A/N:

So we left off on one hell of a cliffhanger last time, didn't we? Slender and Zalgo in a face off to make one another a proxy, all the others watching them and unable to help, Jane close by and also in awe at what's going on, and so much Sickness everywhere!

Looks like there's only going to be about three more chapters to upload after this one. I'm sorry! But all things must come to an end. Will there be a third one? Well... I have ideas but I'm not going to promise anything yet. It all depends on how things go for me and stuff. But I'll keep you all posted! That much I can promise! XD

Anyway, onwards!

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I am talking about a battle of Sickness, Jeffery. You've heard of a battle of wits," Shad elaborated, "Well this is a similar concept except the winner takes control of the other."

"But they're demons..." Trixie said, voice barely loud enough to hear for fear of interrupting the scene before them, "Is it possible to make a demon a Proxy?"

"I am by technicality a demon." Shad commented, "As is Smile, and Rake and Widemouth, yet they are Proxies of Slender. It is a complete possibility. However, it is extremely difficult and dangerous for both parties when one is so unwilling to give into the other, let alone both like this."

"Tell us straight, Shadow-man," Kate ordered, "Is there anything we can do?"

"No. There's nothing."

Alice had a habit of keeping her expression stern, but for a split second it faltered before she could recover herself, "And just how much of a chance does Slender have here?"

Toby stared wide eyed in awe through his goggles, "I'm guessing a big one since he was faking being ill before..."

Jack shivered, eyes prickling as they started to damped with black tears, "It hurts... W-Want to go home..."

"It's alright, little'un, we'll get there soon enough," Kate hushed, a hand on his shoulder and another holding a gun aimed at Zalgo, "Answer the question, Shadow-man, how big a shot does Slendy have here?"

Shad furrowed his brow in frustration, "I am not an expert on this, I have simply heard about the theory. By my knowledge, this has never been done to such extremes before!"

"Then how about an estimate or something because I'm not just going to sit here and wait!" Alice hissed.

"Shhhh!"

The shockingly loud shush caught them all by surprise. They all looked away from the stationary fight in front of them towards the noise. Jane stood there, not looking at them and instead still trapped in a state of awe at the two demons. The only way she had changed her position was that she had now extended her arm out towards them in a manner that backed up her orders for them to be quiet. She looked mesmerized by the sight just as they had been but not as willing to snap out of it. Her feet shuffled as if she were debating trying to get closer or not. She seemed to know exactly what was going on, but also seemed to not care about the effect of getting too close.

"Daddy... Daddy I brought my friends for you, like you asked..." She said as if trapped in a lucid dream, "You can win now, Daddy, you don't need to do this... Answer me, Daddy!"

"What the hell is going on here?" Jeff asked, looking half way between confused and pissed off.

"She's batshit crazy, what do you expect?" Ben shrugged, looking more or less the same as Jeff.

"Wait," Trixie muttered, "I-I don't think she knows what this is. Not much anyway."

"What're you talking about, newbie?" Alice snapped.

"I mean look at her. She's clearly as surprised as we are but she's bringing up an old fight to try and help. I... I don't think she's aware for serious this is."

Shad nodded in agreement, "She still thinks that bringing us to Zalgo will make this better... Feeding from us so to speak."

"Yeah good luck with that, he seems a little distracted at the moment." Ben scoffed.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Toby asked, looking ready to just lunge at her if it meant giving Slender an advantage.

Good question. The same thoughts seemed to be travelling through their heads at that moment. If they let Jane continue onwards to distract Zalgo, then Slender may just have an advantage. But likewise, if Jane got too close and got caught up in the Sickness, then she may just go crazy again and go for Slender instead to try and assist Zalgo further. It was all dependent on what they were willing to risk. And after all they had been through already, they were not willing to risk a lot. Slender was already risking enough for all of them put together.

"I don't know about you but I came here to kill a psycho bitch and I ain't leaving until I do." Jeff growled, tossing his knife in the air before catching it at the handle and preparing himself to march forward.

"You're so damn dramatic," Alice rolled her eyes, but all the same she wasn't disagreeing with him.

It wasn't so much something that could be planned when Jane was so fast approaching the two demons. It was more of a matter of speed. Jeff knew that he could not kill her, especially when Sickness was surrounding them like this. But he didn't care. He ran at her at top speed with his knife raised and with the full intention of plunging that sucker into her skull. In his mind it had to be him to do it. Not only did he have a reputation to uphold but he also just had this need to get rid of her. It was something he didn't understand, but wasn't going against.

