right now as she folded her arms and took in a deep breath "You mean with Hope? So the lucid dreaming is how I connect with you?" 262 said raising a brow wondering how this all worked.
"Full of questions once again. Somethings I cannot answer, but yes a lucid state in a dream but not in a dream." The walrider stated seeming to shift its head to the side slightly
Looking the Walrider up and down 262 nodded "Yeah I'm starting to get the hang of how you talk. Almost like a riddle." 262 laughed softly to herself shaking her head.
Strangely enough the Walrider mimicked her laugh, although it didn't have any features to show for expressions, 262 knew it was just a mimicry of her own voice. Perhaps in some strange way the Walrider was trying to understand her. "What questions do you have this time?" It asked shifting closer to her. One would have almost said that it was curious which made 262 wonder if by chance this thing was being affected by her emotions.
"I wouldn't say I have questions to ask but…You showed me those flash backs for a reason and I think I understand them. Or at least your cryptic message." 262 exclaimed looking at the walrider up and down once more before going on. "You showed me how I was before….everything, that I was special. Yet I can't seem to come to terms with my illness. So after thinking over it all I've come to wonder if Jeremy bought me with some kind of twisted intent to experiment on a woman." 262 continued to go on and started to pass back and forth feeling like she was talking to herself.
"1 in 3 women." The Walrider stated. "I know what you think…What you feel…Watching and learning we are always…" There it was a wavering moment in the Walrider that caused 262 to look up at it, it looked almost humble strangely enough as she took in a deep breath.
Continuing on she looked back down to the ground refusing to look at it while she spoke "Well look anyway this is what I think what you were trying to tell me. You knew that there was nothing wrong with me and I connected with you just like that because I was desperate for help, within a few seconds of being in that machine. Which tells me that I was able to do something dream like that made me…unique…Different…" 262 paused feeling like part of her brain was slipping. She could not recall anything apart from waking up in that medical bay room and it hurt her brain.
"Time heals wounds, humans think and say that. Memory is not a need. What is it you want?" Even the Walrider could tell how messed up she was becoming.
Pausing in her thoughts and movement 262 sighed feeling hopeless. "What I want? What I feel like I need to know is everything!" she said falling to the dark inky ground beneath her as she ran a hand through her messy hair and laid down.
"Forget what you think you need to know. Focus on our abilities first." The walrider said coming up to her side and in a strange way it seemed comforting. "To answer your question yes we are one, you affect us, we cannot help that. Never before have we fused with a host, not like this."
Grumbling and looking away from the inky figure she rolled her eyes "Then why me?" 262 wanted to go on but she stopped and the Walrider knew that she had already unlocked the answer to the question. "Because I'm not insane, I'm healthy and I can go into a lucid dream state." A wave shook over her body as she exhaled before looking up at the dark mass that formed the Walrider. "That's why you picked me, I was a healthy fit woman that could go into a lucid dream state without the use of machines and engines that's…that's how I got here right now…But…You couldn't connect with the Variants because they were too insane too unfocused and messed…too damaged" 262 shook her head trying to come to terms with this information she had stumbled upon, or was she just creating a mere fantasy for herself? "What about Hope? He was insane though how does that work?" 262 questioned looking down at her hands.
"Hope insane? No unlike the others and more like you..." The Walrider said and seemed to fade into thin air appearing on the other side of her placing one of its nightmarish hands on her shoulder. "See now? Gifted you are indeed, a perfect host, correct genes to produce." The walrider stated before vanishing again and moving away from her.
Taking a moment, she questioned what this was, was this real, was any of this real anymore or was she long dead by now and living in a nightmare? "Ok ok so…Why is he still in the sphere?" 262 questioned seeing as from her flash back she had broken the sphere she'd been in and Hope? Well the man in the sphere she had not seen him break free.
"We said before we connect with females more than males. The connection the Other has is not stable, forced upon their host with only one desire to kill." The Walrider cocked its head to the side once more folding its arms over its chest. Was it learning human body language?
"So if the Other Walrider desires to only kill then you desire to only…Produce. Why the difference?" 262 said as she stood up on what felt like shaky knees.
"Like humans we are different, we are a swarm and our natures are not always the same. When we split to form another swarm our intentions change. We split in need and desire to produce, the Other split with the desire to become a physical form and contain the insane as you call them, to keep them and kill them. We think this became affixation of the Other due to how insane the humans are." Apart of 262 felt that the Walrider its self didn't understand the intent of the other walrider that it was speaking of, the one that had made a lateral connection with Hope. And yet in the madness of its own words 262 understood in some way, like a feeling more then a mental understanding.
