Chapter Text
Low-frequency static filled the air as bulbous, sickly Eyes gazed down upon Mono. They stare and stare at him in almost a taunting way as if they know he can't ever escape their watch. Mono sits back in the chair assigned to him by the Tower and looks blankly ahead of him. Why was he the one trapped here? What did he do to deserve this? Sure, he and Six had gotten themselves into dangerous situations numerous times but that was to be expected in a world where everything is out to kill you. Even when in danger he would always make sure to help Six and assure her safety. He saved her from the Bullies and traversed through the Apartments to get to the Signal Tower in order to save her. He fought off the Hands and ran for his life against the Patients so they could get through the Hospital. He put himself on the line countless times and always wanted to be the one taking on more dangerous tasks so that Six wouldn't have to. He cared for her dearly and thought she was his best friend; they were going to beat the monsters and live in a better world together.
In return for everything that he did, Six left him to rot in the bottom of a malicious Tower. Greatest friend of all time, huh? Mono wanted to cry once more but what good did that ever do him. He balled his fists in frustration and glared at the Eyes as they continued to blink down at him. Mono knew that he was destined to become the Thin Man; the one who chased himself and Six and the one who would ultimately die by his own younger hand. Why was he the one who had to suffer for so long and be given the short end of the stick? Why is he the one stuck in an irreversible loop full of torment and agony? Maybe he should've realised much sooner that the world and life itself is unfair, no one gets to have a happy ending. Perhaps if he hadn't met Six then none of this would have ever happened. He could have gone on with his life without ever having to come across the feral girl. If he could just have another chance before he became the lanky, bitter old man then he could potentially end all of this.
A haunting tune began to play as a soft blue light illuminated the rows upon rows of eyes. A small TV stood in front of Mono as the screen displayed a hypnotising spiral, beckoning him to come closer. As Mono rose from his chair the eyes groaned and rumbled pain-filled noises. His back cracked and his legs almost gave in under weight they hadn’t carried in however long. The light coming from the TV grew stronger as Mono got closer to it and he could feel the screen beginning to pull him in. The eyes squealed in defiance as he began to put his hands to the screen - he couldn't just up and leave the Tower. The walls started to close in on Mono as the eyes moved closer however he pushed hard on the TV's screen; he was going to fix this loop and never have to see another one of himself stuck in this awful Tower. With one final glance at the Eyes, he fell into the screen.
Mono was thrown out from another TV and landed on grassy ground with a thud. Quickly surveying his area he soon realised where he was - the Wilderness. He had been sent directly back to where it all began and by whatever high being existed he was not going to mess this up. As he stood up to take his first step his foot came into contact with a very familiar black fedora. Mono frowned but took the hat regardless, he had to look stylish one way or another. Trudging through the somewhat peaceful Wilderness allowed Mono to collect his thoughts and come up with a plan. He was going to eventually come across the Hunter's shack and find Six locked down in the basement. He could free her and they could go through the whole process again but the chances of her betraying him would be too high. Leaving her there was an option however progressing through the Pale City would be difficult without another person. Maybe Six remembered the past loop and knew everything so she knew that by dropping Mono she created the Thin Man. If she didn't remember then he could try and tell her about it all but she'd probably think he was crazy. He could just take the risk and save her but he resented her for what she did and he would most likely just end up back at the bottom of the Tower. Mono sighed as he threw a nearby pine cone into a bear trap to disarm it, he didn't want to be abandoned again but he needed someone to help him get through the Pale City.
The Hunter's shack loomed in the distance and Mono began to make his way inside. That familiar tune rang through the house and led him to the basement. He made his way downstairs and took a peek into the room Six had been trapped in. Shockingly, he did not see what looked to be Six. Well, they had the same hair and proportions as Six but this person was donned in a blue sweater with slate blue pants and a metal cuff around their right ankle. Whoever this person was was not Six, which Mono was grateful for, but why were they here? Did the loop somehow change? If they were where Six was then where the hell was Six? Mono stared at the mystery child as they continued to play the music box. Breaking them out would be an easy task however he felt no urgency to help them as he did with Six. They could oh so easily ruin his life like Six did and show no remorse, though they could be the exact opposite of her. This person wasn't Six and that's what mattered to Mono. If they weren't Six then he had a better chance at changing his fate and escaping the loop. Mono hurried to the room behind him to grab the axe, hastily pulling it behind him. He dragged it to the door the child sat behind, brought it over his shoulder and began to hack away.
Much like Six, the child backed away from the door and hid under a table behind them. In a very un-Six way, they talked. They yelled at Mono.
"Who are you! Get away from me!"
Mono tilted his head as he stared at the child. It had been forever since he had talked to another human being and he was stunned. He took a chance to look around the room as it was still very much familiar to him yet was just a tiny bit different. The music box and the lacklustre decor of the room remained the same though what caught Mono’s attention were the drawings that adorned the walls. Multiple lifeless eyes gazed down upon the room, helping to remind Mono of the ever-present Tower. He also took notice of little white people with large hats covering almost half of their bodies. Were they some kind of monster the child had faced or were they just stewed from their imagination? Mono zoned out as he wondered what the drawings could mean as the child continued to yell at him.