He rammed into her side and sent her thudding against the ground hard with him landing over her. Not a moment was wasted before he sliced her neck, black ooze flooding over his fingers. She let out a gargled snarl and tried to claw at him with her black nails. He did his best to avoid her attacks, too angry and set minded to care about the burning scores she left on his skin. He wanted her blood, he wanted her dead!

But she was at an advantage. Jane was so close to Zalgo that it was as if she was feeding from the additional Sickness in the air just as the demons were. There was a barely a moments breath before her nails dug into his neck as she tried to rip out his throat. Another force joined them as Alice dove in out of nowhere, locking an arm around Jane's arms and jolting her backwards while her free hand tugged at her hair. A dirty move, but a needed one. Jane snarled, trying to attack both of them, but to no avail.

"D-Daddy!" She yelled. But there was no answer. Zalgo was not able to hear her. All he was aware of was the demon in front of him, and the war they were locked in.

While the struggle continued, Slender and Zalgo kept their grip on one another, refusing to move or lose concentration. There was too much at risk here. The winner would be in control of the other. This needed to end now. It had been going on too long and the darkness had run too deep. They were both so weak, calling upon whatever energy they could to help themselves, but it did not do them much good. This was just between the two of them. No assistance would be strong enough to help with something like this.

Your daughter is calling you, Zalgo... You should answer... Slender rasped, tightening his grip.

"The vermin can burn... I am not losing to you today."

You're going to have to, because I am not letting you continue this madness...

"One demons madness is another's genius, old friend. Just give me your Proxies, it's that simple! Or I will take them by force and you with them! It was all too easy to model my pet after them all... Imagine how easy it would be to own them all!"

What do you mean... Model Jane after them...?

Zalgo sneered. But it was an act, a poor one at that, he could barely stand, "Don't lose your concentration, old friend. I'm enjoying this excuse of a fight."

Slender shook his head, refusing to lesson his hold on Zalgo, You have no control over my Proxies... Surely you must see this by now... Please, end this...

"We have been over this, old friend. I am not going to lose to you." Zalgo's eyes enflamed, "If they are of no use to me, then they die... Lets start with him shall we?"

By this point, Zalgo no longer cared for his own health and well being. He knew he was beaten and he knew there was not much change of him getting out of this situation without at least a dramatic drop in Sickness, if not extinction. But that did not matter to him. When all was said and done and his original goal of spreading his Sickness was now impossible, he only had one goal left. And that was to hurt Slender. To infect him with all the factors that made up Sickness. Guilt, anger, depression, self-doubt, hatred, rage, desire to kill, self-loathing, sadness and blame... He wanted that vile concoction to stew inside Slender so that it would never be forgotten. So that Zalgo would never be forgotten. And therefore, so that he could not ever truly die. And to do that... He had to take something away from Slender. Something Slender had tried so hard to protect and redeem, just to have it all taken away.

With the last few ounces of his energy, Zalgo turned his head as much as he could to get a look at his target. Such a small being, that Jack. And not much of a target. Barely much of a Proxy to start with. It would be no loss to Zalgo. But to Slender... Well the thought made Zalgo sneer despite barely having the ability to breathe. He summoned the will of the Sickness under his skin, the embers that illuminated his ashen being recruiting to his hand. And before Slender could register what he was doing, he released it. And the flame of Sickness shot through the air towards Jack. Zalgo didn't have to energy to make the attack fast or forceful, it was only meant to be infectious as it came closer and closer to Jacks chest. Once it hit close to his heart, the Sickness would take instant affect. And then it wouldn't matter if Zalgo was exterminated or not. Jack would be dead and Slender would be to blame, and the memory of Zalgo would never die. It was almost as effective as Sickness.

Jack couldn't see the ball of flame and Sickness flying towards him. But his blindness was not letting his be vulnerable. His other senses kicked in and he could pick up an unnatural warmth in the dust clogged air. He gasped and turned his head away to try and get a better sense for it. But the closer it got, the more his head throbbed and his chest tightened. It was the same sense of dread he felt when he was about to have his mind taken over. Frozen with fear, he could only wait for the agony to hit him for the last time.

