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Another match.
Dwight knew that this was the routine. They would have four survivors pulled from the flock, and pitted against a Killer among their own group. It should be normal, almost boring by now.
But he could be forgiven for thinking that facing terror and imminant death on a regular basis was never a boring experience.
Many faces had come along since he'd been brought in here. Some nicer and more cordial than others. Dwight, in terms of seniority, was always the one to greet them, help them acclimate to the looming hell that awaited them.As best as he could, anyway. He might not have been the most popular person there, but he was not the LEAST popular. And that was perfectly fine in his book.
Tonight was a special night.
He was sat by the fire tonight, staring into the light and contemplating their predicament for what felt like the seven hundredth time. One might grow weary of puzzling these sorts of things out, when there were clearly no answers to be found in endless backtracking. But he was shaken, literally, from his thoughts by an increasingly loud Meg.
"DWIGHT."
"Huh?! Oh uh, shit, hey Meg, what happened?"
"Will you wake up? Look."
The redhead would point at the path that led into the dark forest, one that looped around endlessly no matter how many times one traversed it. Tonight, someone was on the path, walking towards the campfire slowly. And by slowly, Dwight meant SLOWLY. Like they were just wandering along the path, looking around as their long dark hair swished around them. A less observant person might mistake them for that creepy ghost girl Sadako. But no, this stranger was relatively clean cut and merely blank in the face. Dark eyes stared at their surroundings, slowly blinking as they focused on the fire before them. Their body was average, and had softer features. A woman? Hard to say in this light.
"H-hello?" Dwight stood from his seat, approaching and trying to be friendly. "I guess you're lost, huh? Are you alright…?"
The stranger would simply nod. Nod twice, in fact, and then shift to walk past him.
"Uh…?"
Oh wow. He hadn't been snubbed so hard since the time he'd tried to ask a classmate out to prom.
Now that they were in the light, it could be seen that the stranger was in decently clean clothing. A white dress shirt, and slacks with some shoes one might find in an office environment. A faded red tie was around their neck, and they adjusted it as they sat down on a rock by the fire.
Meg and Dwight exchanged looks, with Meg raising her eyebrows at Dwight, and coming to sit by the newcomer. "You uh. You okay there? You seem kind of quiet. I know it can be kind of shocking, being lost but…"
The stranger turned their head and stared. They were listening to Meg, sure. But their eyes ever so slightly panned over her face, looking her up and down.
Studying her.
"...Are you in shock, or are you just dumb."
"Meg!"
"What! Dumb can describe someone who doesn't talk! I'm not calling them stupid or anything!" She snapped at Dwight. "I'm Meg, that's Dwight. What's your deal, hmm? Did you get dragged into this hell like the rest of us?"
The stranger did not speak up. They merely hummed and seemed to be thinking… and shook their head no after a bit.
"Wh… so are you LOST? Or something?" Dwight asked, sitting opposite of the two. "You can't just be here by accident. Right?"
The stranger would shrug, looking back to the fire.
"What's going on, you two? Did we get a new Survivor?" Claudette would trot over, having come from the same path their new guest had. "I saw some fresh tracks, and I figured I'd come back and see what was up."
"Oh. Yeah, hey Claudette! This is… well, we don't know. They don't talk. Or they haven't since they got here less than five minutes ago." Meg would roll her eyes and get up, going back to the camp community that the Survivors had set up a little ways down the path.
"Maybe they're just shy…?" Claudette would take a seat next to the stranger. "Hey, I'm Claudette. I'd say welcome but well. This place isn't really the place to be making friends. Can you speak?"
"...a little."
The voice that escaped the unconcerned stranger was soft and raspy, but it was there.
"Hmmm I see. Okay." Claudette knew that some folks prefered to keep their words to themselves. Others simply had a difficult time speaking. "Alright. Then we'll keep the questions short and simple. Are you hurt?"
That would get a head shake of no.
"What do they call you?"
" …Tesla."
What an interesting name. Strange that someone would name their kid that. But they weren't about to judge a name when they were all literally trapped in this hell dimension.
"Okay, Tesla, Im Claudette, that's Dwight " she would motion towards the bespectacled man, who would wave. "Do you know where you are?"
