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Chapter Text

The chalk board was filled with scratched out ideas. As it went down the line, the scratches got harder and more intense.

It sat in a sort of office, yet if you looked at the space long enough, you would see that the only thing you could recognize was the chalkboard. Everything else in this “room” was off, like it was bordering recognition.

A large goat monster threw a “chair” at a snarling pink worm. It pounced onto the goat, unhinging its jaw like a snake. The goat pushed the mouth away, it’ skull head rattling with laughter.

Closer to the chalkboard was a large creature made of blue slime. “And why can’t we do another musical apocalypse?” He asked, his tone annoyed.

A Cthulhu- Like being rubbed its face in exhaustion. “Because it fucking LAME!”

The green and blue beings began a shouting match, listing off ideas for the next big apocalypse.

There was one being that wasn’t fighting. A creature with dark purple fur surrounding its numerous eyes. It sat silently, calmly. It then stood, snapping its fingers abruptly.

The fighting stopped. The Lords stared at Blinky. “Look who decided to speak up.” Nibbly giggled.

“What if we did something a little less cataclysmic and something more… psychological?” Blinky murmured in a firm voice.

The goat bastard laughed. “What’s the fun in that? No blood or violence? Sounds miserable!”

Blinky rested his hands on the “table”. “Oh there will be violence. Plenty of violence. It just might take longer. First, we need to break them, take away all their hope… take away their humanity.”

Wiggly tapped his chin with one of his tentacles. “I… I like the sound of that. Breakey wakey our little playthings down.”

”But how?” Pokey said, his voice dripping in resistance.

Blinky went silent for a moment, then his eyes seemed to light up. “Leave that to me.”

“Perfect!” Wiggly clapped his hands, “All in favor of doing Blinky’s idea?”

All the lords raise their hands except Pokey.

“It’s decided then. Blinky, let’s get this show on the road.”

Blinky nodded, cracking their knuckles in preparation. Before he could kick things off, a green tentacled hand grabbed him firmly by the shoulders.

“Oh and Blinky.. Don’t. Fuck. This. Up.

Chapter Text

Magic isn’t just a feeling. It's not resigned to a faint buzz that crawls under your skin and makes you shiver. It encapsulates all the senses, sometimes individually and fully others.

Holloway remembers when she could first feel magic. Her hand was resting on the black book, then a creeping burning sensation jumped up her arm. The air had grown thick and humid like someone blew out a candle. Her ears rang with sounds no human could comprehend.

It was intoxicating at the time.

Over the years, Holloway’s ability to sense the magic came in handy. It was part of her job, after all.

She could walk downtown and smell the faint burning candle wafting from the CCRP office.

She could stand in the Witchwood and hear the trees sing, hundreds of melodies and songs flowing together to make a cacophony of music.

Her mouth would fill with the taste of blood and salt whenever she came too close to Watcher World. She tended to stay further away from there than most cursed places in Hatchetfield.

She could even see it around Hannah Foster. Small, white, glowing orbs twisting and laughing around the girl as she tried to explain her visions to Holloway. Sometimes it was hard for Holloway to focus on the honey-eyed girl. She could barely hear Hannah rushing over some nightmare about monsters or something.

Maybe she should have paid better attention.

She was closing up the diner when the air shifted. It felt almost as if something sucked the oxygen out of her lungs.

Holloway stilled, head cocked in focus. From his spot against the counter, Duke Keane furrowed his brow. “Hey… Earth to Holly! You okay?”

It happened all at once. The taste of blood filled Holloway’s mouth as her skin began to scald. She jerked, buckling to her knees as hot liquid escaped her lips and nose, red leaking down her arms and on to the checkered floor.

She heard Duke move, repeating “shit” over and over. Then he began to scream. Then more screams joined in. Screams from everyone in Hatchetfield. Holloway could almost recognize some of them, but her body burned and shook as her scream too joined the chorus.

——
The five lords sat in a room filled with old tvs. Each one was tuned into a different area in Hatchetfield, all at different times.

Tinky kept his eyes glued on the televisions that showed the Spankofski brothers, laughing at their lowest moments.

Nibbly ate fistfuls of popcorn. Her gaze seemed to be fixed on screens showing the Lauter and Monroe families.

Wiggly sat on a raised throne of sorts. He looked at nothing in particular, but his tentacles waved slightly in amusement.

Pokey didn’t face the televisions.

And Blinky sat in the middle with his hands in his lap. He saw all, saw every possibility.

His eyes was glowing like they had never shone before.

Chapter Text

The incident was two months ago.

They reopened the schools two weeks ago.

Pete thought it should have been longer. He liked school, always had. Yeah he got bullied every damn day, but learning and understanding the world he lived him gave him comfort in a way, like each lecture was a piece of the puzzle making up his reality.

Then that puzzle was thrown on the ground and burned two months ago.

The sidewalk under his bare hooves radiated with heat. It wasn’t as bad as walking with bare feet, but it still added discomfort on top of his inability to walk normally. His crutches helped with the wobbling, but they ultimately made his life worse.

Pete remembered the first time he tried to walk with his new form. He had been bed bound for about three days, covers pulled over his legs. Out of sight out of mind.

Ted had somehow gotten used to his new legs. Pete couldn’t say he was surprised. Ted walked with a stumble most nights.

Pete had pulled himself out of bed, both hands clutching his dresser. His legs shook, knees buckled together. Pete took a deep breath. He had begun the slow process of steadying himself. His legs stretched, shaking worse and worse. He gritted his teeth, his nails (now made out of the same material as his hooves) scratched against the dresser.

His knees buckled, thrusting him forward and down. His head hit the dresser, nose cracking with the impact.

Ted had found him on the floor, making a strange bleating sound.

Now Peter had to use crutches.

At least the walk to school wasn’t awful. Richie and Ruth walked on either side of him, shouting over Pete.

“Ghost Stories dub is a disgrace against anime and what it stands for!” Richie snapped, his feathers puffing up like he had been struck by lightning. They danced across Pete’s skin. You would think his feathers would be soft and smooth. Instead they were hard and stiff. Pete clacked it up to Richie not knowing how to take care of feathers.

“Nuh Uh! Ghost Stories is fucking hilarious!” Ruth retorted. She had gone under one of the more intense transformations in Hatchetfield. She wasn't organic at all, with her body now being made of metal and wires. She still looked a bit like her old self, but her eyes now glowed an insanely bright orange and her hair was made of coils.

This new existence was strange. No one really talked about it. They just choose to pretend everything is normal. Pete woke up last night to Ted screaming, flailing on the couch trying to take off his own legs. The next morning, Ted didn’t say anything about it. Pete wants to talk about it. It was as if not talking about it made it more prominent.

But he kept quite the rest of the walk. As the group approached the campus, Pete felt that now too familiar dread creep into his stomach.

With his crutches, Pete became even more of a target. He wasn’t as fast as he used to be.

And Max’s new abilities made it easier for him to catch.

