Chapter description: Aldurra finally gets his scythes on Alex. Who will win?!

Tags for this chapter:

Past and Present Violence (A LOT OF IT), Deactivated Billys; Deactivated Billys Everywhere, Talking to a Grave

04. Mad Scientist Jailbreak

Aldurra was awoken by an alarm, one that was piercingly loud. He'd jumped from the surprise. The lighting had all but gone to a red tint, making it difficult to see. He could hear clanging from the elevator shaft, as if someone was brute-forcing their way up. Eventually, he saw the doors part open, manually.

On the other side, was an Alex. As soon as the two saw each other, he formed a face-splitting grin.

"Ahh! There you are!" He jumped into the room, bounding over to him. "I've been meaning to welcome you, but, as you can tell, it hasn't been easy! Luckily, Billy's taking a nice, long nap, so… Welcome!" He paused to giggle. "Now then, why don't we have a chat while we get outta this wretched dump?"

Alex sounded familiar, but not in the conventional sense that would be expected when meeting another of the same person. It was with the way he talked, how he conducted himself.

Almost like…

"Shit! What was that?!" Aldurra was asking, after having almost lost balance from the sudden impact. Nearby was Dolly, who was as concerned as he was.

"I think we hit something!" Candice called from afar. "You think they're okay?"

"After taking the full force of a school down the highway? Doubt it," Aldurra sighed, but moved to the entrance. "Still, I'm gonna go check it out."

When he made it outside, there wasn't much to look at, in terms of surroundings. Oddly enough, the Internet didn't look like much of anything; just a giant blackened void with streaks of white every so often, signifying a single entity surfing it. However, on the far corner of the lawn, there was someone holding onto the edge.

"Oh, hey there! You know, you should really watch where you're going! That could've been pretty nasty!" When Aldurra got close, it was revealed to be an Alex. There'd been no sign of a game collision, meaning that this guy was a rogue.

"Oh, damn. Sorry about that," Aldurra admitted, extending a scythed arm. "You good, buddy? Hurt anywhere? Need anything?" Alex took the offered help, standing fully on the grass, as though unharmed.

In response, he hummed. "Full-time demon, huh? No judgments or anything, I mean, it's a good look for us. Also… Yes. I could go for some fresh meat."

"Welp, we're all out right now," What weird things to say right off the bat, but Aldurra played along. Turning back to the front doors of the school, he asked aloud, "How far are we from the nearest butcher site?" Once an answer was given, he motioned for Alex to follow him inside. "You can bum a lift 'til then, okay? Sit tight."

"Sure thing, other me." This was probably a terrible idea, but his game did just hit him, so... Still, Aldurra would have to keep an eye on him.

It wasn't until they were off and going again, and some time had passed, before Alex began to wander. Aldurra followed from afar, not sure if his counterpart was up to something. After a while, he saw him pause at a room, where Candice and Asmodena were hanging out. The two were nigh inseparable as of late.

"Excuse me, ladies! But I couldn't help but wonder about something," He spoke to them, tone seemingly normal, but Aldurra could sense more within it. "I'm curious about how our games differ! You see, in mine, Asmodena never got to control her powers! How far along are you?"

This wasn't something anyone ought to ask a stranger, and so out of left field.

"I'm, uh… Still not very good with them." Asmodena admitted, with a surprising amount of calmness.

"Oh, that's a shame! Say, what if I gave you a tip or two? From one demon to another? Just come over here and take my hand…" Candice wasn't finding this worrisome, either. Without hesitation, Asmodena got up from her chair and approached.

That son of a bitch was possessing them. Aldurra let out a shriek of a warcry, rushing toward Alex before he had the chance to do anything further. He rammed into his other self with all he had, he letting out a yell of shock from the impact. It immediately ended the spell, Asmodena dashing back into the room, Candice clinging to her.

"RUN! Find Dolly and Ms. Immortal! NOW!" Aldurra commanded, both the fairy and demon taking off. He turned back to Alex, pinning him to the wall. "You bastard. Just couldn't fucking wait, could you?"

Then, to his surprise, Alex laughed, not remorseful at all. "Is that what you think that was? Oh, no no no. I said what I meant, and you lied to me. You had meat all along, and you let it get away."

Aldurra snapped, trying to tear into him, but Alex formed his own scythes and, with incredible ease, pushed the other off of him. "Just for that, I'm going to kill all of you. Make it worth my time, okay?"

"... Yes. Let's." Aldurra agreed, a low growl escaping. Alex was unfazed, bringing his hands together in utter glee.

"Excellent!" He trotted over to a control panel, as if knowing how it worked. But to his credit, one of the 'glass' walls swung open for the other demon. "Now, I know we could just call the elevator, but… Climbing was so much more fun; you should try it!"