"..." another head shake for no. "....Its ok. Smells nice."
Smells nice…? "Well… I guess it does smell kind of nice…? Smells like pine and other trees." Claudette would add, glancing at Dwight. "Okay. So. Ah… this is going to be tough to explain without you freaking out…"
But there would be no time.
There was a sudden breeze, and Tesla would stand up suddenly. "What's that?" They asked, their formerly dim eyes shining.
"That's… well, I guess you'll find out." Dwight would sigh. "It's calling me, too. Claudette I'll… be back. I'll try and bring the new kid up to speed."
Even now, they were still trying to help those trapped in this dimension, teaching them how to survive… but it might be harder thanks to how quiet the newcomer was. It looked like that himself, Tesla, as well as Leon and Bill were being called upon tonight.
"Dwight." Leon would nod at the pair. "New girl?"
"Yeah. Didn't get a chance to explain stuff to them yet. I might need to hang back and do that. Sorry if I can't be more helpful." Dwight apologized.
"Hmph. It'll be fine. If they're smart they'll pick up on what to do just by watching." Bill added as the world around them was swallowed by blackness…
Dwight looked over to the newcomer, who's previously blank face was now alight and contorted with delight. "T-Tesla?" He managed to splutter out as they were engulfed in the typical darkness. They would be in another horrible game soon…
=
The Macmillan farm manifested around the Survivors, mist coiling around the broken down building and rocky outcroppings that were once walls and support columns. The rusting water tower and ancient processing plant loomed in the distance, offering a false sense of protection from whoever was coming to get them.
"Okay. I'll hang back, you guys do what you gotta do. Sorry again." Dwight said, as Leon and Bill headed off to take care of generators.
"It smells… wet here."
Dwight turned to the newcomer, who was already wandering off towards one of the hooks. "W-wait! Hey! Come back!" He half yelled, chasing after her. "You don't even know what's going on here, wait!"
He managed to catch up to the intrigued newcomer, trying to keep them close. "You can't just wander off like that, Tesla, it's dangerous. Let me explain, okay?"
"....Okay." Tesla frowned, as if him holding her back was an annoyance that constituted a punch in the face.
"Look, there's a killer after us, alright? And our job is to activate the generators scattered around the area without getting caught and put on the hooks around here. Okay?" Dwight explained, trying to keep it as brief as possible. "Follow me. And try to keep it down, we still don't know who is around trying to kill us."
"....Alright." Tesla did not seem too concerned about the idea of being killed, even with Dwight's expedited explanation. There was none of the typical reactions, no outbursts, no incredulity. There was an accepting sort of air to her reaction, as if this was not the most horrible thing in the world.
"...I…You heard me, right? Someone is coming to kill us…!" He would repeat himself, as he pulled her along to the nearest generator. "Y'know what. Forget it. Just. Follow me."
The pair would find a more out of the way Generator, with Dwight doing everything in his power to keep quiet. Tesla, meanwhile, would stroll after him at a pace that would keep up with him, making no attempts to try and hide from anyone. They walked right past a murder of crows, sending them scattrering into the sky with a chorus of caws and shrieks, causing Dwight to flinch and freeze.
"Could you NOT give away our position like that?" He half whispered. "I personally don't want to be found out here…!"
"Who exactly is hunting us?'
"I don't! Know yet!" Dwight replied, pinching the bridge of his nose as they approached an old, beat up looking generator. "Okay so here is how we're gonna escape this. We have to repair these generators. Right now, Leon and Bill are working on others…ideally, anyway." He would immediately start to fiddle with the wiring, with Tesla crouching by him to watch.
It wasn't a terribly complicated procedure. But Dwight could feel himself fumbling the more closely Tesla stared. "Erm… do you wanna try?" He asked, looking over to her.
"...nah. you keep doing it."
"....O…kay?" Maybe she wasn't very good with repairs? But even the worst among them with technology always managed to somehow fix the generators… still… "well… maybe just watch my back while I finish this, let me know if someone is coming, alright?"
"...Okay." Tesla would stand, and scan the horizon quietly while Dwight did his work. The silence hung heavy in the air, as Dwight focused on the generator before them…
Only to be jolted out of his concentration by a scream.