The Reptiles sat in front of the entrance, one of the sunniest spots in the morning. Jason was currently spinning Kyle on his shell, jumping on top of his and mimicking rising on a surf board. Brenda and Stacy cackled from their bench. They weren’t reptiles, but they were popular enough to be associated with them, Brenda more than Stacy because Brenda was the hottest, literally being a Phoenix and all.

Then there was Max, preoccupying his own bench. His snake tail wrapped around like a coil. He was looking at the nerds, his head of snakes hissing and spitting. Max grinned, his large fangs popping out as he slid a finger across his throat.

Ruth grabbed Pete’s arm, cold metal stinging against his skin. “We have to run before Max gives chase.”

Pete nodded and clambered to the school before someone caught his eye.

The dragon was sitting, scrolling on her phone. Max nudged her, but she only snapped at him, resuming her scrolling. Stephanie Lauter was a reptile, yes, but she didn’t act like one. It was fascinating to Pete, though he was not sure why.

“HEY SQUARE EYES!” Max yelled. “You wanna closer look?” Max bared his teeth as he reached up for his sunglasses.

Pete didn’t have to think twice, running away as fast as his shaking legs could take him.

Chapter Text

It was easy for Paul to get back to normal.

He was the first to go back into work three weeks after the incident. Mr. Davidson was quick into refurbishing the office to accommodate his workers' new forms. Paul’s desk remained the same, which he was pleased with.

Throughout the week, his coworkers trickled back into work. Bill arrived first that Tuesday. His skin was paler and his face gaunt. A thick overcoat and sweatpants covered every inch of his body, yet he still carried in a large umbrella.

“Hi Paul.” He said, giving a little wave.

Paul looked up from typing, fingers literally sticking to the keys. He gave a little wave back, slime falling off his fingers and landing on the desk. He and Bill both watched as the slime slithered back, reforming into Paul’s gooey body.

Bill cringed a little, his fangs sticking into his lip. He spent the rest of the day telling Paul about Alice and her trying to escape Hatchetfield to visit Deb. Paul wasn’t really listening, but he did notice a Maskey leaning in to listen to Bill’s rambling.

Maskeys had been posted all around Hatchetfield. In shops, restaurants, and offices apparently. The citizens of Hatchetfield assigned the name Maskeys cause they didn't know who these people were. Were they military? FBI? The claimed to be from an organization called PEIP, but no one in town had heard of that name, not even Tom Houston.

Charlotte arrived midday Thursday. She was carted in by Melissa (who had turned into an gargoyle and was sulking about it). Mr. Davidson had built her a small tank, just large enough for her to fit. Charlotte couldn’t do much except take calls, but she didn’t seem to mind it that much. Most of the time she talked to Bill about her husband Sam leaving her in their bathroom tub.

Ted came on a Friday with an incredible hangover. He didn’t speak to anyone, just filled out some files and left early.

Now everything was normal. They were all back to work. Paul was happy… right?

Paul’s leg bounced furiously as he attempted to focus on the doc in front of him. The words on the screen seemed to blur together. He felt strange, incomplete.

He stood suddenly. “I’m going to Beanies.” He pronounced. The CCRP team just looked at him. Paul wrung his hands together, then left.

His mind raced as he walked the block. Why the fuck did he say that? He was made of slime. He didn’t need to eat or drink… or breath or sleep or-

The bell rang as the sudden heat of Beanies wafted over Paul. He didn’t even realize he made it. The shop was basically empty, only the baristas and a lone Peter Spankofski.

A smaller barista was arguing with a cicada-like monster. Small spines poked out of her shirt. A small tail whipped around annoyed. The cicada pointed at Paul, causing the barista to turn and face him.

Paul almost didn’t recognize her. Her hair was shorter and darker. Two spiked ears stood at attention. A mouth full of sharp teeth snarled at him, like she was ready to fight him. Then her pure black eyes filled with recognition.

“Paul?”

Paul fidgeted with his sleeve. “Glad to know I’m still recognizable.”

Emma smiled at him. “I’ve seen you in here enough times to memorize what your suites look like.” She picked up the coffee pot, pouring a not so fresh cup of black coffee for Paul. “Good to see you again. Good to know this whole predicament hasn’t shaken you upon too much.”

Paul reached out for the cup, hand brushing against Emma’s. A small droplet of blue slime made its way up Emma’s finger, dancing on the back of her hand.

Both of them stared at the droplet. Paul’s face heated up as he attempted to pick it up. The drop moved out of his way, climbing up the arm almost to the wrist. Paul tried again, and it dodged.

Emma let out a laugh. “It’s okay Paul. The little guy will probably get bored of me soon and come back to you.”

Paul just stood there like an idiot. He slowly fumbled for his wallet.

“It’s on the house today.” Emma said, moving her hand around and watching the drop move to stay on top of it.

Paul was mortified. He took his coffee and sped walked out of the shop, not letting himself look back.

Chapter Text

It was September. Lex didn’t expect this to last this long.

What did she mean? The curse? Their town burning down as people chose to act like true monsters? Not even she was sure.

All she knew was that everything was worse.

The basement of Tom Houston’s house was filled with tools like buzz saws and clippers. A fine layer of wood shavings littered the stone floor and there was the constant smell of saw dust.

But it was the only place they could hide. Led should be more grateful for Tom’s help. They didn’t mean to pull him into all this, but it was nice to know they had an ally.

Lex floated in a corner. It was the only thing she could do. The clock on Ethan’s phone read 2:45 am. Ethan himself was sprawled across the old mattress Tom had provided, one of Tim’s old twin mattresses. He was sound asleep, ear gently flicking with each snore that escaped his maw. One of his long bull horns was rammed into the mattress, spewing up stuffing on the floor.

Lex couldn’t help but smile at Ethan. He was so peaceful. Then that happiness turned to sorrow. She looked at her own hands, translucent and grey. She hasn’t been able to touch anyone in five months. She longed to hold Ethan and Hannah to her chest and never let go. The gift of touch was something Lex had apparently taken for granted.

Lex began to wail. She never meant to, but she did. It always shocked her when it happened. It was one of her least favorite parts of being a banshee (now that she thought of it, there were really no good parts of being a banshee).

A small head of white fur popped down in front of Lex’s face, causing her to startle. Multiple huge, black eyes looked at Lex with a mixture of sympathy and melancholy.

Lex scooted her legs against her chest. “You should be asleep Hannah.”

Hannah dropped from her perch: a large web that was strung in a corner of the room. She crept close to Lex, careful not to wake Ethan. “I can’t. Had another nightmare.”

“Webby visited you?” Lex leaned forward.

Hannah’s eyes turned cold. “No. Not Webby. A real nightmare… about them.”

If Lex could swallow, she would at that moment. “The cult?” She asked.

Hannah nodded. She paused, fanged mouth working. “What- what if I gave myself up?”

