Chapter description: The battle is over. Billy goes looking for Denied and Dave. Plus finds Alex. And when things couldn't be any more wild, Aldurra gets involved.

Tags for this chapter:

Aftermath of a Political Coup, On-screen Character Death, Threats of and Actual Violence (and a bit more graphic than usual), Wholesome Reunion

20. For Every Last Inch That We Got

Denied awoke, to nothing in particular. Then, just as he got his bearings, the spikes of pain returned, paralyzing him for a good moment. Honestly, he wasn't sure how he was still alive, but just as quickly noticed that he may not have much time left.

With whatever he had, he lifted his head, trying to push himself to a stand, but wobbled and fell. All he could see was what was in front of him - a mess of bodies, friend and foe alike.

The first Dave had claimed victory, it seemed. The few folks who remained from Viktor's side noticed Denied crawling over. Laura and Marzia appeared weary, defeated, while Angell didn't have enough fight in her to finish him off. The merman was sure she didn't always have swords in her body…

Was. That from retaliation?

1, as well as the handful of his army, turned to him. One of them attempted to go and help, but was stopped. "No. Allow me."

Alone, 1 floated over, pulling up his helm's eye protectors. From inside, his eyes were glowing like a pair of backlights, his irises a vibrant orange. His words were merely observational. "You survived."

"B… Barely…" The merman failed to stifle a cough. "I donno… How much longer I can…"

1 stared in silence. Then, he uttered a single word. "Good."

He began to leave, back to the others. "What? Did I hear ya right…? 'Good'? As in… 'It's good that you're about to fuckin' die'?!"

"That is correct." He didn't stutter.

Denied's hand curled into a fist, emitting a low growl. How dare he dismiss him like that. "Y-You son of a bitch…! You woulda lost if not for me! I burned e-every Goddamn bridge for you! All just so we could stop. Fighting!"

1 faced him again. But his eyes had an air of contempt. "I know." Swiftly, he approached a second time, knelt down, then roughly pulled the merman off the grass by the pendant. "So long as this was outside your inventory, I could hear every. Last. Word, that fell out of your traitorous mouth. I'm not worried about Aldurra talking; he's definitely the type to take secrets to his grave. But you? I hoped that you'd already be gone by now."

Oh, shit. It was so obvious.

"If you had any sense, you would've realized how pointless it was," 1 continued, "That the only way to truly stop THRIVE would've been through assassination. You were more than strong enough to pull it off, and if the roles were reversed? One thing's for sure… I wouldn't have let anything stop me."

The paranoia on this asshole was off the charts. Who knows what other scenarios he prepped for.

"Regardless of your blatant cowardice," 1 begrudgingly admitted, "It's true that you dealt with an unforeseen threat. But it's not enough for me to forgive you. You want to live so badly? Save yourself, you invertebrate, pathetic waste of space." With those closing words, the first Dave abruptly dropped him, Denied plummeting to the ground with a short yelp.

It was harder this time, but he managed to watch as 1 left him behind. The other members of THRIVE were hard to read, but were, at least, noticeably shaken up by the revelations that took place. And soon, their leader departed, for Infinity School itself. While the merman hoped that he wouldn't find Baldi (If he was there to begin with, he just realized), there was something more important to deal with.

Writhing over to the nearest Billy, he selected his phone, reaching his DMs with him. He spoke his messages. He knew he was practically hanging on by a thread, but…

As soon as he was done, Denied blacked out.

Billy awoke, focus not yet intact. The bootup process was like that. Around him, he could hear voices - people talking, in hushed volumes. Soon, however, he was able to sit up, scanning the area. Oh God, that's right, he remembered quickly. Where was that merman. Billy had some choice words for him.

But he was nowhere to be seen. Even after managing to wake up only half of the selves he brought along (due to crash damage, he surmised), Denied was… Absent. As were anyone fighting on Viktor's side. The only ones still here were various Daves and their faculty members, each of which no longer wore their helms.