Narrowing her gaze 262 nodded her head "If you wish to coexist within me what does that mean? Apart from producing, I mean…." 262 sighed she just kept getting question after question and felt like she as running around the bush so to speak and even so she knew there was something Her Walrider was not telling her.
"Hmm confusion? Coexist yes, comfort yes. Fuse together we are one, able to protect you we can for your sake and our own. Produce we do not know ourselves if the genes will be passed on to a child, we do not know or understand but have studied humans and know that we can only try and find out." The Walrider stated once more, it almost sounded human this time which was more so creepy then its disembowelled voice.
262 had to agree with this thing, after all it was a part of her. "Ok so from the top, Murkoff brought me in because they found interest in me some how to do with being in a lucid state of mind right, then they drug me and toss me in the machine. You, well you find me and fuse with me because we have a connection and because I'm a healthy woman that's not mentally insane. Then we break out and um…Um…Produce?" 262 said shrugging as she rushed the words out of her mouth only to sigh having confused herself even more so, it was like there was something more, something that would bring the puzzle together. "Yeah I'm still not able to fully come to terms with all of this." 262 stated as the Walrider approached coming closer to her.
"We need to escape." The Walrider stated. "This one, Gluskin, is not safe for us to be near. Perhaps later yes, but not now. We need to run…Find documents that help aid our knowledge?" The Walrider questioned and it seemed so uncharacteristic like, why would it want to help her when it said that knowledge wasn't of a matter to her?
262 rubbed the side of her temples trying to come to understand what this all meant. "And just how do we exactly escape? Gluskin has this whole damn room locked and the only key seems to be the one in his back pocket. Not to mention he wants to marry me like what? How do we get out of this?" frantically 262 said shaking her head and looking down at her hands.
"Ease, we will find a way, wait for him to unlock the door or try to move through it." The walrider said and once more seemed to return back to its stoic like state.
Wait…. move through it? 262 couldn't help but look in shock as the words ran through her head "We can actually do that? Move through objects? How? WHY!?" Conflicted and confused 262 didn't understand and the silence from the walrider did not help.
It even seemed to tilt its head to the side as if it was trying to comprehend her mind. "Our world and yours co-exist within each other reach…. Humans call it a dimension. Fused together we can move between both dimensions. Though you must feel, must accept and stop asking questions" The Walrider seemed to almost firmly state and 262 got the vibe that it was telling her to shut up and listen.
Sighing and putting her head in her hands she took a moment. "Ok…Think, be calm and um...move?" She said aloud to herself before looking up at the walrider.
"Think" It pointed to its head. "You think and feel, our bodies are one now, what you think and feel we respond. We move." That didn't sound easy to understand but part of 262 could in some way grasp what it was meaning. Once more it was a feeling and she was starting to think that somehow it was the connection between them like as if somehow talking more to the Walrider and accepting its advice was strengthening their connection.
After a moment of thought she nodded her head again and cleared her mind "Like I'm the brain and you are the nerves and muscle? Right so if I do get out of this room and lets just assume we do somehow get out alive. What's stopping Eddie from chasing us down?" 262 shrugged feeling like she was in the middle of some sort of top secret mission. One of which involved herself and an invisible black entity. Yeah she was certainly starting to think she was more insane then before.
"Gluskin is suitable for breeding with. A child born from someone been in the engine and a Walrider would heighten our chances of our genes being passed on. However, Gluskin is not stable mentally, he needs…time to breath" 262 rolled her eyes as the Walrider went on with its obsession on producing but 262 had to admit it might have had a point. She admired the older Eddie, before this riot hit, before the engine. At least he seemed a little more…stable and right now he was far more concerned on keeping her locked up like a slave.
With a deep breath in 262 knew what she had to do, it was now or never as she looked to the ground nodding to herself first before she looked up at the Walrider. "Then what the hell are we waiting for?"
The first thing she noticed was something warm pressed against her cheek. With a faint moan she rolled over onto her back as she weakly opened her eyes to gaze into Eddie's cold blue merciless ones. He seemed so charming with that smile of his, so gentle natured and yet so cruel and twisted. It was fear that made him like this, maybe he had a bad experience with love as 262 held his hand that had been pressed against her cheek. Something about it felt sticky, strange. It took her a moment to realize it was blood and she almost gasped.
Eddie though seemed to cover it up with a soft chuckle. "Oh don't you worry my dear, I had to make sure those whores wouldn't touch you on our special night" Eddie hummed with delight, his smile strength across from ear to ear almost. Though it indicated she'd been asleep for some time, long enough for him to 'prepare'.
