Take The Dead To Faraway (old, read the rebooted version)

by fellow_existor256

Summary:

Omori is about to jump off the hospital building. But he gets interrupted by a ghost girl who's been kicked out of the afterlife because the reality breaking monsters she 'allegedly' used for soul gathering escaped containment.

Thus, in order to get the ghost girl to show him where a hospital that can bring back the dead is, Omori decides to start a monster hunting group.

(omori and friends take on the sjsm specimens)

(this is now dead. read the reboot.)

Notes:

the fic you're reading is an archive of the old take the dead to faraway. it is now being rewritten. you can find it here:
https://archiveofourown.org/works/71321401

Chapter 1: The Gap In The Railing

Sunny Omori

 

I stand at the edge of the roof. I’m surprised that they have a broken railing there.

 

“Uh, hi.”

 

 Maybe they made an error when building the roof. Or maybe they missed it intentionally. Maybe they missed the gap in the railing so people like me who don’t deserve life can jump down freely. Either way, it doesn’t matter.

 

“Hellooo?”

 

I’m sure BASIL will tell them the truth anyway so they don’t have to feel guilty about the death of such a worthless monster. They will know, like I do, that SUNNY doesn’t deserve to live when she can't. And he’s not even strong enough to do it himself. So I guess it’s my job to do it. 

 

It’s a long way down. I prepare to jump.

 

“Hey!”

 

If it was anyone else, that would be a stupid thing to do, just blurting out something in the middle of nowhere. If it was BASIL here, he would’ve jumped out of his skin and then off the building. It’s not like he wouldn’t deserve it, to be fair. If it was SUNNY, he’d probably jump out of shock. But as much as I hate to delay giving SUNNY the death he so clearly deserves, I turn around. And whilst SUNNY wouldn’t be able to tell the difference, I know what’s real and what’s fake. Which makes me very confused as to why a blue haired ghost girl I don’t recognize is floating right behind me.

 

“Finally, you respond.”

She clears her throat. 

 

“Hello. I am Spooky. And, uh, I’m here, I guess.”

 

SPOOKY seems to be waiting for me to respond in some way. Sadly, I’m not a talkative person. 

 

She eventually realizes that she’s probably going to be waiting a while if she doesn’t talk, and so she continues.

 

“Really? Nothing? You’re not wondering why there’s a ghost here? I don’t just appear to anyone, you know! Well, I don’t think I do. I don’t know, honestly. But you’re just gonna stand there?”

 

I don’t even bother nodding. I have a roof to jump off, after all, ghost girl or not.

 

“Fine, I’ll cut to the chase. Uh, please don’t jump off yet, I need you for something.”

 

I guess I can hear her out. I move slightly away from the edge. I can always kill SUNNY later after I’ve helped her out. 

 

“Thanks. So, uh, I don’t think I’m supposed to be here?”

 

I stare at her.

 

“I mean, like, here, as in, the actual world. I mean, I don’t really know. I think I got told by someone that my soul gathering operation I apparently had was a bit too destructive and I needed to get these ‘specimens’ back from wherever they were? Since they’ve been roaming around and that’s apparently not good? I think I remember that maybe as part of a mansion I had, but I also remember a hospital. Karamari Hospital, it was, I think? So I want your help!”

 

I don’t quite understand how any of that is something a probably depressed 16 year old who killed his sister is needed for, but I’ve got time to kill, and then I’ve got myself to kill. So I gesture for her to go on.

 

“I need your help collecting the specimen thingys and returning them to that mansion or something since, I mean, I’m not allowed back in the afterlife anymore, so I might as well live with buddies I apparently had! I’ll probably remember as I see them? I don’t, don’t really know, but it’s worth a try, right? And you’re just kinda the first person I saw. So, whadda ya say? Oh, and the hospital that was under the mansion, I remember this much, brings people back from the dead.”

 

I’m suddenly paying a lot more attention. 

 

“At least, in ghost form, like me.”

 

Still something. Because if I bring MARI back, it can fix everything. It’s the only way to fix anything. HERO gets to be with his girlfriend again, AUBREY gets a safe space again, BASIL can redeem himself, KEL gets a friend too, and people who don’t know her benefit as well. And SUNNY gets his sister again. Which means I can postpone the suicide and dream world depression stuff until he inevitably fucks up again. Though I think I’m permanently in control now, so I can stop that from happening. I’m sure there’s some metaphor about running away from problems here, but I’m not really in the mood to care about all that shit.

 

“I’ll help.”

 

“Thanks! You might wanna bring some friends along, though. I think these specimen thingys are pretty powerful. Like, reality warping powerful.”

 

I mean, I don’t really care if I die. Especially since there’s an afterlife, which means a hell where SUNNY can be tortured in, or maybe a heaven where he can see MARI again if we don’t bring her back and he’s lucky. So I nod.

 

“Great! It’s a deal, then!”

 

But then I remember SUNNY’s mother.

 

I look down. It’s a long way down, but I can still just about make out SUNNY’s mother. Getting told off by some people. 

 

“Oh, them! I heard them earlier. Apparently she’s unfit to take care of a child because of the neglect or something. I heard ‘no electricity’? You’re living with someone else, now, in some place called Faraway, Sunny, was it?”

 

Even if he’d kept his consciousness and I hadn’t taken over, he’d always hated the name.

 

“Omori. My name is Omori. Who am I living with?”

 

KEL and HERO or BASIL, most likely. It’s not like there’s

 

“Your father or something who came back?”

 

Oh. Well, this should at least be interesting. Guess I’m his son again now.

 

I go back to my room. And SPOOKY follows.

 

“By the way, what’s with the eye?”

Chapter 2: Sunny's Father

Summary:

Omori meets Sunny's father.

Omori

 

I was going to go and tell my friends the truth, figuring that Basil probably wouldn’t if I was still alive. But sadly, the moment I came down from the roof, the father of SUNNY was there. I look at him. His hair had grown longer, but mostly he was the same. 

 

“Hello, Sunny.”

 

He speaks with a surprisingly high pitch and light tone of voice. Which was unexpected. I don’t think he used that tone ever, when talking to SUNNY and MARI. Years have changed him, I suppose. 

 

I nod in response to him, and he raises an eyebrow.

 

“Is that any way to greet your dear old father? Honestly, I know you’ve been locked away in your own little bubble for the past few years, but that’s not how we do things under my house. You’d think your mother had raised some uncivilized chav or something. Though I wouldn’t be surprised if she had, given everything. I had the decency to send child support, at least,” he says in the hospital hallway, in a tone I recognize much more. Weird that he’s not questioning why I was up on the roof. 

 

“Sorry, I’m being mean. I guess I don’t have much right to speak. I know I’ve done some things that are, well, not good, in the past. And you probably don’t want to be with me. But sadly, your mother was unfit to take care of you and I was the only relative willing.”

He’s speaking with that same, softer tone again. It feels like a different voice. It’s slightly unnerving.

 

“Anyway, are you ready to go, Sunny?” I nod again. He doesn’t say anything this time. “Great. Let’s leave here, then.”

 

We go. I consider stopping by BASIL’s room, but it’s when I pass it that he tugs on my arm to keep going with him. Which is strange, but I’m sure I can find a way to contact them later. And it is then that SPOOKY starts speaking again. 

 

“Hi! Just making sure you remember our mission, right? You know, the whole ‘get my specimens I allegedly had’ back.”

 

I don’t think that’s what allegedly means, but I can’t exactly tell her that, given that SUNNY’s father is there and also walking. We walk out of the hospital. I see a brief flash of red on the desk, but it’s a bit too late to fully see what that was. SUNNY’s father takes out a car key and unlocks the door. I get in the front. He gets in the driver’s seat. SPOOKY floats in the back, because she’s a permanent fixture now, I suppose. 

 

We start driving. Past FARAWAY. It’s about 3 minutes into the drive when he starts talking. 

 

“You know, I never did like you.”

 

I listen.

 

“I could never bring myself to hate you, given that you didn’t even register in my mind most of the time. But I didn’t want you. We already had Mari, why did we need some creepy, quiet, anxious kid who got scared so easily? You weren’t even really good at anything until the violin came around. Mari, she was good at things. She was a perfectionist, after all. The fact she even liked you slightly always confused me. And I finally figured it out when you killed her.”

 

It makes sense that he knew.

 

“I didn’t even know at the time that it was you.”

 

Oh.

 

“I will say, your little cover up was successful. There wasn’t even a proper autopsy done or anything! I refuse to believe you would’ve been smart enough to come up with the hanging, a perfect way to explain the broken neck. But it only took two months before it occurred to me how little I wanted to do with you. You saw me cutting down that tree, right? Wondering why it wouldn’t fall. I felt empty without Mari around. I’d lost my daughter. But I eventually found a new purpose. A new way of living.”

 

The car starts speeding up. The road is empty.

 

“What I’m saying probably doesn’t make much sense, does it? Don’t worry. You won’t have to think about it for much longer.”

 

…something’s off about the way he phrased that. The car speeds up.

 

“You know, it’s always so sad to read about all those depressing accidents in the news. Not always accidents, either. Everything is depressing. Mass shootings, car crashes, genocides, the news really does sadden people, doesn’t it?”

 

The car is still speeding up.

 

“But no one will cry over this one.”

 

Faster. 

 

“Another statistic. Another name knocked off the registry. By the way, would you prefer Sunny or Omori on your grave?”

 

The air feels stagnant. I can feel every sensation in my body. The sky turns red. The car continues speeding up.

 

“Never mind, I guess you won’t answer me after all. Well, I’d say that I’ll see you in hell, but you’re not going to get that far. Really, you should be honoured that you’ll be my first.”

 

I open the door and roll out of the car right before it crashes into a pole and bursts into flames. And I can feel myself in the air.

 

“Oh, I can touch stuff! Neat!”

 

She drops me. I land right on my back and it hurts. Asshole.

 

“What was his deal, anyway? At least he’s dead now.”

 

Someone rises from the wreckage of the car. Holding a shotgun. Every atom in my body, every cell, tells me one thing.

 

RUN.

 

And I run. He approaches.

 

“Cheap trick, Sunshine!”

 

I keep running. But I’m already running out of stamina. He catches up near instantly.

 

“Seriously? Thought after hiding away in your own little false utopia for four years, you could outrun me?”

 

What will OMORI do?

 

I can see it right there. But I don’t exactly have my knife, so I may be, as they say, ‘fucked’.

 

“It’ll all be over soon. That’s what you were expecting me to say, right? Sorry, but I’m going to make everything painful.”

 

He takes out an axe just as I kick him in the crotch. He doesn’t react.

 

“Please, don’t embarrass yourself.”

SPOOKY pulls out a machete from… somewhere, and lunges at him. He simply hits the machete out of her hands. I grab it. Longer than I’m used to, but I can work with this.

 

He lunges at me. I sidestep out of the way and slice at him with the machete. He knocks it out of my hands with the axe and grabs it for himself, before throwing it right at my shoulder.

 

A direct hit. He probably thought I would crumble at this point, but I simply sidestep out of the way of his next attack. He pulls out the shotgun again and fires at me. Hits me in the arm again. He then starts to hit me again and again with the axe and it hurts agonizing pain I can feel myself slipping into unconciousness…

 

NO.

 

OMORI did not succumb.

 

I grab his hand with the shotgun and pull it out of his grasp as he looks at me.

 

“How are you still alive? Never mind, I’ll end you myse”

 

I roll out of the way and fire the shotgun at him. It hits. He slightly stumbles.