What Alex had said was true - not the climbing part, frankly Aldurra could care less - very quickly did he see Billy, deactivated. Then another, and another, and another. Just how many of him were there?!

And good lord, he'd nearly forgotten the tendency to have purple… Well, everything, when it came to interior design.

"Anyway, it's nice to finally meet you, Alex!" Alex was saying, "There's something I'd like to talk to you about; it concerns this place, and how we should fit in it!"

"Actually…" Aldurra replied, eyes narrowing. The pause made Alex turn in curiosity. "I remember you. You're the one who did it."

"Eh? You're going to have to be more specific than that. I've done lots of things!"

The altercation was not going well. It felt like this was far from the first time Alex had done something like this. In fact, Aldurra was willing to bet that this was a regular activity for this megalomaniac. It would explain how he was so skilled, so durable, so powerful, much more than an Alex usually would be.

Yet, he kept trying, no matter what. Even if it really hurt getting up, even if he was stumbling.

Then, just as Alex aimed for his head, his scythe was caught in several black threads, then pulled far away from him. Meters away was Dolly, who sent Alex flying into Ms. Immortal's broom, striking like a batter hitting a home run. In the end, the assailant crashed into the wall.

"Jesus Christ," Aldurra muttered, joining them as quickly as he could. "Thanks, but we gotta get out of here, and fast. He'll get us all if we don't."

"JUST THROW HIM OVERBOARD," Ms. Immortal suggested, "OUR CURRENT VELOCITY EXCEEDS HIS TOP SPEED."

"Yes, but that involves weakening him first, which…" Dolly inputted, grimacing as Alex started getting up again. "Looks unlikely. Maybe if I tie him up…"

"No! You have to listen to me!" Aldurra was losing his patience, "We can't hope to beat this asshole! I don't even know how I'm still standing!"

"But if we leave the game, we can't come back."

"Then…!" He groaned to himself, but couldn't come up with anything else. Meanwhile, Alex charged, the three of them preparing for an onslaught. They did everything they could to keep up with him, to counter, to anything, but it was futile in the end.

Alex severed Dolly's arms, broke Ms. Immortal's broom, and soon enough, Aldurra was cornered. Alex taunted, "You're not very good at this, are you? So disappointing!"

Then, there was the sound of a freezing soda can being opened. Aldurra saw the giant snowflake careening right for the both of them, shoving his other self into it. He was frozen solid. Fifteen seconds. Make it count.

"Tell everyone to hide! I'll toss him out!" Ms. Immortal was picking up Dolly's arms, then Dolly herself, when Aldurra ordered. However, it was neither of them who used the soda - as the demon scanned the area, there was Scrina, still in the firing position, practically quaking in fear.

Holy shit, Scrina. He'd nearly forgotten about her. Then, his mind went to the protagonist, defaultly known as Olivia. Without a player to assume control, she (or they) was but a lifeless husk. In other words, easy prey for someone like Alex.

Once able to stand on her own, Dolly watched Ms. Immortal scoop up the petrified little robot and leave the hallway; most likely to wherever the others were. Aldurra wasn't paying attention, however, as he dragged Alex toward the front doors with his teeth.

"You're not going to make it in time!" She was warning him.

"Just DO IT!" He growled, with an all-too-familiar layer of demonic persuasion.

"Fine!" Dolly cringed, managing to fight off the attempt. "Just stay out of our heads!" At last, she too sprinted away.

Outside. Aldurra tried to lift Alex over his head, but he thawed out, piercing Aldurra in the side. With a painful yell, he dropped him. Alex rolled to a stand, more and more of his own true form revealing itself.

"It doesn't matter what they do; we both know where they are, Alex." He was cackling.

"That's not my name, jackass," The other stood his ground, trying to pool some of his resources together to block the sheer agony he was in. "It's Â̶͎l̵̗͑d̴̲͒ū̷ͅṛ̵̎r̴̯͠a̸̙̐. So if you're going to insult me, you better use it."

Alex frowned, then tsked. "God, you've fallen so far, for a me. How many Alexes do you suppose would do such a thing? The full-time demon appearance, sure, but THAT… Explains a lot." He paused, giving him a condescending look.

"Â̶͎l̵̗͑d̴̲͒ū̷ͅṛ̵̎r̴̯͠a̸̙̐, and I mean this in the most factual way possible," Alex then continued, with perfect pronunciation, "But you're a fucking disgrace. I almost feel too above killing you, but someone has to. Alas! But, I'm sure the rest of my selves would view my deed as amicable, so… Just don't be boring."

"You're the one who invaded my game," Aldurra elaborated, remembering each moment with contempt, then rage, "The others escaped, but you chased them. You used my story as your own, and then you…!" With one of his scythes, he clawed at the floor, unable to continue.

