Why won't you save me? (Book 2 of the Misguided Killer Series)

Chapter Fourteen: Sacrificial

'This could have gone better,' Jeff thought to himself as he dodged another strike. Liu's pipe posed little threat to him, but he still found it irritating as the metal object slammed into him from time to time. Hoodie had passed on the message of Slenderman's intent, and they'd all agreed that the best course of action would be to just hold out until the elder Creepypasta succeeded. 'But will it work?' Jeff wasn't so sure, but there was no better plan.

He was snapped from his thoughts as Liu struck him in the head. He stumbled back, blinking spots from his vision. Liu struck again while he was dazed, knocking his knife from his hand. "Son of a bitch," he hissed, shaking his hand. The skin on his wrist was already beginning to bruise. 'He's certainly still a pain in the butt. I wonder if knocking him out would be more effective.'

Liu lunged at him as the thought flickered into his head, knocking him to the ground. He swore, struggling as his brother sat on his waist, pinning his legs with his own. "Fuck off already Liu!" he snarled. The other male seemed unperturbed, sinister grin on his face. He reached out, frigid fingers clamping around his younger brother's neck. Jeff struggled, all too aware that this sort of thing couldn't exactly kill him. Yet that didn't make it comfortable. His vision darkened, and he fought to get air into his now aching lungs. His eyes fluttered shut while his mind fought to stay conscious. The moment he did, he felt the fingers gripping his neck twitch, suddenly hesitant.

He opened his dark eyes, meeting a pair of guilty emerald. Liu's face read hesitation and restraint, yet he was still gripping Jeff's neck tightly. The killer, pried them up enough to choke in a bit of air, rasping out his brother's name. Liu jolted, eyes widening. yet he seemed pained in his struggle. 'I get it now,' he said, 'how to break through a bit. You're still in there but you're hurting. I get how to set you free.' Jeff sighed, unable to fight when Liu's grip returned. He chuckled dryly, the sound barely a noise and more of a choking sound. 'It's different. Zalgo's control on you is different.' His arms fell limp, his last bit of air squeezing from his lungs. 'Good luck Liu. Let this free you somehow.' Blackness met him, and he went with it easily.

<><><><>

'Just keep moving,' Ben told himself as he glitched in and out of reality around Jack. The cannibal was moving erratically, and his mask had fallen off long ago. His face was turned into a snarl, claws flashing whenever Ben was even in his line of sight. The occasional jolt kept him in check, but Ben found himself tiring, his shocks becoming less effective against the angered cannibal. Or maybe Jack was simply becoming more resistant. Ben wasn't entirely sure.

He glanced up, watching Jeff's struggle with his brother. The killer went limp, chest still. He froze, debating whether to go assist when Liu suddenly let go. The elder Woods brother looked horrified, eyes wide and tearful. Jeff remained still, despite the fact that he should have at least started breathing again. His blood ran cold. 'He couldn't actually be dead could he?' Ben wondered. Zalgo's barrier hung ominously overhead, reminding him that the rules he normally played by were not necessarily still in play. 'I should go shock him back to life.'

He was stopped as Jack slashed at him. He hissed as claws tore the skin on his arm and he let the electricity fly. "Sorry Jack," he said, "But you shouldn't have done that." He forced the electricity forward, waiting for Jack to crumble. The cannibal jerked and finally fell. Ben breathed out, releasing his energy. 'He'll understand. I had to.'

As he turned away he realized that the cannibal wasn't moving. He'd fallen onto his side, and his chest was still. Ben knelt down, hands shaking as he reached for the cannibal's neck. His fingers pressed into the skin, searching for a pulse. He found none. 'No way,' he thought, hand dropping back to his side. Black liquid dripped from his eyes, staining his cheeks. 'I can't have...killed him right...?' His sobs overtook him as he curled into himself, shaking.

His cries echoed into the air, coupled by violent bursts of electricity. 'It's over,' he thought miserably, 'Zalgo said there could only be one winner for each pair. He was right.'

<><><><>

'Have they gotten faster or am I getting slower?' Hoodie grunted as he rolled away from Toby, the boy's hatchet slamming into the ground with a wet sound. He was panting, tiring while his fellow proxies seemed no worse for wear. Masky had already slashed his cheek, and Toby kept aiming directly for his head with every well aimed blow. It was only due to his training with them that he escaped damage.

He heard Ben's shout and jolted, looking over in concern. He heard the movement before he saw it, ducking as Toby's hatchets whistled toward him. He huffed out a strained breath before a sound met his ears. It was a soft gasp, pained sounding. he blinked and something dripped onto his hoodie. He glanced at it, eyes widening under his mask at the sight of blood.

Toby pulled his hatchet back, the edge smeared with crimson. Panic flooded through him. 'Who did he hit?!' He stood whirled around, a small gasp escaping his mouth without consent. Masky was standing before him, trembling slightly. His mask had been knocked off, a small cut on his face suggesting that Toby had done so with his swing. His eyes trailed down to the second, much serious wound.

Toby's second hatchet had lodged in Masky's side. The wound had ripped towards his stomach when Toby yanked it out, and blood was quickly spilling onto the grass. His blue eyes were wide, meeting Hoodie's gaze.

"B-Brian?" he asked, clearly confused. His eyes rolled back, his form pitching forward. Hoodie caught him, falling under his weight.

"Nonono," he said quickly, rolling the man over, "Masky?" He got no response. Masky's eyes were closed, breath almost nonexistent. "Masky please..." Still no reply. The other man's form was limp and heavy in his hands. Dead-weight. "Tim!"

The sound of movement made him release Masky's form, standing and whipping around as his gun slid into his hand. He fired twice without even focusing, his brain fogged up with the need to get revenge. When he focused, Toby stood before him, eyes wide beneath his goggles. The hatchets slipped from his hands as two flowers of blood bloomed across his chest. The younger proxy looked up at him before tumbling onto the grass. Hoodie stood frozen, heart pounding.

'You're alone,' his mind supplied. The gun fell from his numb fingers, his body sliding to its knees. He cradled his head in his hand, crying beneath his mask as his world fell apart.

<><><><>

Slenderman sighed as he slammed the demon into the ground. Zalgo was gasping, fragments of himself fading into shadows. "Are you happy?" the demon asked, coughing. Slenderman slipped most of tentacles away, leaving only the ones holding the demon down.

"Very," he retorted. 'He's dying. If he's right, then he'll reform eventually. But no time soon. We'll be ready for him.' Zalgo's laughing caught his attention. One chunk of his face was missing, a single ruby eye staring up at him. "What're you laughing at?" he asked. Zalgo smirked.

"You think you've won don't you?" he asked, "That you've saved all your precious humans! You haven't. Not by a long shot." Slenderman felt a knot form in his stomach.

"What are you talking about?" he asked. Zalgo huffed, trying to catch his breath.

"Go and see," he said, "but I assure you...you won't like what you find. You think I've lost, but I've succeeded in what I wanted."

"And what would that be?" he asked. Zalgo's grin widened.

"I've taken away everything you loved," the demon hissed, "All of it." He burst into shadows, leaving Slenderman feeling slightly disturbed. The dome over them began to break apart, moonlight filtering through the trees. It was then that he reached out for his proxies, searching for a report.

He felt only one proxy, and no report ever came.