 

“YOU MOTHERFUCKER, I’LL KILL YOU LIKE YOU KILLED MARI!”

 

It’s then that a car pulls over.

 

“WHAT IS GOING O- SUNNY? SUNNY!”

 

HERO, of all people, comes barreling towards me, only to lose his composure instantly as he sees my father.

 

“Oh, hello again, Henry. It’s been a while, hasn’t it? A while since you were trying to stick your whole three inches in my daughter. Wait, I’m being generous with that estimate.”

 

HERO looks scared.

 

“Wh-wh-wh-what are you d-d-doing?”

 

“Something I should’ve done right after the recital. Get out of my way, or you’re next.”

 

HERO looks stressed out. Which makes sense, as the thing that has taken the shape of SUNNY’s father moves closer to him.

 

“The clock’s ticking, Henry…”

 

I get up and shoot him again.

 

“OW, YOU UNGRATEFUL LITTLE SHIT! I HELPED BRING YOU INTO THIS WORLD, I CAN TAKE YOU OUT OF IT!”

 

“GO,” I shout at HERO, but of course he ends up being startled by me talking. So I run and drag him with me to the car. An axe flies right towards his head, and I realize he’s probably a bit too busy fearing for his life to drive. So I get in the driver’s seat.

 

“Hey again! Why don’t you just drive the car into him?”

 

I look at her. “You just saw him survive a car crash.”

 

“Oh, yeah, I did, didn’t I?”

 

“This isn’t happening, right?” HERO wonders out loud. “This is just a nightmare. This can’t be happening.”

I start driving and he bangs his head on the roof. “Oof, forgot my seat… belt…” I see it occur to HERO, in real time, that his pain just then means this isn’t a dream. And that I am driving. And also the ghost girl who is giving me directions. Sort of.

 

“Ooh, you should hit them and watch them go flying!” 

 

“Would just damage the car, not worth it,” I respond. “I’d be better off hitting them from the side.”

 

“Then do that!” SPOOKY responds, and so I do as I drive. Sadly, I miss a few, given that I’m terrible at steering and SUNNY’s father is closing in on us with a car he seems to have commandeered. At least I think I know why I saw those brief red flashes in the hospital. I ram one of the cars on the road into a pole, sending it careening across the road until it hits the car SUNNY’s father is in. He goes off road slightly, but then jumps out. He’s changed appearance a fair amount, his skin dark red and his crimson eyes almost looking into my soul. HERO decides on this moment to pass out. 

 

Sadly for SUNNY’s father, SPOOKY has an idea, as she floats halfway through the roof and pulls out a minigun, firing it at him. It manages to do a slight amount of damage as we speed away and finally lose him. 

 

I see a sign that says FARAWAY. And as obvious as it would be to go there instantly and get found, I also know where everywhere is. Better to be caught in a place I’m familiar with, in a place where I know where all the weapons are, than get lost and killed in a city I don’t know. 

 

I break a bit too quickly, sending us all lurching and shocking HERO awake again. And also maybe hitting the FARAWAY sign, which only crashes the car a bit. He seems to spend some time reorienting himself before looking at the sky, which is still red.

 

I look at SPOOKY. 

 

“Was that one of your specimens?”

 

“I don’t know, probably! Is this where we wanted to go?”

 

“Given that we’ve established at least one supernatural being is after me, that being SUNNY’s father of all people, it’s likely we’ll be seeing specimens wherever we go, so yes.”

“Logic checks out, cool! Where even are we?”

 

“FARAWAY TOWN.” 

 

“S-sunny, how are you e-e-even here?” That gets my attention, as I look at the shaking HERO.

 

“You just saw.”

 

“I-i-i… this can’t be real. I n-n-need to g-g-get therapy.”

 

“I don’t think our hallucinations are similar enough to be shared, honestly.”

 

“What?” That snaps him out of it slightly.

 

“This is clearly real. See the ghost?”

“I have a name!”

 

“Y-yes, I see the ghost,” HERO says.

 

“That’s SPOOKY. She’s here now. She’s a ghost who seems to have slight memory issues, but the gist of it is that she was a ghost who died and then starting having this whole mansion with reality breaking specimens inside. Somehow, she got sent to the afterlife and then back here with the mission to round up those specimens. I am helping her.”

 

I leave out the hospital roof part, as I don’t really want to deal with his reaction to everything right now. 

 

“I s-s-saw you f-fall from the r-r-roof! And n-n-now you’re h-h-h-h-here! How?”

 

That’s… interesting. 

 

“I didn’t jump. What are you talking about?”

“Me, Basil, Kel and Aubrey s-saw you jump. How a-are you alive?”

 

It is then I realize I hate SUNNY’s father.

Chapter 3: The Magic Number

Summary:

Kel becomes part of the plot in the worst way possible.

Kel

 

I didn’t even get to say goodbye.

 

He left us, and I didn’t even get to say goodbye. There wasn’t even a body. He’s just completely gone.

 

I turn on the TV. There’s nothing really interesting on right now. I switch to a channel with old Sweetheart reruns. My parents are out with Sally somewhere, Aubrey’s busy keeping Basil on suicide watch after he told us what he wanted to with those shears, and Hero’s gone to med school.

 

…this sucks.

 

I watch the show for all of 5 minutes before I get bored and turn it off. And now I’m in silence.

 

The door opens. Can’t be any family members, and none of the houses in Faraway really have good locks, so this could be anyone. I go up to the door to see who it is. Probably Cris. Or maybe Aubrey. I walk up to-

 

“Do you live here? Seems kinda boring. Where’s all the acid pits? You can’t have a good house without acid pits.”

 

A… 12 year old? At best, 12. And she’s blue. And floating.

 

Are hallucinations normally this weird? My first time with one, I think. There’s two people behind her, as well. Who she was talking to. They walk forward, and…

 

He looks different from just a day ago. Which is a given, since not only is he in a torn and bloody hospital gown, but he has a bandage on his head which covers his left eye and a machete in his shoulder. 

 

…this is a really weird state to hallucinate Sunny in. Maybe I do need therapy after all. I mean, the clothes and eye make sense, I saw him with those when he jumped off , but the machete throws me off. 

 

Until Hero, looking really distrou- distror- sad and tired, walks forward even further. I don’t know why he’s here, but then the fake Sunny starts walking up to me.

 

And then he… grabs… my shoulder…

 

…

 

I saw him hit the ground. He can’t be alive if I saw him hit the ground. This must just be a cruel joke, right? He can't...

 

“Have any clothes I can borrow?”

 

“This-this is a lucid dream, right? This-this can’t be real.” I sound like Basil when Sunny jumped.

 

He shakes his head. 

 

“Collective hallucination.”

 

…what?

 

“That… what?”

 

He’s silent again.

 

Hero speaks. “Sunny, please, what is going on? The sky is red, y-your father tried to… he tried to kill me… we all saw you jump… am I going insane?”

 

The blue ghost decides to interject. “If you were, you probably wouldn’t be trying to say you’re not, right? At least, I think. You’d just be, I dunno, listening to Rebecca Black like any insane person.”

 

Sunny looks at her. 

 

“What? I’m not scared of Rebecca Black or anything, no, why would you think that?”

 

He looks at her more.

 

“Uh, moving on! You’re probably not insane, don’t worry!”

 

“Who even are you?” asks Hero.

 

“I was introduced! I’m Spooky!”

 

“Your name is Spooky?” I have to comment on that, come on.

 

“Yeah, that’s… what I said.”

 

“Huh.”

 

“Huh? I expected better from you. Well, not really, but, you know, it’s nice to hope.”

 

This girl is weird. 

 

“H-how are all of you s-so calm about this?” asks Hero.

 

“I’m probably repressing something right now and avoiding the various issues I have, but like, ghost girl is interesting,” is what I say. For some reason, this does not reassure Hero in the way I thought it would.

 

“I’m already a ghost. What’s a little bit of car crashing gonna do to me? Kill me? I’m already dead! I’m invincible!”

 

Hero turns to her. “Car crash? CAR CRASH?!”

 

“Technically, two, but the second one was more controlled. Wait, no, the first one was intentional.”

 

Hero goes pale. “When was this?”

 

“When that one guy who was the father of my good hitman Omori here crashed into a pole!”

 

“Sunny, you’re a hitman now?” I can’t help but ask. He nods. “How much does it pay?”

 

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN ‘HOW MUCH DOES IT PAY’, SINCE WHEN WERE YOU-” Hero finally manages to calm himself down. 

 

“Oh, it’s really simple! Nothing. He doesn’t get paid. But he does get one free revival if he helps take care of all these specimens I once had as part of some soul gathering operation I ‘allegedly’ ran while evading the afterlife! Or something like that.”

 

Yeah, even I can’t comprehend any of that. “Why him?”

 

“First person I saw on the roof. He was pretty happy to help me! You know how it is.”

 

…on the roof?

 

“So… you were on the… Sunny-”

 

“OMORI.”

 

“What?”

 

“My name is OMORI.”

 

Both me and Hero are taken aback by that.

 

“OK? Omori… why were you on the roof?”

 

“Was going to jump off. Then got told there was a chance to revive MARI if I helped her.”

 

…

 

Both those sentences break me and Hero.

 

He then gets up.

 

“My wallet should still be in the hospital. How far is the hospital from here?”

 

Hero manages to speak first. “About 5 minutes if you walk? Sunny…”

 

“OMORI.”

 

“Right. Sorry. Omori. Why… did you want to jump off?”

 

“I’ll tell you after I revive MARI. Want to join the monster hunting club?”

 

“Sure!” I respond enthusiastically. “Monster hunting sounds fun!”

 

“I… Neither of you are doing that. Neither of you are… Su- Omori , aren’t you meant to be with your mother anyway? Would you really go and throw away your life for a ghost?”

 

“Pretty sure my mother was killed, and my father is currently trying to kill me. I’m not safe anywhere. And if there’s even a chance I can bring her back, then you would’ve done the same, right?”

 

Hero looks at his knees for a moment, and looks back up. “Yeah… you’re right. Besides, I need to make sure that you get fixed up. Seriously, how are you still conscious?”

 

“Ooh! We should get Aubrey and Basil to join!” I say.

 

“Cool! More cannon fodder!” Both me and Hero look at Spooky. “What? You did just say you’re going to risk your lives, there’s a good chance at least one person dies. Common sense.”

 

“On second thought, maybe not. I don’t think Basil has the right temperament for this…” Hero’s annoyingly logical here. Which sucks.

 

Su-well, I guess, Omori, doesn’t really seem to react either way. He’s gotten harder to read now, and the suicide bombshell was… definitely one that he dropped. But at least he’s talking more, now?

 

I’m not really sure what’s going on, but I’ll be able to figure it out doing some fun monster hunting!

 

Omori , that’s his name now, Omori, gets up and starts to walk out of the house. “Wait, where are you going?” I ask.

 

“To the hospital.”

 

“We’re coming too!”

 

“Wait, we’re just going to go out like this?” Hero seems to have somewhat accepted whatever is going on. “Right now?”

 

“It’s a hospital we’re going to. How else will I get healed? And I have clothes there. Maybe. Probably. But first, I need my knife.*

 

That one makes me look at him. “No.”

 

“How else am I going to defend myself? I’m not as good with a longer range weapon like a machete. I’d also say that you two should make sure you have something.”

 

Hero gives a nervous smile. “Omori, I understand what you’re saying, but I’m not sure you can be trusted with a weapon. Kel told me about what happened with Aubrey.”

 

“I already have the machete. If you don’t give me my knife back, I still have an option. But I would feel more comfortable with a knife.”

