A Good Edd Is Hard To Find
Summary:
The Ed's encounter with Bro takes a dark turn as the savage sibling concocts a dangerous game for Eddy and Double D. The race is on for Ed, Eddy and the kids of the cul-de-sac to save Edd from Eddy's brother. Friendships will be questioned. Sanity will be strained. Will the Eds be separated for good?
Triggers include Pedophilia, Child Grooming, Child Abuse, Sexual Assault, Possible Dub-Con, Drunken Behavior, Alcohol Abuse, and Physical and Verbal Abuse. Other warnings include Violence and Language.
Pairings include BroEdd and EddyEdd. Subtle Hints at other pairings, but BroEdd and EddyEdd are the main two that will be focused on it.
This is being co-written by DuoXKouga and Battygirl.
Author's Notes:
DuoXKouga: This chapter has taken forever to write. I have been working alot and Battygirl is back in school. We also had Matsuricon recently and I have been fretting because of Jury Duty next week! Hopefully, the next chapter will be out soon. I am also in the process of updating my other story, Saving Hope (Rise of The Guardians) and re-writing Bring The Capricorn Home (Homestuck). So, we hope you enjoy Chapter 6!
Battygirl: Wow, how long has it been since our last update?! Guys, I'm so sorry. Thing have just PILED up for us on both ends…I know DuoXKouga has been having a REALLY rough go of it and I'm now back in school. Shit's just been crazy. XP So I'm done making promises about possibly getting chapters out faster. We'll still do what we can, but we've raised the bar for ourselves with the quality of these chapters and we want to meet our own standards before we put these chapters up. We both really appreciate you all sticking by us and your patient waiting. We also really love reading what you guys think! So please, don't hesitate to leave a review.
Chapter 6: Let Not The Sun Go Down On Your Edd
Darkness surrounds the group as they walk, their only light coming from the torch in Rolf's hand and the little moonlight shining down on them. Eddy's body is begging him to rest. The others share the complaint. Everyone is exhausted. However, they keep walking. Wilfred seems hot on the trail. The shortest of the group can't help but want to go on. He can only imagine what horrors Terry is putting Edd through…He's jarred from his thoughts before they can form, however, as Ed collapses to the ground.
"Ed!" he cries, at his side within moments.
"I can't go on, Eddy…" the taller boy whines, "I'm so sleepy…"
As if to punctuate the point, Ed releases a wide yawn. It spreads like wildfire throughout the group. Eddy heaves a sigh and looks around. They're still traveling along the side of the road. They can't rest here. He spots a clustering of trees in the distance. It's not too far — less than a mile, he imagines. They can set up camp there. Turning back to his near-unconscious friend, he tries to help him up.
"Ya think you can walk just a little more, monobrow?" he asks, "We can't sleep here, bud. You gotta keep going just a little more so we can make camp, okay?"
Ed whines, but lets Eddy help him back to his feet. They take an immediate right off towards the trees. Wilfred squeals in complaint, wanting to continue along the path he was following. Rolf tugs him along.
"Wilfred!" he cries, "Cease your thrashings! We are resting for the night!"
It doesn't take long for them to reach their destination. They find a big enough clearing among the trees so the fire they start won't set the whole place ablaze. When Rolf gives the okay, Eddy lays Ed down. The moment the boy hits the ground, he's out; grateful to rest. Eddy glances at Rolf, who is shouting orders.
"Kevin-boy; collect the firewood!" he demands before pointing to the Kankers, "No-Neck Ed-Boy; man the torch and Wilfred's leash! Sisters of Agony; distribute the provisions!"
"Not too much!" Eddy adds, approaching Rolf, "We don't know how long it'll be before we find food again, ya know?"
"The Short Ed-Boy speaks the truth," Rolf nods, handing him the torch and Wilfred's leash, "Ration it carefully!"
Eddy watches as Rolf begins building a fire pit. Kevin had walked away upon receiving his order. The Kankers sit together in a circle, rummaging through the provisions. For a moment, Eddy wonders why he was given no real orders to follow. He realizes, though, that it's probably for the best; he'd have complained about the work anyway…
He sits down next to the slumbering Ed, idly scratching at his friend's head. A small smile cracks the hard look on his face when Ed starts kicking his leg. It amuses him some how the guy will react like a dog. He sits for a short while, trying to will his body to power down. His fingers twitch in anticipation. He wants to keep moving.