"Don't make me throw this music box at you!"
Mono snapped out of his daze and turned to meet the child’s gaze. He cleared his throat and did what he could to at least not seem dangerous, "Sorry for the rude entrance." He spoke as he knelt down much like he did when he met Six. They made eye contact and Mono looked into the child's dark eyes, "I'm not here to hurt you so don't worry about that." Mono smiled as friendly as possible which wasn't all that comforting. He extended a hand out and stared at the other as he waited for some sort of response.
"How do I know you're not here to kill me?"
Mono's smile strained as he tried to remain patient, "If I were here to kill you," he said, "I wouldn’t have dropped that axe."
The child’s eyes looked behind Mono and landed on the axe. He could see the other was nervous and wary of him. Mono stood back up and fiddled with the cuffs of his trenchcoat, "Listen, you and I are in the same boat right now. We're both stuck in this house with a guy who will kill us sooner or later and I’m pretty sure you don’t plan on dying down here,” said Mono as he looked at the child, “so I think our best bet right now is to work together so we can escape this place.”
They looked up at him as they reluctantly pushed the music box to their side. They breathed deeply through their nose and their eyes landed on Mono’s hand.
“I just.. how can I trust you though? How do I know you’re not some creep like the thing that trapped me down here?”
Mono knew this child was going to die in this room if he left them here. The Hunter had a limited capacity for mercy and he would almost certainly shoot them eventually; they weren’t going to be getting out of this house alive without Mono’s help. “I don’t know how I can get you to trust me, but I don’t want to leave you down here to die at the hands of that man,” said Mono as he stared straight into their eyes, “I know how to escape this place and get to somewhere safer than this and I wish for you to join me in doing so.”
Mono had hoped that they would be willing to go with him but if they chose to stay here then he wasn’t going to force them though he didn’t want the Hunter turning them into a trophy. The person looked like they were in deep thought as if they were considered the pros and cons of following Mono wherever he went. With an affirmative nod most likely directed towards themselves, they slowly sat up and raised their hand to meet Mono’s. He gripped onto their hand tightly and pulled them to their feet, giving them a small smile as a sign of gratitude. They were now a team and had to work through this cruel, unforgiving world together. Though Mono was reluctant to instantly call them a friend he knew he’d most likely have to rely on them throughout their journey to the Tower. It was risky to put faith in someone he just met but he didn’t have many other choices besides this person. Whether or not they replicated Six and her actions were to be seen; however, for no discernable reason, Mono felt more comfortable around them. He felt like they weren’t the type to take pleasure in snapping necks and breaking fingers, unlike a certain someone.
Before either can speak on the matter of escaping and not dying at the hands of the Hunter, loud thumps echo from upstairs as the roof above the pair shakes slightly. The Hunter is already inside and will make for a difficult escape, much like last time. Mono is uncertain on how good this kid is at running for their life but he presumes they will be finding out fairly soon. If this loop is anything like the last then escaping silently will not be an option considering that stupidly loud trap door he and Six had to push on to escape. They both needed to be prepared to run and avoid getting shot by the Hunter’s unnecessary shotgun. Mono had noticed the child’s grip had become tighter as they squeezed his hand - they were definitely terrified of what lay ahead of them. If they became too scared and made rash decisions then their chances of surviving would drop drastically. Mono knew he had to keep this kid calm, no matter how dire the situation as he didn’t want them dying on his watch.
“Hey,” Mono shook their shoulder to get their attention, “I know it seems scary and trust me it is but we need to get out of here no matter what, even if it means facing that guy.” Mono hadn’t been the greatest at comforting people with his words as he’d rather comfort someone physically but he didn’t think that this person would be open to hand-holding and hugging at this point. They looked at Mono with uncertainty so he took it upon himself to continue somewhat comforting them, “As long as we don’t do anything stupid we should be fine. The guy up there’s called the Hunter and he’s not the smartest monster out there. All we need to do is hide behind things and avoid getting shot by his shotgun. Are you good with all of that?”
“I uh, think I’ll be fine with the whole running thing but I would like to know what a shotgun is,” they asked as they stared at Mono for guidance.
“Ah well, a shotgun is that long wooden thingy he carries all of the time. A gun is a weapon that shoots bullets and kills things.” Mono’s explanation did not help calm them down and if anything, made them even more scared. Mono, the number 1 source of comfort and tranquillity. As long as they knew to use objects for cover whenever the Hunter shot at them then they’d be fine… hopefully.
“So if this Hunter shoots us we die and the only way to avoid being shot is hiding behind something and hoping we don’t get killed? Great, this is just great,” they sighed. At least they got the gist of surviving the Hunter. If they followed Mono’s advice and stuck by his side then escaping both the Hunter and Wilderness would be a breeze.