Tesla had perked up, eyes wide. "Oh?"
"Uh, I…I guess that Leon got found by the killer…" Dwight said, trying to continue his task, mouth going dry as he fought back the fear clawing at his guts. "Almost done. Just… keep watching my back, okay?"
"..." Tesla would look around, audibly sniffing and ignoring Dwight's words. "...Smells like blood."
"That… Please don't… talk to me about blood while I… Got it!" He would eventually cause the generator to sputter to life, smiling as he stood up and dusted off his hands. "Okay, Leon's in trouble but this just lets me show you what to do when this happens. C'mon."
=
As they approached the direction that they'd heard Leon screaming from, Dwight froze as a familiar thumping beat sounded in his ears. He yanked Tesla down, shushing her protests as he held them both still. It was far enough away that they could reasonably skirt past the killer, but they would have to be quiet.
He would lead Tesla along, slower but more carefully until the music faded into nothing. "Ok. I see. We uh. We're dealing with the Trickster today. Some fucked up pop star with a bat and throwing knives. Watch out for him, ok? If you hear music like that, he just. He's close."
It was weird that this specific guy would emanate music wherever he went. But it also suited him, from what Dwight knew about him…
"...Hm." Tesla would just furrow her brow, following after Dwight… and pausing when she looked up to see the gristly display before her.
Leon was hung up like laundry, a jagged and rusted hook jutting out of his shoulder. Dwight had rushed forward, helping Leon off the hook and helping him get back on his feet.
"You alright?" Dwight asked. "We got one of the generators up and running…"
"Gh.. Okay… fuck, that son of a bitch got me good …" Leon panted, as Dwight helped him to a more concealed area so they could patch him up. "...You gonna just stand there or…?" He had looked up at Tesla, who was looking up at the hooks with an air of reverence and curiosity.
"Tesla! Get away from that…!"
They WOULD eventually go towards Dwight, but… they still looked back towards the hook in quiet wonder.
"Hah… fuck, it still stings every time." Leon panted, as Tesla squatted by the pair. "You… hah… easily distracted, huh?"
"Hey, c'mon, it's their first day." Dwight would sigh. But he had to agree, Tesla was… so strangely vacant and distant despite everything. "He's right though, Tesla, pay attention, the lives of your fellow Survivors are on the line here, okay?"
Tesla merely blinked in response.
"Wh…whatever. Come on you two. We need to keep going."
They would split off again, with Tesla continuing to tail Dwight. She kept looking back towards the hook, and would focus on the ones they passed by. Dwight would keep working on generators, with Tesla keeping an eye out for the Trickster… even with his music subtly denoting his presence, it wasn't hard to get so caught up in working that one could ignore it…
It didn't help that this one was in the massive abandoned factory building, leaving plenty of places for the Trickster to hide and sneak up on them. For now, Dwight had to focus on what was in front of him. At least he had Tesla there to watch his back.
Even if she SHOULD be trying to help with the Generators…
A more ragged and deeper scream split the air, causing Tesla to perk up.
"Oh jesus. Bill…" Dwight looked up as he finished his generator.
"I got him!" Tesla would reply, scrambling off before Dwight could stop her.
"Tesla! Wait!"
She… had sounded way too excited about that.
=
Tesla followed the sound of ragged gasps and the faint thump of music… there was a man, standing before the hook amidst the trees, looking up at his handiwork. Ji-Woon Hak would beam at the struggling vet before him. His yellow jacket would stand out in the gloom of the surrounding forest, as he drank in the older man's screams.
"Mmmm, it never gets old." He would sigh, letting his shoulders droop as Bill swore and cursed at him. "Well, the experience. As for you…" he dug a knife into Bill's thigh, making him let out another round of pained gasps and cries… "I think you and I should spend a little time together, get to know each other, old man."
Such a wonderful thing… he didn't always have TIME to focus on one victim at a time. But since he and Bill were alone right now…
He was immediately shoved aside by someone, as they reached up and tried to yank Bill down from the hook, as if he were a ripe fruit.