Glancing back up, his eyes travel among the others to observe them. Rolf is quick with building the fire pit, working swiftly and efficiently. Eddy must admit; Rolf's time devoted to being an Urban Ranger has not been wasted. The girls have retrieved a few bottles of water and snacks for the group to share. Eddy's surprised when he catches sight of a package of hotdogs. He chuckles a bit when he thinks about the amusement park employees finding the entire pack missing from their stores. Looking around, he notes that Kevin still hasn't returned. However, Eddy can hear him fumbling around; picking up sticks to put on the fire.
With a sigh, and knowing that Ed will be sleeping soundly for the night, he rises to his feet. Before walking away, he deftly ties Wilfred's leash to Ed's wrist with his free hand, to make sure the pig won't wander off. It's probably a waste of effort. Shortly after, Wilfred flops down beside Ed sleepily. Eddy imagines they won't be going anywhere for a bit.
"I'll be right back," he informs the others with an exasperated sigh, "I'm gonna go help ol' Shovel Chin find some firewood."
"Excellent!" Rolf cheers, "Your teamwork shall make the chore pass more quickly!"
Eddy rolls his eyes as his thoughts lapse into cynicism; That asshole will take too damn long if he's stumbling around in the dark…
Rolf rushes over to a tree and yanks down a branch closest to him before returning to Eddy. The shorter boy lights the end of the branch with the torch, providing the foreigner with light to work by before walking off in the direction he heard Kevin from. He vaguely wonders why Kevin didn't just do what Rolf had done, but realizes that they'll need more than the limited low-hanging branches in the clearing. Holding the torch up, it doesn't take him long to find the athlete, blindly searching. Upon noticing the light around him, the redhead turns, holding his hand over his face to shield his eyes from the sudden change in light.
"What's up, man?" he asks, brow furrowed.
Eddy shrugs, shoving his free hand into his pocket; "Figured you could use the light…You've been walking around like an idiot for a while and I'm sick of holding onto this thing." He shifts a bit on his feet. "How's it coming, anyway?"
He looks at the collection of branches in the boy's arms. Kevin's found several short, but thick pieces of wood. He sees one by the boy's feet. It's a larger branch and would last for some time. The dirt around it is disturbed, indicating that Kevin had been dragging it along behind him.
"Well enough…" the redhead shrugs back, choosing to ignore the crack about him walking around like an idiot, "Just a few more and we should be set. You wanna help?"
Eddy sighs a bit, but nods. He might as well. The boy is still feeling antsy. Doing nothing has proven to be too stressful. He wanders around with Kevin some, picking up wood as they go. Along with the thicker branches, Eddy grabs a few that are thin, but strong enough to roast the wieners with. They work silently. Neither have much of anything to say to each other. Within a few minutes, they have a proper collection of firewood, which they return to the campsite with.
They bring the wood over to Rolf, who trades them the firewood for his lit torch. Eddy watches, lazily, as the campfire is built in the pit circled by rocks. When done, Rolf reaches for the torch in Kevin's hand again and lights the wood in the pit. The torch in Eddy's hand joins it shortly. It takes several minutes, but the fire comes to life, illuminating their surroundings. May holds up the hotdogs.
"Who wants a wiener!" she giggle-snorts impishly as she and her sisters approach the fire.
"Right here, man," Kevin sighs gratefully as he takes a seat.
"Rolf will also partake of the meat trimmings cased in the flesh of the sheep," the foreigner agrees, taking a seat beside Kevin.
"Yeah, I could eat…" Eddy mumbles distractedly, handing out the roasting sticks to the others.
They roast the hotdogs in silence. Eddy takes a couple of the wieners to roast. When done, he holds one over Ed's face. It doesn't take long for the scent to draw Ed from his slumber just long enough to gobble up the hotdog. The sight makes the group laugh as Ed returns quickly to sleep. Eddy lets a small smile slip.
They try to entertain themselves some as they eat by telling scary stories. Rolf acts out the part of the monster in his tale, hoping to scare the group with his actions as well as his words. The girls laugh at him, but Kevin and Eddy decide to play along. They find it's more fun that way. The Kankers tell a typical campfire story of a murderer escaping some mental asylum. They provide their own sound effects and will sometimes act out the parts of the story. Theirs is fun to hear, but not as frightening as far as Eddy's concerned. When it comes time for Kevin to tell a story, he tries to make up his own. Something about a motorcycle maniac who kills people by strangling them with a chain. It's by sheer luck that he elicits a scream from the group as, with the end of his story, a car roars past quite loudly on the distant road. They howl with laughter at their own fear.