“Yeah it’s not the most ideal situation but then again none of this has ever been ideal. As long as we stay together we should be able to get out of here safely. Just follow my lead and listen to what I say, got it?" Mono already knew every one of the Hunter's moves and exactly how to escape him. He wasn't the smartest monster he had faced and would ultimately meet his demise due to his unwavering persistence. Maybe if he gave up on killing him and Six then he wouldn't have been shot; perhaps the Hunter didn't necessarily have to die though Mono wasn't willing to risk keeping him alive.
"Alright," they breathed, "I'll trust that you know what you're doing so that we don't die here. I'm not all that thrilled at the idea of being killed if I'm being honest."
Who would've thought that Mono shared the same sentiment. If he kept this child alive then they'd be of massive use to him later on. Mono wouldn't make the same mistakes he did last time - he wouldn’t become a slave to the Tower. He had no clue what his plan for the future would be if there were to be a future beyond confinement in the Tower; being trapped in a room full of fleshy eyes and only a chair to sit on wasn’t something Mono desired. His only solid goal was to make it to the Tower but honestly, what would he even do there? Without a doubt, the Tower would try to capture him once again and keep him prisoner for him to become the fated Thin Man. So goal number one was definitely to not be turned into the Thin Man which seemed easier said than done. The biggest factor in his future would be the choices of the person that stood in front of him; would they drop him just like Six did with her cold, emotionless gaze?
Mono shook his head, Six wasn’t here and hopefully wouldn’t show up so there was no point in even thinking about her. He had to focus on his brand new all fun adventure with the person he had just freed from the room in the Hunter’s basement and figure out how to safely get them out of here. Maybe they’d stick by his side and venture to the Tower with him; Mono’s ultimate goal was to put a stop to the Transmission and its hold on the world around it. Would he be killed in the process? Most likely but with this whole loop system, he’d just return to the beginning as if nothing happened and have another shot at beating the Tower. Dying and restarting the loop seemed like a much better alternative than being left to rot at the bottom of the Tower and eventually turning into the Thin Man. At least Mono would have some sort of control over his destiny - a destiny not premeditated by the Tower itself. If he had to die repeatedly in order to give his future self a chance at happiness then so be it.
Now, it was time for him and this random kid to escape the Wilderness. Mono turned to look over his shoulder and at the flight of stairs, “Well there’s no point in standing around down here so we should probably get out of this place.”
They nodded and began to trail behind Mono as he made his way up the stairs. Mono had already decided that he liked this person much more than Six, they didn’t shove him to the ground and run away from him. Maybe they could become friends… maybe. If they weren’t driven away by Mono’s powers whenever he would have to reveal them and the fact that he already knew how to navigate this world perfectly then perhaps they could be friends. It would be nice to have someone he could call a friend, a person he knew would have his back and be there to help him when he needed it - a person who wouldn’t drop him. Putting his trust into someone he just met didn’t work out all too well last time but he wouldn’t have much of a choice when it came to certain areas in the Pale City. Mono pursed his lips as he climbed the shelves of the cabinet in the dining room, turning around once he reached the top to see if the other was following him. They seemed to be preoccupied with the mannequins sitting at the table; whether they were part human Mono never really wanted to find out. He cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled a hushed, “Oi.”
That got their attention as their head snapped up to look at Mono. He pointed a finger towards the small opening in the wall in front of him and then climbed through it. Once he landed on the ground he waited underneath the handle that would drop a ladder into the attic. The time he spent in the Tower didn’t make him heavy enough to weigh down the lever so he’d have to get help from his brand new companion. Thankfully, they quickly dropped from the hole in the wall and landed on the ground with a harsh thud. Mono winced, that definitely had to hurt. They hurriedly picked themself up and dusted their pants off, looking around the new room as they did so. They seemed more nervous than they were in the basement and Mono couldn’t judge them for that. He didn’t think anyone would be all that excited to bear witness to whatever the hell the Hunter had going on in his house. They looked to Mono as he waved them over, motioning to the lever that hung above them. Mono got down on one knee and cupped his hands, ready to launch them up much like Six would always do for him. They tilted their head as Mono positioned himself, “We need to weigh down that lever and neither of us can jump high enough to reach it so I’ll just give you a bit of a boost, sound good?”
“Uh well, I guess so if it helps to get us out of here,” they said as they put their hands on Mono’s shoulders and placed one foot in his hands.
With as much strength as he could muster, Mono threw them upwards and watched as they grabbed onto the handle, dangling from it. The ladder had begun to slightly lower but they needed more weight on the handle to fully pull it down. They must have taken notice of the ladder or at least heard it as they yelled out, “It’s not fully going down! I’m just not heavy enough to bring it down!”
Mono was well aware of that fact and knew exactly what to do to give them a fully functioning ladder. He called out to the kid, “Hold on tight for me!”, and immediately proceeded to jump up and grab onto their legs. They shrieked and were pulled back down to the ground but in positive news, the ladder had completely extended and they could now climb it. Mono jumped to his feet and rushed over to the ladder so he could get the key as soon as possible. He hadn’t taken full notice of the kid who was picking himself up once again from the floor and now glaring at Mono.
“You could have at least warned me you were gonna do that so I was at least prepared,” they grumbled as they followed Mono up the ladder.