Lex bolted up, feet levitating off the ground inches from the floor. “Are you fucking crazy!?! They want to kill you. They want to sacrifice you. Why? I don’t know. You’re a kid! You didn’t ask for this.”

Hannah covered her ears. Lex faltered. “I- We can figure this out. I’m not letting you get hurt.”

Hannah only nodded, eyes cloudy. Her head bobbed a little. Lex forced a smile. “I can tell you’re tired ‘Nanna. Do you want to sleep down here with me?”

Hannah gave another nod, curling up against the wall.

The clock read 3:20 am. Hannah was fast asleep.

But all Lex could do was think.

Chapter Text

Paul felt miserable for days. He felt so wrong, so uncomfortable in his own… slime?

His coworkers could tell. Paul wasn’t great at hiding his irritation. He would slam down papers harder, causing him to spray slime all over his desk. His skin would move like a horse knocking off a fly.

The strangest thing was that all the slime that fell off of him didn’t return to his body. The drops would just lay there, not dissolving.

It got to the point the whole office was worried. Almost daily, the rest of the CCRP tech crew would whisper about Paul in the break room.

“He hasn’t said anything about the transformation.” Bill said, mixing creamer into his coffee.

“Well it’s not a thing people like to talk about.” Ted rolled his eyes.

Bill sighed. “This behavior has to come from the incident. I mean, he would have told us if anything happened this week.. right?”

“I don’t Paul’s ever told me about anything that he’s done outside of work.” Charlotte's tail floated lazily near the bottom of her rolling tank. “Maybe something did happen? Does he have any family in Hatchetfield?"

“His nephew hangs out with my brother sometimes. Other than him, I think Paul’s a loner.” Ted tapped his hoof on the ground, impatiently waiting for the coffee to boil.

The door to the break room creaked open slowly. Paul trudged in. He was smaller than usual. He was almost the same height as Melissa. His face was almost flat, his discernible features seemingly pushed into his face.

The whole room was shoved into an uncomfortable silence. The only noise was Ted’s hoof, getting more and more rapid until..

“Paul what the fuck is your deal?”

“God dang it Ted!” Bill snapped.

All eyes turned to Paul. He held up a hand. “I’m just fine.” He whispered, giving a little thumbs up.

The room was quiet again. This time Charlotte broke the silence. “You would tell us if something was wrong, right.”

Paul was silent for a second. His face was emotionless. “Bill, should you be drinking that?”

Bill looked down at his coffee mug. “Well- no I shouldn’t, but it can’t hurt.”

“I hear ya. I miss coffee myself.” Paul said.

And just like that the conversation was over.

Chapter Text

Magic had a strange effect on Holloway. If she was near someone using the black book she could feel it burn through her veins like lava. The Lord’s powers had a stronger effect, to the point where she would vomit or shake so violently she couldn’t stand.

But she’s never been knocked out until now. Her eyes blurred and strained under the neon lights of her diner. The sound of screams still echoed in her ears. Holloway raised a hand to them and could feel the sticky blood beginning to cake the sides of her face.

Using the counter to balance, Holloway made her way to the front of the restaurant. A stool had been knocked over, one of its legs bent. A pie sat on the counter in front of where that stool would normally sit, long cold. How long had she been out? An hour? More?

There was a more pressing matter than the time. Laying on the floor near the stool was a body, but the body couldn’t be human. It was covered in midnight black fur. Two ears poked out of its skull and a long tail hung motionless under a suit jacket.

Holloway knew that suit jacket. Hell she was the one who bought him that suit jacket.

Holloway rolled the cat creature on its back. He was breathing fine, but he had a cut on the top of his forehead. Holly forced one of its eyes open, and was met with that familiar amber color.

She raced to the back room. She could hear the sounds of sirens and helicopters buzzing overhead. She reached into a small cupboard to retrieve a med kit and her copy of the Black Book.

Holloway went behind the bar, grabbing the remote to one of the TVs that lined the top of the bar. She turned it to the news.

“We ask all Hatchetfield citizens to remain indoors while we try to sort this out.” A person in a dark green hazard suit said. Behind him was chaos. A large rooster with the tail of a snake was attacking one of the military officers. A small bipedal jackalope clung onto a manticore, hiding from the cameras.

“Thank you Kim.” The camera switched to show the news room with a two headed hydra sitting at the news desk.

The male head spoke “There’s no updates yet on why this incident occurred, but rest assured Channel 5 news will be here, ready to update you guys as soon as we can.”

Then the female head spoke “This whole incident is monstrous, but our weather isn’t. We go to Lauren for the forecast.”

Holloway shut the TV off. Her hands shook as she tried to stitch Duke’s wound.

The whole town was turned into monsters.

But Holloway was still human. Her deal she made all those years ago must have made her immune. Most people would see this as a good thing, but Hatchetfield was a town that easily fell into mod mentality. If one person wasn’t affected, they must have caused it.

Holloway now sifted through the Black book, looking for anything to help. She thumbed to the section labeled ‘Transformation’.

Familiar curse? No.
The sirens kiss curse? No.

Holloway stopped at a spell titled ‘the moon’s spell’. A picture on the page depicted a wolf on its hind legs wearing human clothing. It seemed different from lycanthropy, since there was no moon or bite involved. It was Holloway’s best shot.

As she began to chant the incantation, her mouth filled with the taste of green apple.

Chapter Text

The hard plastic chair back pushed into Steph’s wings, crushing them at an awkward angle. It felt like Steph was sitting on pins and needles.

The school was supposed to make the classrooms more accommodating to the students' new forms. They added water ways and bean bags, but nothing else. A hole in the backs of chairs would be amazing.

Grace Chasity was furiously debating evolution vs the Bible. She’s been at this for a good ten minutes. Mrs. Mulberry had already surrendered, yet Chasity marched around the front of the room, white tail raised.

Steph’s leg tapped the floor, sending more pins up her spine. She didn’t stop, each bounce more vigorous. This class was driving her fucking crazy. This… situation was driving her crazy. Each click of Grace’s hooves against the concrete reverberated in Steph’s head. Was this what panic attacks feel like?

“I gotta go get some water.” Steph blurted. The class turned to look at her.

Mrs. Mulberry gave her a look, then sighed. “You don’t have to ask Steph, just go.

Steph was in the halls seconds later. She shook out her wings, trying desperately to regain feeling. Steph rested her forehead against the cold locker door, breath catching in her nostrils.

These past two months had been the scariest time in Steph’s life. Her skin was bumpy and she had a huge ass tail and wings. Was she even still human? Were any of them?

She desperately wanted to talk to someone about all this. Her father was no help of course. He barely had time for her when they were human. She thought about talking to the school counselor, Keanu or Keane or something. She could never bring herself to enter his office. It was ridiculous. They were all struggling. Steph didn’t need special treatment.

*BAM*

Something smashed against the lockers further down the hallway. Steph looked up to see Max Jagerman holding a student against the lockers with his tail. It was the kid from earlier, the one with crutches. The Goat Kid.