 

Hero opens his mouth, then closes it again. This happens a few times before he sighs. “I left it in your house anyway, on the counter.”

Omori walks off again. This time outside.

 

We follow. He goes into his house. Hero goes pale again.

 

“Omori, I know this was your house, but you can’t just…”

I walk in too. “Come on, bro, those ‘specimens’ aren’t gonna hunt themselves!”

 

Omori walks out again. And… is that crying?

 

I walk further into the house. And… it’s Mincy, the artist from the other day!

“Hi, Mincy!” She turns to me. And I see her right hand. Embedded onto it is the number 731 , for some reason?

 

Mincy turns to me. “Oh, hi, Kel. Sorry, I know this must be weird. Just… I was…”

 

I then take note of a piece of paper on the floor and pick it up and read it.

 

You have 731 hours left to live from reading this. 

 

I drop the paper in shock. “WHAT THE FUCK?!”

“...Kel, you swear? What’s on that paper?”

“HERO, DO NOT READ THAT PAPER. PLEASE.”

 

I feel a searing, tearing pain in my hand. It burns as I feel the skin break entirely as a number is written into it. 731 .

 

So I decide the best thing to do is to rip up the paper and throw it away. 

 

The scar doesn’t go away. Hero sees it and jumps back.

 

“OH GOD, KEL?! WHAT HAPPENED?”

 

I turn to him and give him a small smile, but I think everyone can tell it’s fake.

 

“Uh, I may only have 731 hours of life left, apparently.”

 

Hero freezes. So does Omori. Mincy keeps crying.

 

Spooky decides to speak.

 

“That’s rough, buddy.”

Notes:

yeah sorry i don't know how to write angst

Chapter 4: OK, Let's Start Killing, Some Monsters

Summary:

Hero questions his sanity while Omori realizes he's actually goated.

Hero

 

So, picture the scene. You’ve finally come back to the town where the only person you loved killed herself. You did this after going to medical school for three years while seeing your parents neglect your younger brother. How did I not notice that before? And then, when I come back, one of my childhood friends is not only out of the house for the first time in 4 years, but is drowning along with another friend. I helped them survive and didn’t even question the obviously malnourished individual standing in front of me, and instead broke into one of my other childhood friends’ houses. This was the easy bit. Then the person who came out after 4 years was stabbed in the eye by a friend who wanted to… well… I don’t think I need to say. And then I see that friend who was stabbed in the eye jump off a hospital roof. I didn’t see the signs again, I failed again, god, what is wrong with me? Except that turned out to be… inaccurate. Because when I drove away, understandably distressed, I saw that same friend being beaten with an axe by his father. Who then tried to kill me. And the friend who, again, hadn’t gone out of the house for four years, crashes my car into Faraway. Comes back. Inducts me and my brother into some insane monster hunting club, technically breaks into his own house to get a knife, and now my brother is trying to keep smiling about the fact he has been cursed. 731 hours left to live. Along with another person, an artist he knew. Oh, and did I forget to mention the ghost girl who is now dragging us to a hospital so Omori can get clothes? This may be the second worst day of my life so far.

 

It’s obvious what the worst is.

 

So we walk to the hospital while I try to comprehend anything that’s going on. And the ghost is talking. So is Omori. Someone who, even at the best of times, was quiet, is talking a lot with this ghost who’s not only literally called Spooky , of all things, but is also currently debating whether a knife or axe is better.

 

“You can’t go wrong with a steak knife.”

 

“You absolutely can! It’s too short to do any lasting damage! It doesn’t even really do that much if you don’t pierce through the heart or neck specifically, and even then it’s still somewhat treatable!”

 

“Yes, but an axe requires strength, something I don’t have much of. And whilst you could argue that it would be more useful to use something like the machete-speaking of which, HERO, how long until I can take this out?”

 

“Don’t take it out until we get a genuine professional around.”

 

“I’m pretty sure most of them are dead, but like, yeah, the machete would be more useful! Why don’t you use that instead of your dumb toothpick?”

 

“Because it’s not as easily portable. The knife is much easier to conceal and is objectively better for stealth. Which is important to someone who is now fairly distinguishable with this eye patch.”

 

“Fair enough. So, can I have my machete back?”

 

“Sure.”

 

“Cool!” And she just…

 

“YOU CAN’T JUST TAKE IT OUT LIKE THAT!” I rush to S-Omori to see, and he looks… unfazed?

 

“I survived various axe wounds, I think it’s fine. Because we’re also at the hospital.”

 

He then starts to sway.

 

“Never mind.”

 

And he falls. 

 

“FUCK!” I shout, surprising Kel and the artist with us, Mincy.

 

“Hero, you swear?” “Not the time, Kel!”

 

“I’ll get him to a room, if you want. I can float.”

 

“OK, hold on, in his current state he won’t survive that.” I take out a medical kit and start to stop the bleeding using a bandage, and generally try to treat it, but then it clears instantly.

 

“I got this doll that he can shake.” 

 

“HOW DOES THAT HELP US, SPOOKY?! GO ON, TELL ME!”

 

“It has healing powers, apparently!”

 

I think I just give up at that point as I pass Omori the doll. He’s still awake, so he shakes it slightly. His wounds don’t disappear, but he stands up after a few shakes.

 

“I think you need to recharge it sometimes, though. Like, if the hands are covering the eyes?”

 

“That makes things boring.”

 

And he throws the doll away.

 

“Why would you do that.” I don’t mean to sound so annoyed, but he did just throw away a potentially revolutionary healing technique.

 

“I don’t feel like auto healing.”

 

I look at him.

 

“I am still passively suicidal. I don’t know what you expected.”

 

I really wish that he wasn’t clearly the target of a supernatural force who are going to kill Kel they’re going to kill him , because I really want to place him on suicide watch right now. But then we see something unexpected. 

 

The hospital is there, but the car park looks worse for wear. By which I mean it’s only because I’ve seen dead bodies before that I’m able to avoid vomiting at the sight. So many corpses. And there’s a moving van crashed into a car that looks like the one S-Omori’s mother had. Omori’s mother is inside. She’s barely recognizable under the rubble.

 

Omori simply walks towards it. How is he so unfazed? I feel like there’s a deeper issue here, but then I see the inside of the hospital as I walk to the desk.

 

Red stains everywhere. It doesn’t take a medical student to guess what they are. I walk out immediately and am met with Omori… breaking into the moving van. Before stopping, and deciding to walk into the hospital.

 

I follow. So does the quiet Kel and the artist. Mincy, was it? Kel’s silence is out of character, but I can’t say I blame him. 

 

He walks into the hospital elevator. I walk in too. He presses a button. To the floor he was on, I guess.

 

Or not, as I walk out and see… oh, god, it’s a massacre.

 

I try to avoid stepping on… that , but evdiently Omori doesn’t have the same idea as he takes one of the bodies, a teen with a blue, pullover hoodie, and he takes it off. I nearly step on a discarded ‘HOW TO SPOT A GAMER’ T shirt that might be one of the worst things I’ve ever seen. Of course he takes that. I look at him.

 

“Omori, are you seriously taking clothes from dead bodies?”

 

He nods, pulling off green cargo trousers from one of them. 

 

“I need to use the changing room.”

 

And he goes… somewhere. So does Spooky, for some reason. I’m alone with Kel and the artist. In the hallway. 

 

Kel looks around. “Wow, someone got busy here.”

 

I look at him. 

 

I see someone in the distance. A security guard?

 

“Hello!” I wave to them. Hoping they’d help us out of this. Maybe it turns out I’m just hallucinating this whole thing.

 

They turn around.

 

Their hands are so… big.

 

Their eyes don’t even seem to exist. 

 

They look at me. 

 

They almost stare into my soul. 

 

I feel it. The killing intent. They start moving towards me. 

 

Omori comes out. I will admit that even if I don’t fully understand why he pilfered dead bodies, he does look good. And he takes out his knife before moving towards the security guard. He looks at us.

 

“Run.”

 

-----

 

Omori

 

I thrust my knife at the guard. They aren’t expecting me to be on the offensive, but it doesn’t do much as they just ignore it. I sidestep out of the way of their own attack where they try to batter me with their fists. I sidestep into an empty room, and watch them run towards me. Really slowly. It occurs to me that this will be one of the easier ones to take care of, especially as I move out of the room and walk, baiting them, to the roof.

 

Except then I see a woman come out of the door to the roof. I backtrack, only to get hit by the guard. It’s a strong hit, and I’m sent barrelling to the side.

 

I need a room with a window, then. Because now two specimens are following me.

 

I decide I might as well taunt them, so I stick out my tongue slightly and hold out a peace sign. It works perfectly, as they speed towards me. I run into another room. It has windows this time. I stand at the windows just as a robot otter appears.

 

“Yeah, you wanna go, bitch, yeah, I’ll like, totally end you and all that, yeah, I’m gonna beat your ass to a pulp, yeah, you just wiltfully activated the sigma inside of me, uh, you’re dead meat, dude, dead meat like the one on my pizzas.”

 

I grab the otter and slice the wires on it. It stumbles until it is back to back with the window. The security guard walks into the room.

 

“Yo, what the fuck was that, I’m definitely going to kill you now, you just made me mad, you’re barking up the wrong tree, pal”

 

Even the security guard gets tired as they grab the otter and throw it through the window. I take the opportunity to grab the guard by the back of its jacket and push it down, as I fall with it. 

 

I stab them in the back of the head 4 times before they reach the bottom of the hospital floor. They break my fall pretty well, as I hop off. I’m not even that damaged. 

 

Then I remember KEL, MINCY and HERO are still in there as HERO rushes out. The artist and jock do not get out, however, before the door to the hospital is sealed off by a weird pulsing thing that blocks their exit. They’re trapped in. SPOOKY floats down.

 

“Oh, yeah! Karamari had this weird virus thing blocking off some of the hallways! I forgot about that! Whoopsie!”

 

Me and HERO look at her before we rush to the virus. I try to slice it down. It does not make a dent.

 

“Yeah, you needed this specific sword to get rid of it, I think. Weird, right?”

 

I’m almost glad to be interrupted by the rising security guard, as they start walking towards me. They look pretty mad this time. I pull out my knife. HERO realizes he forgot to pack any sort of weapon as he pats himself down, starting to panic, while SPOOKY just floats there. 

 

I stand there, before deciding I might as well give them a salute. I hold my knife across my torso, before slashing it in a diagonal motion. They do not do the same. I then decide to use RED HANDS. 

 

I only remember I can’t use that move in the real world after they swarm the security guard and throw them into a car.

 

It occurs to me that this isn’t the first time HEADSPACE logic has applied to the real world. I guess I’m just ‘built different’, as they say, though I’m sure HERO can come up with an explanation once he’s done gawking at me.

 

The otter returns behind HERO and tries to attack him. However, I refuse to let him be attacked by something so pathetic, so I STARE at the otter. Who backs away.

 

“Woah, man, just let me do my job, bro, no need to be so mean, dude, yeah, you know.”

 

I hold out my knife. “Tell me who you are.”

 

“I’m Otto. Otto the Otter. And I’m gonna beat your ass, dude.”

 

I slash OTTO once and watch him crumble to the floor. I don’t even bother speaking as even the security guard just looks at him.

 

“Oh, yeah, so meet Monster 1, the security guard, and Unknown Specimen 2, Otto the Otter! He’s kind of a joke, I think. Like, he’s just… I just got him one day and now he’s here! I think he got banned from game nights or something.”

“WHY WOULD YOU TELL HIM THAT. That’s just so not pog.”

