Crowned

Arc 2, Chapter 50: Unexpected Guests.

TW: GORE, DEATH.

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Nickel turned his head around and looked up through the window above the bed, and saw a shadow creature staring straight at him. Wasn't this place only seen by people are exposed to revival or knew about it?! How did one of those THINGS know about it? Nickel didn't even know if they counted as sentient beings.

Cobs could've told them... Does that mean Cobs is here?! He snapped out of his train of thought as it crashed through the window. Trying to pounce at Balloon. Nickel summoned his claws and pushed Balloon away, who yelped as he hit the ground.

Balloon gasped as he saw the beast which had been staring at him with beady purple eyes. He scrambled up from the ground, clutching his arm that had been cut from the glass, and yelping as glass shards sliced his feet from beneath him.

Nickel growled at the beast before him, and swiped at him with his claws. He watched the cluster of shadow recoil in pain momentarily, before it pounced again. Nickel had to retreat causing him to fall from the bed, and stumble from the ground towards the door bursting out of it alongside Balloon as the beast behind them screeched at them during its pursuit.

Nickel dodged out of the way of many swings and scratch attempts that the creature tried to take, trying to help Balloon keep ahead of him.

Balloon bit his lip as he ran through his pain. Sure, the wounds he previously had were nearly fully healed. But his feet were scratched up from the glass, running on them wasn't exactly pleasant.

The two of them rushed past hallways, and any objects residing inside of them jumped at the sight and began to run too. Trying to get away from the massive unrelenting beast.

The two boys crashed down the stairs many running behind them. People at the bottom on the main hall jump and point. Paper stumbled, taken aback by the monster. Where was Looseleaf when you needed him?!

Paper had no idea how to fight, and they all had no where to go. He tried to usher everyone outside, figuring the government, if they were there, would go after the massive beast before them. Objects scrambled outside Balloon and Nickel included in the bunch.

Nickel scrambled back, his eyes sparked a bright purple and he yelled as he swiped his claws at the beast again. Some of the objects from within the mansion that hadn't noticed the chaos prior ran to the windows to look.

OJ glanced out the window and saw the chaos beyond it. His eyes fell on Paper, and he jumped up in a panic to protect him.

OJ slammed the door open, letting water for around his hand as he punched the beast, watching it fly towards the forest. He glanced to Paper, then Nickel, who breathed a sigh of relief.

Balloon tried to clamber up from the ground, but yelped, his injuries making his knees buckle. Which caused him to collapse again. "A—Agh—...!" He cried as his legs gave out on him.

Nickel gasped and ran to his aid. "A-are you alright...?!" He muttered, helping Balloon sit up.

"Y-yeah I..I think so..." He whispered in a scared tone, resting an arm on Nickel as he tried to steadily sit up.

OJ huffed and ran up to Paper, placing his hands on the other man's shoulders and checking him over for injuries. He sighed with relief as he found his beloved husband was unharmed. "What HAPPENED?!" OJ muttered as he glanced out at the sea of objects.

"N-Nickel and Balloon just came running down the stairs with that— THING behind them! I don't know!" He frowned, looking off towards the two boys.

"Yeah it just... Came out of nowhere..." Paintbrush murmured from next to Lightbulb in the crowd. Glaring worriedly ahead.