Alex "hmm"ed in thought, before his eyes lit up. "Ohhh! You're that one! Wow, I thought for sure you died! Well, since that's the case…" His form changed, closer to his true one, a half-and-half look. "You're still on my shitlist, Â̶͎l̵̗͑d̴̲͒ū̷ͅṛ̵̎r̴̯͠a̸̙̐. No fucking way I'd ever work with you!"

The two fought, clashing against the other. Just as expected, Alex still had a lot more prowess, but at least this time, Aldurra knew what to expect. He managed to bite his arm, hard, throwing him at the nearest window. Unlike whatever material Billy (or the Billys? He wasn't sure how to refer to him) used on his cell, this was glass, plain and simple.

It shattered, Alex easily landing outside. Before he got the opportunity to get up, Aldurra was upon him, ignoring the shards and debris. He reeled back to attack, but Alex dodged, slashing at his torso, then kicking the other demon off of him. Their altercation continued, taking them through the boardwalk, then all the way into a much more populated area.

Civilians (including, somehow, some Human-looking entities?) hastily fled for their safety. However, a few of the latter stuck around, not taking this seriously at all. The two could hear their commentary, no matter how far away, or how low their voices were.

"Oh my God! Are you seeing this?!"

"Yeah, no worries, I'm recording it now."

"WHOA! I thought there weren't any Alexes in the game! Did we get a secret update or something?!"

"Fucking Humans…" Alex growled under his breath, but ignored them afterwards, slamming Aldurra into a lamp post. It knocked the wind out of him, just barely managing to rise again. He could only numb things so much; he couldn't afford to be physically impeded.

"Hey! Up there! Is that…?"

Another of the spectators laughed. "Uh oh, Viktor and friends are gonna clean house!"

"Hold up, I have that rooftop over there in my favorites. Follow me!"

While Aldurra wasn't able to understand the majority of their lingo, the name they mentioned rang a bell. And right on cue, four characters landed nearby, and they were all quite strong - Marzia, Alice, and even Erie. Accompanying them, was the main man himself, axe held over his shoulder.

"Oh. Shit." Aldurra whispered to himself, paralyzed by the mere sight of them all. Alex, on the other hand, simply guffawed, approaching with open arms, as though meeting up with old friends. It was like their quarrel was forgotten.

"Viktor! So you finally came out to play!" He cooed in greeting, completely unhindered, "And I see you brought friends! Well, you know what they say: The more, the merrier!"

"Exercise extreme caution," Viktor ignored him, instead glancing briefly at his faculty entourage, "Keep your guards up, especially in the mind. And if necessary, kill them." They all nodded, ready for battle. Viktor slung his axe into position, it and his mask's eyeholes adopting a glowing golden color. "This ends now."

The four of them charged, Marzia reaching Alex first well before the others, blindsiding him with a kick so powerful it sent him into the nearest building. She followed however, not letting him have any means of escape. Next came Alice, who targeted Aldurra, her four, clawed arms prepared to slice him to pieces. All he could do was try to stay out of the way, blocking when it wasn't possible.

Rushing past them both was Viktor, deciding that Alex was the bigger threat of the situation. Last was Erie, who wheeled up from behind. While still trying to deal with Alice, Aldurra felt himself being lifted off the ground by the arms, Erie's robotic hands as cold as ice.

"So, what's his deal?" Alice inquired, her stance on the defensive. She sounded like two different voices were talking at the same time.

"Nothing!" Aldurra yelled out, struggling, "Nothing to do with any of you! Just that piece of shit over there!" Without his arms, he gestured with his head, at the direction of where Alex, Marzia, and Viktor were fighting. He felt a presence entering his brain, perusing his thoughts and memories. It was Erie.

The nearest site was reached, and with it, no doubt a means to enter it. Unlike the Internet itself, websites took on physical forms, often based on whatever they were supposed to represent.

But, unfortunately, he was still fighting Alex. And losing.

"Forgive me," He murmured, then raised his voice. This time, the added layer of possessing was much more pronounced and intentional. "There's no other way. Leave the game behind. Stay together, and find somewhere safe. I hope we can meet again."

"Pff, sappy," Alex smirked, but was undeterred. By this point, Aldurra was probably close to dying, but if his counterpart was to be believed, he very well could. Not long after, their surroundings began to glitch. "Bad move, though! Looks like you'll be going down with the ship!"

Alex got the upperhand, impaling Aldurra to the ground. He couldn't even cry out in pain anymore. In this situation, there were no other options left, but to play dead. He kept his eyes open, watching his duplicate from his peripheral. He seemed to be trying something, but whatever it was didn't work.