“Yeah sorry about that, I’m kinda just in a bit of a rush to quickly get out of here,” replied Mono as he now stood up in the attic of the Hunter’s cabin.
Once they too clambered up into the attic they huffed at Mono, “Well since I’m so graciously kind I guess I’ll forgive you just this one time.”
Mono smiled a bit at that, at least with this person he could have some fun back and forth banter instead of complete silence. He moved over to push the suitcase towards the dresser with his new companion quickly joining him after seeing how little it was moving. When the suitcase was pushed far enough, Mono jumped on top of it and hoisted himself on top of the dresser with the kid following suit. He jumped down and progressed into the next room in which he’d have to boost them upwards once again as Mono didn’t have much faith in them being able to throw him up. He walked over towards the cabinet to the left of the room and knelt once again. They must have gotten the idea pretty fast as they quickly positioned themselves and gave Mono a small nod. Returning the nod, Mono launched them up so they could grab onto the cabinet and pull themself on top of it.
As they stood on the cabinet they turned to look down at Mono, “So what am I looking for exactly?”
Mono pointed over to the pulley system that had a very conveniently placed key hanging from a hook right next to it, “We need a crank to power that pulley over there so we can get the key down… so just find a crank I guess.”
They shrugged in return and jumped down the other side of the cabinet. Mono wondered how they would react to having to rip off the mannequin’s arm to get the wench. Probably just scream or something along the lines of that which seemed normal for them. As Mono predicted, a loud crash came from behind the cabinet followed by a shout of terror - fantastic comedic timing. Soon a familiar face reappeared but this time they were holding the prized crank, “Just throw it down here it’ll be fine.”
They did so and quickly jumped down to return to Mono’s side, a bit shaken up. Mono picked up the dropped crank and carried it over to the pulley system where he inserted it into the slot. Mono turned to the kid then the sack and pointed at, “I’ll need you to grab onto the rope for me.” They seemed confused but did what he said and held on to the rope wrapped around the sack. As Mono turned the white sack began to lift upwards along with Mono’s associate. When he could no longer turn the crank he waited for the sound of the key hitting the ground which thankfully happened quite fast. The thudding sound of the person landing followed and Mono let go of the crank, causing the sack to be lowered back to the ground. He turned to grab the key off of the ground and hang it from a loop on his coat; all they had to do now was get past the Hunter. From what Mono had seen so far, this person seemed competent in following him so sneaking and running past the Hunter may not be as difficult as he originally thought.
“So we can open that door below us then what? When exactly should I start running for my life?” they asked as they moved behind Mono.
“Well I’d say we’re in the clear for now but I’ll tell you when to start moving at a faster pace so don’t worry,” Mono responded as he pulled on the handle to the bottom dresser compartment. Right as it rolled out something jumped out from next to the dresser and darted behind the pair. They both whipped around to see the thing sprinting behind the cabinet the kid stood on not long ago and placed itself atop of it. It crouched down and hugged its legs together as it watched Mono and the kid. Mono was unsure of what the hell he was looking at, he never saw a creature like this in the other loop. He vaguely remembers seeing drawings of such a thing scattered around the School and on random pieces of paper. There was also that one painting in the Tower that looked like a distorted version of Six eating one of those things. Whatever it was, Mono didn’t see it as a threat. It looked like it could just easily be kicked over and thrown like a ball. He shrugged it off and went climbing back down the ladder but his compatriot’s hand grabbed onto his wrist, causing Mono to turn around and look at them strangely.
“Aren’t you curious to know what that thing is?” they stared at Mono as they pointed towards the creature.
“Eh not really. I’m more concerned with getting out of here. Why is it important for you to know what it is?”
They let go of Mono and looked back at the thing, “I don’t know I just… I swear I’ve seen one of them before but… I don’t remember where.”
To be honest, Mono wasn’t all that interested in the thing and didn’t care to know about it but he was somewhat interested in what the kid was saying. Mono had never seen such a creature in the Pale City so how did this person see one? Did they come from somewhere outside of the City? Just where in the world did they even come from? Where in the world did Mono even come from? There were too many questions for Mono to handle, “Well I’d rather leave this place as soon as possible so I think we should leave it alone and get out of here.”
They vigorously shook their head and began moving towards the cabinet, “No please I just need to see it up close. You said you thought we were in the clear for now so I have enough time to follow it. I think I know what it is so please help me up there.”
Mono turned to the dresser then back to the kid and the creature. He could just walk off and leave them alone so they can try to figure out how to get up there without help but Mono felt like that would make him a bit of an asshole. Besides, they seemed nice and cooler than Six so what would be the harm in helping them pursue their newfound interest. The Hunter should be preoccupied with his taxidermy hobby at his workbench and Mono didn’t think there were any other hostile living things in the Hunter’s house. He sighed, maybe helping out this person could build rapport between the pair and they would feel more relaxed around Mono. So he helped boost them up back on top of the cabinet with the actions causing the creature to run back into the room that stored the crank.
They glanced over to where the thing ran to and then turned back to Mono, “I’ll try to be quick so don’t get too worried about me.”