And then someone violently shoved him out of the way so he fell to the ground.

"No!"

Trixie screamed as the Sickness struck her left hip, burning her skin and melting its way into her body, singing her jacket and shirt while creating a black hole the size of a bullet wound. She crumpled to the ground, writhing in agony and holding her hands over the wound as if trying to smother the pain. Blood started pumping through her fingers, merging with the ashen blackness her skin around her hip was turning. In a way she was lucky. If it had hit her heart, as it was intended to hit Jack's, then she would have died on contact. But because he was a lot shorter than her, and at the angle she had shoved him aside, it had avoided a major organ. But that still left her in horrific pain unlike she'd ever felt, and her mind was starting to cloud over from the additional Sickness bleeding through her.

Slender saw two of his Proxies hit the ground, and a rage hissed inside of him that was only fuelled all the more by the Sickness he was feeding upon. More tendrils shot out from his back and locked around Zalgo's body and neck, joining his hands that were already locked in place. This was no longer about simply taking control of him. This was about ridding the world of an evil that was beyond redemption. It was time to end this. Slender let his energy pulsate through his entire being before forcing it along his tendrils that were crushing Zalgo's internal structure. It was similar to the same process he used to brand a new Proxy. Only with more power and lack of consideration.

From under his constrictions, Zalgo rasped and struggled, unwilling to truly go without a fight. But it was too late. He had wasted the last of his energy on an attack only to miss and spite himself. But he had hit someone, and that was better than nothing. It was worth it to see Slender in this state. Finally, Zalgo stopped fighting, and looked up at Slender with a dark, sinister grin that held great contrast to his near-limp, exhausted state.

"You look like your old self, my friend... How does it feel... giving in to your true nature...?" He whispered.

It feels... unnecessary... Sender growled, This could have been avoided if you would have cooperated as agreed...!

"The same could be said for you. Go on, old, friend, exterminate me... You know I won't ever truly be gone. You can't kill Sickness..."

Slender knew it was true. As long as there was darkness in the world, Sickness would fester. As long as there were demons, Sickness would spread. But that didn't mean he agreed to let it expand so. It was his vow to control it, to contain it. And sometimes that required harsh and grim choices that he did not want to make. This demon before him had once been an ally and friend. But times had changed. There was no chance of redemption and these wounds ran too deeply. There was no going back. And it was a bigger struggle to accept than he would ever admit.

Goodbye... Old friend...

In a swift and sharp jolt, all of Slender's tendrils tightened double the amount and pulled as hard as he was able. The force and burning rage building up behind it turned an attack into an act of murder. Zalgo's weakened form couldn't handle the strength, and there was no time to fight back even if he were able. There was an oddly familiar sound of rocks being crushed along with the echo of ash and dust pouring onto a solid surface. And then Zalgo's body was ripped apart by the strength of Slender's will, the flames under his skin exploding and causing the ashen skin to dissolve into the air. Zalgo screeched, in pain and anger, but under it all was the dark undertone of laughter. As if in some sadistic manor the death was a triumph for him. But it wasn't to last. For only moments later, all was silent. And Slender's burned tendrils were left holding nothing more than the remains of dust. Zalgo was gone.

For a moment, there was an eerie silence overtook them all as they stared in awe at what had just happened. It was just so... They had never seen Slender act in such a way before. It was both mesmerizing and terrifying. No one dared to breathe. But all too soon, reality set back in. Jack was still too scared to get up from the ground. Trixie was still curled up in a writhing mess of burning pain and blood. And Jane, she was the first to break the silence.

She struggled against Jeff and Alice's hold, black tears pouring down her fractured face as she screamed and cried out, jagged teeth gnashing like a trapped animal, "Daddy! N-No not... Not- D-Daddy you- I-I'll kill you! I'll- Daddy no!"

"It's over you freak!" Jeff yelled, yanking her backwards, "And you're fucking next!"

Alice, Jeffery... Slender panted, shoulders shaking from the strain of trying to stay standing upright, drained in every sense of the word, Let her go...

Alice narrowed her eyes, "But she-"

Let her go... He repeated.

That tone was not to be argued with. They exchanged a look, before matching movements and shoving Jane forward before letting her go. She stumbled forward to her knees, scrambling forward and clawing at the dust and burnt debris on the ground, trying to stop it from running through her fingers. Slender looked down on her with an air of pity. She had not chosen this life. She was no longer the young woman she used to be. Reduced to this insane, murderous creature thanks to a war that was not even hers.