All that did was make Bill snap and yell more, struggling as the stranger pulled on him as a dog would with a pull rope.
"TESLA YOU CRAZY- NOT LIKE THAT! FUCK!" Bill screamed, as the stranger pulled and pulled, eventually managing to slide Bill off the hook with some effort.
Normally, Ji-Woon would have been cramming knives down both survivors' throats, but the fact that this Survivor was just so BAD at rescuing their comrade… he couldn't help but laugh as Bill began to pant and reprimand the stranger…
"Well well. Who is this?" He would ask Bill, driving a knife deep into the older man's spine to down him again. He circled Tesla, chuckling as the stranger followed him with their gaze… "you seem lost~ what is a little lamb like you doing out here?"
"Helping Bill." Tesla would say, helping a groaning and swearing Bill back to his feet… only to let out a scream as a knife was dug into the back of her shoulder.
"Sorry, you know I can't let you do that, stranger." It was odd to hear Ji-Woon Hak sound so… cordial. But he still dug a knife into her back, yanking her off the older man. "If you insist on being so personable though…" he'd heft her up onto his shoulder. "I can oblige."
Tesla was quiet for a bit… before they started to melt?
"What?"
The Trickster found himself holding what felt like… raw meat. He tossed the slowly distorting girl onto the ground, the knife digging into her flesh and poking through.
There was no blood on the blade.
"What the …" Ji-woon stepped back, as the flesh started to bubble and move around, reforming into a human shaped mass with a revolting wet slurp accompanying every movement. "What are… you…?"
He was not the type to balk at the grotesque or the gruesome. But had he not been introduced to that disgusting beast known as the Dredge, he would have taken off running. This was not normal, even by this world's standards, and the Survivor was now standing before him, unharmed and dusting herself off.
"Oh, you like playing rough?" Tesla would laugh, voice mixed in with another voice. Another deeper, more foreign voice. "Good thing I also like playing rough! C'mere, pretty boy. Let me get a feel for ya."
Tesla lurched forward, a mass of flesh reaching for the Trickster with a massive distorted grin on her melting face. Ji-Hoon would stumble back a couple steps, eyes wide as he grabbed his bat and swung.
The mass would splatter in a mess of gore and flesh, peppering the nearby trees with the viscera that was uniquely Tesla. The beast's head was dented, as if Ji-Hoon had smashed his bat into modeling clay, with the blade of his bat leaving a disgusting and violently bleeding gash. But even as he panted and grinned in triumph, the gash dripping and gushing blood, there were bumps that were coming up from the internal flesh…
Ji-Hoon found himself being stared down by multiple eyes. Some blue. Some green. Some yellow even. But the two brown ones on the Survivor's face met his gaze first.
"Nice swing, big guy." A warbling, distorted voice came from the beast's mouth, the split halves speaking and smiling in unison. "But I wanna play too."
Tesla reared up, a mess of blood and gore staring down as she seemed to form a twisted and broken but still vaguely humanoid shape.
"Ready or not. Here I come~"
The Trickster took two more steps back, eyes wide as he turned and fled. He'd dropped his bat, his knives… Ji-Hoon's heart was beating a mile a minute, panting as he scrambled through the dark and gloomy forestscape.
Bill stared as the fleshbeast that was Tesla laughed and shambled after his wouldbe tormenter. He had dragges himself into a sitting position as he watched the pair flee off towards the factory, heart thumping as the fearful panting and warbling cries faded into the distance.
"...what the HELL was that…?"
He struggled to his feet, panting as tried to keep his wits about him. As much as that strange girl had chased off that freak, there was no telling if he would be back for his things. So he would try and make for the gate, limping in silence as he looked around for the other two survivors…
It would not take long.
"Bill!"
The vet would look up to see Dwight running up to meet him, no worse for wear. "Thank goodness! Where's Tesla, she went off to save you, so-"
"Never mind her." Bill grunted. "Get moving. We might have a chance of getting out of here alive, if we work fast. Haaah, fuck…where's that Leon kid…?"
"Uh? I think he's getting generators running. I think his is gonna be the last…" Dwight would keep pace with Bill, helping keep him upright and moving. "What… what happened to-?"
"Tesla… uh… she's keeping that crazy bastard busy."