Mono stared at them as they grinned and then disappeared behind the cabinet. He felt quite nervous for some reason, maybe because the Hunter could return to the house without any warning. Though that never happened last time since he was far too interested in staying in his workshop. Could it be that Mono was concerned for this person’s wellbeing and felt scared that something might happen to them? That was impossible, he had just met them and was too busy prioritising his journey to the Tower. If he got too attached to them then the pain of being betrayed would be amplified and he would feel even worse if something were to happen to them. Oh god, he was starting to care about this random person he had just met about 10 minutes ago. This wasn’t going as planned and damn him for being so soft to other children. His caring nature was his undoing last loop so it could easily be his undoing this loop. He wasn’t going to return to that cursed chair no matter what tricks the Tower pulled - he wouldn’t become the Thin Man. He had to not get dropped, that's all. All he had to do was not be left to die in the Tower. That was going to be one hell of a challenge that Mono was soooo looking forward to.
Mono stood idly as he listened to the occasional noise that came from above him. Wait above him? There was a room above the attic? Like a double attic? An attic attic? He never knew such a room existed in the last loop so it seemed there were more and more things changing this time. Was it all because of that kid replacing Six? Could such an insignificant thing like a new person create such widespread alteration in this world? If that was true then Mono wondered what future loops would look like, had there be a need for future loops. Of course, there wouldn’t be since this would be the loop where Mono fixes everything and saves himself. His only redo and his final loop. What Mono was to do after all of this was done he had no clue but at least he wouldn’t be dealing with the oppressive Tower anymore. He could focus on mastering his powers maybe and explore new places outside of the Pale City. Finding out where his ally came from could be a start for him. It might signal the beginning of a brand new adventure to new locations however Mono wasn’t certain of the enjoyment he’d have if he were to face new enemies.
A loud bang suddenly came from behind him and Mono clambered over the dresser towards the ladder to see what caused the noise. He was greeted by his confidant as they crawled out from a gap in the wall. This time, they were holding a white pointy hat that was identical to the one the creature was wearing. Mono eyed the hat then the person holding it as the two just stood there, “So how’d it go? Did you learn what you wanted from that thing?”
They had a pale complexion and fiddled with the hat in their hands, “Yeah I guess I did but… it didn’t really make me feel all that better.”
Mono was a bit confused at that, they were set on following the creature but now they appeared upset after doing so. Did they come upon something they weren’t meant to know or didn’t want to know? “You ok? You don’t look too good.”
They looked down at the hat in their hands and sighed, “I’ll be fine, I just need to think about some things.”
Mono nodded, “Well you can always tell me if something’s bothering you, right?”
Their head snapped up and their eyes met Mono’s, “Yeah sure I-I’ll make sure to do that.” They smiled at Mono and went to place their newly acquired hat on their head, “Well I think it’s time we get going then.”
Mono snorted and they seemed to take offence to that, “What? Don’t I look stylish Mr Hat Man?” they asked as they placed a hand to their chest in a feigned look of hurt.
“You look ridiculous,” Mono laughed. The hat almost fully covered their face so Mono could only really see their chin. They looked almost identical to that one Bully he encountered who was wearing a dunce hat.
They took the hat off and went back to holding it in their hands, “I am saddened by your lack of appreciation towards my fine hat however I don’t think I’ll be wearing it as I do prefer to see where I’m going.”
They tucked the hat under their left arm and moved behind Mono to get to the ladder, “I think it’s about time we start making our way out of this place, huh.”
Mono hummed in affirmation as he joined them in going down the ladder and towards the ground floor. Once he dropped down, he pulled the key out from around his coat loop and pushed it into the lock, turning it and causing the lock to fall. Mono and his colleague both pushed open the door with the latter stumbling down the wooden steps. He trudged along as they regained their footing and headed into the Hunter’s shed. They both easily pushed the heavy box as far as possible before climbing it to jump into the next area. Mono jumped first and positioned himself in the window and turned to face the kid, placing a finger to his mouth to indicate that they needed to be quiet. They nodded in return and Mono carefully slipped down into the workshop, landing on piles of fur. He kept low to the ground and soon felt a presence behind him; he beckoned for them to follow as he kept his figure as small as possible. The two snuck behind the Hunter as he was hunched over his workbench, tearing the skin off of some unfortunate animal. When the two made it to the cursed trap door Mono turned towards the other and, as quiet as possible, whispered to them, “Get ready to run.”
They stiffened in return, most likely due to shock as they knew exactly what was about to happen. Mono began to push on the trap door with his acquaintance moving to help him. The door cracked open and the pair fell forwards, sliding down a pile of rotting meat. The Hunter cried out as he rushed to follow them outside, bearing his trademark shotgun. He fired at the fence next to them as he quickly began to reload. Mono sprinted to the nearest box and hid behind it but noticed that the other was lagging behind by just a second. Right as the Hunter aimed his sights at them Mono lunged to grab their hand and yank them behind cover. The gun went off and hit the corner of the box they both stood behind which sent wood splinters flying everywhere. Mono continued to pull them along as he beelined straight towards the next box, “Just keep up with me and don’t fall over!”