 

I have no regrets as I summon my RED HANDS to lift him up and batter the security guard with him. Finally, the security guard holds up their hand while OTTO simply just gives up and drops to the floor. I make sure it hurts.

 

“You literally just disadvantaged your own teammate by being pathetic. You genuinely disgust me.”

 

“Isn’t that a bit harsh, Omori?” I turn to HERO and look at him, straight in the eyes.

“I won’t stop until the otter falls.”

 

The security guard then seems to bow.

 

“I think he gave up.” Thanks, SPOOKY. I hadn’t yet figured that out. No, let’s not get annoyed at the dead 12 year old at best. I’m not that much of a despicable person.

 

I stand over the security guard. “Do you concede?”

 

He nods.

 

“Good. Now, can you speak?”

 

He shakes his head.

 

“Then how do we figure out who’s controlling him?”

 

“We could just shout out names and see which specimen it is!”

 

“Sure. 1?”

 

He almost seems to laugh at that assumption.

 

“2? 3? 4?”

 

He shakes his head for all three. I decide to skip ahead.

 

“What about Akari Suzuki?”

 

He nods.

 

I look at SPOOKY and HERO. “Looks like we’re hunting down my father.”

 

HERO goes pale while SPOOKY looks ECSTATIC. “Yes! A concrete target to kill so I can get my alleged buddies back! We’re a great team.”

 

I decide to ignore the fact we lost two people to something other than death and that, even with two, or three, of the easier ones, I still got hit pretty bad. And then I remember.

 

“What about a completely white woman with a black dress, black hole like eyes and”

 

“Bekka, I think?”

 

“Where is she?”

 

The security guard points in the hospital.

 

Well, I’m confident KEL and MINCY can survive her. One more question I have to ask.

 

“How many of you can teleport?”

 

He nods.

 

OTTO laughs. “Har har har, your friends are trapped, hmm hmm hmm.”

 

SPOOKY pulls out a minigun, I hold out my knife, and the security guard looks at him.

 

“WAIT NO”

 

He chooses that moment to start running. But he’s so slow that even i can catch up to him with no trouble. He gets into a car in time, annoyingly, and starts speeding away, screaming all the while.

 

I turn to HERO. “Think we should enlist some more people?”

 

And then I spot BASIL walking towards us. Good timing.

I wave to get his attention. Before remembering that I’m going to have to explain the whole situation again.

 

BASIL… doesn’t seem to react. He just keeps walking. I look at his eyes.

 

They’re completely white. A voice rings out without him opening his mouth.

 

“Join us.”

 

…ah.

Chapter 5: You Had Them Lying To Consent

Summary:

Omori, Hero and Spooky face the final boss early.

Notes:

for those who read this before, the ending of last chapter was changed to fit my direction for this fic more. so i'd suggest rereading the end (it's only two sentences or so changed) and then read this to avoid confusion.

for those who haven't, uh, hi! hope you're enjoying!

Hero

 

Basil’s stopped walking.

 

He’s just standing there, looking straight at us. On any other day, I’d assume he was looking at Omori, especially after everything that happened today. But given the voice I just heard, I’m not entirely sure that’s the case this time. 

 

All of us are stationary. Even Spooky’s not moving. Basil speaks(?) again.

 

“It is quite rude to ignore an invitation like that.”

 

“Who are you?” asks Omori.

 

“I am your dear friend Basil, of course. Or would you prefer ‘accomplice’ to ‘friend’?” Omori flinches at that?

 

“Omori, what does he mean by that.”

 

“Who are you really?” Omori ignores my question. I’ll have to ask later, clearly.

 

“I said, did I not? I am Basil. And I simply want to share something meaningful with you.”

 

“DON’T LIE.” Omori’s actually mad now. It’s a bit of an out of body experience. I’ve never seen him mad, even when he was just Sunny. By this point, I had thought he’d lost all emotion, given everything that’s happened. But I was wrong. Omori takes out his knife, rushes towards Basil and holds his knife at Basil’s throat. To which he… smiles?

 

“Go on, my child. Kill me. It would be far from your first, after all.”

 

“Omori, what does he mean, first kill?" I can't ignore that.

 

Omori doesn’t respond to either of us. He keeps his knife at Basil’s throat.

 

“What about you, Henry? Would you like to give him the final… push, that he needs?” I don’t know how I’m meant to respond to that. I don’t have anything to combat Basil, but even if I did, I’m not entirely sure it would be the right move.

 

Omori lets go. “SPOOKY, do you recognize this specimen?”

 

“I think that’s Specimen 8! Pretty good at causing auditory and visual hallucinations. Uh, oh yeah, it kills people by assimilating them into itself! Cheats at rock paper scissors all the time, we’re pretty sure.”

 

As she says that, my vision is filled with static.

 

“Basil saw the light. He gave himself away easily. Why not kill him? I know you want to. Give in to your desires.”

 

“He’s probably a fake Basil,” I note, but then something occurs to me. “But then why is it just Basil?”

 

“Did you not hear what I said? I have taken Basil. His mind is mine to mold. He gave in so quickly. Let me ask you, how else would you save him than killing him?”

 

“It’s clearly a trap,” Omori says. 

 

“But how do we beat Specimen 8 if we can’t really harm Basil?” I ask.

 

“Who said anything about not harming the other guy?” responds Spooky, pulling out a minigun. I hate the fact I’ve already become accustomed to this.

 

“Spooky, no. He’s our friend.”

 

“He’s also under mind control!”

 

“Still not happening.”

 

Omori simply stares at Basil.

 

“Make your move. Unless you would prefer me to go first?”

 

Omori then does a fencing salute with his knife, for some reason? I don’t understand why, but he does.

 

Then he says something odd. “Pull out your GARDEN SHEARS.”

 

Basil does just that. The… exact ones… which ended up in…

 

“Now let go of BASIL.”

 

“I suppose negotiation did not work. Well then…”

 

Basil grins manically.

 

“YOUR SUBMISSION IS INEVITABLE.”

 

Omori sidesteps a forward slice by Basil while I try to find something on the ground to fight Basil with. It looks like we might have to knock him out after all, at least. Omori tries to slash at Basil, but is intercepted and his knife is thrust from his grip. “I have the knowledge of thousands who have come before you and died to me. I am beyond you. Why do you resist when you know it is pointless, child?”

 

I decide to step in and try to put Basil in a headlock. And OH THAT HURTS. My right arm is bleeding while Basil just goes back to focusing on Omori, who rolled and grabbed his knife again. “You are but teenagers. Young and uneducated.”

 

Basil starts floating. Basil starts floating. “I am a lord. I have been around for centuries, and my power has only grown over time. I see your every move, your every thought. I am practically a god at this point.”

 

Basil splits his garden shears and throws them in the air as they duplicate. “What hope do you have against me?”

 

The shears all rain down. Me and Omori try running but one lands in my foot. Oh god, it’s in my foot. Omori’s even unluckier, which I’d attribute to the lack of depth perception, as they cover his torso. Even in this overwhelming pain, tired and scared, there is one thought on my mind.

 

Told you we shouldn’t’ve thrown that doll away.

 

And it then occurs to me. That doll wasn’t far from the car park, which is where we are now. If I can find it, I can use that energy to heal both of us from all wounds, or at least enough to actually stand a fighting chance. I wish I’d paid more attention to where he threw it now. I need that doll. I start running towards the entrance to the car park. It can’t be that far, right?

 

Basil lands. “Where exactly are you going, Henry?” But somehow, Omori’s still able to stand. 

 

“You are still alive? I am surprised by this. I thought you would have succumbed by now. But I suppose that was my mistake. Likely a side effect of our release. Nevertheless, it is time to end this.”

 

Come on, just need to find that doll! Was it thrown right? Left? It was pretty distinguishable, surely I can find it somewhere! Think, Hero, think. 

 

“Well, goodbye, Omori. I will admit, this brings me no joy. But Akari has decreed it. You must be eliminated. You were going to do this anyway, so think of it as wish fulfillment.”

 

Right. It was right. I dive to the right, which strains my limbs, and search for the doll with the little energy I have left. My fingers close around something and I shake it. I feel myself getting better and I pull out the shear. My arm also heals. I stand up and throw the doll to Omori. 

 

It hits him in the head and he blacks out.

 

“...well, that was legitimately disappointing.”

 

I grab the shear and throw it at Basil. He merely tilts his head and it flies past him. Which is kind of a good thing, since I didn’t kill my childhood friend, but it does also mean I’m completely unarmed. Actually, that was just generally a stupid move.

 

It’s me against the now godlike Basil and I don’t have anything on me. 

 

…fuck it.

 

“Spooky, give me the machete.”

 

“Aw, I wanted to use it!” She throws it at me and it NEARLY SLICES OFF MY FOOT.

 

“PLEASE BE A BIT MORE CAREFUL NEXT TIME!”

 

I grab the machete anyway. And you know what? Might as well. I hold the machete across my body at the side of my head, and slice diagonally left. I can see why Omori did that, it definitely feels more satisfying. Basil stays still. 

 

I rush towards him. He sidesteps, but what he failed to consider was that it gave me the chance to grab the doll. I hold it in my other hand and give a smug smile. Reminiscent of her. “This should even things up a bit, don’t you think?”

 

It is then that I hear something behind me. 

 

I turn around. A… hellish, deer, thing is floating there, with a long black cloak opened up to reveal a skeletal ribcage. Its blinding white eyes stare into mine. “Do you still believe that?”

 

I stand my ground and thrust my machete into the thing. I watch it crumble. Finally, I’ve… I’ve done it.

 

-----

 

Omori

 

HERO immediately falls to his knees while I try to get up. I’m… I’m not sure how, but I’m still alive. I fumble around and grab that stupid doll. I shake it. I feel myself healing. I pull the garden shears out and stare into the white irises of what I presume is SPECIMEN 8. 

 

“You really have exceeded my expectations after all. But this is not a fight you can win.”

 

I then grab BASIL. The fact that the deer was so close has given me an idea. A risky idea, but the only one I can come up with. 

 

I gesture for SPOOKY to grab HERO. She grabs the machete. I have to resist the urge to facepalm as she then grabs and drags HERO. The deer is slowly approaching.

 

“Why do you run, child? Are you still trying to escape your punishment? Your ever so inevitable punishment? Surrender, and it will be so much easier for you. You will forever live in bliss. So will the rest of your friends. You cannot run. You cannot fight. Why not give in?”

 

I keep walking. I find a corpse with a car key in their hand. I grab it. 

 

“That will not help you.”

 

It says that, but then, if STUPID OTTER BITCH could get away, so can I. 

 

I press the ‘Unlock’ button. I see one of the lights on the cars flash. That one. That’s what I need. I pocket my knife and run for the car. SPECIMEN 8 keeps the same pace throughout, but I’m able to open the car door.

 

Annoyingly, it’s a car without back seats, so SPOOKY just throws HERO into the back after slicing off the headrests. Sure, it works. I put BASIL in the other front seat, turn on the engine and press my foot on the gas. I try to steer the car away from SPECIMEN 8, and given that it’s still moving slowly, I’m able to. 

 

“You can only avoid me for so long” is the last thing we hear as SPECIMEN 8 finally disappears. I keep driving, fast as possible, back to FARAWAY, before remembering that KEL is still in the hospital and banging my head on the screen? I have no idea what the front of a car is called and I’m barely able to steer. 

 

“Let me take over!” Leave it to SPOOKY to start driving instead. Phases through me and… of course. Of course a ghost can possess things. The car starts driving itself, and also takes special care to bump into every single other car on the road.

