Chaos and Corruption (Jeff the Killer Fanfic)

57. A parting gift

Jeff

After everything settled in and Snow explained what had transpired between the two of them I scooped Ann's tiny body into my arms, cradling her as we walked through the building while Snow dashed ahead and further into the halls. When she returned she had Rake's pale figure in her own grasp, barely bigger than Ann and dead as a door nail.

"He jumped in to get her off me," she sniffled, "Rouge broke the window behind her and yanked her through. She's out back missing her brain and about half her skull."

"Sounds about fuckin' right—" I started before I heard the radio.

"Come in, everyone fucking come in, it's over! Nina, Jeff, are you okay?!"

"We're alright, uh...maybe not everyone," I sighed into the radio, the three of us visibly relaxing. We did it.

"Nina?!" Thomas shouted at the top of his lungs and I froze, glancing to Snow as panic flooded her eyes, "Nina answer me right fucking now!"

"Nina...?!" I spoke into the radio and a cold chill swept through me.

"Get to the school! Now!"

"Oh my God, she has to be okay," Chelsea started running, Snow and I both hot on her heels even with bodies in our arms.

The fog was starting to clear and with it we made our way across town in record time, skidding into the school parking lot and running straight for the back. The kids all stood there with nothing but confusion on their faces but they were alright for the most part, at least until they saw who I was carrying and Tanis's hands clapped to cover her mouth while Toby took her from me.

"T-Tom and Habit just t-tore through here," he prompted me, "Kate got d-dragged into the trails and Nina went after, Pierce, Vlad, go with th-them!"

They both nodded and we leapt through the bushes onto the dark trail, Chelsea's fire illuminating the path ahead as Snow pulled into the lead. I could hear shouting and familiar voices, stopping short of a clearing when I saw a body on the ground. My heart shuddered and bile rose in the back of my throat when I realized it was Kate, letting Chelsea handle it while I jumped and found Nina clinging to her cousin.

"Baby what happened?!" She asked, fussing over her just like she always did to me.

"I— I came in here to get Kate," she sniffled, "she was different. She couldn't control herself and she told me to kill her."

"Rouge—?" I snapped, looking over my shoulder only to realize there was another body. One look at the woman and I knew what had happened, choking back my own tears while I pulled Nina into my lap.

"She saved me," she whispered shakily, "o-or...she tried to..."

"Operator was taunting us, said her heart stopped ten seconds before I ripped his throat out," Thomas heaved, his entire front side covered with black blood, "Habit healed her injuries and I managed to get her heart going again."

"Thank you," Kitty whimpered as she hugged him and he gladly wrapped her in his arms.

"Well, she definitely kept you from getting torn to shreds at least," Habit sighed as he put a hand on Rouge's chest, "you did good, mama coyote. You did real good."

Pierce and Vlad both bowled Nina over as she got to her feet, Pierce's fussing reminding me all too much of Snow before she clapped his cheeks in her hands and planted a kiss on him. Once all was said and done I was the one to carry Kate out, walking beside Thomas while he cradled Rouge and joining Toby and Tanis again. They'd lain Ann's body in the grass and I did the same with Kate, tears washing town Toby's cheeks as he looked between all three women. They were his family long before they were mine. He pulled his gloves off for once and I saw scarred fingers missing chunks of skin as he ran a hand over Kate's head.