They ran behind the next box which was swiftly shot at and exploded. The Hunter wailed in frustration as the pair shielded themselves with the final box. Once that was gone, Mono hauled them to the drop-off and quickly slid down before the Hunter had time to shoot at them once again. Mono moved back into the corner out of sight with the other doing the same. They both remained hidden as the Hunter stood directly above them, surveying the area with his flashlight. When he couldn’t find either of them he groaned in annoyance as he slowly passed by them. When he had gotten a comfortable distance away from the drop-off, Mono moved forwards and began trailing behind the Hunter. With his companion following directly behind him the two stayed low to the ground and used the tall grass to obscure their forms. The Hunter was placed mere metres away from them as they slowly inched their way to the hole in the ground - their only way to get away from him at this moment. Right as Mono neared the edge of the grass, the Hunter’s flashlight shone upon him and he completely stilled himself. He could hear the other shakily breathing as they tried to remain as calm as possible in this horrifying situation. Thankfully, the flashlight moved off of Mono as the Hunter rotated to check the area to his other side. Mono slowly lifted himself off the ground and said one simple word to the other, “Run.”
He sprinted towards the hole in the ground and his partner was, fortunately, chasing after him. The Hunter took notice of the two and swiftly moved to fire at them but they were both already underground at that point. The flashlight shone behind the pair as the Hunter shot into the hole in an attempt to hit them. Wheezes and cries came from above them as loud footsteps faded into silence; the Hunter had long lost them at this point. They pushed their way out from under the tree with the other stopping to catch their breath.
“What… the hell was that?” they panted, hunched over with their hands on their knees.
“That,” Mono began, “I believe was the Hunter and he doesn’t like us existing.”
They stared at Mono as they moved closer to him, “You could’ve told me it was gonna be that bad.”
Mono shrugged at that, “I did tell you that you needed to be ready to run.”
They both stood in silence while Mono walked over towards the bridge they needed to soon cross. It was going to be a scenario in which one had to jump across and catch the other when they jumped across - a perfect trust exercise.
“Well, I just wanted to say thanks for doing what you did back there.”
Mono turned around to look at them, “What?”
They fiddled with their fingers as they kept their eyes on the ground, “You saved me, y’know? You pulled me behind those boxes and stopped me from being shot so yeah, thanks.”
Mono gaped at them, he had never received any thanks from Six that whole time he was with her. He felt strangely embarrassed, “Uhhh you’re welcome?”
They smiled at him and then went to investigate the bridge next to Mono, tugging at the very obvious handle. The bridge slowly began to rise up and they must have taken notice of this as they continued to pull the bridge up. Mono turned to them, “You do realise that you won’t be able to make the jump if I go over there, right?”
They nodded, “Well maybe you could be a saint and figure out a way to help me over there once you’re over there.”
Were they seriously putting their trust in him? Oh well, at least he wasn’t going to be the one who could potentially be dropped. Mono ran over the bridge and jumped to the other side, landing oh so gracefully. The sound of wood hitting rock echoed as Mono turned to see the other falling flat on their face. He stifled a chuckle as he stared.
They quickly jumped to their feet and looked over at Mono, “You didn’t see anything!” they yelled.
Mono burst out laughing, “Yeah don’t worry I was blind for that small period of time.”
“Good!” they shouted, “…so can you help me over now?”
Mono nodded and moved to the edge of the bridge, placing one hand on a piece of wood connected to the bridge and extending the other to his compatriot. They both looked at each other for a few seconds, “If you wanna come over here you need to jump and grab onto my hand.”
They swayed on the spot, “Sooooooo you’re not gonna drop me?”
“Well I wasn’t planning on but now that you’ve mentioned it I guess I have no choice,” he smirked
“That better be a joke!” they cried out as they began backing up to give themself a running start.
Once they were happy with their distance from the bridge, they began running and leapt off of the bridge. Mono leaned in and reached his hand out to grab onto theirs, causing him to lurch forwards a small bit but he swiftly regained his composure. He quickly pulled them up back onto solid ground and Mono met the other’s gaze, “Turns out I was joking.”
Their expression of relief soured, they must not have found Mono’s amazing joke funny. They shoved Mono away and stood up off the ground with not a single glance in Mono’s direction, “I hate to break it to you but you’re not all that funny.”
Mono whipped his head around to face them and scowled, “Well it turns out that some people just don’t know how to appreciate masterful jokes.”
“Or maybe some people just aren’t as funny as they thought,” they grinned as Mono playfully shoved them back.
The two both laughed at each other and continued their journey forwards but their happiness was soon cut short by the sound of the Hunter in the distance. The mood turned serious and the pair walked to see the Hunter patrolling the area in front of them with his flashlight. Mono nudged the other, “You go first,” he whispered, “I’ll be right behind you.”
If he was lucky then the Hunter would only take notice of Mono and ignore them just like he did with Six. Having them in front would hopefully direct the Hunter’s focus to Mono since he would be the one lagging behind this time around.