He clawed at Max’s tail. “M-Max! Can we please not do this right now? I have a test in Calc next peri-“

“SHUT YOUR FUCKIN PIE HOLE, SQUARE EYES.” Max hissed. “Do you think you can wander my halls during my free period, Spankofski?”

The goat boy strained. “I was just getting some water. I didn’t mean to-“ Max shoved him into the lockers hard.

“Oh, you didn’t mean to? Well don’t worry. I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.” Max slowly began to reach up to his sunglasses, his snake hair hissing in delight.

“Hey!” Steph stepped in front of Max. “Put him down Max.”

Max paused. “Oh come on Steph. This fuckin nerd is askin for it.”

Steph growled. “I said put him down.” She opened her maw, lighting up the inside with flame. It was a neat trick she learned, and a useful one at that.

Max grimaced, then let go of the goat. He fell to the floor. “Consider yourself lucky, freak.” He snapped as he slithered away.

Steph looked at the boy. He sat there, dazed. “Hey, are you okay?”

He nodded. “Y-yeah. I think so. I don’t feel hurt.” He rubbed his torso where Max grabbed him. “That bastard chucked my crutches.”

Shit. “Do you know where they are?”

“He threw them out that window.” The boy pointed. The window in question faced the front steps. Steph leaned out. Two silver crutches were strewn on the steps. “Here, let me go get those.”

Steph unlatched the window, then jumped out of it. She could hear a yelp from behind her, making her smile a little. Her wings caught the air as she floated down to the ground.

The boy leaned out the window, his rectangular eyes popped out of his skull. Steph let out a little laugh. She picked up the crutches before lifting off and touching down back on the second floor.

“Here.” She said, handing the boy back his crutches.

He murmured a “thanks” under his breath, steadying himself.

The two stood there for a second. “I’m Stephanie by the way.”

“Peter.” He replied.

Chapter Text

Ethan wished he could do more. He hated seeing the people he loved most suffer for no good reason. Hannah’s eye bags grew heavier every day. Lex could barely keep still. None of them ate well anymore, asking Tom to put their leftovers in the fridge knowing they wouldn’t touch them.

It was time to change that.

Ethan stood in the lawn of the grandest house in Pinebrook. The huge bay windows were dark and shuttered. The dark brick exterior loomed over him like a shadow. A small brass plaque hammered by the front door read “The Young residents.”

Shelia Young was one of the leaders of the Hunters. She was cunning, and had the striking ability to make people (mostly men) bow to her very whim. Her ugly golem of a son also participated in the cult’s activities, acting as a spy. The Fosters had abandoned many safe houses because of him.

Ethan let out a snort, his breath hitting the cold air. The gasoline can in his hand sloshed as he quivered.

He couldn’t back down. This was for them.

He quietly dosed the grounds with the gas, praying that his large figure isn’t spotted by a passerby.

He stood at the front of the house again. His hands worked his sliver lighter.

Click
Click
Click

The spark wouldn’t catch. Ethan flicked it faster, his heart racing like a herd of stallions.

Something rustled behind him. His ear flicked back. Ethan spun, horns lowered, ready to charge.

A person in a dark green hazmat suit stood there quietly. Their posture was relaxed. Ethan recognized his man. He was the only Maskey who wore a barrette on top of his suit.

“General Macnamera.” Ethan straightened.

The general took a step forward. “Nice night for some arson, ain’t it son?”

“I-it’s not.. I mean it is… but there’s a reason.” Ethan stumbled over his words. He took a deep breath and started again. “I have to, General. The Young’s are a threat to us. As long as they live, we can’t.”

Macnamera gave a small nod. “I’m not here to stop you son, only to let you know I may have an idea to get you all out of Hatchetfield.”

Ethan froze. “You… you can get us out?”

“I’m going to try my best.” Macnamera said. “I can be at Tom’s at noon tomorrow to go over the plan.”

Ethan had to physically stop himself from giving the man a hug. “Thank you sir.”

The General gave another nod. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a plastic lighter. “I want this back tomorrow.”

—-

Fire trucks zoomed past Ethan as he walked down the street. If he turned around, he could see the great embers from blocks away. Oranges and yellows danced in his vision, but the reds burned the brightest, stinging his eyes. Yet he couldn’t seem to look away.

Ethan wasn’t a proud man, but he was a loyal one.

Chapter Text

General John Macnamera was many things.

A dumbass wasn’t one of them.

He worked hard to get where he is now. Years of blood and sweat. Losing people close to him and learning to find friends in strangers. He was stoic, brilliant. The man anyone could look up to.

But he had one fatal flaw: he was too trusting.

PEEP had been called to the scene of the fire. No one questioned how fast Macnamera had gotten there, especially at 4 in the morning. The agents gave him a curt nod and let him go about his business.

Shelia and Sherman Young were both burned to death. The team had found a secret tunnel under the house, leading to a longer investigation. There were no suspects.

John now stood in the deep caverns, a flashlight in one hand and a cigarette in the other. His team had split up a while ago, letting them explore the vast tunnel system faster.

Bones piled in corners, ranging from old to fairly new. Most appeared to be human, but there were some pig and chicken bones down here too. Macnamera had passed a molding piece of bread and a dead rat laying next to it.

He kept going down and down, not expecting there to be anything else but more bones. Then he saw a faint light up ahead. He approached it, putting a hand on his holster.

The tunnel gave out to a large cavern. There were no sources of natural light, but there were gem stones that seemed to radiate. In the middle of there was a small pond or lagoon, with a few jagged rocks sticking out of the water.

And there was a man. A man with slicked back hair the color of midnight. He gave Macnamera that all too familiar smirk. His eyes flickered in the light, making them appear green.

“Did ya miss me?” He said in his drawn out southern accent.

Macnamera didn’t speak.

“Now that’s no way to greet a friend.”

“You're dead.” John whispered. “You went into that portal and died.”

Wilber gave a small chuckle. “If only. No no. That portal spat me out right here. That psychopath and her bat shit crazy son locked me down here.”

“You’ve been locked down here since 2005?” Macnamera raised an eyebrow. “You look the exact same.”

“The Young’s have access to the power of the Black. I’m their little play thing. They can’t have me die’n”

John remained blank. He cared for Wilber, he truly did. The day he left was the worst day of John’s life.

“Now they got me chained on this rock you see. You gotta come help me get outta here.” Wilber pleaded.

John was a smart man, but he was too fucking trusting.

He took a step into the water. The cold burned his legs even through the hazmat suit. As he carefully waded through the water, Wilber kept talking.

“Ya know I’ve been thinkin about you everyday. It’s the only thing that’s kept me sane down in this hell hole. But now that the psychopaths have burned to ash, we can finally catch up.”

John stopped in his tracks. “How do you know they burned?”

Wilber’s expression switched. His grin turned uncanny. “You shouldn’t have asked that.”

