Eddie called after us, seeming conflicted with either walking after Waylon or running after me. My nostrils burned and my throat dried. The tears wouldn't stop coming, though. I never thought I'd be running from the one person I vowed to help escape. He wouldn't stop yelling at us… but I felt as if he was aiming to direct most of his slurs at me.

"I'm trying to be patient, Darling!" Aggravated and lusty, he cried out in fake concern. I wouldn't turn around. I wouldn't stop running. But damn I wanted to.

"Darling… WHORE!"

I flinched when he called me that. He went into a fit of rage and he'd stay that way until I would pull him out of it somehow. My tears would work in most cases, but other times I'd ignore him and he'd stop. He'd plead for me to forgive him and I always would. Maybe I shouldn't have been so lenient. Maybe I should have just left him begging in his cell at times. Maybe I shouldn't have even spoken to him that first night… but how couldn't I? God, things were so fucked up.

"Sing it again." I said through a smile.

"No, I wouldn't want to spoil it."

"Eh, alright." I shrugged. "I prefer 60s music anyways. You're more of a 20s guy, aren't you?"

"Mh, I'm flexible." He sat in his bed, sewing needle in hand. He was out of materials. I could see the boredom in his eyes.

"Eddie..?"

"Hmm?" He looked at me out of the corner of his eye.

I hesitated. "…You're the best thing that has ever happened to me."

He smiled. "Then the feeling is mutual."

"Dammit." I whispered under my breath. Waylon was still hobbling but still making his way to the air vent that we had come out of earlier. When we entered the gymnasium, I felt like gagging again. Especially after seeing Eddie moments earlier. I ran past the technician and jumped into the vent with ease. He followed after me, and I sighed with relief. At least now I can get out of here, shut down Murkoff, and find someone to help Eddie. I was petrified, though. I told Waylon to go ahead and unlock the door, because I couldn't move. He nodded and, as out of breath as he was, he jumped out of the vent and I heard the familiar click of a door unlocking. I was about to laugh and regain my composure but another sound stopped me from doing so.

"One more. I try, and I try. You all betray me!"

Waylon coughed and coughed. I stuck my head out of the vent and saw Eddie place a rope around Waylon's neck. No. No, he can't fucking die. Not now.

"And you can hang, like the rest of them."

I mumbled his name, not having the strength or the courage to scream at him. Waylon was dragged up into the rafters and I saw him kick and scream.

"Heavier than you look. If this is you on the honeymoon, I'd hate to imagine our anniversary."

"Eddie… Eddie, let go." I knew Waylon was a heavy son of a bitch. Eddie was having trouble pulling him up, and it was a lot like a teeter-totter. Eddie went up with Waylon's weight. I was getting nervous. I began to mumble louder and louder until I was yelling. "Let go… Let go, dammit. Eddie. Eddie let go! Fucking let go!" The roof began to crumble and pieces of the ceiling broke away and fell.

"Hold still. Dammit, Darling, you need to behave!"

Waylon started to kick and gurgle with the rope around his neck. I was breathing hard and my head was spinning. Eddie wasn't going to stop, I knew he wasn't, but…

He kicked his way lower and lower to the ground until he had nearly hit the floor. I was cheering Waylon on until the rope drug Eddie up and left them both hanging in mid-air. Then I saw it. There was a fucking pole through his chest. Jesus fucking Christ in heaven. I lost my breath for a moment.

Eddie reached for Waylon's hand. "We could've been… beautiful."

"Don't you fucking let go Waylon! Don't you dare!" I saw his hand slip. "Waylon! WAYLON DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE!" The water was back streaming down my face. I was about to climb out of the vent when I saw the techie fall completely to the ground. That son of a bitch. He let go.

I had never screamed that loud in my life. I jumped out of the air vent and ran towards the center of the gym, tripping over ropes as I did. I pushed Waylon to the side hard. "You fucking fuck! Move!" My breath was ragged. I shook and trembled. I could barely stand. I gazed up and I realized that Eddie was still moving. In a panic, I searched for his knife. "Oh my god… oh god. Oh my god." The ropes snapped and he fell on top of me. I pushed him off as gently as I could. "Eddie? Jesus fuck, Eddie?"

He choked out blood.

"What can I do? Eddie don't fucking die on me! Eddie!"

I saw his eyes rolling back into his skull. I refused to let this happen. No. Not this way. I grabbed his shoulders. "Dammit, wake up! I won't let this shit happen to you! You hear me! You c-can't die here! I won't let you!"

"D-Da-Darling… Please." His hand weakly cupped my cheek.

"No, Eddie! You promised! You fucking promised! P-please… please just let me help you."

"Nn, it's no good." He whispered.

"You're not useless… you can't die.. Stay with me one more day, damn it."

He shook his head.

"Here," I ripped two pieces from my prison uniform and used them to put pressure on either side of his wounds. "Oh my god, Eddie. Please don't die."

"Darling."

"E-Eddie…"

He cracked a smile. "My Poison Ivy."

"Eddie, don't. Try to stand up… Please!" I pushed on his back and directed him to sit up. He clutched his wound and flinched.

"This hurts."

"I-I know… and I'm sorry."

"I want to die…"

"Don't say that."

"Why do you persist? I've become a devil."

"No, Eddie. You haven't. You can get better."

"I can't."

"Eddie…"

"Darling, leave me." He went limp in my arms.

"No. No I know you're still alive! Eddie!"

"…You look beautiful in this light."

"Eddie."

He smiled again, "Goodnight, Darling."

"No… No. No! No, damn it you fucking wake up! Eddie!" I shook him for at least twenty minutes… but he never woke up. I buried my head in his chest. "Y-you fucking promised me… that we would be happy." My muscles declined. I fell into him and I cried. I wouldn't stop crying. We stayed in the gymnasium for at least an hour. I couldn't get up. I was so destroyed at that point. I had forgotten about Waylon.

"We should get going."

"I-I can't."

"Come on, please get up."

"No. I won't. I'll fucking die here with him. I always promised him we'd leave together."

"Don't make me leave you here. I can't go alone."

"Waylon, I can't."

"Please, Ivy." He outstretched a hand.

"Waylon…" I looked up, my tears dripping onto Eddie's vest. "Why did you let go?"

He exhaled. "I couldn't get a grip on him."

"No, it's because you weren't listening to me. Y-you said your apologies, and then you fucking killed my best friend."

"Ivy, I-I know sorry won't cut it here."

"Oh really?" I laughed, tears still falling. "Well go fuck yourself."

"Please." His voice trembled. "He'd want you to escape."

"I can't leave him here."

"You have to."

"I…I know."

"Come on… I'll carry you if I have to, but I won't let you rot here."

I looked up at Waylon, who had offered his hand to me once more. I sniffled and graciously took it, attempting to stand up before collapsing back onto the gymnasium floor. "You just… You don't know…" I said, running a hand through my hair and trying to hold back more tears, "You don't know how much I… I loved him."

So that's this chapter. I was trying to find a way to let Eddie live, I promise. I reloaded my save on Whistleblower and I was analyzing everything and I even looked up anatomy and references and stuff but based on what I had written as the description of this fic and how I wanted this to go in the first place, there was no way. Lol I was trying to put this off for the longest time but lol shit.

But to lighten the mood I drew some lame concept art for Ivy, I mean it's a WIP and maybe the hair could have some tweaks but if u wanna see it you can find it on deviantartand on my tumblr which are both linked in my fanfic description. Just type 'Outlast' in the box if u wanna see it

Thanks and plz tell me how u liked this chapter bc this one is very important ty

-Hollow