They looked unsure at Mono’s words, “But wouldn’t it be better if we ran together like last time?”
Mono shook his head, “I know it sounds stupid but you’ll have to trust me.”
“I just don’t want you getting hurt,” they spoke in a hushed voice.
Mono felt warm at that comment, it felt nice to have someone genuinely care about you, “I don’t want you getting hurt either so I need you to listen to me and do as I say. Run forwards, don’t get found and climb into that barn, got it?”
They acknowledged Mono and looked ahead solemnly, “You promise you’ll be fine?”
He nodded, “I’ll be right behind you the whole time.”
They turned to Mono and raised their hand to him, “Pinky promise?”
“What?” Mono tilted his head in confusion.
“You’ll promise me that you won’t do anything stupid that could get you killed because I don’t want to see you die since well… I guess you’re my friend now.”
Mono’s mouth went dry and he felt short of breath. This random person who he had just met about 10 or so minutes ago saw Mono as a friend? They wanted to be friends with a monster like him? Oh god, it was Six all over again; he would drag them through hell and back in the name of friendship just for them to leave him to die in the end. They couldn’t possibly be friends, no one could be friends with Mono. Any ‘friend’ of his would just end up hating him and wishing he was dead. He wasn’t a good person and would sure as hell be an awful friend. Maybe he should have just stayed locked in the Tower, maybe-
“Hey, you ok?”
Mono snapped his head to meet their gaze - a warm and friendly gaze. They wanted to be friends with him; they showed genuine care and concern for him. This person wasn’t Six and would hopefully never be like Six. He had to remember that this was a fresh start and that he wasn’t the Thin Man, he was Mono.
He nodded and locked his right pinky with theirs, “I promise not to get myself killed and I also promise to always be there when you need it.”
They smiled at him, “And I promise to also help you when you need it.”
“I’ll hold you to that,” Mono said as he lowered his hand down to his side.
“So will I,” they grinned.
The pair turned to face the area occupied by the Hunter and the barn they both had to run to. Mono looked at them as they stood near the edge of the drop, turning their head to look at him, “See you on the other side.”
With that they leapt down and sprinted towards the barn, evading the Hunter’s sight and crouching behind a crate at the bottom of a convenient plank ladder. Mono stared at them as he mouthed, ‘What are you doing?’
They waved him over and mouthed back, ‘Hurry up.’
Mono looked over to the Hunter who had just turned away from where they were and made a run for it. Unfortunately, a crow that had just decided to land right where Mono needed to go squawked in retaliation, alerting the Hunter and causing him to fire at the crate Mono had just gotten behind. The other gasped in panic as they rushed to start climbing the planks leading into the barn. The Hunter was far too focused on hitting Mono so he took no notice of the other child, firing once again at another crate Mono had been behind. He climbed up the planks and took cover behind a TV that had been strung up by rope and survived yet another shot. The TV crashed into the ground and Mono was able to haul himself up into the barn, rushing to get over the plank he knew was weak. He had overestimated how fast he could run and the strength of the plank as it snapped right before he fully crossed it. Before he could smash into the ground, a hand grabbed his and he was left dangling from the attic. He looked up and met their eyes as they grunted while pulling him up, “You said you wouldn’t get yourself killed, idiot.”
Mono fumbled over his words but before he could respond the Hunter smashed his way into the barn. He took sight of the two children and cocked his gun at them, instantly firing. Splinters of wood hit the pair as they scrambled to their feet and kept running. The Hunter kept on firing above him in an attempt to hit either one of them - he missed shot after shot. They both kept on running and came to a window, “Jump jump jump!” cried Mono.
The pair flung themselves out of the window and slid down a tin awning, falling into the murky water below. Mono quickly grabbed onto the other and dragged them to a section below the docks. They both remained quiet as the Hunter kicked open the door to the barn and began searching the area with his flashlight. He began moving along the dock as he checked all around him for the children, being unsuccessful in locating them. When the Hunter had moved further along the dock, the two moved out from their hiding spot and waded forwards. The Hunter stood on the docks and was currently facing where Mono and his compatriot had to move - between two tree stumps. Mono looked to the other, “We’ll have to go underwater to get past him.”
They made a face of disgust but knew they couldn’t do much about it, “This is so gross.”
“Yeah you’ll get used to all of this grossness eventually,” Mono spoke as he submerged himself and began blindly moving in what he hoped was the right direction. When he moved a hand to his side and felt a tree stump he jumped up and took a deep breath of air. He turned around and when he didn’t see anyone behind him he panicked but when they appeared right in front of him he almost screamed.
They furiously wiped their face and stuck out their tongue as they gagged, “This sucks.”
“Well,” Mono started, “get excited for it to suck even more.”
They blew a raspberry and pulled themself up onto a small piece of land alongside Mono. The Hunter had moved forwards along the docks and now stood in front of the area they needed to cross - it definitely wasn’t incredibly annoying of him. Mono groaned and walked over to the hollow tree that was barely able to stand upright, “Psst,” he exclaimed to get their attention, “help me push this thing over.”
“But won’t that get his attention?”