As if on cue, there was a loud, pained scream… a scream that these woods had never heard before.
The scream of a Killer.
Dwight stopped, looking back… "what…?" He was yanked back to the path by Bill, yelping. "Okay, okay! Jeez…"
"She's… she's got it handled. We can… fuck, that stings. We can regroup in a minute…" Bill panted, as he heard the gate power on…
"R-right." Dwight would at least use one of his first aid kits to help patch up the other's wound while they waited. "Seriously, what was that…? Where's Tesla?"
"Judging by the scream? Probably chewing on that fucking killer's body like a chewtoy." Bill grunted, letting Dwight work on his shoulder. "That…thing! I don't know where the fuck it came from, but it ain't human."
"Not human? What…?" Was Bill talking about Tesla? Sure she'd been a little weird but not human?
"Don't look at me like that!" Bill snapped. "Ive seen some fucked up shit, Fairfield, but that was something else. She melted into some fucking goo, and then just… fuck."
"..." Melted? Tesla…? Dwight's brow furrowed, trying to make sense of it all, when he heard Leon call out. The former police officer was limping but managing to hobble over at a brisk speed.
"Hey! Dwight! Bill!" He panted as he made his way to the switch… he started it up, making the gates move. "Let's go! I've finished up the last of the generators!"
"About time." Bill grunted, getting up and nodding to Leon. "Great work, kid. Hah fuck… god, I need a drink after this."
Leon would watch Bill limp off, looking back to Dwight. "He seems a lot grumpier than usual. Where's the new girl?"
"I…I don't know. You go ahead, Leon. I'll go wait for her."
"You sure?" Leon would raise his eyebrows, but hesitantly pull back. "Alright. Well… if you're sure." He would linger a bit, looking around before heading through the gates to safety.
Dwight was left alone in the collapsing world.
The timer was counting down. Still no sign of Tesla
"C'mon… where are you?" Dwight KNEW that there was no point in waiting. Tesla would either make it back, or she wouldn't. But… it was her first time in this hell. He would feel awful at least not WAITING.
And so he waited. And waited a bit more.
But he could not hang back for long.
The world was crumbling around him, literally falling to pieces.
And so, he had to turn away.
"Heyyyyy!"
He had taken a few steps through the exit and turned back to see the newcomer running along towards him… completely slathered in blood and god knew what else.
"T-TESLA?!"
He was going to be sick.
He had seen a lot of fucked up shit in his time here but she was just… completely DRENCHED in gore. Her hair clung to her face and clothes, shoes making loud squelching noises as she took each step. Her formerly pristine dress shirt was now torn and a deep red from the blood, as chunks dripped off her form as she ran…He had to slam his hands over his mouth as Tesla rushed up and grabbed his arms.
"C'mon!"
She would drag him along, hands sticky with blood and gore, towards their (relative) freedom.
=
The Trickster was dumped unceremoniously onto the ground, in a small clearing by the Killers camp, mangled and broken. The tendrils that surrounded him, all claws and sharp tips, were not the most delicate surgeons. But they would, as delicately as they could, pull the Trickster back into a proper way. Limbs and bones snapped back into place, each crunch punctuated by a groan or a gasp of pain.
It looked as though he had been mauled by a family of bears.
Something was wrong.
This was not how the game was played.
"Well well. Isn't this a surprise." Herman Carter and Sally Smithson, aka the Doctor and the Nurse, were the first to arrive and witness the absolute beating Ji-Hoon had endured. "What's the matter, Trickster? Did the Survivors manage to set up a Rube Goldberg machine that ended with you getting crushed by a safe?"
"Hrgh…fuck… you…" he managed to wheeze once the Entity had put his windpipe back where it was supposed to be. "I don't… know what the hell… happened… one of those… gh, damn survivors…"
"Ugh. Where is the Trapper when you need someone to carry dead weight." The Nurse grumbled, floating off towards camp. "I'll go see if I can rouse the brute."
"Intriguing." Herman would crouch, inspecting the pop star's battered body. "I wasn't aware that such damage could be DONE to us. I suppose the rules of the game have changed?" He would shift his eyes towards a lingering tendril, one that seemed to be hesitating. "Hmhmhm. I'm right, aren't I? Well. I look forward to seeing how this newcomer shakes up our wonderful little lifestyle here."
