Now You'll Pay The Price

Who's Going To Stop You?

Zacharie had gone back and forth a couple of days, switching back and forth from his cat mask and frog mask. He had decided to do his own thing while The Batter was out and about, purifying the zone. And The Batter didn't exactly need much, so he wasn't bothered. It was nice to be alone for a little while.

The dark-haired male sighs as he walks along the halls of the smoke factory, occasionally walking by an Elsen ever so often that was going on about being scared and how there was no order. They were all crazy. But, Zacharie didn't mind. He never did. Honestly, he'd wish to speak with them more than anyone else within the Zone's. Oh, well, no, thats a lie. He'd much rather speak to Pablo. Pablo was a good friend, so why not? He would need a good talking to anyway, after his dear baby brother Valerie was met with an unfortunate fate. It actually sounded like an excellent idea! And Zacharie would chat with him, if his cat friend had tagged along, that is. The poor fellow was probably still atop of that building, meowing his little lungs out for his brother. His brother whom would never reply. It was sad, worrisome even.

Zacharie felt awful. Honestly, he wished he could take it back. Take back what The Batter had done. The Batter had killed Val- No, it was not his fault. The Batter was only doing what was right. He had killed the Zones guardian, Japhet, through Pablo's brother, Valerie. 

What good that did.

Zacharie sighs softly, shaking his head. What was he thinking? The Batter was his friend, and he was only trying to protect those through the Zones by purifying the land. Purifying the land through blood, tears, and filling everyone with deep dread and regret. Regret that they even existed in the same mortal plane as this- this crazy man.

And Zacharie couldn't do anything to help. 

Nothing at all.

---

The blonde had found himself back to his cat-masked friend again, and this time he came baring an item. An item with value. 

"Ohoho! But what do we have here? Wouldn't that be a music box?" 

His voice came out soft, a slight frown on his lips behind his mask that covers his entire face. 

"I must admit that this object interests me highly. To possess it is a desire very close to my heart. Would you agree to entrust it to me in exchange for a valuable clue?"

His expression had changed, turning into a smile as The Batter agreed with him. 

"Ahaha! Beautiful, beautiful. This is a smoothly conducted business."

"Now, open your ears widely and ten attentively to this welcome advice of mine."

The Batter stayed silent, his eyes looking at Zacharie with disinterest. This may have made the darker haired male a bit disappointed. 

"In your game folder, your browser will-" The Batter had cut him off, pressing his bat against his chest, where the heart on his shirt was situated in the center. The clue-giver seemed a bit confused at first and he raises a hand, grabbing at the bat. "Dear friend, what are yo-" Once again, he was cut off, but this time, by a voice. "Shut up already." The Batter hisses. And that hiss, made Zacharie's eyes go wide. Without a moments hesitation, he had done just that. He had shut up. 

"Keep it." He says, obviously trying to calm himself. "I don't need one of your damn clues anyway," He begins to pull his bat away, before nearly taking off, only to have his wrist grabbed by the masked man. "Wait!" Zacharie interrupts, making The Batter halt. "I can go ahead and tell you, amigo, if you don't feel like-" "Feel like getting a reminder almost every second about how this is "just a game"?" 

And he sighed. He actually sighed. The usually-stoic Batter, sighed. "Of course." Zacharie spoke, his voice once again returning to its soft tone. 

"Then tell me." 

This was the most words that The Batter had ever said to him. He was actually talking. Not just saying one word with no real meaning, but he was talking. Saying full sentences. "It is a cheat, my friend. A simple cheat to what, I will not tell you, but it is in this general area." The Batter gives an impatient look and Zacharie swallows dryly. "Down, Left, Up, Right, Z, J, B, D, B, Start." 

The Batters expression then twisted into one of confusion. "It's a code. On a remote control." Zacharie elaborated, still refusing to give off the actual location of the said remote control. The Batter only sighed, jerking his wrist from Zacharie. 

"I'll see you again after the guardian is purified."

"Of course. Au revoir, mon ami."

With that, The Batter was gone again, with promises that he would "purify" the Zones guardian. Purify. Zacharie had came to hate that word so much. Why would The Batter only say it? He knew it as well as Zacharie did. It wasn't purifying. Purifying would mean getting rid of all those bad, not kill those innocent.

"Who's going to stop you, vous monstre?"