Mono hummed, “Of course it will but he’s not going to know it was us that pushed it over and besides, do you wanna hold your breath for that full distance?”
They peered over Mono’s shoulder to gauge how far that distance was and grumbled, “Fine I guess we'll push the tree over.”
The two shoved the tree hard and it soon fell over, smashing into the water and causing quite the loud noise. The Hunter spun around to see what had happened and took a shot at the tree but hit nothing. The pair had hidden behind the fallen tree and waited to see what the Hunter’s next action was. He kept his gun trained on where the tree had fallen and was inspecting the area to see if there was any movement. Mono took a deep breath and went under once again as he slowly moved past the Hunter and towards the next piece of dry land. He emerged from behind another stump and waded his way to land, being closely followed by his associate who popped their head out from the water soon after. They both jumped onto the piece of land and began climbing the ladder, disturbing a crow as they reached the top. Thankfully, the Hunter seemed to not notice as he continued walking through the Wilderness. Mono walked forwards and saw the crows that blocked their path to the shed that held the precious gun.
“Will we run together this time?” they asked as they stood beside Mono.
“Yeah,” he said as he began to lower himself down the drop, “this time we run together to that shed.”
They nodded and joined Mono down at the Hunter’s level, “So we just run for it since those crows are gonna give away our position?”
Mono hummed in affirmation, “We just have to get into that shed.”
With a mutual agreement, the two began running for the shed. The crows squawked and flew away which gained the Hunter’s attention and he wailed as he took notice of the children. They both ran behind a crate and the Hunter fired at them, his reload time giving them a chance to make it to the next crate. Once again he fired and the pair ran directly into the shed with Mono locking the door behind them. The Hunter tried to open the door using the handle and when that didn’t work he began slamming his body against it. Mono moved back from the door, “The gun grab the gun!” he cried.
They pulled the gun off from its mount, causing it to crash to the ground. Mono ran to help them pick up the gun and aim it at the door. As the Hunter smashed his head through the door, they aimed the gun upwards and Mono pulled the trigger. They were both sent flying backwards and the gun fell to the floor. Mono’s ears rang painfully, he propped himself up with his hands and looked over to the door to see if the Hunter was dead. When he heard nothing and saw no movement he felt reassured; the Hunter was dead and they could finally leave the Wilderness. He turned to see how his companion was doing and they were in basically the same state as they held onto their head and moaned in pain. Mono shuffled over to put a hand on their shoulder, “You good?”
They squinted their eyes as they looked at him, “Well minus the blown-out eardrums and pounding headache I’m fine.”
“That’s always good,” Mono muttered. He slowly stood up and groaned, moving over to jump on top of the box that sat below the shed window. He pulled himself up to the window sill and motioned for the other to follow him. He then lowered himself down onto the sand, tuning into the sound of the wave and feeling the cool breeze of the ocean. Sand crunched behind him and Mono turned to meet them - the person who promised he hoped would stay by him during his journey to the Signal Tower.
“So what now?” they asked as they moved closer to the water's edge.
“Well,” Mono hummed, “I was planning on heading to the Pale City because there’s something I need to do over there. You don’t have to follow me, in fact, you’re free to leave now since the Hunter’s dead.”
They rubbed their chin while staring at the ocean; fog obscuring their vision and making for an adventure into the unknown, “I’m sure you recall that I promised to help you when you needed and since I’m not one to break promises I guess you’ll be stuck with me.”
Mono smiled softly, “I’m glad you want to stick by me but I will warn you that it will be a long and treacherous path ahead and now is a perfect opportunity for you to go out on your own.”
“As I said, I made a promise and I don’t intend on breaking it,” they said as they inched closer to Mono, “so you, my good friend, are stuck with me. Besides, when I was alone I managed to get myself captured so I don’t wanna go back out there by myself, I feel safer with you anyway.”
Mono nodded and moved towards the door that would become their boat, “Mono.”
“Huh?”
He turned to face them, “My name. It’s Mono. I just thought it was a bit weird to call you my friend when I don’t know your name and you don’t know mine.”
They coughed, “Uh… yeah I mean that is a bit weird. So Mono, right? Well, it’s nice to meet you Mono, I don’t have a proper name… I guess I just go by the Runaway Kid.”
Mono stared at them, “That certainly is an interesting name… the Runaway Kid. How about we shorten it? I don’t know something like Runaway or RK?”
“Ah, I don’t mind what you choose to call me,” they spoke as they stood next to Mono.
“Hmmm, well I think I’ll stick with RK.”
They grinned, “RK I guess it is then.”
So it was Mono and RK on an adventure to the Signal Tower. Mono was excited to see what the future held and he looked forward to seeing what his new friend was capable of.
“I guess it’s time to head to the Pale City, my good friend RK,” Mono smirked.
“I agree 100% my dear friend Mono,” RK chuckled.
They moved to push the door out into the sea and sat on it, awaiting whatever challenge the twisted world threw at them. No matter what happened they had each other to rely on and together, they would make their way to the Signal Tower and put an end to its hold on the world. Together, as friends.