It really was over. Everything was. Everything…

"Do we repair him, too?" One of them was asking another, higher in octave than the usual.

"I don't see why not. 56 is already tending to Mrs. Erie…" Regular-sounding. Billy glanced over, seeing the two Daves only meters away. One was carrying a downed vessel. No. Out of the question.

"Please set me down." He spoke as he maneuvered around the unconscious bodies to reach them. They heard, facing him. Shaking, the one holding it slowly did as was commanded.

"O-Of course! I'm sorry!" The high-pitched Dave apologized; a Sky High Adventure, if Billy recalled correctly. Upon closer inspection, there was another oddity. Neither wore their THRIVE pendants. Earlier they had, but not anymore.

"Could either of you tell me where Denied is?" And, due to their meekness, he had to be mindful of his attitude.

"119 took him somewhere, and he was pretty confident about it," The normal-voiced Dave answered, trying to stay calm. This one was harder to determine, but his somewhat different model appearance made Billy suspect that he might've been from House. "But… We don't know where, exactly. All he told us was something along the lines of, 'The potions will help!'." Potions? Help?

"Ah, yes! That's right!" Sky High Dave nodded, "He did say that! But you know, I didn't think he was an alchemist… Or any of us, for that matter."

Potions. Potions. It felt familiar. A memory surfaced, where Erie was demonstrating how ARM was going to work. The moment she used was about her and Candice. About showing her a new

It clicked. "Candice. He took him to Candice." It silenced the two Daves. "Thank you for the information. I'll take care of my selves. Goodbye." Right as he said those words, he picked it up, the rest doing the same, except for one, who took off to the fairy's school.

"Just- Don't be too hard on him! He's in no condition to talk!" Warned House Dave. That was worrying, but he didn't falter.

The first of his active vessels reached his home, finding that not only was a portion of the front end's walls sliced off (with large pieces all over the lawn), he couldn't activate any of his spares. Any… But one. He found himself in Dave's attic, for whatever reason. Why here? Was he home? He called for him, but got no answer. The place was empty, as he left with the lock of the doors.

However, back at his house, the cause of the malfunction was quickly found out. A rampaging fire was set from in his lab, and by this point, it had wafted deep into the ground floor. It took an indescribable amount of effort to put it out, but what was left was lost, blackened to charcoal, unrecognizable.

It was exactly how he was feeling at the moment. He may as well demolish the whole thing and start over from scratch. But that will be tended to later. Instead, he opened his DMs. Dave had to be alright. He had to be.

There was a notification, but it wasn't from him, so he'll get to that next. First…

Well-Made_Account (BILLYLĖ) [11:08 AM]
Dave? Where are you? I can't find you anywhere! Are you alright?
Please respond.

The Billy that departed Dave's house went to search for him. While waiting for a reply, he tabbed over to the

It was from Denied.

MediterraneanWaves (DENIEDCELLAR) [10:57 AM]
hey, billy. ill cut to the chase. im sorry. i know i fucked up, but. thisll be the last time
i aint gonna ask for forgiveness, cause i sure as hell dont deserve it
whatever you do, dont be like me
anyway. 'youre all clear to proceed'
i love you, broliukas. i always will. take care of yourself, wont you?

Tears formed in his eyes. He unleashed the loudest yell he could muster. He wouldn't be surprised if it was uttered by every vessel.

The one that sped to Candice's barrelled into the building, ignoring the doors flying into the foyer in his wake. The robot's tears were impeding his vision, stubbornly trying to clear it.

"Oh no! An intruder just broke in! It was whoever screamed just now! This can't be happening…!" Dave- no, Dave 119 - whimpered from afar.

"Damn, what an entrance, decimating the doors like that," A tough-sounding feminine voice replied, more annoyed than anything else. "Okay, lemme at 'em. I'm sure I can handle it. Any piece of shit willing to kick a fish while he's down-"

"No," Aldurra. "It's Billy. You guys stay here." He could feel the weight of the demon's steps, as he made his way over. It won't matter if Billy stood still or not, he will be found.

