No Strings- An ErrorInk Fic

Chapter 19- Just Act Like Nothing Happened

Narrator's POV

School the following week was all the same. Nobody had noticed if anything had changed. Ink and Error would separate themselves from each other, Ink with Blue and Dream, and Error with Fell, so nobody questioned anything. But when they were alone, things were totally different. Always having to stay after school to wait for their friends that were at their Student Council meeting, they'd just hang out in the library, doing homework and talking. Getting to know each other. The library was quiet place, one that was normally empty after school. So it was a good place to meet. The teachers didn't mind.
"Ink?"
"Yeah?"
"What exactly... what exactly did Swapfell tell you?"
Ink seemed to pause, thinking. "He just mentioned the suspicious way my friends were acting. Then he told me he could be my friend and comfort me. In my quick thinking, I accepted his friendship, not knowing they were lies." He looked down at his feet. Error took his hand to comfort him. "It's okay... it's alright... We're all better now."
"But the thing is," Ink continued. "Is that Swapfell hasn't even tried to approach me since then. He hasn't talked to me about it or tried to persuade me otherwise. But even then, I knew I wouldn't believe him."
"Why not?"
The two jolted their head upright to see the owner of the voice who had interrupted their conversation.
It was Swapfell.
"Would you look at that..." Swapfell slurred lullingly, eying the two skeletons in front of him. Their hands were closed around each other in fright. "Glitch boy got himself a boyfriend..."
"What do you want, Swapfell?" Error growled, not letting go of Ink's hand like Ink had expected. He held it tighter, staring straight into Swapfell's eyes with anger.
"Sorry, Glitch, but I'm here for Him," he said, looking right at Ink, who shied away at the forcefulness of the phrase.
Error continued to keep him close. "You're not going anywhere with him! He wants nothing to do with you!"
"Awww..." Swapfell said, feigning sadness. "But what about his promise? You had nothing to do with that. Ink? Our friendship? Doesn't it mean anything to you?"
"It was fake!" Ink said, speaking up with all the courage he could muster. "You were lying, our friendship was built on lies! You just wanted me to yourself!"
Swapfell laughed. "Well, I'm sure you knew that was true." His eyes were slits as he stared straight at Ink. "But but I didn't lie to you, Ink."
"No!" Ink said again, standing up. "You were lying! Blue and Dream held true friendship, and all you did was try to rip it apart!"
"I was there for you when your so-called friends weren't. Does that not mean anything to you? Or are you as heartless as your boyfriend Error?"
"He's not heartless! If anyone here would be heartless, it would be you, you rotten piece of scum!"
It was silent.
Ink closed his eyes for a second, then looked at Error. He signaled that they should go, pointing at the clock at the back of the room. The Student Council meeting would end soon. Error nodded.
And they got up and left.
Swapfell did not stop them. He just glared at them as they passed, and once he knew they were gone, he took out his phone and dialed a number into it.
"You'll regret this."

Error's POV

The next morning, Saturday, I got a text from an unknown number.

??: I want you to meet me in the warehouse down the road.
Me: Why? Who is this?
??: You'll know me when you see me. I want to show you something.

I was skeptical at first, and I didn't know what this was about. I tried texting Ink.
Me: Ink? Are you there?
Me: Where are you?
Me: ...I'm going to your house.
When I couldn't find Ink, I tried Fell.
Me: Hey Fell?
Fell: Yeah?
Me: Have you seen Ink at all today? He's not home or answering my texts.
Fell: No. Blue is over here, but he hasn't seen Ink since this morning.
Fell: Do you want us to to come and help you look for him?
Me: Nah, I think I'll be fine.
Me: But I did receive an anonymous text telling me to meet at the old warehouse down the street.
Fell: Okay, now I'm definitely coming to help. We'll be there in five.
Error: Not waiting for you.
As I made my way down the road, I had an uneasy feeling in my stomach. I felt like I know that this mysterious sender was bad news. Just a minute and a half after I texted Fell, they sent another text.
??: I think it's something that you'll love.
Okay, questionable. I didn't understand, and I didn't want to go, but my curiosity was pushing me to continue.

~time skip brought to you by the mysterious texts~

Now in the strange building, I looked around for the mystery person.
What am I doing? I suddenly thought. I'm doing something really stupid. I'm not very well known for making stupid decisions, like meeting a mysterious person in a dark warehouse. I should leave.
But before I got a chance to turn around, I heard a really loud scraping sound. I cringed at the horrific sound coming from the near hallway.
I have a bad feeling about this.
I had to strain my eyes to try and see through the darkness. It was a dark figure.
But I knew who I was.

I saw the small glint of light reflect off of the knife in the figure's hand.
"What do you want, Horror?" I said defensively.
"I wanted my promised revenge." He said with a conniving grin. "In return, I was a distraction."
Distraction?
Oh no.
"Where is he!?" I roared at him. "Where's Ink!?"
I charged right at him and attacked him. He was fast, but I was faster. And although I didn't hit him, he couldn't hit me either. I dodged his attempts to hit me, only to feel the slice in the air beside me.
"Horror! What did you do to him? Where is he?" I yelled, mid-attack.
"You know, we used to be really good at chess." Horror replied.
What?
You remember those days, Error? You always beat me. We were the Kings of the chess club. And now, we're kings of our schools. Or, at least I am." He laughed.
"Where are you going with this?" I asked, skeptical of his ideas.
"What I'm saying is, we both used to be kings. Top of the hill, leaders."
"And now?"
When he stopped, I couldn't help but stare. What was he going to do?
"You're just a pawn."
Suddenly I felt bitter, cold metal hit the back of my skull. My vision now blurred, could barely see Horror now. But I saw another skeleton come into view.
Swapfell, holding a metal pipe.
I was still standing.
But not for much longer.
I fell to the ground, the light of my vision fading.

"Have you heard of the saying, 'curiosity killed the cat'?"

I could feel my consciousness slipping away from me.

"You're the cat."