Finally, it's Eddy's turn.
"Alright, dude, you're up!" Kevin snickers, sitting back down next to Rolf.
"Who me?" Eddy grimaces.
"Yeah, Eddy!" Marie teases, "Give us your best shot!"
"Shove it, Marie!" Lee snaps before grinning sweetly at Eddy, "Give my man a chance. Go on Dream Boat. Tell us a story."
The all look to him expectantly. Eddy looks away, rubbing the back of his neck thoughtfully. He can tell they're expecting him to tell some cheesy story. For a moment, he thinks about it. He looks at Ed, wishing the guy would wake up and tell his own tale — he's sure whatever Ed came up with would give the others nightmares for weeks! If only he wasn't dead to the world…With a sigh, he returns his attention to the group. He starts to feel silly. They should be resting up so they can head out early tomorrow! He wonders if they'd ever find his brother this way…
Realization dawns on him and he grins grimly. Memories come flooding back of Edd's reaction to the way he'd 'trained' Jimmy. Maybe the others would have a similar reaction. He realizes then: he has a story…
"Alright," he cracks his knuckles, "Let's see…A long time ago, there was this little kid. Couldn't have been more than, like, two or three years old? And he had this br…" He pauses, thinking carefully. He thinks it's best not to tie this to himself. "…this babysitter. The kid loved him. This guy was, like, the coolest, greatest person ever! A fuckin' legend." He licks his lips. "And the kid liked doing stuff with this guy. They played games a lot — they liked dodgeball — but…well, most of the time, they liked to scam…and all the scams worked."
The kids look between each other in confusion. Eddy's story isn't scary at all. They wonder where he's going with this.
"The babysitter filled the kid's head with stories and all kinds of ideas," he continues, "He made the kid work his ass off so they could hang out, though. Gettin' cash from their scams and all that. 'Remember,' the guy would tell him, 'if you have a lot of cash, you can spend a lot of time with me!' He was a little harsh. Whenever the kid did something wrong — made a mistake or…or hell, if he said something the guy didn't like — the guy liked to smack him around. But it wasn't a big deal. The kid would just hide the bruises from mom and dad. I mean, what else could he do? If his folks saw them, they might not have let him hang out with his cool br—" He winces a little, correcting himself. "b-babysitter.
"Well, one day…I guess you could say that the guy went a little…too far? The little boy was trying to build this scam while his babysitter sat back and watched. And…and the babysitter didn't like how he was doing it. He yelled and screamed at him for being stupid. Hit him over and over…and over…and over…" Eddy shakes his head to clear his thoughts. "The kid had more bruises than before. He was even bleeding from some of it."
Eddy's eyes turn to the ground; "But the kid still…he still looked up to the guy. I mean…I mean, why wouldn't he? The guy's so cool. I mean, it wasn't like he'd tried to kill the kid or anything. The guy wasn't hurting him because he hated him. It was just his way of showing he cared. I mean, hell, the guy only hit the boy when he was bad, ya know? It was more like the guy was…I dunno…correcting him or something…"
He shrugs a bit, rubbing his neck; "Well…Either way, his parents found out, of course. I mean, the kid could only hide so many bruises. Black eyes and bloody noses aren't as easy to keep a secret. The babysitter was…eh…'fired' and got sent away. I guess it was so he couldn't hurt the kid anymore…I dunno…" He glances up, forcing a cheeky grin, "But he'd left his mark. The kid became just like him…" His face falls. "And everyone hated him. He didn't have many friends. And the ones he did have…" He glances guiltily at Ed, "well I…I guess he ended up hurtin' them too…"
Sighing, he looks up at the group. The kids are looking at him with uncertainty. They're not sure how to respond to all that. Eddy has a feeling they're not scared. But, by the looks on their faces, they're a bit concerned. Kevin's the first to speak.
"Dude…What the heck was that about?" he asked, voice shaky.
"What?" Eddy scrunches up his face in a grimace, "Not as scary as a motorcycle maniac?"
"Not by a long shot…" Marie scoffs, "Why would you make up a story like that? No killers or psychopaths…"
"I didn't make it up…" Eddy grumbles back, glancing away uneasily at his own admission.