By the time Aldurra entered the room, Billy was armed with- no, not darts. Not shotgun. Not rifle. Missiles. His four eyes peered at it, then back at him. Oddly enough, he was composed. "Don't do this. Put it away. You'll only blow up the both of us."

"Where is he. Where is he where is he whERE IS HE WHERE IS HE," The well-made robot marched, aiming up at his target. "TELL ME RIGHT NOW OR SO HELP ME I WILL-" The demon's hand gripped the barrel, pointing it to the ceiling. Billy's tone became a snarl. "RELEASE ME AT ONCE I SWEAR TO GOD I AM NOT FUCKING AROUND."

With little effort, Aldurra lifted him off the floor with his other hand, at eye-level. "Put it away, Billy." The demon was more stern. Billy struggled under his grasp. "Listen, I know what it's like. But you need to calm down."

"YOU CANNOT POSSIBLY COMPREHEND THE SITUATION."

"Oh, like the whole reason I came here in the first place?"

"THAT IS NOT THE SAME. THAT IS NOT THE FUCKING SAME."

"Sure it is! You're all bent out of shape because someone hurt your family. And you want to make sure they're okay. I've been there." Billy stopped. "I worried and mourned for a long time. I managed to get parts of mine back. And I know you will, too." He was stunned to silence, pondering it.

"Oh my God. It is the same…" Was all the well-made robot could say, now at an inside voice level. Solemnly, he brought back his hand, as he realized what he'd just tried to do. Why… Why did he threaten him? It made no sense.

"Damn right," Aldurra replied, "Now, when I set you down, you gotta be rational. Got it?"

"Yes." He answered, almost on instinct.

"Good." Billy was lowered, but able to keep balanced as Aldurra let go of him.

"… Thank you," He said, softly, "And, my apologies."

"Meh, forget about it," Aldurra waved it off. "Anyway, Denied's in limbo right now." Limbo?! "If you promise not to lose your shit again and start attacking everyone, I'll take you to him."

"I promise."

"And tell him to fix the fucking doors!" The feminine voice from before added.

"Olivia wants you to fix the doors."

"The fucking doors!"

"Don't worry, I can hear her," The well-made robot assured, looking back, hiding his shameful face as he dried it. "… He's. Stable. Right?"

"Candice gave him one of her potions, but he has to get up on his own. Like I said: Limbo." If that's the case…

"Very well. This should only take a minute," Billy then nodded, going towards the doorway. His voice lowered. "'I'm so sorry, big brother. I'll be there soon. Please wait for me.'"

He checked his DMs with Dave again. No reply. Sent, not read. Where was he…?

"Shit. That really did take a minute." Aldurra pointed out once Billy was done. The well-made robot allowed a small grin at the supposed compliment.

"I like to be efficient." He followed when Aldurra beckoned and walked off, his steps far less heavy than moments ago. Perhaps he'd been trying to be intimidating, and even in Billy's previous state, it sort of worked.

The two passed the foyer, adorned in terracotta tiles, light sea green painted walls, and an open ceiling, the skylights outlining a… Oh. A cross. Perhaps it was always like that. Surrounding it were four hanging plants, leaves and vines draping.

Past that, was a looping hallway of sandstone floor and pale wood paneling, centered around an indoor greenhouse, but it was better described as "bringing the outside, inside". He couldn't help but wonder why he'd never visited this place before. It was all so serene and full of flora. Hopefully he'll be able to amend this in the future.

Each door labelled a resident. However, Aldurra stopped at the one for Miss Dolly - one of the few who could not come back, Billy had heard.

Aldurra knocked on the door. His accompanying statement was… Cheery. "I'm back!"

"Is everything okay now?" 119 was the one to reply, with a tinge of concern.

"Yeah, no biggie. We're cool now. He wants to see him, is all," Just in case it wasn't already clear… Then, suddenly, the demon turned to him. "You're cool, right?"

It put Billy on the spot, body stiffening. "Y-Yes. I'm fine."