A large green tentacle grabbed John by the leg, hoisting him into the air. Seven more sprouted up from the water, all attached to Wilber’s torso. His eyes were lime green and his teeth sharp as knives.

“Oh Johnny boy, you are just too damn loyal for your own good. I knew you couldn’t resist little old me.”

Another tentacle grabbed John’s chest and began to pull. He could breathe, couldn’t scream.

There was the sound of yelling echoing behind him. Wilber stopped.

“Well it looks like my fun is over, for now at least.”

John fell in the water, the air leaving his lungs.

“But I can’t let you off Scott free. No. Where the fun in that?”

Wilber began to laugh, then scream. Macnamera felt his body twist and break, praying to any god that he would pass out.

And eventually, he did.

Chapter Text

The bell chimed as Duke swung open the door to Miss. Retros. The restaurant was empty, save for Miss. Retro herself. Most businesses were closed after the ’Incident’ as the news called it. Holloway chose not to close her store, saying it could be a refuge for people.

Duke sat on his usual stool at the counter. White hot pain shot up his spine as he did. He jumped off the seat, fur standing on edge. He must have sat on his tail. Wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened.

Holloway poked her head out of the double doors. She managed to smile with her muzzle. “Heya Duke! Would you like some pie? I don’t want this batch to go to waste.”

Duke gave her tired finger guns. “You read my mind.” He said, trying to sound enthusiastic.

Duke hasn’t slept well in days. Every time he almost fell asleep, he would roll over his tail or smush his whiskers into the pillow at an odd angle. Thankfully his fur was dark enough to hide the circles under his eyes.

Holloway returned with a tray carrying a single slice of pie. It was warm, but not in a just baked sort of way, more like put in the microwave. Still, Duke was incredibly grateful. He took a bite out of the gooey cherry pie and melted.

“God I needed that.” Duke murmured with his mouth full. Holloway gave another toothy smile, her tail wagging slightly.

After Duke’s plate was empty, Holloway took the tray to the sink.

“So… Do you know what caused this yet?” Duke shouted to the back.

“Of course I do.” Holloway replied, yelling over the sound of the running water. “It’s what causes everything in Hatchetfield."

Duke felt a bitter taste in his mouth. He had his suspicions, but he tried really hard not to think about them.

Duke swallowed before speaking. “And… Do you know how to stop them?”

Holloway returned from the back, shaking her wet hands. Her red fur fluffed up. It was kinda cute.

“I wish I did Duke.” Holloway grumbled. “I can’t get in contact with them. Same with Webby. I’ve tried to call Lex but they appear to be MIA.

That worried Duke. Duke had known the Fosters ever since Hannah was four. He cared deeply for the girls like they were his little sisters. If something happened to them… well.

“What about the rumors about a cult running around?”

Holloway rested her head on the counter, letting out a small sigh. “I don’t know about that either. To tell you the truth, I don’t know anything.”

Duke could now see how tired Holloway was. “It’s okay Holly. I’m sure we can get the sorted out an-“

“But what if we can’t?” Holloway looked at him with desperate green eyes. “What if I can’t fix this? I don’t have a trick up my sleeve or a deus ex machina to get us out of this.”

Duke had never seen this side of Holloway.

It made him love her more.

The front doors of the restaurant burst open as three figures stumbled in. A large man with a bulls head carried a small creature with white fur.

A transparent Lex ran up to the counter. “Holloway, you have to help us.”

Chapter Text

Emma rushed down the halls of the community college. She skidded around a corner, her claws digging into the wall to help her keep balance. She barged into classroom 601, panting and hissing.

The whole biology class turned to stare at her. Professor Hidgens gave her a look. “Thank you for joining us Miss Perkins. I was just about to start.”

Emma gave a small nod as she slid into the closest seat.

Hidgens cleared his throat. The screws on their side of his neck sparked. “Students, as you all may know, the worlds fucked.” Hidgens paused for dramatic effect. “We still have no clue why we're all freaks of nature or how this even happened. Yet, class, we must learn to look on the bright side of life.”

He flipped the projector on. A picture of six men in a huddle flashed on screen. “This here is a picture of my best friends. At least, they were… before…” Hidgens stopped speaking.

“Anyways!” He said way too loudly. Emma’s ears pulled back. Some of her other classmates acted similarly.

“Look at me carefully. What do you see?”

No one answered. Hidgens gave an exasperated sigh. “I’m not made up of the same being. Much like Frankenstein's Monster himself, I am made up of different people. Specifically, the part of my old chums.”

Emma’s skin crawled, making her spines click.

“Is there something wrong, Miss Perkins?” Hidgens gave her a cold look.

Emma coughed. “No no. I uh just umm… I had to sneeze.”

Hidgens raised an eyebrow, but didn’t push it. “My left arm, you see, looks just like my old one, but the right one looks exactly like Leightons.” He put his right arm on the bottom of the screen next to one that did look identical.

“You see class, this opportunity, as one may call it, gives us the chance to break the preconceived notions of science! We are living proof of a sort of genetic reconstruction.”

Hidgens pulled out a small jar from behind his desk. Inside was a small, blue piece of slime.

Emma felt a tug behind her ear. Paul’s slime. She had forgotten it had burrowed itself in Emma’s hair.

“I found this a few days ago. I believe this weird blue suit belongs to a citizen of Hatchetfield. Now, I know it’s unethical to do experiments without the consent of the subject, but this chance can’t be passed up!”

The droplet surged in the jar, throwing itself against the glass. The one on Emma’s ear moved too.

“Hey buddy,” Emma whispered, not caring she was talking to a piece of slime, “is that a part of you?”

The slime gave another tug, this time stronger.

“Ah, look at the time. We shall pick this up next class.” Hidgens gave a small bow before he collected his things.

Emma stayed behind. “I’ll get that jar little buddy. The question is how.”

Chapter Text

It’s been about a month since Steph saves Peter’s ass. In the days following, Pete and Steph would wave at each other in the halls. Then they started chatting before classes.

And now Pete can’t look at her without feeling his heart in his ears. He knew it was silly. Why would she ever date him? Yet something in his heart persisted.

“Pete.. PETER!” A robotic click in front of Pete’s face startled him, making him bleat.

Richie and Ruth laughed. “Aww Pete! I didn’t know you did that!” Ruth snickered behind her hand.

Pete’s face went beet red. “Tell anyone and I’ll break your Star Wars figures.”

Ruth gave a playful hurt expression. “Well I’m so sorry. Hey, it’s your fault you zoned out during our drastically important study shesh.”

Oh yeah. That’s what they were doing. The library they were working at was basically empty, save for the librarian himself. Books piled high on their table, each with cracked spines and notes doodled on the covers.

“Ya know, I’m not even sure why we study using books anymore. I mean, we have computers.” Pete said.

Richie gave an overly dramatic gasp. “Peter! Physical media will stand the test of time! These books hold knowledge the internet dreams it could obtain.”

“It’s also filled with penis drawings.” Ruth flipped the book to the side. “This one’s a solid 8.”