Lee studies him carefully; "Is that what your brother did to you?"
The others are hit hard with realization as they focus on Eddy again. The short boy's cheeks flush a light pink as he bristles a bit. He bolts to his feet.
"You guys are the ones who wanted a story!" he cries accusingly, "That was the first thing I could think of! It freaked Ed and Double D out when they heard about that stuff…"
"Did your brother really do all that to you when you were a kid?" Kevin asks, brow furrowed.
"Yeah…" Eddy's hand is on the back of his neck again in an effort to distract himself from his own emotion, "So what?"
"What do ya mean 'so what'?!" Kevin stands, glaring at him, "That's fucked up, man!"
"What if he's doing awful things like that to Double D?!" Marie whines, panicking.
Eddy groans, hands coming up to rub at his tired eyes. This was a mistake. He shouldn't have told that story to them. Of course they'd react like that. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't wondered it himself. His brother had been really hard on him when he was little. It was so easy to anger the man. With Edd's smart mouth, he can only imagine what his brother was doing to 'correct' him.
The others argue amongst themselves. The Kankers want to forget camping and keep walking — damned be the consequences! They want to get back to the hunt! Kevin and Rolf argue that they need to rest or they'll pass out from exhaustion. Eddy's torn. He wants to keep going too. He doesn't like stopping here for the night. However, he knows if they don't rest, they really won't make it in time. Their fatigue will slow them down. Pulling at his hair, he tries to gather his thoughts. He feels something tugging at his pants leg. Startled, he looks down to find Ed, who's staring up at him with puppy eyes.
"Eddy?" he says with a pout, "What's going on? Why's everyone fighting?"
Eddy looks at him carefully. Ed had always been attune to the emotions around him. The fighting that's going on had even roused Ed from his slumber. The group glances at him, startled by Ed's sudden attention. Sighing, Eddy pats the top of his friend's head.
"Everything's fine Ed…" he replies, looking up at the others, "We're all just really tired, right guys?"
He nods for them to respond positively. They return the gesture.
"It is pretty late…" Kevin notes, stretching, "We should probably try to get some sleep…start fresh in the morning."
"But what if someone comes by?" May notes.
"We'll douse the fire," Lee answers, "As long as no one sees the light from the road, we should be fine…"
Eddy feels a chill run down his spine. Douse the fire? Sleep in the dark? He remains silent, though. Telling them he wants to keep the fire going while he sleeps would be too…embarrassing. He certainly doesn't need Kevin or Marie to hound him for being afraid of the dark. To his dismay, the others agree and Rolf and Kevin kick dirt onto the fire, smothering it. The shortest Ed drops to the ground next to his taller companion and edges as close as possible as darkness settles around them fully.
It feels suffocating as only small embers remain. Ed seems more than happy to have his 'cuddly' friend close and hugs him tight to comfort him. Eddy groans and carefully pushes him away. Ed's touchy-feely nonsense wore on him quickly. Now is no exception. Though he welcomes the comfort some, he's too irritated by his own thoughts to accept it. As his eyes slowly adjust, he can barely make out the groups. No one wants to sleep alone. Kevin and Rolf are close together, lying on their backs and murmuring between themselves. The Kankers edge closer to the Eds, but keep enough distance as they huddle together.
For a long time, Eddy can't sleep. He remains upright, staring into the dying embers of the fire. The others fade fast and it's not too terribly long before he hears their breathing soften. Ed and Rolf begin snoring. He hears a bit of snoring from the sisters, but can't be sure which one.
He's alone.
Standing, he silently makes his way over to the remnants of the fire, picking up one of the discarded roasting sticks. He absentmindedly pokes and prods at the charred pieces of wood, watching the embers flitter up into the night as he sits. His mind is still a jumble. Despite his efforts, he cannot relax. With nothing else to distract his mind, his thoughts drift to worry over Edd. He feels as though a piece of him has been stolen. A part of him wonders why that is. Sure, Edd is his best friend. Their trio dynamic is one that cannot and should not be broken.
Yet it had been…
Although, Eddy's sure that's not what bothers him about it. Even though he'd lost his friend, it feels so much more painful than he imagines it would if it were Ed he had lost.