A chuckle. "C'mon, relax. Just grilling you a bit." He went back. "Alright, we're coming in."

Now, Billy had to wonder, when did Aldurra get so… He settled with "patient". Even recently, he was at least more defensive, quicker to get annoyed. But somehow, not today, even though he would've had every reason to.

This thought left his mind the second he entered the room. It was quite clearly remodeled into a medical patient's dwelling, but in a well-informed, elegant manner. Primed and prepared for an emergency such as this. Seated were Candice, Olivia, and 119, who was without his armor.

It hurt, more than Billy liked, how he looked just like Dave. But it helped, that his cautious stare reminded him that the two were not the same.

Across from them, in the bed was his brother, covered to his shoulders by a white sheet. He lay unmoving, eyes closed. He's not "dead", Billy had to remind himself, but also not "alive". "Limbo".

Just ahead of Billy, Aldurra pulled up the last chair for him. "Here. I'm going out."

"What for?" At last, the fairy asked.

"Alex is on the move again. He's chasing something," He replied. "Something"… At this time, however, it was the least of Billy's concerns. "If Denied wakes up while I'm gone, tell him that I said he's a crazy blue bastard."

"Affectionate?" Olivia chimed in.

"Affectionate." Aldurra repeated on his way out.

Plus heard a new presence, fast approaching. He turned on his heel, seeing them. Swift, but not as much as he. A character poorly-mixed between man and demon. One arm ending with a scythe, the other a hand. Both legs, segmented and pointed, thundering each step with absolute haste. A grotesque chest cavity with eyes made visible through his torn shirt.

An "Alex", which rang a bell. Was he the same guy that Plus was warned about?

Besides that, he figured that at least one of these fangame residents would be out for his blood. It was either a situation of, "You're old news, so die", or, "You're strong, so I want your power". Regardless, being considered important enough was flattering.

Oh, he would put this idiot in his place. "Never mess with the original"… Ah, yes, that sounded like a decent one-liner. Or maybe something like, "Without me, you'd be nothing". Oooh, that was tempting!

The demon-man slowed to a stop, with a face-splitting grin. "Now, this… This is what I'm fucking talking about! Why weren't you the one who showed up?! What took you so damn long?!" The phrases suggested that he not only met C Baldi, but was the one who called for them to begin with. That motherfucker.

However, as it hasn't even been an hour since Plus found his listing in the populace record, he was absolutely doing fine. Maybe shaken up from the encounter, but he's tough! He'll pull through!

The very next thing he did was have a good look through his opponent's code file. It was unusually lengthy, and by God it was a mess - best described as some amateur copy/pasting random things in an unsorted manner, devoid of structure, pattern, sections, or even comments to explain things. Gross.

Hm, what was Player's friend's pseudo-name? Friend? They were the expert on stuff like this. Oh, if only Plus could take screenshots. They'd be losing it at the sight of such atrocities.

Yet, the slurry of text somehow worked together, cohesively, delivering an AI entity with stats greatly increased from what was probably the norm. Overpowered, as some may call it.

But, so was he. Except for the sloppily formatted code. Loathe he was to admit, those fuckers at Basically, Games! knew how to keep shit tidy, at the very least.

Still, this Alex was becoming suspicious; the aforementioned file read like one would expect from a person who'd "kill for sport". Regardless, Plus was certain he'd be able to hold his own.

"Oh, hi," So, he teased, face smug, "You're the one who kept making all that noise in my brain! Well, here I am; better late than never, riiight? What do you want, then? An autograph?" He almost broke character to laugh. Fuck, maybe he should've rehearsed this.

"That would be lovely!" In turn, Alex guffawed. "But, I'm afraid I'm after something… More." He pointed at Plus. "You. A form with power as robust as yours? To die for!"

Ah, so it's the latter. Not surprising. Eyebrow quirked, Plus' stance held firm. "I suggest that you be careful with your choice of words! Wouldn't want to make a big mistake, you know!"

"Aw, how cute. I almost don't want it now," Alex bared his teeth. "Almost."