Relaxing, even though it was utterly strange and deranged, 262 could only nod and agree. Drawing in a deep breath she remembered what it was she had to do, but being so close to Eddie was not exactly ideal for an escape from the mad man. Although Eddie was protective and safe, the fact he offered her shelter, food and love in this dark and cold horrible nightmare was perhaps one of his many manipulative ways. Eddie must have noticed the change in her face as he seemed concerned before kissing her on the forehead and holding her in place against his chest. His arms wrapped around her like snakes and pretty much acted almost like being bound and tied up, how the hell can she escape like this? Then a thought came to her mind.
Clearing her throat she nudged on Eddies bow-tie to get his attention. "Eddie I need to pee" 262 said in the best whimpering and pleading voice she could. To this Eddie looked down at her and only faintly chuckled as if she was adorable.
It seemed he was about to let her go, allow her to relieve herself but she was utterly wrong and his smile deceiving her. "It can wait my dear. Our love is more important." Gluskin chimed taking in a deep breath as his chest puffed out against her and she could feel his heart beat. It was fast, rapid paced like a boy lost in love. That of which Eddie truly was right now.
This was all so very concerning and no matter what she could think of, nothing came to mind to aid 262 in any way of escape. One thing was for sure though, since she had been communicating with the walrider that was now fused within her, she could feel its own nature and desires. Maybe something like how someone would feel with split personality, but that didn't seem to add up as 262 closed her eyes tightly forcing the thoughts away. 'Think, come on, move damn it! Move!' 262 inwardly cursed at her vulnerable state and lack of strength as she looked over towards the door way.
What did the walrider say? She could move couldn't she? Would it help her? It was a gamble and a half as she focused on the area just outside the locked door while taking in deep breaths. It didn't feel natural at first, like all of her cells at once where dissipating into thin air, that every organ and bone structure felt like it had turned into nothing but tiny atoms scattered. A Dark smoke covered over her body, she could feel the cold that surrounded her, the burning sensation of her nerves going crazy up and down her body as she shut her eyes tightly and just focused on thinking of being outside of the room.
In some strangely weird way time felt so different, slower but never stopping as she found her body moving, moving out of the man's arms like as if she was an invisible object, but she herself did not command her body to move…no this had to be the Walrider. Even though her body was covered in darkness, the smoke surrounding her, her body moved fast towards the door until her body stood outside the doorway. It was like being hit by a wave of cold water as 262 felt like she had just come back to life, her eyes shot wide open before taking in a deep breath as if she had almost run out of air, her body ached and burned unable to comprehend what had just taken place. Though she knew she had to run when she heard a loud rage filled yell from behind the closed door.
Did she really just move like a damn ghost out from his arms? It didn't make sense and it didn't have to as she began to run down the long corridor passing various lockers along the way and vaulting over a table. She could hear Gluskin somewhere in the background yelling vulgar insults at her, probably confused but fuelled by rage. Certainly 262 had no interest in being caught by him like this. Not while he was crazy and probably would kill her without thinking. A blind rage of heartache as she remarked but never stopped, despite how her body felt like it was torn into pieces she knew she had to find the room with all the documents. Maybe it was curiosity that would kill her in the end, but 262 needed to know more, more about herself, who she truly was and why the hell she had been put in the engine and wasn't dead or worse suffer from a psycho pregnancy.
Eventually after running along the numerous blood hallways, a gymnasium littered with people strung up to the ceiling and coming out into an open courtyard area, 262 finally stopped. Hunched over she felt her stomach grumble and protest as if she would be sick, it took her a moments time to catch her breath as she listened carefully to the sounds around her. Nothing but an eerie silence which was good for her as she stood up straight and drew in a long breath. "Alright any clue to where we go?" 262 mindlessly said outload.
Maybe the Walrider could hear her in that way or perhaps be able to feel her emotions, it wasn't clear how it worked but either way 262 felt like she needed to head towards a set of stairs towards the fence line. It was like her instincts telling her to go there and that's what she did following blindly as she moved through the fogy area reaching the stone steps and finding that there was a gate way that was slightly opened. This led to another area, a basketball court where she could hear a variant playing. At least the fog seemed to cover her up as she moved silently through the area and moved towards a steel door. Took a bit of effort to open it, but once the door budged open 262 found herself walking through a maze of long lined fences.