 

Still better than TESLA, though, is the thought I have as we keep driving to FARAWAY. And then I notice two things. One, BASIL’s eyes are no longer entirely white. Two, he’s waking up.

 

-----

 

Basil

 

…

 

I wake up. Disoriented. Weirdly disoriented. I see a face with one eye. They’re staring at me. We’re in a car? Car. It’s driving. The face looks to be about my age, I think. It speaks.

 

“BASIL?”

 

Oh, that’s my name? BASIL. BASIL. Quite a nice name, actually. I’m alright with it.

 

“Are you with me?”

 

I nod. “Heyy. Uh, do I know you?”

 

The face looks at me. “HERO, are you awake?”

 

What kind of person is named HERO?, I think.

 

“Yeah, I’m awake now,” responds a voice from the back. I look. So that’s HERO. They look pretty hot, but older than me.

 

“Did you hear what was just said by our good friend BASIL here?”

 

“No, I did not. I’m too busy trying to deal with EVERYTHING THAT JUST HAPPENED.”

 

“Well, there’s one more.”

 

“No, seriously, who are you guys? And where are you taking me?” I ask. I’m not really sure I like this anymore.

 

…

 

There’s no response. They just look at each other.

 

“No. That… that kind of things only happens in movies. There’s… there’s no way he’s…”

 

“Evidently, HERO, he is.”

 

“But that can’t be… no, if his mind was tampered with by that thing, then I guess he could be…”

 

“What am I?” I ask.

 

HERO sighs. “Basil, I’m Henry and this is Omori. I know it’s hard to believe this, but we’re actually childhood friends of yours. You have dissasociative amnesia. I don’t know why, I don’t know how, but you’ve developed it. Oh, fuck my life, how do I even cure this?”

 

It’s then that the car stops. 

 

“We’re at that town place!” says an unfamiliar voice. 

 

Omori steps out of the car. “SPOOKY.”

 

“Yeah?” responds the voice, who i guess is SPOOKY.

 

“You have driven us 10 miles in the opposite direction.”

 

“Oh. Well, you’re gonna have to walk, because this car just ran out of gas.”

 

HERO lets out an angered scream. I don’t know what’s happening yet, but I guess I’ll find out more later? Now I’m currently with the two people who… are kicking and stabbing the car respectively.

 

Yay?

 

Chapter 6: The First Day Of The Rest Of Your Lives

Summary:

An hour earlier, Aubrey and friends visit Basil at the hospital.

(tw: suicide, parental loss)

Aubrey

 

It’s been three days since the incident. 

 

None of us talk. 

 

Even Kel doesn’t have anything to say, for once. And why would he? Any conversation would be drowned out by, well, everything . 

 

I look at Basil in the bed. Part of me wants to apologize for everything I’ve done to him. Part of me wants to take my nail bat and hit him with it for everything he’s done to us. I feel a deep sense of hatred. I don’t know who it’s for. We’re still waiting for him to wake up. Sunny did quite a number on him, given he’s been stuck in his house for four years. 

 

Heh. Maybe I should invite him to the gang.

 

“Hey, guys. I know he stabbed me and also attacked you all with pepper spray, and he’s missing an eye, but he’s a great guy, really!”

 

Yeah, that would go down well.

…

What am I even doing here? We’re both the last people either of us want to see. I don’t owe anything to him. I don’t owe anything to anyone here. Even after we reconciled, I still prefer the Hooligans. I can go back to them and I’ll be happier. Far happier than the funeral march playing in here.

Why am I still here? Guilt? A desire to reconnect with them? I don’t even know anymore. Things were much easier when I was angry. Now I have all these other bullshit emotions on board as well.

 

I look out the window. Kel comes over.

 

“Hey, Aubrey. What’s up?”

 

I don’t know whether to answer or not. Kel seems to develop situational awareness for the first time in his life and he doesn’t speak more after that sentence. We just look out together.

 

A whole world of opportunities. Of new friends I can make. And yet I’m still here, I guess. 

 

And then there’s a stirring from the bed. I’m about to turn around, but for some reason, I don’t. Maybe it’s selfish, but I don’t think I can face him. I keep looking out of the window. It looks like Kel has the same idea. Hero seems to be able to face him , at the very least. And then I notice something glowing dark red.

 

“Kel, do you see that thing?”

 

Hero and probably the other one turn to see what I’m talking about. 

 

And then someone falls.

 

Someone with… an… 

 

e y e p a t c h

 

I… no, it can’t… why? Why would he…

 

I look down. I don’t want to. I try to tear myself away from the window, but I need to know. The others are just as distraught. But that can’t be right. That can’t have happened.  

 

It happened. He… he jumped. 

 

I can’t even move anymore. My legs have gone entirely numb. I drop to the floor. Drop like him . My face is wet. My vision is blurry. Everything feels so wrong . I let out an agonizing cry. It’s joined by three others. It doesn’t make anything better. It never could.

I don’t know how much time has passed before a doctor walks in and tells us Basil is free to go. I want to hurt them. I want to hurt everyone. I want to hurt Basil. No, I want to kill Basil. The despair has brought rage with it. Rage that no one helped him. Rage that I only pushed him further away. Rage at Basil for stabbing him, because that was the final straw, wasn’t it? And rage at this doctor because they didn’t even give me a chance to process the fact that he’s gone . 

 

Hero makes a vague statement about how medical school is starting up soon. He rushes out. It’s me, Kel and Basil. 

 

We start walking back to Faraway. The walk doesn’t take that long and yet it still feels endless. Kel decides to say something.

 

“Why did you stab him?”

 

It’s not a good subject. But it’s something to try and take our minds off the jump .

 

“I was… I was going to do the right thing and use them on my SOMETHING… there was nothing left for me… then he came in… and I… I saw SOMETHING behind him… and… now there’s really nothing left for me.”

“Basil, what is ‘something’?” asks Kel. 

 

“It doesn’t matter. You guys should go. You can still lead a happy life without me dragging you down. Go ahead without me! It’ll be fine. This really… is the best choice for everyone.”

 

“Basil, y-you’re scaring me,” I say.

 

“I’m going to be with SUNNY forever now. No more waiting. At the very least, you should leave, KEL. You probably won’t want to see this. AUBREY, you might want to do the honours.”

Basil outstretches his arms.

 

“...Basil, please, no, we… we can’t lose anyone else now!” yells Kel.

 

“You’re so kind, KEL. You’ve always been kind… but you should show that kindness to someone more deserving. It’s OK. This is what I want! To be back with SUNNY! That’s all I’ve ever wanted… and this is my chance to do it. Forever.”

 

“What were you going to do with those shears, Basil?” I ask, a hint of fear in my voice.

 

“Something I should’ve done 4 years ago.”

 

“Basil, please-”

“Go, Kel,” I interrupt him. This is getting to… a different kind of personal now. “I’ll keep him from doing anything bad, but you should go inform…”

 

Kel looks conflicted, but nods and runs off. It’s just me and Basil now. 

 

“Put the shears down, please just put the shears down, Basil.”

 

“Th-there’s no hope left for me anyway. I should just leave.”

 

“Basil, we still care for you. Polly still cares for you.”

 

“You hate me.”

 

“Why would I…” Oh. Yeah. “Look, I’m sorry, OK? I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

 

“You don’t need to lie. It’s just us.”

 

“Basil, even in my worst moments, I didn’t want you dead! No one did! You- you didn’t do anything to deserve what I did, and I’m sorry.”

 

Basil laughs. There’s no joy in his voice, though. “Trust me, I deserve worse. But I’m taking that secret to the grave.”

 

“What… what does that mean? Basil, what ‘secret’ is worth your LIFE?”

 

Basil is silent now.

 

“Look, Sunny… Sunny wouldn’t want you to do this. Sunny would want you to live, right?”

 

“He wanted me to atone for what I’ve done. So I’m going to.”

 

“Atone for WHAT? I can’t help you if I don’t know what you did! Is this about the photos? Please, Basil, whatever it is, tell me, and we can work through it together. You don’t need to do this. M- Mari wouldn’t want to see you like this.”

 

Basil breaks into hysterical laughter there. “I think Mari’s the only person in the world who would want me dead more than them.”

 

“More than who? You know what, it doesn’t matter. Basil, whatever it is you did, please, we can… we can work through it, OK? I promise, I’ll make everything up to you. I… I get it, you know? I feel the same way you do, right now. But… we can work through this. Just… don’t leave us like this. I can’t take it. Kel can’t take it. There are so many people who care for you here.”

 

Basil stays still for a moment before letting go of the shears. “I’m… I’m sorry for being a burden.”

 

“You’re not a burden. After these past 4 years, do you really think I’d have stayed if I didn’t genuinely care for you?”

 

“...yeah, true.”

 

-----

 

We start walking back to Faraway. Neither of us are talking. Just walking. 

 

“Did you hear that?” Basil suddenly says.

 

“Hear what?”

 

“Never mind, I’m probably just hearing things.”

 

“That’s… really not a good thing.”

 

“Just hearing things, just hearing things…” Basil mutters as we keep walking. I then step on something. Some paper. I read it.

 

And I saw, from eyes that were not mine.
And I felt, with a fear I could not reason.

They watch us, they invade us.

And keep us happy, committing treason.

To a King we didn’t deserve.

To a Son who wails weeping.

That I knew, from knowledge I gained while sleeping.

 

“What does this mean? Basil, do you know what this… Basil?”

I turn and he’s gone. I try to look for him but my vision is filled with static , overwhelming static . 

 

I blink 4 times before it goes away. 

 

I’m alone.

 

“Basil?”

 

I try looking around me. No static, but no sign of Basil.

 

“Basil!”

 

I run through the surrounding trees.

 

“BASIL!”

 

I keep on screaming his name to no answer. I search and search and there’s nothing. 

 

It has to have been at least 5 minutes. Maybe an hour. Maybe even days. It feels like it as I search, but there’s nothing. He’s… he’s gone. He’s gone.  

 

“FUCK!” I try to calm myself down. Maybe someone in the town has seen him. There wasn’t a body found, or any shears, so he’s at least still alive. Right? I don’t even know. But there’s nothing here. I… I have to inform Kel. And Polly. Oh, god, she’s going to assume I did it, isn’t she? But I have to tell someone. 

 

I run through the trees, and keep running, with the sound of cars driving by me doing nothing to stop my racing heartbeat. 

 

-----

 

I finally get back to the town. I rush to Kel’s house first. I open the door and barge in.

 

There’s no one in. Now I guess I’m missing three two friends. I think this might actually be the worst day of my life, and that’s… saying something, isn’t it? 

 

I’m about to check the house next to Kel’s when I hear the sounds of screaming. An agonizing, soul piercing scream. I sprint in the scream’s direction, nail bat in hand.

 

It’s… coming from my house. 

 

I reach the door and pull on the handle. It’s locked. It’s never locked. Why is it locked? I bang on the door. It’s glowing red inside. Like… like that thing from the window. The exact same colour. A voice that sounds familiar and otherworldly at the same time rings out from the house.

 

“Stop screaming. It’ll be over soon anyway, why bother resisting?”

 

I break the window with my bat and jump in. No one’s in. The red thing is gone. Mum lies there sliced open she's dead she's actually dead the same as always. I go to the working phone in the house, holding my nail bat all the while in case that red thing comes back. I almost dial 911, but then remember the one thing my mother had taught me. before she stopped caring, before she started drinking, before she ruined what was left of my life, i'm glad she's dead, i'm sad she's dead, i don't even know

 

“Never talk to the police. Even the innocent get convicted because they did.”