Of course…his relationship with his smarter friend had always been a little different than the one he had with the tallest boy. He can't quite place it. He feels more comfortable with them both than he ever had with anyone else, but with Edd, it felt even more…effortless. He groans a bit and holds his head. Even in his own mind, he can't pinpoint it. He lies back. He's far enough away from the fire pit that he can spread his legs out some. He stares up into the inky black sky, thinking.
Like many times before, Eddy wonders why Edd had followed him for so long. The smarter boy had proven on their journey to find his brother that he had a limit to how much he could take. The boy had been pushed to that breaking point and had not only threatened, but actively tried to walk away from him and Ed.
Eddy cringes at the thought. It's bad enough that Terry had taken Edd from him. There had been no choice then; no free will. But when Edd had tried to leave him and Ed behind, he had done so willingly. In that moment, his friend had given up on him.
And it hurt.
The taller boys are all Eddy has had since Terry left home. For either of them to turn their backs on him is more painful than he could ever imagine. Again, he questions to himself why Edd had remained his friend for so long. The boy is so intelligent. Ed and Eddy had only ever held him back. After returning to school after their last summer break, Edd had been put in detention more times than he could count. Eddy had been used to it by then and had accepted the detentions almost like a badge of honor — he believed it'd make Terry proud of him — but he knows it killed his friend on the inside with every hour of punishment.
So why did Edd stay? Little to no social skills; Eddy had always assumed. While Edd could be incredibly confident when presenting himself, he didn't have much of a filter. He'd speak of things no one understood or even things that, while fascinating, could also be terribly unnerving. Of course, Edd had always been capable of entertaining himself as well, Eddy recalls. He built things for their scams, but always seemed to find time to create things on his own.
There's something else, though, that must've made the boy stay with the trouble-making duo. Besides the limited social skills, Eddy firmly believes Edd was always just lonely. As long as Eddy can remember, his friend's house had always been empty. He's certain he'd met Edd's parents at least once before, but he can't, for the life of him, remember. They were always gone. It lead him to the only logical conclusion Eddy could reach; the other Eds accepted him and Edd craved their companionship despite their many many faults, which he had accepted as well. This realization only makes Edd's momentary rejection all the more painful.
He curls up on his side, desperately trying to comfort himself. If he doesn't stop his thoughts now, they'll only torture him. Then he'll never get any sleep…He closes his eyes, taking deep, calming breaths. Finally, he drifts to sleep, praying his friend is okay.
They're awoken by the sun glaring down upon them. The sky is fading from black to purple to a pretty baby blue. Rolf is the first to rise. He's used to waking up at the crack of dawn. He wastes no time in waking the others, well aware that Eddy will want to get a move on. The group is very unresponsive as they drag themselves up. Even Eddy, who is usually a bundle of energy and who has been so desperate to move on and find Edd, is sluggish and difficult to rouse.
They spend at least half an hour waking each other up. They eat a few snacks, rehydrate, and pack up before turning to Wilfred. They can do little until he finds the trail again. They're happy to find, though, that it doesn't take long. The moment the pig puts his snout to the ground, they're off again.
Aside from Ed, the group is still unsettled from the night before. Eddy feels guilt eat away at him. He hadn't intended to make them worry more. He lags behind them some, eyes drifting away. They stay close to the road, but far enough that they shouldn't be bothered by passerby. No one's talking.
It's not long before they come across the next clue. Wilfed's pace picks up some and so does their own. They're led from the road again and to a small clustering of bushes. Upon closer inspection, they discover most to be covered in thorns; a rose bush. There are little to no flowers growing on it, though. It looks to be dying. Their eyes scan for anything that doesn't belong. Rolf spots it first.
"Behold!" he cries, pointing to the middle of the thorn bush.
Amongst the little spines, they spot a small, laminated square. Without thinking, Eddy darts forward to grab it. One hand goes out to support himself. His fingers wrap around a clump of thorns and he jerks back with a yelp, holding his bleeding hand.
"Eddy!" Ed cries, his hands reaching for Eddy's shoulders, "Are you okay?!"
"I'm fine, Ed!" Eddy snaps back, "Get the damn picture!"
Ed is taken aback by the short-tempered reply, but nods and retrieves the Polaroid, as directed. He gasps loudly when he sees it.
"Eddy!" he whines, "Look what he's done to our Double D!"