“What was that about male genitalia?!?”

Grace Chasity stood by their table. Pete didn’t even notice her entering. She had one of her hooves raised, her white tail flicking ever which way.

The study table went silent.

Then the green Dragonborn barreled in. “Grace! You can’t just leave me. You’re the only way I can get an A!”

Pete locked eyes with Steph. Her eyes widened.

Grace saddled up to Steph. “I wasn’t going to leave you! I just thought I heard something unholy coming from the library.”

Steph rubbed a hand over her face. “Come on Chasity. The faster we get this project done the faster I can wash my hands of you.”

“Wait!”

The girls turned.

Pete stood there with his hand raised. His other hand gripped the table, keeping his balance. Why was he standing again?

“Pete,” Richie said under his breath, “what the fuck are you doing?!”

He didn’t know what the fuck he was doing.

“I can help you with your project.” The words vomited out of Pete’s mouth,

The green dragon looked him up and down. “I mean, yeah you could.”

Pete’s heart skipped. “I can meet you at Pasquallies tomorrow night at 6.”

Steph’s long mouth curved into a gentle smile. “I’d like that Pete.”

The two stood there staring at each other. “Well, if you don’t need me, I can go back to afternoon bible study.” Grace gave an all too cheery smile. “See ya!” She said over her shoulder as she pranced out of the classroom.

Steph cleared her throat. “I should be going too. But… I’ll see you tomorrow Spankofski.”

Pete’s face heated up. The second Steph walked out the door, a small bleat escaped his lips.

“I got that on video.” Ruth gave him a smug look.

“Delete that right now or say goodbye to your Leia dolls.”

Chapter Text

The general didn’t come to meet them.

Maybe if he did, Tom’s house wouldn’t be on fire right now.

Ethan held tight to Hannah, running down the street in the night air. Lex was at their side, floating but making sure to stay close. Behind them was the cult.

Hannah couldn’t help but cry. When they had passed Tom’s burning corpses while trying to escape, Hannah didn’t cry, yet she was crying now. Maybe it was adrenaline, maybe shock.

Lex had stepped between her and the body. “Don’t look, Hannah. Tim’s at Becky’s. He’s safe.”

It didn’t do much to comfort Hannah.

There were other fires around town. The cult was smart. The fires would distract police for a long while, giving them enough time to kill them.

Ethan ran into the witch wood, his breath coming out in short puffs. He was getting tired. He couldn’t run for much longer.

The mob raced after them, torches catching on the trees. Smirked and ash filled the Forrest in seconds. Ethan coughed, blinking tears out of his eyes.

Lex turned, letting out a scream so loud, it could shatter glass. Ethan and Hannah looked to see if there was any effect. The pack still persisted. Then Ethan tripped, managing to swerve just in time so as to not crush Hannah. Ethan looked up to see a floating pair of glasses. Something caught him by his neck. Hannah and Lex both screamed.

The mob circled the group. Hungry faces loomed over them, grinning like savages.

A bee person with a platinum blond wig stood ahead of the crowd. “Great job, Gerald. Good to know you can actually be useful.” Linda cocked her head to the side, her mandibles clicking. “Gerald, kill him.”

Ethan’s neck twisted, cracking. He fell to the floor, eyes already glazed open. Lex let out a cry, her voice shaking the trees around them.

“Shut up, you bastard child!” Linda snapped. Lex lunged at Linda, but passed right through her. Linda let out a cackle. “Lex honey, you can’t do anything without your muscle.”

Linda crouched down to Hannah, taking the spider’s chin in her clawed hand. “You really thought you could outrun me? How cute. Ya know, I didn’t want to kill innocent people. Tom, Charlotte, Duke, and what was his name?”

Linda tapped her chin with her free hand, then snapped her fingers. “Oh that’s right! Bill!” She tilted Hannah’s face upwards. “They didn’t have to die, but you, you selfish little bitch, you made me.”

“Killing her won’t fix anything!” Lex cried.

Linda spun on her heels, jerking Hannah along with her. “I told you to shut the fuck up!” She motioned something to one of her goons, who took out a silver cross and pushed into Lex’s forearm. Lex hissed in pain.

“The prophecy foretells that the sacrifice of the White Witch will save us from this curse. Do you dare question the power of Wiggly?”

Lex didn’t respond, trying to scratch the cross off her arm.

Linda turned back to Hannah, her black eyes gleaming with malice. “Before I kill you, I just want you to know,” Linda leaned to whisper into Hannah’s ear “I will enjoy this moment. And once everyone is human again, I will spread the good word of the Green God. You and all your martyrs will go down as traitors to human kind. And I’ll make sure nobody mourns you.”

Linda raised her clawed hand, the light of the fire dancing off her yellow skin. “In the name of the Lords, I kill this Witch for you!”

The claw went down. Lex screamed.

But Hannah felt nothing.

Linda’s grip on her chin was gone. Hannah opened her eyes to see Linda’s head roll next to Hannah.

General John Macnamera stood in the light of the fire. His torso was now the torso of a mountain lion, one of his claws was stained with blood. He tore the cross off Lex’s skin.

“Lex, get Hannah out of here! There’s a boat on the other side of the forest. Go and don’t look back.”

Lex hurried next to Hannah. “Come on Hannah.”

Hannah ran, only looking back for a second to see Macnamera give one last salute before the mob closed in around him.

Chapter Text

Paul was now a heap of gunk sloshing on the floor of the office building.

Of course, he didn’t say anything about it. He was fine, totally fine. Everything was just dandy! There was nothing wrong with being a creature made of slime. Why would he be distressed by the sight of three of his coworkers turned monsters fretting over him? Everything was okay. Perfectly okay. Okay. Okay?

He felt a small kick at his side. “TED!” Bill yelled.

“Just makin sure he’s still… solid?” Ted gave a koi grin.

Bill’s jaw clenched. “You're not helping.”

“Oh, and Mr. Puddles over here is?” Ted retorted. “We’ve been having to pick up his slack! So don’t be mad at me. I didn’t do shit!”

“You could say that again.” Charlotte muttered under her breath.

Bill cracked. “Don’t agree with him!”

“Why not?” Charlotte splashed some water towards Bill with her tail. “He’s right. While Paul’s been over here having his pity party, we’ve been picking up the slack. Uh… no offense Paul.”

Ted slid his arm around the mermaid. “See Bill. The sexy siren knows I’m right.” Charlotte smacked Ted with her tail, causing him to let out a cry of pain. “WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT FOR?!?”

Now all three of them were arguing.

Paul hated this. He knew this was his fault, but he couldn’t snap out of it. Everything was too much. It was like the weight of the world finally pushed him into the ground. Paul couldn’t fight it anymore. So, he just sank into the earth along with it.

“HEY!”

The three CCRP employees stopped bickering. They turned. Paul couldn’t see what they were looking at from this angle.

“Do you know where Paul Matthews is?” The voice asked.