 

I instead call a different number.

 

“Hero?”

 

“Oh, Aubrey, right. Hi. Uh, I should probably tell you everything that’s going oH GOD-”

 

The phone cuts off. It then rings with a different number. 

 

I pick up the phone again.

 

“DON’T.”

 

I don’t recognize this voice. “Don’t what? Who are you? What the fuck is going on?”

 

“IGNORANCE IS BLISS. SAVIOUR IT. LIVE YOUR NORMAL LIFE.”

 

“Are you the bastard who broke in?”

 

“YOU CAN GO AND LIVE YOUR LIFE. FORGET THE PAST. ALL THE PEOPLE FROM IT HAVE HURT YOU AND WILL GET WHAT THEY DESERVE.”

 

“Where’s Basil.”

 

“THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE. FORGET EVERYTHING YOU HAVE SEEN IN THE PAST HOUR. FORGET EVERYTHING YOU HAVE HEARD. IF YOU DON’T, YOU WILL FACE THE CONSEQUENCES.”

 

I hang up. And I dial Kim’s number. 

 

Sunny… wouldn’t have wanted me to just sit back and ignore this. Neither would Mari. It’s hard, but I have to do it. I have to find Basil and Kel. I have to find out what happened to Hero. And I have to find the being who killed my mother.

 

“Kim. Gather the Hooligans.”

“What’s up?”

“Just do it. Meet me at the hideout in a few minutes.”

Chapter 7: Life Will Change

Summary:

Kel and Mincy are trapped in the hospital.

tw: implied depression

Kel

 

“This hospital’s kinda boring, right?” I try to talk with Mincy. She doesn’t really respond. I guess that makes sense. 

 

“So, uh, trapped in here. Not… not good. 4 days until school starts, really bad for me to be in here considering my predicted grades.”

 

Mincy looks at me. “What?”

 

“Yeah, won’t be able to attend classes if I’m trapped in here, you know? Mr Dalby’s gonna be really mad, as well.”

“I don’t… think that’s the main concern… right now.”

 

OK, lightening the mood didn’t work. Uh, what else? I guess getting out of here? But I’m not really sure how to go about that. 

 

Then again, staying in this room isn’t going to do much. Wait, what did we even come back to the hospital for? Oh, yeah, right, Omori to get clothes. And also his wallet. I think he got that out of the moving van? I don’t know. I don’t know what to do.

 

They never showed this bit In Monster Hunter. 

 

“I should sue Capcom for misinformation,” I blurt out after realizing just how wrong they were.

 

Mincy looks at me. “Come on, it’s a great idea! I mean, they made a series called Monster Hunter and didn’t even include any robot otters! What a ripoff!”

 

She turns her head, but there’s a slight smile. I think. That, or I’m seeing things. I guess I can’t rule out anything now. 

 

His bruised body, one eye, staring at me as he fell to the ground.

 

I… don’t know what to make of that one. I guess it was probably one of these specimen thingys. They seem to like the hospital. 

 

STRATEGIC

 

I feel myself recoil as a foreign, loud voice booms in my head. 

 

I wait a few more seconds. It… doesn’t come back. That’s something.

 

“Mincy, do you hear voices in your head?” I ask, because I feel like this is linked to, well, 731 i’m dead in 731 hours i’m going to die i

 

“No, not really,” she responds. “Do… you?”

 

“As of today, I guess?” I reply. “Uh, wallowing in despair here isn’t going to help us, so wanna investigate this place and see if there’s a way out?”

 

“We can jump off the roof?”

“NO.” 

 

She looks shocked. I backtrack.

 

“Sorry, just, the roof is a pretty tall drop. You’d instantly die if you hit the bottom. That’s… that’s not something we wanna do. Maybe we can break one of the windows at the bottom and get out that way?”

“O-oh, sorry. I don’t… have anything that can break a window, sorry.”

 

“That’s OK! That’s why we can find something! I mean, we saw outside, the others were able to survive several of them! Even if Basil speaking like that is going to give me nightmares for a while.”

 

“I dunno, the voice was… soothing.”

 

“Also just wrong hearing it out of his voice, y’know?”

 

“OK, fair. U-uh, we could always see if there’s any-any medical equipment?”

 

“Sounds like a plan! Where should we search?”

 

“...Kel, you do know we’re in a hospital, right?”

 

“Yeah? Why?”

 

“...never mind. The operating rooms should probably, I think they’ll have equipment. We could maybe search there?”

 

“Sure! Lead the way, Mincy!” 

 

USE THE BASKETBALL

 

I clutch my head this time due to the aching sensation that voice leaves behind. “Oh, god, again?”

 

“Kel? What’s wrong?”

 

“Uh, nothing… just… can we go to a window?”

 

“But we can’t break it open yet?”

 

“Just… call it intuition.”

 

“Call what intuition? Kel, I know this hospital isn’t the best place for it, but if you need help, then-”

 

“I’m fine! Just, something I wanna try out. Probably stupid, but might as well.”

 

And it looks like we’re going to have to, because then a thing appears in the doorway. It looks like the security guard Omori and Hero were facing earlier.

 

“OH, GOD, WHAT IS THAT?!” shouts Mincy, and it occurs to me she’s out of the loop.

 

“RUN WITH ME TO THE WINDOW!” I shout back, because we can talk about things later when we’re not about to be killed. 

 

The security guard is edging closer, but at least it’s slow. Slow enough for both of us to get to the window, especially me. There’s a reason I never skip Leg Day, and this was not the reason but it’s not something I’m going to complain about right now.

 

I throw my basketball at the window. Somehow, it is broken.

 

Even the security guard looks surprised. Well, as surprised as something without any mouth or even eyebrows can be. No time to think, though. I jump out of the window and into the open air. Mincy follows suit. 

 

Another thing appears. I gotta say, if these were Spooky’s monsters, she certainly knows how to disturb people, because I don’t think anything else in life is going to make me feel the same way the boxed and decapitated floating baby head is doing right now. The face is even distorting. Why is the face distorting? I.. I hate this. No, OK, that’s it, I accept that God isn’t real because there is no way he would ever have let this thing exist. 

 

I snap out of it and start running again. 

 

(pleasedontspeakpleasedontspeakpleasedontspeak)

 

The voice doesn’t ring out, but I’m not sure hearing wailing is any better. Me and Mincy are at least able to reach the road out of the hospital, though. Are those things still following us?

 

I look back. I didn’t consider just how slow these specimens are. They’re ages behind. Actually, they seem to just be walking back to the hospital. We run a bit further, nearer to Faraway, and I think we’re safe now. 

 

“Oh, hey, we’re out of the hospital now.”

“KEL, WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!” Mincy shouts, and honestly, yeah, I should probably have expected that.

 

“OK, so I don’t know everything, but remember that weird ghost girl? She owned a mansion of those kinds of monsters until she got sent to the afterlife and then kicked out? I don’t, I don’t really understand the details, but she then kinda took my friend Omori, you know him, and hired him as a hitman? And now we’re monster hunting. I, I really don’t, actually, no, you’re right, I don’t get anything right now. I’m just… I’m just kinda here.”

 

She looks even more confused. About as confused as I feel, and she has less context.

 

“Basically, we’re monster hunters? I don’t actually know where everyone went, but… that’s the gist of it. We can always see if the others made it back to Faraway and ask them for more details.”

 

“Yeah, that… that sounds good.”

 

Mincy and me start walking back. It’s not a long walk, but I’m used to going faster than the average person, so it feels like an hour. Which is impressive, given it’s five minutes. Maybe time was screwed with as well? I know it’s likely me exaggerating, but at this point, nothing’s impossible. 

 

We finally reach the actual town. I don’t know when we got to sunset, it wasn’t that late in general, was it? I guess we spent longer in the hospital than expected. 

 

“Can we… can we find somewhere safe?” Mincy asks, but I’m not sure where is safe. “Maybe the church?”

 

“Oooh, yeah, might not be… I think the others will be at either my or Omori’s house. We should go there.”

She nods. We walk over there. No specimens, luckily. I guess they’re not in Faraway itself, so maybe we’re safe here. 

 

Or maybe they’re going to find their way over here. Maybe they’re waiting in every house. How many even are there? Just the 6 we’ve seen? 14? 30? Maybe there’s more. Maybe there’s a never ending supply. Maybe there’s different versions of the same specimen. 

NO. Stop with the paranoia, Kel. You’re fine. You’re perfectly fine.

 

You’re already going to die soon anyway.

 

Stop thinking like that already! With all the supernatural stuff, there’s gotta be a way to reverse this, right? If the whole purpose of this thing is to bring back someone from the dead, I can stop myself dying. I can even stop Mincy dying. I just gotta figure out who sent that paper, then I can ask them about it! I mean, my basketball was able to break a window, it can probably threaten these things into helping us!

 

It can’t. You’re going to die. Nobody will miss you, and nobo

 

I hit myself.

 

“Kel? You… OK?”

“Never better!” I grin. It’s not a lie.

 

“Just because… you’ve been standing outside the house and, just, standing still saying nothing. It’s kinda… well, not creeping me out, but it… doesn’t seem like how you act normally?”

 

“Sorry, just got distracted.”

 

“...by what?”

 

“I don’t remember. Probably wasn’t important. Anyway, let’s go in!”

I march into Omori’s house. Weirdly, that name doesn’t feel as hard to adjust to as I was expecting, though maybe it’s because Omori gives me… a different vibe than Sunny. Or maybe it’s because I hadn’t seen him for ages, I don’t know, I don’t have to explain myself! I’m not that good with words anyway. Not that good with The house! Yeah, the house, where I am in. There’s no one here, thankfully. No specimens or anything. Unfortunately, that includes the others.

 

“No one’s here, wanna go to my house instead?”

 

“Why are you asking me?” Mincy interjects.

 

“Hmm? Because, uh, the thing. I wanna see if I can help you, you know?”

 

And then I step in something. Some weird goop.

 

“Oh, that’s goop. That’s not too good.”

 

The goop… starts to rise up. I get my foot out of the goop. Mincy runs out the house just as the door closes, and it looks like I’m alone with a weird slime creature thing? 

 

So much for sticking together. It’s moving towards me, but honestly, I’m not even scared anymore. Looks like the deer was an outlier, because this thing literally just goes down to a ball throw. Or, at least, becomes a puddle. That’s… weak.

 

It rises up again. I realize that this might have been one of the earlier specimens, but I don’t really care. 

 

Then it starts groaning. 

 

“hElP mE”

 

OK, I’m slightly unnerved, but all I need to do is… there’s another one. Another one right there. This one being…

 

“Yeah, that’s right, Otto’s back to kick your ass, yeah, you’re gonna die, yeah-”

 

The slime monster actually hits Otto instead and watching him fall is pretty satisfying. Oddly enough, it isn’t attacking me, I realize. 

 

“dOn’T dO iT.”

 

“Why not, yeah?”

 

“731”

 

Something about that seems to shock Otto. He gets up and runs out.

 

“wHo ArE yOu?”

 

“I’m Kel! Why’d you ask?”

 

“WhAt ArE yOu?”

 

“Human?”

 

“It’S tOo LaTe FoR yOu. StAy AwAy FrOm Me.”

 

It then melts into the ground and disappears.

 

I’m alone now.

 

I can’t really register that before a searing pain in the back of my head and I-

 

-----

 

Aubrey

 

I’m waiting at the hideout when I hear someone else here hyperventilating. I look. Not a Hooligan. Looks about my age, though.