Brow furrowed, Eddy grabs the photo from Ed with his uninjured hand and brings it close to his face. His eyes widen and he feels anger boil in him again. This time, his brother is in the photo as well. He has Edd in his lap, pulling the boy close to him. Edd's hands are bound by the handcuffs and are desperately trying to push the man away as Terry leans close to him. He's not looking at the camera, Eddy notices. The man's eyes are locked on Edd, while the boy's are shut tight. Edd seems less scared here, but much more uncomfortable. Eddy shares that discomfort, but it's anger that he's feeling most strongly.
He feels the others crowding around him, but pays them no mind. Marie gasps and reaches for the photo.
"What the hell?!" she shrieks, "That sick fuck!"
"Enough already!" Eddy snaps, "Are you gonna do that every damn time?!"
Marie rounds on him as the group disperses a bit.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" she scoffs, "How stupid of me to be worried about my boyfriend!"
"I'm gettin' real sick of your attitude, bitch!" Eddy growls.
"The fuck did you call me?!" Marie gets up into his face.
"What are you, deaf and stupid?!" Eddy shouts back.
"That does it, shorty!" she screams, "Let's go! You and me!"
"Sounds good to me!" Eddy growls, dropping the photo and pushing his sleeve up his arm.
"Enough of this foolishness!" Rolf cries, stepping between them, "Your squabbling is wasting time!"
"Yeah, man!" Kevin groans, "We've been over this! All this fighting is only holding us up! Can't you two calm down long enough for us to keep moving?!"
Lee grabs Marie and jerks her back; "Jock-boy's got a point, Marie. If you wanna find that boyfriend a yours, we can't stop to let you fight with mine!"
Marie yanks her arm away again; "Then tell your boyfriend to stop being such a little bitch!"
Eddy steps toward her; "What'd you say?!"
Ed grabs Eddy around his middle and picks him up.
"Eddy, no!" he cries, "No more fighting! Think about Double D!"
Eddy deflates some at that. He looks at his hands, one still bleeding and sighs. As much as he hates to admit it, Ed's right. He can't be fighting with Marie like this. They need to move on. Glaring at Marie, he forces himself to calm.
"Alright, alright, Ed," he sighs, "put me down."
Ed does so, confident that his friend has calmed enough. Eddy takes a few deep breaths and turns away.
"C'mon," he mumbles in slight defeat.
As they continue on their journey, Eddy looks down at the picture in his hand and cautiously flips it over to read the message left behind by his brother. His eyes narrow as fury builds in his chest as he scans the crudely written words and he lets out a soft growl.
Princess and I are having lots of fun, Pipsqueak. I think he's startin' to come around. Don't forget, if you don't hurry, he'll be all mine.
— Bro
As he reflects on those words, he can only hope that his friend hasn't done anything to enrage his brother. The guilt that had been eating away at him comes back full force and he sighs softly, tucking the photo away with the others. He vaguely notices that his palm is no longer bleeding as he shoves his hands into his pockets as well. In an effort to calm himself, Eddy walks a little further ahead of the others. His mind is consumed by thoughts of his brother and his dear friend. He kept reminding himself that Terry had a short temper and Edd could only be pushed so far before he snapped. Given the first message the man had left him, Eddy wonders if that possibility had already occurred.
The group regards Eddy with silent concern. They're not used to seeing him like this. The silence is more unnerving than before. A few of them want to ask what the message says. The two previous photos they'd come across had bore handwritten messages from the man. Though he'd neither confirmed nor denied the presence of a message this time, they're positive they'd find writing on this new photo as well if they could get a better look at the Polaroid. The curiosity is almost too much.
But they hold their tongues. After that argument with Marie, they realize it would be unwise to test his temper any further. Eddy needed to cool down before they tried to ask him anything. So, they set their minds on walking. They wonder what time it is, how long they've been walking. The sun isn't terribly high in the sky, so they rule out any possibility that it's anywhere near noon. But for most of them, that's all they can discern.
They have decided to move away from the main road completely. A few miles of walking along that long stretch of highway, despite their fair distance from it, had had people giving them curious looks. To avoid the risk of anyone stopping them again, they had come to the conclusion that they could not follow the road any further. It's for the best, they find. Wilfred is able to follow the scent easier when he's not walking near the hot asphalt.
