Universal Inconstants

Chapter 20

Craig was the first inside the hospital as their rescue mission commenced, completely shattering the doors and the lamp that Kyle had used to hold them shut and plowing through the swarm of crab people that resided inside. Analiza and Kenny quickly followed, relentlessly fighting back against the crustaceans. 

Still yet, however, it was difficult to get through the main room to the stairs. The fight raged on, and frustrated, Craig picked up one of the chairs in the waiting room and full on chucked it, hitting one of the crab people directly in the head and knocking them out. He yanked another one off the ground and threw it as hard as he could at the crab person blocking the entrance to the stairs. 

Despite the chair being a hard plastic, it shattered and splintered off into pieces, metal supports flying off as the crab person completely collapsed. The heroes rushed to the staircase and burst through, rushing up the stairs and throwing crab people over the railings without mercy. They reached the sixth floor and forced the door open, a mind controlled doctor on the other side of it getting smacked the fuck away as the group rushed forward to save their friends. There was only one door left closed, the one door that was crowded by a sea of crabs and people alike as they tried to get in. 

They rushed forward.

Kyle held the door shut, struggling to keep it closed. It very slightly popped open every once in a while, and he would use all his strength to push it back closed. Stan had tried to help, but Kyle told him not to. He wasn't about to make his best friend use up the strength he'd been gathering the past few days. 

Kyle breathed heavily as he stubbornly pushed on the door.

Suddenly the clamoring behind the door quieted, although still loud. Pressure was taken off Kyle's shoulders as the three outside forced the creatures away long enough for Kyle to move away from the door in surprise, and for Kenny to burst into the room, loudly shouting, "howdy bitches!!"

Needless to say, Stan and Kyle nearly jumped out of their skin and Kenny received a harsh punch to the face. 

Kyle quickly apologized, only for Kenny to quickly reassure him before hurrying out of the room. Analiza and Craig held back the creatures as Kenny rushed forward, shoving crab people away from the door to the stairs. 

Kyle ran through first, pushing crab people over the railings as the other heroes had before, and Stan followed. Once everyone was in the stairwell they fought their way back out. It was easier going out than it was coming in... but as they reached the parking lot they realized that there was no way of escape.

Reinforcements had been called in to help take down the Freedom Pals, and distant crab people rushed toward the hospital, surrounding the parking lot and closing in quickly. 

There was no way they were running out of this and still surviving.

Kenny quickly got in contact with Tolkien. "What's your status?" He asked, direct and to the point.

"The location of the central power source is located underground in a cavern near Mephesto's Lab," Tolkien quickly responded. "I'm trying to access the technology to determine a kill code but it might take a while."

Kenny nodded. "Good. Means we have a chance to stop the crabbening," Kenny said, dramatically. 

Everyone went silent and stared at him.

Tolkien's simple response was, "what the fuck?" Kenny just cleared his throat and ended the call, before surveying the enemy force. It was then he got an idea.

"Get in the bed!" Kenny yelled, pointing to and charging toward a nearby red rust covered truck. Craig, Analiza, Stan, and Kyle did as he said, throwing themselves into the bed of the truck without hesitation.

Kenny, on the other hand, ran right up to the window and threw his elbow at the glass, shattering it and quickly moving his hand in to unlock the door. He threw himself inside the truck, ignoring the sting of the shards that shoved themselves into his skin as he sat. He used his knowledge of electronics and bent down, working to hot-wire the vehicle. 

The horde pressed on. 

He successfully hot-wired the truck within a few seconds and the engine jumpstarted. The crab people swarmed, only a few hundred feet away from the Freedom Pals at this point. And then, Kenny hit the gas and the car flung forward, charging directly into multiple crab people while the ones who were further away moved themselves out of the way of the car. They flew through town as fast as possible, yet the crabs swarmed still. 

It was like a sea of crustaceans piling up behind them, waves of crab claws reaching out and nicking the vehicle. 

Craig and Analiza tried to push and shove them off, but they kept coming.

They kept coming.

And Kyle knew what he had to do as they nearly snatched Stan out from the truck bed. 

Quickly he grabbed Craig's wrist and moved the taller's hand to rest on Stan's shoulder while Analiza continued to swing at the crab people behind them, and both their expressions shifted into confusion.

Kyle took in a deep breath. "Stan... I'm sorry. I knew something was wrong. I knew you were hurting. But I just let you lie to me. So please... survive this, stop the apocalypse, save the world... but just remember me, okay? I don't know what's going to happen, but as long as you're safe it'll be okay," he said, tears streaming softly from his eyes.

Stan shook his head, confused and vastly worried. "Kyle, wh-what's happening? What is going on? What do you mean?" He frantically asked.

Kyle didn't respond, only stood up and stared down the sea of hard shelled creatures before them. "... Remember me," he repeated.

And then, he threw himself off the truck. The creatures instantly latched onto him, leaving the truck alone just long enough for them to get away.

Kenny watched in the mirror as one of his best friends threw himself into the sea. "No! Kyle!" He yelled, accidentally swerving the car slightly as he panicked. 

Craig didn't know how to react. He just stared silently where Kyle had disappeared into the crowd.

But Stan screamed Kyle's name. He cried and yelled and reached and tried to jump off after him but Craig's grip on his shoulder tightened, and he held him back. "KYLE!!!" He screamed.

"KYLE NO!!" He struggled to get out of Craig's grasp but the other kept a firm hold. "LET GO!! FUCKING LET GO!!! KYLE!!"

But Kyle was gone. 

Stan sat back and just stared when he realized it. 

The last few minutes of the ride continued in dead silence. No one knew what to say, or even wanted to say anything at all.

The moment Kenny hit the brakes and the car was stopped, they bailed. Craig had to practically drag Stan inside Tolkien's house; he was too upset to move or think for himself. The four of them made it inside and rushed down to the basement, rejoining the others. 

Everyone was here now.

Aside from Jimmy.

Aside from Kyle.

And aside from Tweek.

Craig looked around quickly, trying to spot the frizzy haired boy but to no avail. Worry filled his eyes, and before anyone could protest, he rushed out wordlessly.