"Huh. Maybe the game's too fucked up. Ah, well. I don't need you, anyway." Alex pulled his scythe out, turning both back into normal hands, walking away. He was heard jumping off the lawn, leaving entirely. Aldurra waited. Some more. Even longer. All that greeted him was silence. Finally, he gasped a breath, then immediately regretted it, hissing from the newest wound. He curled up on his side, eyes squeezed shut, repeating expletives.

By the time he was able to attempt standing again, the school and outdoor area was barely recognizable. Was this because everyone took Olivia with them? He thought for sure Tom patched that out… Fuck. This catastrophe would just devastate him, Aldurra knew it.

He glanced over at a mound in the opposite corner to where Alex was initially found. He limped his way over, gazing upon the decorated stone that was simply engraved with, "ALEX".

"Was that you? I, uh… I still don't know if you actually exist or not, but… If that was a sign, you really saved my ass back there." No response, and of course there wouldn't be. Aldurra may as well be talking to himself - well, actually himself this time. Regardless, he sighed.

"Look, I understand. This whole place wasn't your idea. Maybe… Once it's all gone, you'll finally be free? Or something?" Still, there was nothing.

"Anyway… I swear I'll find everyone, and make sure that douchebag doesn't get anywhere near them again! And if he tries…" He paused, realizing how little time he had to escape. "Well, I guess this is goodbye. Whatever awaits us at the end of existence, I hope yours is absolutely wonderful. It better be. So long, Alex."

He gave the mound a soft pat with the blunt side of his scythe, then headed in the direction of the website he was now parked at. Yup, a butchery. Damn. He supposed he could go for some meat, too. Might help with the injuries.

As he left the school and game behind, he forced himself to not look back, even when he heard the glitching amplify with sounds, a ringing tone signifying a crash, then dissipation as it died. Finally, there was nothing else.

"Get out of my head!" Aldurra warned with a growl.

"He's telling the truth," Erie answered Alice, "Still, he should be apprehended."

"I'll do whatever you want, just don't kill me!"

"He's… Surrendering?" Alice's expression bore confusion.

"Yes, I'm fucking surrendering!" On second thought, he wished he didn't sound so desperate.

"Wow. That makes our job a little easier, then." The much taller robot keeping him restrained nodded to herself. Alice, in spite of Erie's confirmation, remained skeptical. She pulled out what appeared to be a bear trap, though there were no teeth to it. Once it was set up, Erie dropped Aldurra right onto it, snagging his ankle.

"JESUS-!"

"We'll deal with you soon," Alice then demanded, "You stay right. There." Without waiting for a response, the two ran off to join the rest of the team.

"To be honest, I don't think he could kick our asses even at his peak," Erie commented, "But that one… Remember, on your toes." Aldurra watched on, suddenly surprised to find that Alex was still able to hold his own.

"No! We're losing Marzia!" The sight was gruesome. But the giant robot lady didn't bat an eye, taking out some kind of item and throwing it at Marzia. Upon contact, she disappeared.

"She'll be fine!" Even the three of them had a hard time keeping Alex down. However, while distracting him, Viktor came rushing in, gold-colored axe at the ready. He sliced Alex's right arm clean off. That gave them the opening they needed to finally put him away.

Admittedly, there was a legend Aldurra heard once, in his Internet travels. Though, it was unconfirmed and possibly untrue. But rumor has it that anything cut off with Viktor's axe cannot grow back.

And that was hardcore.

More info:

- This is not the first time Alex has escaped this way. However, it is in the fact that all the active Billys were shut down via possession
- He has, in fact, done many things. Terrible things
- He has a reason why he hates Humans, but no one knows it yet

- Neither in the past or present can Aldurra defeat Alex on his own
- Tom is Aldurra's "Player" equivalent
- If unclear, the mound and stone is in fact a grave. When Aldurra came to terms with his prior programming, a proper burial was done for the true Alex

- Without both the protagonist and "guide" characters, a Baldi game falls apart and crashes

- Viktor's strength parallels Alex's in many ways
- He also has a PURPOSE, which he has complete control over (See: Save The Game AU, Time For Plus). However, it is unknown what it is or what it elevates to
- I made up the rumor for the sake of the story. But it only works if Viktor's axe is gold
- The coloration was going to be tan, per his subtitle color, but it looked less pleasing

- Tiara is still in Alice's body, but both have learned to cooperate

- Erie can read others' thoughts, although not seen officially, but adding the memory part seemed cool to have as well

- Humans are able to visit the Webspace as "players", but generally they think it's some big "love letter" type of game made by someone who really, really likes the fangames
- They don't know it was actually Viktor
- They also don't know that every copy there was once on another's computer, built up to sentience, and then at some point left for bigger pastures
- Except for a few players, though