The sun rises higher and higher into the sky, the time passing quickly around them. Finally, after a couple more hours of walking, they come across the next breadcrumb. Eddy hasn't spoken a word since finding the last photo. Only Ed has broken the silence. He's tried keeping morale up his own way…
…by singing his own rendition of 100 bottles of beer on the wall…
"Thirty-five bottles of root beer on the wall!" he continues, "Thirty-five bottles of root beer! Ya take one down and pass it around! Um…"
"Thirty-four…" everyone else but Eddy moans, disinterested from having to help the boy with every other number.
"Thirty-four bottles of root beer on the wall!"
Eddy feels his eye twitching as Ed laughs before starting the next verse.
"Thirty-four bottles of root beer on the wall!" he continues, "Thirty-four bottles of root beer! Ya take one down and pass it arou—"
"ED!" Eddy screams finally, "Shut up!"
"Aww, Eddy!" Ed whines, "I lost count!" He perks up almost instantly, "Better start over!"
The group lets out a collective groan as Ed opens his mouth to sing again and Eddy grabs at his own hair, tugging it in frustration.
"Woah, dudes, look!" Kevin cries, his finger pointing them towards Wilfred.
They follow the direction the pig is taking and realize they've stumbled across a sort of fair ground. There are picnic tables scattered about a few miles apart. On one of them rests an abandoned basket. Wilfred is waddling his way quickly towards it. Curiously, they follow. There's little to no one around to see them. Off in the distance, they can hear some chatter and they can just barely spot the bright colors of tourists dressed garishly for their outing. Feeling safe in their solitude, the group surrounds the picnic table. The girls take a seat immediately, glad for the rest while the boys simply stand by and look around curiously.
"My feet are killin' me!" May whines, propping her feet up on the bench and leaning back against Marie.
"Get offa me!" the middle Kanker snaps, shoving her away and to the ground.
"Knock it off, you two!" Lee snaps, "Can't you even sit on a bench right?"
Eddy tunes out their squabbling as he looks over the basket. At first glance, there doesn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary. There's rotting food — whoever abandoned this basket must have done so ages ago — and several insects surrounding it. For a moment, Eddy's reminded of Ed's bedroom. He's hesitant to investigate any further upon spotting a few bees hovering over the basket as well.
Then he spots it.
Amongst the dingy mess within the basket is a small square of white. There's writing on it, he notices, and it looks a bit glossy as well. Eddy grimaces. Of course his brother would make this difficult…Taking a deep breath, and moving as carefully as possible to avoid angering the bees, he reaches into the basket. He shuts his eyes tight and flinches when he feels the insects grazing the flesh of his arm. He expects the sharp stings and braces himself, but doesn't stop in his efforts to retrieve the Polaroid.
Luck seemed to finally be on his side as he withdraws his hand. The bees had landed on him, but move away almost immediately after he'd retrieved the picture. They have no interest in him whatsoever. No nasty stings. Sighing in relief, Eddy steps away from the basket some to inspect the photo. He groans angrily, gritting his teeth in annoyance. His brother really is a whiz at ticking him off.
The photo's back to featuring just Edd. The boy's being shoved roughly against a tree, and Terry's pulling the boy's collar down. Eddy averts his eyes to avoid looking at the boy's bare shoulder. There are more suggestive bruises there. Taking a deep breath, he turns the photo over to read the message his brother left him this time.
Are you even trying, baby brother? Maybe you really don't care about what happens to your lil girlfriend, huh? Maybe you just want to give him to me. But hey, who am I to complain?
— Bro
Unconsciously, Eddy begins to crumple the photo some, his fingers gripping it tightly. He shakes a bit as well. As angry as he feels, there's also a sense of helplessness. He glances weakly at Rolf.
"Hey…" he winces a bit at how hollow his own voice sounds to him, "Can you tell what time it is, Rolfy-boy?"
The foreigner looks toward the sky, squinting and raising his hand a bit to shield his eyes slightly from the sun. He's silent for a moment as he judges the angle of the sun.
"It is almost midday, Short-Tempered Ed-Boy," he answers finally.
Eddy feels his stomach drop. A day and a half. They've already wasted so much time. They only have a day and a half left to find them! He doesn't allow the others to see the image this time before he pockets it. He doesn't want to deal with their reactions.
"Then we gotta keep going!" he demands, yanking Wilfred's leash, "Let's go, you stupid pig!"
"Aw, c'mon, Eddy!" May whines, "Can't we take a break. It feels like we've been walking forever!"