 

OK, as much as I want to tell them to get lost, I… I might as well try to be better.

 

“Hey,” I say, relatively softly.

 

The person jumps when I speak, so I guess appearing behind them wasn’t the best way to go about things. I’m trying my best, OK?

 

“Uh, h-hi,” the person responds. Red glasses, slightly unkempt black hair, but nothing too special overall.

“Wait, aren’t you that one person who’s always drawing stuff in the park?” I recall.

 

“Y-yeah, I’m Mincy.”

 

“I’m Aubrey. What are you doing here?” I ask, because this isn’t exactly the place I expect other people to be regularly. 

 

Mincy looks around. “What are you looking at?”

 

“I’m safe, I’m safe…”

 

This is starting to creep me out. “Is there someone after you or what?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Can you describe them? I’m sure you’ve heard of my gang, we can talk to them for you.”

 

“I don’t know who it is, I don’t know how many of them there are, they got Kel, oh god they got Kel-”

 

Something in the air shifts. “They got who?”

 

“Kel. We were split up.”

 

“Mincy. I’m going to need you to tell me exactly who you’re thinking of.”

 

“Decapitated baby head… flower boy… deer… slime thing with teeth … so many more…”

 

That… that means nothing. “That means nothing!”

 

“I’m… I’m sorry, I’m not making much sense. Just… they’re hunting after me now. They were hunting after Kel, and I was… I was in the wrong place. There was also someone called Omori and I don’t know who the other guy was, but there was also a floating ghost girl.”

 

“Omori?” I don’t remember that name, at all. And floating ghost girl? If she hadn’t mentioned Kel, and… no, OK, nothing is impossible. Omori is a name. That’s something. 

 

“That was their name, I think. Uh, Kel seemed surprised to see them. And then they took the flower boy and escaped.”

 

“Say that again.”

 

“Flower boy?”

 

Omori is not just a name. Omori is my target now.

 

“Mincy, I’m placing you under my protection while I find this ‘Omori’ and KICK THEIR ASS.”

 

“No, I don’t think they were the one behind it…”

 

“They kidnapped Basil. They broke into my house.” andkilledmom “And they’ve hurt Kel. You know slightly more about what’s going on than me, so we’re keeping you safe. Wait, who was the other person with them? Did you not get the name?”

 

“I think it was Hero?”

 

“THEY TOOK HERO AS WELL?!” I swing my bat at the ground in rage. “I’M GOING TO KILL THEM, I’M GONNA KILL THEM! HEAR ME, OMORI?! I’M GOING TO FIND YOU!”

 

“...”

 

It’s then that Kim and Vance arrive. “Hey, loser. Who’s the other glasses girl?”

 

“Wait until everyone else gets here and I’ll explain everything.”

 

Charlie then arrives. At least I can always count on her. Angel’s also with her, and I don’t really have the heart to dissuade them from hunting down this ‘Omori’. 

 

We’re waiting on one more. It takes a moment before Kim says in exasperation, “Where is he?”

“RIGHT HERE!” And, of course, that’s when he arrives. ‘The Maverick’ himself. Yay. I sometimes forget why we’re friends. And he’s still wearing that STUPID WIG.

 

OK, no, focus, Aubrey. “I’ve called you all here because just as I finally made amends with Basil, someone kidnapped him. Someone called ‘Omori’, according to Mincy, or at the very least, they know more about what’s going on. Because the entirety of my old friend group, after one day, is gone.”

 

I don’t go into specifics. I don’t want to… share that right now. 

 

“They also broke into my house, and someone, presumably Omori, threatened me on the phone. So you bastards are going to help me out, because I am going to find and SLAUGHTER this kidnapper. They’re also chasing Mincy, who is this person here. Say hi.”

 

A chorus of ‘hellos’ rings out.

 

“So I’m going after whoever Omori is. Now, are you in?”

 

Not one person says no. Mikhail grins. Kim does the ‘anime push up glasses’ thing, looking like a total dork in the process. 

 

“Good. Then it’s decided.”

 

I then remember that my mom is dead she’s fucking dead my mother’s currently not in the best position. And this is a good chance to make sure Mincy’s safer. “Mincy, I’m staying with you while this goes on.”

 

“Sure.”

 

“Alright. This Omori might be dangerous, so we’re not doing things in half measures. Bring anything lethal.”

 

If I had a lesser gang, someone would be out of here. Not even Angel leaves. They all just nod, in fact. Mikhail’s grin actually seems to widen. 

 

….I’ll find you, Basil and Kel. I won’t lose another friend. Not to anything. Especially not to that dark red thing which I presume is at least linked to ‘Omori’. 

 

I drag my bat across the floor as I start walking. “Meeting adjourned. Meet here first thing tomorrow.”

Notes:

you ever be writing a fanfic and think 'yeah i know where this is going' and then proceed to write a chapter that immediately changes your plans for the entire thing on an impulse

anyway hope you're enjoying so far!

Chapter 8: Iscariot

Summary:

Omori faces an unexpected complication.

Omori

 

I wonder what BASIL thinks of us.

 

After all, to him, we’re imperfect strangers right now who just destroyed a car. HERO’s barely functioning right now, and he’s known me. Though I suppose this is a step up from anything I’ve done in the past few years that I’ve been around, but still.

 

Thankfully, no SPECIMENS seem to be here right now. Then again, if they’re gathering at FARAWAY, it’s not like they’d be out here at a random GAS STATION. We’re lucky that’s near, since we can go and raid it for supplies or hijack one of the other cars. I heavily doubt modern security offers protection against possession. 

 

I look behind me to see if the others are following. They are not. Weird. I stare at them until they get the gist. 

 

HERO’s phone starts ringing, so I suppose we have to wait for that. HERO picks up the phone.

“Oh, Aubrey, right, I should probably tell you everything that’s going oH GOD-”

A bullet lands in his phone as he ducks. I stare at the flashing lights of a police siren. HERO rolls under the remains of the car as SPOOKY floats to me. I pull my hood up. HERO’s not in a good position right now. So much for a ‘group effort’. I sigh as I walk towards the car, before dropping to the floor to avoid bullets. 

 

Time to test something. I summon RED HANDS, and judging by the screaming of the POLICE OFFICERS, I was able to grab them. I order them to twist, and so they do. I hear the clattering of guns dropping to the ground as I’m able to grab BASIL. I try to grab HERO, but someone else does as he’s dragged out from underneath the car.

 

I realize that I’m going to need to try and help him. So I summon another RED HAND. Running out of JUICE, I’m able to cover the OFFICER’s mouth. They let go of HERO, who bolts in the chaos. By the time he realizes we’re separated, I am surrounded. I look around with my one eye. Not one of these people have guns anymore, they’re all still on the floor. I make a fencing gesture with my knife, causing them to scramble to get their guns. There’s about 6 in total. I’m able to grab BASIL and make a run for it. 

 

Bullets fly past me. It’s evident these officers can’t aim that well. Something I’m thankful for as I rush to the gas station. I just about manage to get in as they start convening on me.

 

HERO is, of course, likely running in the opposite direction. He has the DOLL, he’ll be fine. As for myself and BASIL, I’m less confident. I don’t let a hint of fear show on my face as I threaten the GAS STATION ATTENDANT.

 

“Run,” I say, and I think the eye patch convinces them. They do, indeed, run. I get behind the counter and find guns. I grab one and throw it to BASIL, who nods. Not a hint of confusion or doubt. Actually, he’s smiling. I’m slightly concerned now.

 

But it’s irrelevant. I watch to see if they’re coming. 

 

No, no, they are not. They are actually running towards HERO. Or, at least, in the direction he was. He seems to have gotten away, at least for now. Why they went for him, I’m not entirely sure, but then, who does understand the mind of a pig? 

 

We exit. The cars are still there. I get an idea. A stupid, brilliant, idea. 

 

I gesture for both BASIL and SPOOKY to follow me. No words need to be exchanged. They understand me, and I understand them. I start running to the empty police car. 

 

It’s not actually that far, and then I see the police officers walk towards us with HERO in cuffs. “HEY! GET OUT OR WE SHOOT HIM!”

“Shooting our hostage is an interesting move, but sure. Go ahead and do it.” I keep my face stony. HERO looks betrayed. But it’ll be easier this way. “In truth, HENRY, you’ve been lied to. SUNNY’s dead. And I killed MARI.” His face morphs from despair and shock into anger into hatred. I should feel bad. 

 

I enter the car, and SPOOKY possesses it. BASIL leaps in through the window as we rush off. 

 

“Leaving AND breaking your friend? I’m so proud of you, you’re sooo duplicitous!” SPOOKY’s face appears on the GPS THING, or whatever the name is, I don’t actually know.

“If they think he was an unwilling hostage, he might get out.”

“That’s not going to happen, and you’re disappointing,” pouts SPOOKY. I pay no mind as we drive on. 

 

“We need to go to FARAWAY this time,” I state pointedly, to which SPOOKY then salutes. 

 

“Got it!”

 

We drive off. I think about HERO. I left him with 6 POLICE OFFICERS or so, cuffed, and to get him out, I broke his spirit. I think about KEL. I left him trapped in the HOSPITAL with 731 hours, 730 soon, left until death. I think about BASIL. He lost his memory and I essentially kidnapped him. 

 

I should feel bad.

 

I should feel guilt.

 

I don’t know if I do. 

 

-----

 

Cris

 

I’m putting together my seashells when I hear a knock on the door. My parents are out at a Trump rally right now, so I go to answer it. 

 

A man appears at the door. At least, I think he’s a man? He has stubble, though his hair is pretty long, and he’s wearing a shirt and jeans. A fairly casual outfit for a man who actually looks pretty distressed.

 

“Hey. Sorry to disturb you when it’s nearly dark outside, but have you seen my son anywhere? His name is Sunny Suzuki.”

 

“Uh, I saw someone called Sunny standing by my friend Kel the other day, but nothing today.”

“Right. Sorry, thanks for your time. Are your parents in, out of interest?”

“No, not right now, but they’ll probably be on their way back.”

“Ah, noted. Well, please let me know if you do see Sunny. I’ve been searching all day and there’s been nothing. The hospital staff tried to bill me before I could check him out even though he’d already left, can you believe it?”

 

Yeah. “No, what?”

 

“Yes, such is the land of the free. I’ll see you around.”

He leaves.

 

…that was weird.

Notes:

just to clarify this is set in 2024 before the literal rapist got elected again

Chapter 9: Things To Do, Places To Be

Summary:

Aubrey sees where Mincy lives. Hero resists arrest.

Hero

 

I’m currently sitting in a squad car, cuffed. They don’t have probable cause, so they can’t arrest me, but I’m not feeling confident about my odds of getting out right now. Regardless of anything else, Omori did make sure I’m not that much of a suspect, and I’ve refused to speak to the police until I can get a lawyer. Admittedly, running away would harm my case, but then I can claim I was getting away from Omori.

 

Omori. Omori who… killed Mari. 

 

They also forgot to read my rights, so I can probably get out even if I do admit anything. They also haven’t told me why they’re detaining me, and I’m not even sure why they attacked in the first place. No one would have reported it stolen, because, well, literally everyone was dead. Was Spooky speeding or something? But then, why were there so many officers? No, you know what, Omori’s betrayal only made things worse for himself. He gave them actual reasonable suspicion. I have my driving license, and given that we’d stopped, they couldn’t have asked to see Omori’s ID, and they also came from my side. I shouldn’t even be here! We didn’t have to fight them, and I didn’t anyway, it’s not like they even said they were arresting me. No, the police didn’t have a leg to stand on until Omori gave me to them and just had to twist that knife in further. Maybe he’d do it physically, as well. 