Ted side stepped, making Paul visibly to the person.

“Hole shit!” The voice exclaimed. She ran towards Paul, getting on her knees and grabbing at his collar. “What the fuck happened to him?!”

It took Paul a second to register who the dog creature was holding him. Her voice, the way she gently held him. The strange warmth he felt in his chest.

It was Emma.

The little blob jumped off Emma’s ear, absorbing back into Paul. “Don’t worry Paul, I think I know how to fix this.” From her backpack, she pulled out a small glass jar with a little blue slime inside.

“Where did you get that?” Bill asked.

Emma twisted off the top. “My weird biology professor had it. I’m not sure how he got it, but I had a feeling it belonged to Paul.”

She gently shook out the blob. The second it touched Paul, he began to change. Slime from all across the office drifted back towards Paul as he resumed in human-like shape, until he stood tall once more.

But he didn’t feel different.

That horrible feeling of dread and worry still stuck deep in his chest like a knife.

“Paul?” Emma looked at him with worry gleaming in her black eyes. “Are you okay.”

“No.”

The group was silent.

“None of this is right. This whole situation is so wrong. I don’t feel like me anymore.” Paul stopped for a second, waiting for someone to tell him ‘oh that’s ridiculous’ or ‘oh you're just overreacting’. The group stayed quiet.

“I uh… I didn’t want to say anything cause… you all have your own shit to deal with too. I’m not the only one affected. I didn’t want to seem selfish. All of us are in body’s we hate, so why should I be treated differently?”

Paul fidgeted with his sleeve cuff. None of the CCRP group looked at each other.

Emma stepped forward.

“This whole incident is fucked. I wake up in the morning and choose to look away from the mirror. I look scary, yes, but I’m still me on the inside.”

Emma took Paul’s hand. “And you're still you inside. You’re still the dorky guy that compliments my outfit even if it’s stained. The guy who makes little jokes to make my day brighter. We’re going to get through this Paul. And… I’ll be right here fighting next to you.”

Something beat fast in Paul’s chest. It was a feeling he hasn’t felt in months. His heart was beating rapidly. He felt… alive again.

“I-I don’t think you're a monster Emma.”

Emma laughed, her spines clicking together. She made him feel alive.

“Do you really think so?”

Paul nodded.

Emma cuffed his face with her hand, pulling her face up to his. Their lips met, and everything seemed to wash away.

“Ooooo!” Ted made suggestible hand motions. Charlotte slapped him again, making him bleat in surprise.

Yeah, maybe things would be alright.

Chapter Text

Shit hit the fan even before Steph got to the restaurant.

She sprinted out of her car towards the clump of people, all jeering and laughing. Max loomed over them all, his snakes stretched like they were ready to strike.

In his hands was Peter. His crutches were broken on the ground a few feet away. His glasses were broken, glass poking the skin under his eye. He looked so small next to the reptiles.

“HEY!” Steph roared. “Put. Him. Down.”

Jason and Kyle backed off, mumbling apologies under their breath.

Max smiled sadistically. “Oh I’m sorry. I didn’t realize this was your little boy toy.”

Steph growled. “Put him down, Max, or I’ll-“

“Or you’ll what, Steph?” Max held Pete higher in the air. “You may be a ‘big string dragon’, but I still have more power than you do. I could turn this little bitch into stone right here, right now. He would look amazing in the front yard, don’t you agree Steph?”

Steph lunged forward, hitting Max in the side. He dropped Pete, leaving him crumpled on the ground.

“Oh you fucking whore!” Max spat. His snakes hissed in agreement.

Steph turned away from him. “Are you okay, Pete?”

“Yea- Yeah. I think so. Thank you fo-“

A hand grabbed Steph’s shoulder, spinning her around. She met face to face with Max. Huge yellow eyes stared back at her.

She felt her body turn ridged. Her legs were stuck in place as stone crept up her body. Kyle and Jason were yelling something behind Max, but he wasn’t listening.

This was how Steph was going to die.

“Wait!”

Max looked away, stopping the curse. Pete stood in between them, his face lowered to the ground but his hands out.

“Please, Max. Don’t hurt her. We’ll leave. Just, leave us alone.”

Max rubbed his chin. “Hmmm… And what’s in it for me?”

Is he fucking serious.

“I’ll do all your homework for the rest of the semester. And… and I’ll give you cheat sheets for any test!”

Max grinned. “I like that. Okay, I’ll let you and this tramp go.”

Pete gave a stiff nod, turning to Steph. Then in one swift motion, Pete kicked backwards, right into Max’s stomach. Hard.

Max bent over in pain.

“We have to run.”

Steph nodded, shaking off the stone that enveloped her legs. They both ran towards her car, Pete getting into the passenger's seat. Steph sped off, leaving a cursing Max Jagerman in her wake.

The two sat in awkward silence. Then Steph began to laugh.

“I’m sorry. It’s just, his face… holy shit.”

Pete gave a small smile in return. His legs were shaking. Steph stopped the car suddenly.

“Oh shit! We forgot your crutches.”

“Oh, yeah we did.” Pete said, like he was also surprised. “Wait, I managed to walk and run without them. Oh My God I did it!”

Steph and Pete both let out ‘Woo’s of excitement before dissolving into fits of laughter.

“Hey, I know Pasquale’s is off the table… but we could always do study at Beanies?”

Steph smiled. “I’d like that, Pete.”

Chapter Text

The rudder cut gently through the water.

The night air was quiet. It was a quiet Lex didn’t know she missed. And the darkness was pleasant. She wouldn’t have thought a week ago, but it’s better than the flames.

But the quiet gave Lex time to reflect. She didn’t want to. If Lex reflected, she would break down right then and there, and she couldn’t do that. Not with Hannah watching.

So she hovered on the bow, unable to help or do much of anything. Like how she couldn’t do much to save Ethan.

She couldn’t cry.

Hannah didn’t look at her. She had her eyes cast downwards to the water. Hannah didn’t cry. Not yet at least. She was being strong, and Lex had nothing but respect for her.

Lex spotted the shore of Clivesdale. It was unremarkable, but to Lex it looked like heaven.

“We’re almost there, Banana.” Lex whispered.

Hannah gave a little nod in response.

The boat hit land a good eight minutes later. The two sisters didn’t move for a hot second.

“None of this is your fault.”

Hannah’s brows furrowed. “You don’t have to lie.”

“I’m not lying.” Lex floated closer to Hannah, wishing she could hold her baby sister. “Those people were monsters. Not just literally but figuratively.”

Hannah sniffled. “But… Ethan.”

Lex felt a stabbing pain in her chest at the sound of his name. She couldn’t cry.

“Ethan would have died a thousand times over to save us.” Lex let out a little laugh. “He cared about you so much. He used to tell me that he wanted to walk you down the aisle at your wedding one day.”

Tears dripped down Lex’s cheeks. She didn’t bother wiping them away. “He loved you so much. And… and right now, he would want us to keep going. He never gave up. He would want us to.” Lex choked out the last words.