"In that case…" Plus pulled out his ruler, his tone shifting to a darker inflection. "I just want you to know how much time you wasted for me, bringing me all the way here for something as petty as that. Clearly, you don't know how to respect your elders!"

He elevated his PURPOSE, performing a motion resembling drawing a sword from his hip - except it was just his green ruler extending into his trusty yardstick.

Goddamn. It was taking every bit of him to keep composure. It was just so… So cool. The practice had paid off at last!

"Without me, you were nothing. But against me, you'll be nothing! I'm going to DESTROY you, Alex!"

Gripping his weapon tightly with both hands, he moved at top speed, getting the first strike on his opponent. Then the second, then the third. Alex's scythe swung in, but he managed to block. Both weapons pushed against the other, until Plus decided to abruptly pull back, unbalancing the demon. Grabbing on, he tossed him overhead, hard enough to crack open the ground underneath.

Alex charged, trying to disarm Plus, but he dodged the moves, waiting for an opening. With that chest cavity, most physical hits to the torso weren't going to fly. But anywhere else was free game.

Alex's putrid maw opened with a shrill yell that would've hurt anyone's ears. It was the one thing to make Plus flinch for a split second, but it was long enough. His yardstick went flying several dozen meters away. And with the opportunity, the demon was upon him, knocking Plus to the grass and dirt on his back, wanting to rip his polygonal limbs apart and feast on him alive.

The only thing Plus could think of in this predicament was using a different model, switching to the farmer. Immediately he equipped the pitchfork, using it to hold Alex at bay, while kicking at his legs. As soon as he had enough distance, he rotated it, causing Alex to be impaled on the forked end. Another scream was uttered, and yet this abomination kept attempting to slice at him.

He should just launch him into the earth, trap him there, and end this. That's all it'd take.

But instead he froze, the visage all too familiar. In Alex's place was C Baldi, quivering silently in agony, reaching out to him with his weak arms. His own ruler was barely clutched in his hand, as both it and his eyes reverted from green to their natural colors - yellow and blue respectively.

"No, wait… This isn't… You're not… You can't be…" Unable to move, he watched as his Certified duplicate suddenly grinned maniacally, rearing back to hit him with the ruler

Plus overheard a new noise, bringing him back to reality. The sound itself resembled a burst of wind. It was, in actuality, a swarm of pixels, coming at them both at breakneck speed. Within it was a pair of clusters that glowed a vibrant orange. It rammed into- Alex, not C Baldi - who was immediately tossed off of Plus some distance away, unimpaling him in the process. Plus took this chance to despawn the item, and get up to face the third party.

Only, it turned out to be a Dave. No, the same one from earlier. He was floating above the ground somehow. Seemingly paying Plus no mind, a large, also orange wrench appeared in his hand as he announced, "There you are, you vile creature!"

Alex rose again, then snickered. "Huh. Not even fire can kill you. Fine, then I'll just have to do it myself!" Well, shit. If Plus had known, he might've not been so hasty to leave when he did. The demon turned to him. "And don't worry, I'm not gonna forget about you! Stay right where you are."

There it was again, the coaxing tone, but this time with an edge of firmness. Of course C Baldi (who BETTER be okay!) would've fallen under a spell like that. But Plus? One would have to practically bellow it.

Alex went for Dave, trying to slash at him with his scythe, but he was managing to counter and dodge just about everything. And if not, the pixels would simply re-attach.

While this was going on, Plus sprinted away to collect his yardstick, then back again to attack the demon from behind. He saw Dave's eyes, and how they were glowing the same way as before.

Holy shit, he could elevate his PURPOSE? However… He clearly didn't have a lot of practice with it. Dave in this berserker state wasn't going to be in his favor for long. Hoo boy.

The two needed to regroup.

"What the Hell? Why were you able to resist me?!" Alex growled from the insolence. Plus ignored him, changing his model again, this time to the camper. He took out a few bear traps, tossing them somewhere. Then, as soon as he could, he gripped Alex by the throat, launching him right into them. Over the shriek of agony, he picked Dave up next, between the shoulder blades. He took to the air, distancing the both of them from their adversary.