The Doctor was right.
The game had changed.
But not for the reasons he assumed.
"Hrgh… you… you're a doctor, aren't you? Help… me up." The Trickster demanded, glaring but looking about as threatening as a rat who had been rolled over by a car.
"Oh, well you know I'm not THAT kind of doctor, but…" he would not hesitate to scoop the battered and cursing pop star up and haul him off under his arm. "Why don't you tell me about what happened while we get you back to camp? Perhaps our benefactor can see to it that you are rested and ready for the next time you are sent out, hmm?"
"You talk… too much." Trickster coughed, still throbbing and aching from what had happened. "Fucking… that was no Survivor… that was a Killer…"
"Oh, dear Trickster, you're talking nonsense." Herman would coo and pat his rump as he carried him back to camp. "A Killer cannot be a Survivor, just as a Survivor cannot be a Killer. Unless the Entity has decided to, ah… shake things up a little?"
He was curious now. The idea that a Survivor had not only decided to fight back, but ALSO completely obliterate a Killer like this!
He would love to study them.
=
There had been a mix up.
An unprecedented mix up.
The Trickster had told not only Herman, but all the others about what had transpired. How he had not fought four humans, but three humans and a monster. A tangled mess of flesh and bone, not unlike the Dredge that haunted the outskirts of the Killers' encampment.
"Bah!" Evan, or the Trapper, scoffed, waving a hand at the still exhausted Trickster. "I don't believe a word of it. I think that these damn Survivors got the jump on you! Why would the Entity put such a freak in with those pathetic sniveling weaklings?"
"Shut UP, you- gah!" Ji-hoon was being inspected and looked at by Sally, who had not hesitated to yank his shoulder back into place. "You rotten bitch! What was that for?!"
"You're welcome." Sally deadpanned, pulling back. "You should be fine to go about your business, now. Ingrate." She pulled back and drifted off, happy that her services were no longer needed. She could go back to being gloomy in her old hospital in peace.
"Now now." Herman would say, holding up his hands. Leave it to the Doctor to be the only adult in the room. "Regardless of if Ji-Hoon is making this up or not. It certainly isn't like the Survivors could inflict such damage on the likes of us. Especially not to where the Entity needed to pull him back together. And then some."
"You're WELCOME." Sally called loudly as she drifted off towards her own derelict corner of the realm.
"You think this ragdoll of a man is being honest? Well, I guess maybe a couple of those idiot Survivors could go toe to toe with the beanpole." Evan snorted.
"All I'm saying is keep an eye out for any new faces." Herman would suggest. "I know I will~"
"Yeah, sure, you fuckin' quack. Either way. I don't know about you but I hope that whatever did this to this loser does it to that Ghostface fucker. Maybe being chewed up like a dog's plaything will get him to shut up for a while…"
The Doctor would be left alone with the Trickster, as Even stomped off to continue his own work with his traps. The Killers were by no means a family. They were barely co-workers. Some were lucky enough to come and go as they pleased, while some like Even were stuck here for what felt like forever.
"Hah… fuck… so… you're a shrink, right?"
Herman turned, looking down at Ji-Hoon. "In a sense, hah."
"...I'm not making this shit up. I'm not crazy. Not like that." Ji-hoon wheezed an exhausted laugh. "That… freak of nature… called herself Tesla… or something… I don't know… but whatever she was… Nothing I did… hurt her. Fucking…why? What was she…?"
"I'm afraid I cannot answer that without a comprehensive study. But… if there is one thing I know, it's that the Entity likes keeping both parties on their toes. So…" Herman's stretched grin widened more than it should. "I say, keep your head down for now. Perhaps they're dissatisfied with your performance. Or they're TOO satisfied…."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"I am not a fool." Herman started a contemplative pacing. "The Entity only ever introduces new stimuli to the environment if it senses there's a need for it. Whatever your assailant was, the Entity had to have had a good reason for introducing them."
"Which would be…?"
"Not a clue. But I do hope I get to meet them next."