Chapter Text
You eyed the duck boat with uncertainty, and the meat... pool next to it with even greater hesitancy. The endless churning of blood and flesh did not sit well with you, and being in a boat that was so close...
“Are you sure there isn’t any other way we could... get around?”
The Batter shook his head, walking forward to the edge of the path. You resisted the overwhelming urge to pull him back as he got into the pedalo, the sides tipping dangerously close to the meat. He sat down, and looked back up at you, clearly waiting for you to get in next to him.
“We must move forward. This is the only way.”
“Batter. That’s raw meat we’re going to be riding through.”
“Yes.”
“Raw meat. With blood. It smells like rotting flesh.”
“Yes.”
You stomped your foot irritatedly.
“I’m not going in that boat, even if it kills me. You can navigate by yourself or something, I’ll...” you looked around, before landing your eyes on the merchant a few meters away. “Sit with Zacharie and complain about how stupid this meat fountain is.”
The Batter shook his head, before reaching up and holding out his hand to you, waiting for you to take it.
“We must hurry.”
“Don’t wanna.”
“You won’t fall in, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“I won’t fall in anyways, because I’ll be on the shore, far far away from this pool of raw meat. You know how bad this stuff is for humans, right?”
The last of his patience worn thin, the Batter stood up, forcibly pulling you into the pedalo and away from the walkway. You let out a scream as you were wrenched from the safety of your unmoving ground and firmly placed in the seat next to him, the boat rocking haphazardly.
“There. Now we can continue.”
“YOU ASSHOLE.”
“Don’t be so stubborn.”
You could hear Zacharie laughing from the shore, and you resisted the urge to sock Batter in the face. Gripping the side of the pedalo tightly, you tried to breathe as little as possible as Batter started pedaling up the long stretch of meat that spread out before you. As you were trying to figure out how to stop feeling all of your senses at once without dying, he gently elbowed you and pointed out the numbers on the walls.
“Oh... right.” You scrambled to find the pad of paper in your pockets.
“Are you... holding your breath?”
“No.” You deadpanned as you breathed out into your sleeve, trying to ignore the stench of raw flesh as you inhaled back in. Just as you finished writing down the last number, you felt something bump into the side of the pedalo, making you give out a cry of alarm. The Batter sighed impatiently, and before he could ask what was wrong, two oblong white spectres erupted from the meat, sending blood and protein splattering everywhere, bearing their massive jaws and piercing teeth down at you. You resisted the urge to vomit.
“ Please tell me we won’t have to fight these.”
The Batter wordlessly stood up, his bat already in his hand.
“ For fucks sake. ”
One of them dove forward, opening its jaw wide open with a scream. You yelped as the Batter swung, the impact of the hit sent the pedalo lurching forward. The movement caught you by surprise, and you tumbling off to the side, your hands useless as they were cramped from clenching the boat. Before you could pitch over the side and into the endless meat below, you stopped. The Batter’s gaze never wavered from the spectres, but his hand was firm as it pulled you back and sat you down in your seat. You sank down into the pedalo as far as you could, appreciating the somewhat solid ground you were able to anchor yourself to.
“Thank you,” you managed to choke out as your hands made their way back onto the sides of the boat.
“Save your thanks for when the spectres are purified.”
Despite your near death experience just then, you rolled your eyes and groaned. The noise and stench of the raw meat was getting to your head, but you ordered Alpha to attack as well. Many saturaterated chains and bats later, the two spectres corpses floated on top of the blood for a moment, before sinking back down out of sight. The Batter sat down next to you, his uniform covered in tiny flecks of meat and blood. Your shoes were soaked in the blood that had made its way into the bottom of the pedalo, your jacket covered in meat as well. You were also a few shades paler, your knuckles having turned white from gripping the side of the pedalo.
“Adversaries purified.”
“....”
“Player?”
“....”
“We’re OK now.”
“Yeah I figured as much.”
“... Do you need to vomit?”
“I might have to take you up on that offer if we fight another one.”
He shook his head, brushing off the pieces of meat on his shirt before going back to pedaling, moving a little slower this time. Alpha floated next to you, reassuringly glowing and supporting you when you leaned over to dry heave.
You did not like the pedalo.