He didn't know where to go, exactly. Some rooftop in the city area should do. Though, he noticed that Dave had turned his assault onto him, hitting and kicking, yelling nonsense and biting his arm. It would've been distracting, but in spite of the obvious effort and strain Dave was exhibiting, none of this hurt at all.

But he was able to, with Alex. Interesting…

He landed at his destination, reverting back to IMPEDE mode. "Dave. Can you hear me? Are you even aware of what you're doing right now?"

No acknowledgement. He sighed, and with his free hand, selected another bear trap, preparing to alter a few of its properties.

M, the Filename2 turned music teacher, came to mind. But Plus shook the thoughts away. Seriously, if he started thinking too hard about these things, he was just going to fall the fuck apart again. This was no time to have a meltdown!

Okay. With a more resolute headspace, his voice fell to a mutter. "Let's see, here… Teeth, false. Inhibit skills, true." Back to a normal volume. "Alright. This might sting a bit. It's nothing personal."

He pried Dave off of him, and he floated there. The moment Plus clamped the bear trap onto one of his legs, Dave froze with a gasp, eyes and wrench returning to normal. He promptly fell, yelping in shock.

"There, that's better," Plus nodded to himself. He took the time to scan through Dave's AI a little more, finding what he was looking for easily. "NURTURE. FLOURISH. That's a new combo."

"What… Where…? I…" Dave gathered himself and sat up. Then, his face grew mortified. He looked to see Plus, and promptly brought up his arms in defense. "Oh, oh gracious! I-…! I tried to hurt you! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to! Please don't kill me!"

Plus realized that he was still holding his ruler. Whoops. He tabbed it away immediately, as well as going back to his default model. Actually, perhaps it'd be easier to keep focus, if he stopped using the field trip ones entirely.

That sounded promising. No more switching.

"I'm not going to do that," He waited until Dave calmed down to add, "Also, was that your first time using your elevation?"

"My… What? I'm afraid I don't understand."

"You know, your PURPOSE, but on its higher level," It didn't help explain things. Plus "Hmm"ed in thought. "I take it you've never read your own code."

Yup, no idea what he was talking about.

Plus was suddenly punched in the side of the face, so hard that it threw him off the building, landing face up on the other side of the street. Wow. That one hurt. He was groaning as he worked to get up again, murmuring, "Of course it's when my guard is down."

Hah. He'd left a Baldi-shaped indent in the pavement.

"Dave! Thank God, there you are! Are you hurt? What did he do to you?" A new voice, masculine.

"Billy! You're alright! But this is a big misunderstanding! I'm fine!" Billy, then. The two must know each other. Come to think of it, that would explain why Dave was at that purple house…

"But he trapped you! Here, one second." Plus floated upwards, towards the roof.

"Uh… I actually don't know why he did that," He saw the man in teal release Dave from the bear trap. Then, the two hugged, like it'd been years. "But I promise, I'm okay. How're you… Here?"

"It's a long story. I'll tell you later," They pulled away, just as Plus landed. Noticing, Billy stood, shielding Dave. "You…! I don't understand. A blow like that should've knocked you unconscious, at least…"

"I forgive you for underestimating me," He replied, casually dusting himself off. "But rest assured, I'm not your enemy. Originally, I came here to find the other Baldi that's shown up, and take him home." He ignored the look of utter confusion on Billy's face. "However, I've just learned that a deranged idiot was the cause of bringing us both to this place. So now, I want to DESTROY him."

"It's true!" Dave tried again to vouch for him. After giving him a glance, Billy looked back at Plus.

"The 'deranged idiot' you speak of. Is it Alex?"

"You know him?"

"We… Both have a history." The tone was anything but positive.

"… Hm. Still, I'd recommend the both of you to stay out of it," Plus warned, frustration beginning to leak through, "This is some seriously dangerous stuff. Dave over here almost got himself killed, because he has no idea how to control his FLOURISH mode." He saw Dave grow sheepish. "That's what the bear trap was for - to snap him out of it. No offense, but you should leave the PURPOSE elevating to the professionals."