Hannah sobbed too. “You.. you really mean that?”

Lex nodded. “So, let’s get out of this boat together. For him.

Hannah nodded, cutting off the rudder. The two sisters nodded to each other as the both touched down on Clivesdale soil.

Immediately, there was a great white flash, followed by a “oops, shit. Sorry guys!”

Standing next to them on the shore was a girl with white hair and huge, black eyes. “Did you miss me?”

“Webby!” Hannah shrieked with joy, wrapping her many arms around the White Witch. “Where have you been?”

Webby patted Hannah on the back. “Trying to fix this mess. My brothers have been pains in the ass, and the whole prophecy thing. So not cool.”

“Wait, the prophecy was real?” Lex asked.

“I mean… technically yes.”

Lex saw Hannah’s heart sink in real time.

“Wait no! I mean, yeah… But No!” Webby’s hands shot up. “Ya see, killing you might have turned them back to normal, but only if they continued to serve Wiggly. It was all a part of his master plan to spread his word or whatever. But, there is a loophole.”

“A loophole?” Hannah’s eyes shot up.

Webby nodded. “Yeah, and you kinda already figured it out.”

Lex swayed. “Wha- How??”

“Well, the prophecy called for a sacrifice of the Prophet to undo the curse on Hatchetfield. The mob took it as sacrificing someone, but sacrifice can be interpreted multiple ways.”

Webby pointed at the ground. “You're no longer in Hatchetfield. The prophecy states that the curse only affects Hatchetfield. Now that your not in Hatchetfield, the curse no longer has an affect.”

The two sisters stared at the goddess.

“Hannah, you leaving Hatchetfield is a sacrifice. You can never go back.”

“Huh.” Hannah said bluntly.

“Wait! So if we fixed everything, why are we still monsters?”

Webby tapped her fingers together. “Well, the curse fixes everything on Hatchetfield soil. You're no longer in Hatchetfield.”

Lex’s heart sank. “So, we’re just stuck like this forever.”

“I’m afraid so. It’s a part of the sacrifice.”

Hopelessness rang through Lex’s being. “So what are we supposed to do? Run around in the woods for the rest of our lives.”

Webby smiled. “Maybe not run around.”

The woods behind them shook as a large car rolled up. It was black with heavily tinted windows. Out of it stepped a man wearing a black suit.

“The Foster sister, I assume?”

Lex instinctively covered Hannah. “Who are you?”

“I’m not here to hurt you.” The man raised his hands. “My name is Xander Lee. I was a friend of Macnameras. He told me a lot about you two.”

Xander stepped closer. “Macnameras dying wish was to see you two safe. I intend to keep his wish.”

“And how will you do that?”

Xander smiled. “Both of you will live in the PEIP base. You won’t be forced into cells or anything. You are free to roam the building and the grounds however you please. And maybe, you can help us prevent this sort of thing from ever happening again.”

Lex set her jaw. He was a friend of John, but she wasn’t sure.

Hannah stepped around her sister. “You promise to keep us safe?”

Xander kneeled to her level. “I promise.” He extended a hand. Hannah shook it.

“Are you sure about this Hannah?” Lex asked.

Hannah gave her a small smile. “I’m positive.”

Lex returned the smile. “Well, wherever you go, I’ll go too.”

Chapter Text

Holly placed a red rose on Duke's gravestone.

It was made of dark marble. Inscribed on the stone was ‘Duke Keane. 198XX to 20XX. Beloved son and friend.’

Holloway was happy he had gotten a proper burial. She made sure most of those lost in the fight against the cult did. Holloway wasn’t sure if the body was human or not.

She didn’t cry. She just stood in the pale sunlight.

Someone tapped on her shoulder lightly. It was a young adult woman with puffy brown hair.

“Is this Duke Keane’s grave?” The woman asked.

Holloway nodded, sidestepping to show the girl the headstone.

The girl looked down at it. “He was a good man. I remember Lex and Hannah talking about how he sacrificed himself to save them. My father was caught in the crossfire too, but I think he knew the risks of taking the girls in.”

“Your father must have been a very brave man.”

The girl smiled to herself. “I would never admit it out loud to him, but he really was.” She ran a sleeve over her eyes as tears began to escape. “God I miss him.”

Holloway wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders. “I have a gut feeling he’s really proud of you.”

The brown haired girl hugged Holly back. “I would hope so.” She let go over Holloway, making her way forward to place a black rose on the grave. “Thank you.” She whispered.

“Alice! We gotta get over the bridge before dark!” A woman in a yellow beanie yelled from the cemetery gate.

Alice gave one more smile to Holloway before she bounced off to her partner.

Holloway watched them go. “Ya hear that, Duke?”

“A black rose? An interesting choice, but I’m not one to judge.”

Holloway turned back towards the grave to see the ghostly figure of Duke Keane inspecting the offerings on his headstone.

Holloway giggled. “Does black clash with you whole style Duke?”

Duke raised his hands “No no. I was a black cat for goodness sake. I’ve just never seen a black rose in real life.”

Holly picked up the rose. It was carefully pruned so that the only thing on the stem was the rose itself. “I think it’ll look real nice for dinner.”

“Speaking of the diner, could you enchant me up some ghost pie?”

Holloway threw her head back in laughter. “Ya know what, I can sure try.”

Duke lifted a ghostly arm to her. “Well, shall we?”

Holloway put her arm in his, feeling the cold touch of his spirit. “We shall.”

Chapter Text

Blinky slammed into the wall of television screens. The glass shattered and floated suspended in the air.

Wiggly stood over his brother, red eyes ablaze with fury. “You said NOTHING was going to go wrong.”

Blinky stammered. “I-I didn’t, I mean..”

Wiggly grabbed one of Blinky’s eyes and twisted. The eye burst in his tentacles, spilling purple blood. Blinky screamed.

“I sent my own pawn in the game and I still didn’t win.” Wiggly snarled. “And that whole thing with stupid bitch Webby?”

“You- ya- you were the one who made the prophecy."

Wiggly’s gaze hardened. “Are you pinning this on me?”

Blinky didn’t speak.

“Are you really blaming ME for YOUR Fuck up?”

Wiggly grabbed a shard of glass out of the air and swiped three of Blinky’s eyes at once. Blinky yelled out in pain.

Tinky howled with laughter. “Fight! Fight! Fight!”

“SHUT UP!” Wiggly roared. The youngest went silent and earned an elbow from his pink haired sibling.

Wiggly snapped his gaze back to Blinky. “You have disappointed me. You have disappointed us.”

Wiggly stepped closed to the purple god. “I don’t think you're going to like what comes next.”

Blinky tried to scramble backwards, but was stopped by Tinky and Nibbly as they held him down. Blinky screamed, an awful, terrible scream that could destroy a galaxy in a second.

And Pokey watched. His eyes unchanging. He knew this idea wouldn’t work.

He had been in the same situation before.