"This isn't right" She grumbled. "We are walking around in a damn maze! What good is th-" 262 stopped suddenly in the middle of her rant and halted all actions as she looked around. "Someone's there" She whispered to herself. On the outside maybe she looked just as crazy as they made her out to be as she took a step back trying to see through the fog. Behind her she could hear the fence line rattle like as if someone just hit against it. Slowly she began to move forward doing a 360 move to make sure no one was coming up front or behind her.
What she was mainly worried about was running into Eddie again if he was still in his state of mind, hell bent on punishing her which probably would result in her death. In fact, she was pretty sure he called her a whore somewhere along the lines now that she thinks about it. However she spotted something moving up a head and stopped, her eyes wide open when she saw the figure of a very large man coming her way. She didn't care who I was as she turned tail and began to back track however she was stopped again, there was another similar looking figure coming up from behind. Trapped like a rat she looked for any hole or way out, a lose end in the fencing but to no avail she was trapped hearing both these strangers approach, though they were silent, even when she realized who they were, she still couldn't hear their footsteps.
"Look Brother" Exclaimed one of the twins, this one had the bald patch on his head.
Nodding in approval the other twin agreed "Father said we might find her...The intruder" The other twin with a head of hair and looked slightly younger in appearance remarked.
Meanwhile 262 looked back and forth between the two. How the hell had they managed to find her all the way out here? "Back up or else…" She threatened but honestly she didn't know how to, she had no weapon to intimidate them and she doubted that the black smoke from her Walrider abilities would even be noticeable enough in this thick fog.
Groaning one of the twins seems to disapprove of her threat "She speaks of harm Brother" The one with a head of hair said gesturing towards her but looking over to his brother.
"Yes, she still has her tongue…That's one good thing Brother" Coldly the other one said.
It was a little frustrating as 262 grumbled almost like a child before finally popping the bottle. "Ok You!" She said pointing to the Twin with the bald patch on his head. "You are now Twiddle Dee!" She proclaimed before spinning her head to look at the other twin. "And you! You Shall be called Twiddle Dum! Got it? Good ok now step aside I need to go somewhere" She shouted demanding for them to give way.
In fact, her little outburst had caused both the twins to pause and look between one another and back to her. "What?" They said in unison which only made 262 groan in frustration as she bared her teeth.
However as caught up in confusion as the twins where they refused to step aside and began to move forward cornering her even more so. "You are an imposter." Twiddle Dee stated.
"Not a true god." Twiddle Dum spoke up. They really had this whole Twin this down pat.
"We have only one thing to do…our Duty" They both spoke in unison raising their sharpened weapons having her completely cornered.
There was only one thing that 262 could think to do as she drew in a deep breath and outstretched her arms before black smoke formed around her and blinding the brothers before they could make an accurate attack. Yelling and screaming, Twiddle Dee dropped his weapon, but Dum on the other hand moved forward with his attack blinding by the inky smoke as he came down smashing his weapon into the ground. 262 dodged and hit against the fence before darting off to the side of a confused Twiddle Dee.
Like before with Eddie, she ran until she could no longer run leaving the twins behind in the black inky smoke that slowly faded with her ability. It wasn't until she came up another set of stairs and then spotted a metal door way that was open, did she finally feel safe. Though she was sure those Twins would find her once more as she stepped inside and foolishly slammed the doors behind her taking in a long deep breath and sighing until to stop when she heard the horrid sound of chains, her eyes shot wide open when she saw a large beastly man in the darkness of the hallway looking directly at her.
"Little Pig Little pig!" This man she did not know, nor did she care to as 262 turned tall heading down the opposite end of the hallway.
The large man gained chase and although he was large he wasn't slow, she could almost feel him breathing down her neck when she realized the hallway was a dead end minus a window that was high up. Yet any chance she had she took it as 262 used all of her energy to jump up and plant her foot on the wall and pushed up towards just grasping the ledge of the window sill before swinging herself up and smashing through the window. Falling harshly on the ground she had somehow landed in another part of the building, it must have been newer but it didn't matter when she spotted a door way up a head with a sign saying 'file room'.
A/n:
Hello again guys, hope you enjoyed this new chapter, let me know in the comments section.
As for the abilities and what the Walrider is talking about is in relation to the Comics. In the comic you see Billy hope has an ability to move in and out of a physical state due to his connection with the Walrider he's linked with. So to explain that Its basically like two dimensions in a way and if you are all into that sort of stuff you'll probably understand by what I mean with that.
So if you haven't read the comics yet by all means go check it out as I will be referring to certain things that happen in the Comics that will be linked to this story.
As for Mr. Eddie well he will be back, and so will the Twins plus Chris and there will even be a Miles popping in.