Evan can feel his heart rise all the way to his throat, and it's beating fast with the kind of panic he hasn't felt in years. The kind he never wanted to feel again.
"M-Monster Blood?" Evan asks. "Why?"
"I've got big plans for Dark Falls, Evan, and it's only possible if I can get my hands on that beautiful green gunk." Mr. Dark explains.
Evan can feel the room spinning. Not only does Mr. Dark know about Monster Blood, but whatever he's planning, it involves using it, and for Evan, that only spells trouble
"I'm sorry, sir. I already used the last one. I had to defend myself.. And Lucy, of course. Surely that has to mean something?"
Evan adds that last part in last-minute, hoping mentioning Lucy will somehow appeal to Mr. Dark's emotions. He had saved Lucy's life, after all.
"You're right, Evan, and for that, I'm grateful, but any kindness between us will end here. All of this.. You see, all of this is.. it's about revenge."
Revenge? The word runs through Evan's brain as he tries to think why Mr. Dark could possibly want revenge on HIM, some kid he's never met until this moment.
"I don't expect you to understand, Evan, but let me try and help you, so that hopefully you can eventually help me." Mr. Dark says.
"Okay. You can answer my first question: Why Dark Falls?" Evan asks. He's surprised at his own boldness.
"Why not Dark Falls?" Mr. Dark answers. "The truth is because it's where all of this technically began. I first discovered its existence when Jack Benson published the book recounting his family's experience. It was then I knew I had to come here for myself. It's amazing, isn't it?"
"What's so amazing about it? Everyone who lives here has been trying to kill me all day!" Evan snaps.
Mr. Dark snickers. "Just think about it.. a town where no one actually stays dead. It's incredible! When that factory exploded, it turned ordinary humans into monsters, and instantly I knew that was a power I had to control for myself. Just imagine, Evan.. the power to control life and death itself."
Evan can't believe what he's hearing. Controlling life and death? Does Mr. Dark know how absurd that sounds? Apparently not.
"Do you know what kind of factory that was, Evan? I bet you can guess." Mr. Dark says.
"What are you talking about?" Evan asks. He doesn't know what Mr. Dark wants him to say.
"Come on, surely you can guess?"
Then his eyes widen to a size larger than they've ever been as the revelation sinks in.
"M-Monster Blood?" Evan asks.
"Bingo. Dark Falls used to make all kinds of toys.. including your beloved green slime. Can you believe it? That's what contaminated everything, turned all those innocent people into the undead! Knowing that, I can understand why you're so afraid of it."
Oh my god, Evan thinks. He wants to vomit. The Monster Blood had already done so many horrible things, but destroy a whole town? That was something he couldn't have anticipated. The kind of thing he never wanted to imagine.
"What does that have to do with me?" Evan asks. "Are you saying I'm to blame for that? I didn't make the Monster Blood! It fucked me up too, you know that?"
"Oh I know that, Evan. The Monster Blood is just a tool.. But now you're inseparable. I guess metaphorically it did swallow you up, didn't it? You can't have Monster Blood without Evan Ross!" Mr. Dark says, as if making a grand announcement, or like he's trying to prove a point.
"That's not true. I never wanted any of this." Evan says.
He repeats the phrase over and over in his head, but still somehow feels guilty. It's true, the Monster Blood is his demon to fight, but it doesn't define who he is and it never would unless he allows it to.
"Isn't it? Every time you swear you're done, Evan, you end up using Monster Blood all over again. You even used it tonight! If you ask me, I think you have a serious addiction!" Mr. Dark says.
This was true too, while he could blame Andy all he wanted, it was him at the end of the day who agreed. It was him who pulled the trigger. All for petty revenge. That's what Monster Blood often was: an easy solution to a complex problem. A very messy solution.
"Monster Blood is your dark side, Evan. And you have the gall to say you're not like us. That you're not as much as monster as we are." Mr. Dark says.
"You're a monster?" Evan asks. It feels strange to hear the words come out of Mr. Dark's mouth.
Mr. Dark gives him a confused look. "Of course I'm a monster, Evan! All of us are monsters. It shouldn't have taken you that long to figure it out."
So, Ricky was right, Evan thinks. About everything.
"I guess I just didn't want to believe it." Evan admits.
This was true. Part of him hoped Mr. Dark was a friendly guy who would welcome him into the family with open arms once he started dating Lucy. Speaking of her,, Evan now knows this revelation means Lucy's also not who she seemed to be. That might be the part that stings the most. Maybe it was on him for falling too easily, but Evan always did that, didn't he? He always fell hard and fell fast. Just like he did with Andy, and just like the day he first met Conan and thought he was cute, even if he didn't understand all those feelings in his heart yet. That first interaction had ended with Conan pummeling Evan, another side result of him always feeling the need to tell his stupid Monster Blood stories to everyone, and it was that day cold, hard reality came crashing down on Evan, just one of many times the world felt like it was slapping him in the face. Things with Conan were never going to work out, he found that out quickly, and now he can't help but feel the same heartbreak knowing Lucy is probably evil like him. That might be what stings the most. Maybe things could have been different had they met as kids, not cynical teens, but even that's just a what-if scenario. Why did everything have to end in bitter failure and disappointment?