Despite the explanation, Billy turned to and brought Dave upright, supporting him under his arm. His tone was bewildered. "You… Fought Alex?"

"I had to! He made me…! He made me…" Something that Dave was struggling to admit. "Set your lab on fire…" There was a beat of silence. Ah, right. That made sense.

"So that's how it happened…" Billy's face had a dark streak to it, but not aimed at Dave. "Unforgivable."

"As if everything else he's done is…" In turn, Dave was sarcastic.

"That's true." Billy nodded, with a small grin.

Meanwhile, Plus observed the two, figuring out their methods of combat and skills. Both were at least somewhat atypical from their original forms; clearly, alterations were made along the way. Whether or not it was enough to stand against Alex effectively, however, was an entirely different concept.

But chances are, they weren't going to take "no" for an answer. Plus was honestly unsure of how he could go about this, in a way where it doesn't end in disaster.

"Say, uh," Dave piped up, at him, "I know you're new around here, but Alex has been an ongoing issue for a long time. Many of us have had to deal with him at some point. I appreciate you not wanting us to get hurt, but… We're no stranger to his antics, either."

Then that meant that this was indeed the same one. At the very least, it simplified things.

"And yet, he's still alive," He shook his head in disappointment. "Personally, a problem like this should've been nipped in the bud."

Dave opened his mouth, but closed it with a sigh. "I… I don't disagree."

"Listen, if you wish to join me in this endeavor, fine. But it's your funeral," There was no winning this, Plus knew. Neither responded, as he turned away, scanning around his vantage point. "Now, he couldn't have gone too far…" He spotted him. And… "What the fuck. There's two of them?! God, I really got my work cut out for me, huh?"

"Wait, no. That's…!" Billy tried to say, but Plus already flew off. Predictably, however, he was followed. It was a bit difficult to decipher his next words, but he managed. "His name is Aldurra! He's no threat to us! In fact… One could say that we all share a common enemy."

"Ha ha, incredible…" Plus chuckled while listening. "So even other Alexes hate him. Story of my life."

"… I doubt it's for the same reason." Dave added, most likely being carried. Well… Sure, but that didn't change the fact that Plus wasn't exactly considered a friend to the Certified dwellers. More like… A begrudging acquaintance.

These two seemed nice enough, though. But, just how long would they be able to tolerate him was the question.

"Yeah. You're right," He conceded, "Say, if we ever get the chance, maybe we could tell our tales. But I'll warn you: Mine's pretty crazy!"

"Learning about a Professor Baldi's life…" Plus couldn't see, but the tone from Billy allowed him to guess - his eyes were probably lighting up. "I… I will consider it."

"Oh please. Call me Plus!"

Aldurra knew Alex wasn't the culprit. If so, Denied may as well not exist anymore. Which was quite strange, since it would've been the best time for him to strike. Instead, he was distracted by something… Else, out here. Yet another ghost of his past? A new victim? Aldurra bet on the latter.

Whoever it was, they seemed quite strong. But even those could easily fall to someone like Alex.

His opponent sighed dramatically. "This is what I get. You were busy that day, and now I am. But oh well… I'll catch him again. Just gotta take care of you first. For good." The last statement was in a growl. Typical.

Aldurra kept on the attack, from the outskirts of the more populated area. He was so caught up in it that he almost didn't notice

"Oh! Sooner than I thought! He's coming to me! And it looks like he made a few friends too! My, he's social!" Aldurra was shoved aside, but didn't fall. He focused on them.

Billy. Dave (82). And the newbie. All three were flying right for them.

A blur of green passed by quickly, attacking Alex. "Didja miss me?!" That voice was absolutely unmistakable. A Baldi.

Motherfucking Professor Baldimore had entered the fray.

"Oh my God," The demon froze, jaw dropped. Which would've looked appalling. "No way." Now that he thought about it, what was with the glowing yardstick? How was he doing that?!