 

God, how I did even get into this mess? I know my rights. I’ve been cooperative after the initial shock, giving my name and address as required. I have my ID on me, and I think after I mentioned the 5th Amendment, they realized I was pretty educated. I can sue for this, now that I think about it. They didn’t even read my rights.

 

“You’re free to go. Goddammit,” grumbles an officer as the car door is opened. I don’t bother asking him to identify himself. They don’t have to. I did a lot of reading on this after I was first pulled over. 

 

The police drive off after I’m shoved out of the car. I really want to sue for this treatment. But I don’t currently have the money to fund a lawsuit, and I also didn’t get arrested. I guess they followed protocol enough?

I then feel the cold metal of the cuffs still… wrapped around… my hands…

 

No. There’s no way. There’s no way they’d leave me like this. I try to shake the cuffs off, but immediately, I know. They didn’t fucking uncuff me. I can’t even use my phone and call my parents or check up on Aubrey or anything, it’s been destroyed! Those officers have completely ruined everything for me.

 

No. They weren’t the only ones.

 

I was betrayed. By Omori. Because he’s clearly not Sunny with how callously he taunted me. It makes sense now. Why he was working with that ghost, why the references to him killing were made by 8. Why he can use those hands. He’s probably another specimen who had a disagreement with them. He’s not Sunny. He’s… something else. Sunny’s really gone. Sunny’s really gone.  

 

No. Omori is, evidently, not a reliable narrative. Why would he claim me to be his hostage? I don’t understand what he was thinking. And he… I don’t know why he added that last part. He couldn’t have killed… her. I killed her. It was a suicide. 

 

(Even now, you can’t accept she’s dead. Pathetic for a so called ‘hero’.)

 

Focus on the current situation. Wallowing in your own self pity, trying to piece together people’s motives, you can do that after you get out of these cuffs and back into Faraway. Because you have to. Kel’s life might depend on it.

 

I don’t know what to do, but I can figure out, right? The best thing to do is to at least start moving. Maybe someone in the gas station can help me out of these cuffs. I start heading there.

 

I enter and it looks like the attendant only just got back in. They get behind the counter and then they see me. “You… you were with them, weren’t you? You were the other one!”

He reaches for something behind the counter and I desperately jump to the side as bullets implant themself in the shelves. “WAIT, PLEASE, I’M NOT WITH THEM, I’M INNOCENT!” I plead, but he keeps firing as I run through the shelves.

 

“STAY STILL, YOU BASTARD! DAMMIT, GUN’S JAMMED!” I then hear another shot. After that, deafening silence. I wait 10 seconds before peeking around a shelf. His body slumps over the counter, his eyes glazed over, a hole in his head as his grip around the gun loosens. It falls to the floor, making a clattering sound. I go towards him, cautious even though I know, logically, there’s no danger. Even though I never knew this person. Even though they’re not the first dead body I’ve seen today by a long shot. Some soul music plays through a tinny speaker as I inspect the man’s head. He hit it on the counter, there was… no chance of him surviving. I’m about to try and call an ambulance when I hear police sirens.

Of course. They didn’t have to leave completely. Just get out of sight. I’ve made many mistakes in my life, but picking up the pistol on the floor may be the first that was an active move. I glance towards an ‘Employees Only’ door, see the blue and red flashing lights get closer, and send out a quick prayer to a god I’m starting to believe in. It seems to work as the door is open. Pistol still in hand, I go through and close it just as I hear more gunshots. Louder and louder. It’s evident they didn’t mean to arrest me, but it’s also obvious they weren’t going to let me go. And this place doesn’t even have cameras. I find another back exit and go through the door just as the officers bust through the ‘Employees Only’ door. I run and I run and I run, hoping they don’t see me, knowing that if those cars reach me, it’s all over for me. Why, why couldn’t they have uncuffed me? 

 

It feels like I’ve been running for hours as I register that no one’s chasing me. I keep running anyway, knowing that this just means they’re in their own cars. I run through this small, desolate town as the sky only darkens. Sure enough, I hear sirens. I’m not being watched right now, though. I realize that there’s only one way to ensure I escape.

 

I climb into an open bin and close the lid just as I hear the sirens stop. Minutes go by. I hear voices calling out for the person to show themself, scared to even breathe, as they shout threats that are definitely not empty. I hear someone say ‘we’ll find you eventually’, and then about 47 seconds before I hear a car door open. 

 

“Hey, what the hell are you all”

 

A sound like a plane crash sounds out. Three plane crashes. I cover my mouth with my hands to stop myself from gasping, from screaming, from crying for another person I’ll never know the name of.

 

“Damn, that wasn’t the guy?” “No, idiot. Now we get out before we start trending on Twitter. Stick a knife in them and we can frame someone for it later. Maybe even our mystery suspect.” “Got it.” I hear footsteps. They grow more distant until they stop and the car door closes. I hear 3 cars driving off. I wait and slightly peek out of the lid. They’re all gone. For real this time.

 

I finally let out a choked sound. I notice how fast my breathing is. No, calm down, they’re gone, you’re fine now. Come on. I count to 20 until my breathing is finally steady again. Shaky, but at least it’s at a normal pace. I climb out of the bin and rush over to the victim, pistol still in my grip. There is indeed a knife in their throat now. Lights start turning on and I run away out of fear I might get seen again. 

 

I don’t know who they were. These two people, one killed deliberately, one killed by mistake. Both dead because of me. That’s three so far, who will you kill next, Henry?

 

I can’t even rest for a second, despite being completely out of sight. An overwhelming sense of dread fills every cell in my body. This wasn’t even a specimen. This wasn’t even something beyond human. This was… this was worse.

 

This was terrifyingly human.

 

I resist the urge to throw up. If those officers were able to identify it was me who ran out, then I’m already going to be a wanted man, and I don’t want to leave a trace of myself.

 

At least I can start walking. I don’t know where I’m going, but I have time to find out. At least, I hope I have time. Only one way to find out how this ends.

 

-----

 

Aubrey

 

I enter Mincy’s home. 

 

It’s across the road from his house. She seems terrified as she glances at it, to the point where she speeds up. I make a mental note to ask her about that later. We reach her house. 

 

It’s an RV.

 

I look at her. “Couldn’t afford Faraway housing, huh?” She turns away. I realize that probably sounds like a dig so I clarify. “For what it’s worth, my mom bought the house when it was cheap,” beforeshediedshe’sdeadandyoudon’tevenfeelsadyoudisgusting “when only, well, poorer people lived here. My dad also helped. Really good thing we bought that house outright, she… doesn’t do much but sit around and drink.” I don’t even know why I’m saying this much. We’re perfect strangers. I don’t know why I’m lying to myself. Mom’s dead. She’s dead. She was barely living anyway. She never cared about you. She never helped you. Shouldn’t you feel happy? Shouldn’t you feel sad? She’s your mother.

 

She doesn’t seem to respond. I guess she’s still thinking about… whatever it was she saw. We enter the RV. 

 

I look around. Drawings, really good and realistic looking drawings, are all over the RV. “Damn, you made these?”

“Y-yeah, I’ve been trying to build up a portfolio to get into art school. You like them?”

“Yeah, they’re really cool!” I’m not saying that just to be nice, either. I’m shocked at how good these are. “Do you take commissions?”

“Normally, I would, but, uh, sorry, just… everything’s a bit much right now.” At least she seems to have calmed down slightly. It’s something, at least. I sit down on one of the seats.

 

“Your uncle seems to like your pieces, huh?” I don’t ask about being the uncle specifically. I don’t need to know what happened to her parents. She nods.

 

“Yeah, he’s really supportive.” I wish mine were. I wish dad didn’t leave. I wish mom didn’t

 

“That’s good. I mean, no wonder he does. These are really detailed and stuff.” 

 

“Thanks.” She seems to lighten up a bit after that. Which is why the conversation then dies. I don’t know what to say. Try and tell her it’ll be alright? It’s not. Nothing’s alright. I know better than to give her false hope. 

 

-----

 

Ben

 

I look towards the man who has become my boss.

 

“The others have failed me. I was blindsided by that damned ghost and Henry, 8 couldn’t keep control of the accomplice, and the others haven’t taken out a single person. Not one. Out of all these targets, you’d think I wouldn’t be the only one who actually took one out. Our only success today was a FUCKING ALCOHOLIC!”

The man does not calm down. The only thing which changes is the tone with which he speaks.

 

“You know, Ben, I’m not having a good day right now. This was supposed to be the win. Faraway? Ohio? They were meant to be easy victories. Well, it doesn’t look like they’ve been easy, have they?”

I know better than to answer. The biting venom in his voice does not subside.

 

“And when things aren’t easy, I get angry. And when I get angry, people get hurt. You get what I’m saying, Ben?”

 

I nod. The grin plastered on my face would never fade anyway, but it is slightly more pronounced than usual. 

 

“Now, you are pretty effective. Even people that have faced the other specimens don’t expect you, you know? I’m sending you after people who haven’t. The artist knows too much, and that ‘scooter gang’ has chosen to get involved.”

“They are going after the so called ‘Omori’, though. If they learn anything about the powers we hold, they will immediately presume Omori is one of us. This is a golden opportunity to set the second part of the Faraway plan in motion.”

 

“...you’re right. See, this is why I like you. You actually know what you’re doing. OK, just the artist, then. She’s a liability, as it is now. And Ben?”

 

I look to him.

“Don’t fail, please. Can you do that? Please don’t fail me.”

 

I nod.

 

“See, this is all I want. Just some more cooperation, a little less failure, you know?”

 

“What will you be doing whilst I eliminate the liability?” I ask out of curiosity.

 

“I’m going to meet with some old friends I haven’t seen for a while.”

 

Notes:

you ever have to look up the police detainment process in another country and realize that even though the police are more publicly brutal there are actually more rights there then there are in your own country

the usa is a horrible place and i feel sorry for you guys but at least you didn't get stop and search like us in the u of the k

actually just western countries in general suck

that's it that's the takeaway

Chapter 10: Announcement

hi guys.

 

so i'm really happy with the reception this fic has gotten. it's been awesome to see that people like my stupid little crossover stuff, and it's also been immensely fun writing that crossover stuff. which is why, just to be clear, this is not a cancellation announcement.

 

that being said.

 

while i still want to write this specific fic with this specific premise, i have decided that, due to the massive narrative issues i've caused for myself where i want to take some things back but can't, i have decided to entirely remake this fic. 

 

so i'm here to announce a rewrite of what exists of Take The Dead To Faraway, and then i'm going to continue writing from that point forward.

 

just to be clear, not a cancellation. i just want to rewrite this fic so it has a more consistent direction, as well as some general touch ups to the writing style.

 

i'll keep this fic up until i've rewritten all of what currently exists, so until then, have what does remain. most of the plot will still be the same, i just have a fair few tweaks i want to make.

 

that's all. see you!

 

UPDATE:

the rewrite now exists. i'm still going to keep this fic up as an archive, though. 


you can read the rewrite here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/71321401

thanks again!

Notes:

check out my other works

fmgs: https://archiveofourown.org/works/54585661/chapters/138311587

MARc: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58550608/chapters/149167867

Danganronpa 256: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58828648/chapters/149928139

Super Bowser Bros: https://archiveofourown.org/works/59638834/chapters/152105650

also check out humanoid_bean he's pretty cool: https://archiveofourown.org/users/humanoid_bean/pseuds/humanoid_bean