"Do you want to see?" Mr. Dark asks, interrupting Evan's thoughts. "What I really look like?" He's practically pleading for Evan to say yes, like he's eager to shed his human form.
Evan's about to answer, before Mr. Dark chooses for him, shapeshifting before his very eyes. Evan watches in pure horror as the man's skin splits apart, retracting into him as muscly green flesh is revealed beneath. If Evan thought he was big before, he hadn't seen anything yet. Mr. Dark is a monster in every sense of the word. Most horrifying is the way his head enlarges. The monstrous one beneath is too big for his ordinary human one, so it bursts like a wrecking ball through a demolished building, revealing something almost dragon-like with glowing red eyes and razor-sharp teeth, in which Evan can see a forked tongue wiggling around. Evan imagines getting chomped up with them. Mr. Dark's broad-shoulders appear to have what look like tendril-like suckers on them and he now reaches close to the height of the room, towering over Evan with ease. He's never been more afraid.
"How's that, Evan? Scared yet?" Mr. Dark asks in a voice even deeper than before, followed by a sickly laugh.
Evan is shaking, but manages to speak. "Why- why do you want the Monster Blood so bad?"
Mr. Dark flashes a toothy, snake-like grin, and his nostrils flare, shooting out a dark gray smoke. Evan wonders if he's part dragon or something the way fire seems to spray from his mouth.
"It's easy. I want to recreate the same accident from years ago. I want to make other monsters like me. I need Monster Blood to do that." he explains. "Isn't it funny? I've spent a majority of my life tracking down all these little supernatural artifacts. The kind of stuff that would blow your mind. Hell, I don't know if any human is equipped to truly comprehend the kind of world they REALLY live in. I mean, just look at that cuckoo clock over there. If I wanted to, I could use that to control time itself. Imagine that kind of power, Evan! But no, the thing I want most is some tacky green slime.. but it might be the most powerful object of them all." Mr. Dark goes on.
"That's insane!" Evan cries.
He can't allow such an awful thing to happen. Especially not a second time, on all these innocent people. Including his family, and all his friends. Not just Andy and Conan, but the people he's just met and already feels a strange connection with. Ricky. Carly Beth. They don't deserve it. And if somehow Mr. Dark is targeting them because of HIM, then Evan owes it to them to stop this evil plot.
"So what if it is?" Mr. Dark asks. "The world's better off if we embrace that we're all just monsters. But there are those who would rather us hide in the shadows for all eternity. People like you, Evan." He says.
"Me?" Evan asks.
"Yes, Evan. YOU. Like I said before, this is revenge. I've spent years tracking down all of those like you who have slain monsters all across the country. Your friend Ricky was correct, you're all connected in a unique way. And now that same thing will be your undoing. Now that the research is done, I've been able to lure your families to Dark Falls using a very.. special tool. It wasn't easy to obtain. You'll be the first wave of many to be reborn into creatures. Then this world will finally belong to the MONSTERS, like it always should have been!" Mr. Dark explains with a grin.
"But we were all just kids when that happened! We made mistakes! None of us wanted those things to happen. Our parents didn't believe us, so we did what we had to do at that moment. And it hasn't been easy for any of us since then, trust me. I'm sorry if humanity hurt you or whatever, but you can't blame me for that." Evan tells him.
Mr. Dark looks like he's thinking about something, but his expression changes to a stern one once more. "It doesn't matter, this is the moment we monsters finally get our revenge on those who've wronged us. It's time for monsters to rule the Earth! And I've got plenty of friends to help me accomplish that."
Friends? Who else was Mr. Dark working with?
"You won't get away with this, you'll never get any more of the Monster Blood!" Evan snaps. It sounds a bit goofy, sure, but he means it with all his heart.
"Ah, so you admit there IS more, Evan?" Mr. Dark asks, a smirk creeping onto his face.
Shit, Evan thinks. Him and his big fucking mouth. He had to say it.
"I didn't mean-" he starts.
"Oh, don't worry. You don't think I knew about your friend's little stash? I've got someone dealing with it as we speak." Mr. Dark says.
"What? Who are you talking about?" Evan asks,
Suddenly, his cell phone starts to buzz. It's from Andy.
"Go on. Pick it up." Mr. Dark says.
Evan is reluctant, but complies, holding it to his ear.
"Andy?" He says. "Are you okay?"
"Andy? So that's the squealer's name?" A voice answers, giggling.
It's definitely not Andy. The voice sounds high-pitched, full of mad glee. Evan hates it the moment he hears it, and then his stomach drops when he thinks about what might have happened to Andy.
"Who the hell is this?" Evan barks. "Where's Andy?!"
"There's no need to swear, Evan! You can think of me as a pal. Your good friend.. Slappy. You and I need to have a little talk.. If you're able to find me, that is!"
So it is the dummy! Evan thinks. He's about to cuss him out with everything he's got before the line goes completely dead.
"Slappy? Answer me, you stupid fucking dummy!" Evan shouts.
"I'd obey the dummy, if I were you, Evan, before it's too late for your friends."
Evan doesn't even answer, he just starts running out of Dead House. Faster than he ever has before. But then Lucy Dark stops him at the doorway.
"Going so soon, Evan?" She asks, "We were just about to have dinner!"