"I sure did!" Alex was cheeky, retaliating with his expected prowess. "I kinda wish you left that pile o' pixels be and not run away, though! Don't you have any manners?"

"Hey, shut the fuck up! He's nice!" A Baldi who swears? Is this for real?!

Close by, Aldurra heard Billy land, turning to see him and Dave, who brought out and got into his wheelchair. Bemused, the demon pointed over at the fighting OG and worst nemesis and asked, "Y'all seeing this shit? It's not just me, right?"

The other two were unfazed, both retrieving their weapons. Billy was the one to answer. "It is exactly what you think."

"Oh! Oh good! Now, uh," The demon paused. "Do we… Join in? Looks like he might got this handled. And that's really saying something."

"Maybe, but… We can't be too sure," Dave replied this time, "Besides, I think each of us have a bone to pick with him." By proxy, Aldurra guessed.

The three of them heard a new sound in the struggle. Alex managed to catch Baldi's yardstick, throwing him back a few meters - and right into them. The resulting impact made all of them topple down like bowling pins.

"Indeed, you do! This is perfect…" Their enemy butted in, selecting an item that Aldurra couldn't quite recognize. "You're all in one place. This should be fun…!" Using it, everything went black.

"Uh…!" Candice uttered, filled with shock.

"What's up, Princi- Oh," Olivia went to ask, then noticed the sudden change of the room. "Well fuck. How'd he do that?"

"Is Billy… Magic?" 119 inquired, "Or is he so well-made that he can teleport?"

"And leave poor ol' 'didysis broli' behind, after having a freakout just to get in here?" The skeletal goth was shrugging, nonchalantly. "Doesn't really align."

Candice investigated the chair he had used, able to sense a hint of residue. It was producing a dark, dark aura. She picked it up. "Olivia! Go and incinerate it!"

"Isn't that a little extreme…?!" 119 piped up again, in disbelief. Maybe he couldn't feel it from this distance, but if nothing was done, the presence would surely spread. Such things were not permitted here.

Olivia took the chair. "Whoaaa, shit. No, she's got a point. This thing's like, cursed now. Yeah, I'll be back."

"Thank you," The fairy nodded, then saw the look on 119's face. "Don't worry, everything will be okay!" After the morning he's had so far, she didn't have the heart to tell him. How an entity summoned Billy elsewhere.

And that only one person could leave behind a trace that unholy.

More info:

- 1 calling Denied an "invertebrate" was just a fancy way of saying "spineless"
- The chapter's title, as well as a certain point of his spiel, is inspired by an old Homestuck fansong by PhemieC, called "An Apology"
- After this, the THRIVE members indeed got rid of their pendants, and less publicly, have left the Initiative
- The ones pondering over one of Billy's downed selves were 88 and 77, but Billy didn't know that
- 119 knew of Candice through Denied. And was able to get past his fear of Olivia (and by extension, Aldurra)

- Billy's house is… Well. Fixing that thing up will take a while

- The idea of fighting it out with Billy died for Aldurra the second he saw how he was holding up. It was like looking into a mirror of his own past. Thus, it was more important to settle him down
- Candice was alone when she awoke from death, so it's nice that Denied's circumstances are the opposite. Even if, for a moment, there was the incited wrath where Billy is concerned
- Olivia has picked up a few phrases, including Lithuanian swears

- Deep down, Plus wouldn't mind getting to know these guys better. "Tell our tales" wasn't just a polite and weightless suggestion
- And what a crazy story he has…
- Also, it flummoxes him how little they're aware of their meta existences

- Dave's full PURPOSE is finally revealed! NURTURE, to FLOURISH
- NURTURE is also the default
- If severed parts of him are close enough, they can re-attach with little issue. If not, well…

- Alex's plans are as fluid as water itself. Changing and evolving on the fly to suit his ultimate goals. If you remember the abilities listed on the wiki, one in particular might reveal what he's just done
- And, what will come next…