You are free, Jane... You are free to make your own choices now... And it may not seem like much now, but I will help you, protect you, if you let me...

Jane slashed her nails at him, black eyes ablaze in hatred and madness, "You should have been killed! D-Daddy said it would be you who died! You're not playing fair! You should have died!"

Maybe... But that does not change where we are now... Please, Jane, I can help you... But you need to let me...

"B-But, Daddy..." She was no longer listening, if she ever had been. Overcome with a grief that was near paralyzing. She could only curl up in the ember remains of what had been her puppet master. It was horrible, to see what was once a normal, average human, reduced to a quivering being that mourned something so evil. But it was all she knew. Zalgo was all she knew. Now he was gone. She was lost. And never had a young woman sounded so much like a child desperately in need of care, "Daddy..."

That creature was never your father, Jane... He kidnapped you from a home, a human and normal home... He tormented you, fed you lies and Sickness... He created his own personal slave and weapon out of you and gave himself a false title to gain your trust... He was no father, to you or anyone... And if you wish it, I can help you recover from this...

"Slender!"

Kate yelled across the valley of shadows, on her knees besides Trixies writhing body and placing the girls head on her lap. She had ripped apart Trixie's purple jacket and was now using it to wrap around her middle to use as a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. Not that Trixie was aware of this, she was blinded by the pain, eyes squeezed shut as black tears pushed their way through and slid down her face, melting into her blonde hair. Kate didn't apologize for the tightness that she was tying the jacket, it was necessary.

"Slender she ain't doin' good over here!"

Ben was stooped down at her other side, shaking his head with a grim expression as if he refused to believe that this was even happening. He didn't touch her, hoping his look was enough, "This is not what I meant by growing a backbone, Trix!"

Shad put a hand to the ground, using what little energy he had to attempt to disperse the shadows around her so that no more Sickness would get to her, "Sir! We need to get out of here!"

"Trixie..." Jack sobbed, patting his hands on the ground to try and feel his way towards her, sobbing, "I-I didn't... Please, no more pain... Don't want to hurt anymore... Trixie!"

Slender looked over to them, and knew that they were right. The sooner they were all out of here, the better it would be for all of them. He knew he had to act fast, but he couldn't just leave Jane like this to fester. He turned his head downwards to where Jane had been laying before him. He wanted to make one more offer of help before taking her with them by force. He would not leave the most vile of creatures here alone, let alone her. But when he looked down at her, his view was met only by the shadow covered ground and dregs of ash that remained. Jane was gone.

"Slendy! She's not doing so good!" Toby urged, making wild arm movements as if to indicate to Trixie just in case he missed her.

"Hoody and Masky aren't far," Alice announced, "We'll grab them, just get ready to get us the fuck out of here!"

Jeff stared at her, "What about Jane? She can't get far and we can still-"

Go, Jeffery... Slender ordered, limping his way towards them, She's made her choice... And there are other matters at hand...

Trixie gritted her teeth, grunting and whimpering as she tried to handle the agony burning through her. It was spreading, she could feel it. The black tears stung her eyes and left painful trails down her face. The hole in near her hip felt like it was blistering under the pressure of the makeshift tourniquet, blood cold in comparison to the flames under her skin. She couldn't open her eyes. It hurt too much. And the voices around her were so loud but so muffled at the same time, as if she were being yelled at while being held under water.

It hurt so damn much. And she was scared, she was so damn scared. But she didn't regret her choice. Jack had been through enough, he needed to make it out of here. She sobbed as she struggled against whoever was holding her still, in too much pain to want to keep still. Was this it? Her limbs were starting to become heavier and weaker, like they were turning into stone. Her head was swimming, clotted with molten Sickness. The voices were getting more and more distant. The feeling of people touching and moving her becoming fainter. Her senses faded, and she stopped fighting. Enjoying the silence, and enjoying the sudden cold.

It was all so... peaceful.

A/N:

Trixie! What's going to happen next? Is she okay? Is Zalgo really gone? Where did Jane run off to? Will they get home now? And what did Zalgo mean when he said he modelled Jane after the Proxies? All questions to be answered in the next chapters! There's only three more left! Aghh madness everywhere! XD