"If you wanna sit back and lounge, be my guest," Eddy snaps back before barking to Ed, "C'mon, Lumpy. Let's go find Double D!"
Ed is at Eddy's side within seconds. He doesn't need telling twice. With a sigh, Lee rises to her feet.
"Alright, alright," she sighs, "We can't just let you go alone. C'mon girls."
The remaining Kankers groan, but follow their sister's lead. Kevin offers Rolf a half-hearted shrug and follow Eddy as Wilfred picks up the trail again.
Eddy's fingers have resumed their anxious twitching. It's been hours since that last clue. Wilfred has led them to a forest-type area now. Rolf has since regained control of his leash, urging the pig to move faster. Tall trees block the sunlight, offering them relief from the mighty heat. The shortest of the group is looking around desperately for something — anything! — that will give them a new heading. His mood had taken a nose dive after that last message. He begins to fear the worst and allows doubt to overcome him.
"Eddy…?"
He glances up at Ed, who's stopped walking. The boy's voice had been soft, scared. His face reflected his tone. Unlike the others, who all have their eyes cast low, Ed is staring up. His eyes are wide and he looks scared. Eddy turns to him fully.
"What is it, Ed?" he asks, keeping his voice low so as not to alert the others.
Ed raises his hand and points upward. Eddy follows the direction to a tree several yards ahead. High up in it's branches, he scours for what his friend is pointing to. His eyes grow wide when he sees it. A small mass of black. He grabs Ed's sleeve.
"Ed; fetch," he commands in a shaky voice, his eyes never leaving the object.
As soon as Eddy lets him go, Ed's off. Eddy looks to the others sternly.
"Wait here," he dictates before running after his friend.
The others cast him confused looks, unsure of just what it is the Eds are up to now. However, they do as they're asked, grateful for the break. Eddy watches Ed from the base of the tree. The taller boy is completely focused, something Eddy had never believed he'd see. He's glad for it, though. Ed's focus is critical here. His breathing is ragged as he watches Ed reach for the object. Eddy would recognize it anywhere. He'd seen it everyday of his life since they'd met Edd. It had been a constant for him and for Ed. Seeing it without its owner is almost painful. With the object in hand, Ed carefully climbs back down to the ground. His hands are shaky as he returns to Eddy. He's cradling the soft item in his hands like a fragile infant.
"Eddy…?" he whimpers.
With tears burning the corners of his eyes, Eddy touches the black fabric of the hat. He feels a pang of guilt and hurt. This had always been the most important thing to Edd. To know it had been stolen from him so callously hurt him greatly. Sure, he and Ed had teased their friend for his attachment to the head-wear, but it had all been in good fun. They both respected Edd's compulsion for it. Eddy can only imagine what Edd must be going through without its comfort. Gently, Eddy takes the hat into his hands and something falls out and to the ground. Eddy's eyes are wide when he spots the Polaroid. He snatches it into his hands. He doesn't bother looking at the image yet. He needs to know what his brother's taunting message is. His eyes skim over the words.
His blood runs cold.
Eddy sinks to the ground, eyes locked on the writing. He shakes in despair, vaguely hearing the others approaching. He sneaks a glance at them. They've stopped a few yards away and are looking at him curiously. They don't know what he's read. Returning his gaze to the Polaroid, he turns the photo over. He winces, looking at Edd's sweet, unconscious face. Hat removed, scar visible, bruises on his neck and arms. He's not sure whether to cry or scream. He wants to do both.
"Eddy?" Kevin's voice is soft. Is he concerned? "What'd you find?"
"I-Is that Double D's hat?!" Marie gasps.
His eyes raise to the others again. They're approaching him carefully. Ed steps in front of him, to block him. Eddy touches his hand, lowering it for the taller Ed. His eyes are unfocused as he stares ahead of him. He shakily turns the photo over and back to the writing.
Hope you enjoyed your lil detour, Pipsqueak. Good luck finding us now.
— Bro
His eyes trail to the hat in his hands and then, finally, to the others once again. They look at him expectantly, hoping for answers. With tears in his eyes, he gives it to them.
"We've been going the wrong way."
DUN DUN DUNNNNN!
DuoXKouga: Oh no! Rate and Review, please! Flames will be used to roast the animatronics from Five Nights at Freddy's cuz they keep killing me!
Battygirl: *groans and glares at DuoXKouga* Then stop playing the game! They can't kill you if you don't play it!