Killer's POV hours later

"Ugh, what the hell?"I groan, seeing glitchy flames block my path.

"Ⓨⓞⓤ ⓕⓐⓢⓒⓘⓝⓐⓣⓔ ⓜⓔ. Ⓝⓞⓑⓞⓓⓨ ⓗⓐⓢ ⓔⓥⓔⓡ ⓔⓢⓒⓐⓟⓔⓓ ⓜⓨ ⓣⓞⓞⓛⓢ ⓑⓔⓕⓞⓡⓔ..." A voice says

"Who the hell are you?"I snap, backing away.

 "Ⓟⓡⓞⓑⓔ, ⓞⓡ ⓐⓣ ⓛⓔⓐⓢⓣ ⓣⓗⓐⓣ'ⓢ ⓜⓨ ⓕⓡⓘⓔⓝⓓⓢ ⓒⓐⓛⓛ ⓜⓔ ⓕⓞⓡ ⓐⓛⓦⓐⓨⓢ ⓟⓞⓚⓘⓝⓖ ⓐⓡⓞⓤⓝⓓ ⓐⓝⓓ ⓔⓧⓐⓜⓘⓝⓘⓝⓖ ⓞⓣⓗⓔⓡ ⓟⓔⓞⓟⓛⓔ'ⓢ ⓑⓤⓢⓘⓝⓔⓢⓢ. Ⓑⓔⓢⓘⓓⓔⓢ, Ⓢⓒⓘⓔⓝⓒⓔ ⓞⓡ ⓞⓣⓗⓔⓡ ⓣⓔⓢⓣ-ⓡⓔⓛⓐⓣⓔⓓ ⓝⓐⓜⓔⓢ ⓐⓡⓔ ⓐⓛⓡⓔⓐⓓⓨ ⓣⓐⓚⓔⓝ ⓐⓝⓓ Ⓘ ⓁⓄⓋⒺ ⓔⓧⓟⓔⓡⓘⓜⓔⓝⓣⓘⓝⓖ ⓦⓘⓣⓗ ⓛⓘⓥⓔ ⓒⓡⓔⓐⓣⓤⓡⓔⓢ ⓘⓝ ⓡⓔⓐⓛ ⓣⓘⓜⓔ. Ⓔⓢⓟⓔⓒⓘⓐⓛⓛⓨ ⓦⓘⓣⓗ ⓣⓗⓔ ⓓⓔⓥⓘⓒⓔⓢ ⓐⓣ ⓜⓨ ⓕⓘⓝⓖⓔⓡⓣⓘⓟⓢ. Ⓜⓨ ⓕⓐⓥⓞⓡⓘⓣⓔ ⓜⓔⓣⓗⓞⓓ ⓘⓢ ⓤⓢⓘⓝⓖ ⓥⓘⓡⓤⓢ-ⓘⓝⓕⓔⓒⓣⓔⓓ ⓘⓣⓔⓜⓢ ⓣⓞ ⓗⓐⓒⓚ ⓘⓝⓣⓞ ⓞⓣⓗⓔⓡⓢ ⓐⓝⓓ ⓢⓔⓔ ⓗⓞⓦ ⓣⓗⓔⓨ ⓡⓔⓐⓒⓣ." The voice says as I can only see a shadow figure through the flames.

I clench my knife tightly.

"Ⓘⓣ'ⓢ ⓐⓜⓐⓩⓘⓝⓖ ⓣⓗⓔ ⓡⓔⓢⓟⓞⓝⓢⓔⓢ Ⓘ ⓒⓐⓝ ⓖⓔⓣ ⓦⓘⓣⓗ ⓢⓞ ⓛⓘⓣⓣⓛⓔ. Ⓣⓗⓘⓢ ⓣⓘⓜⓔ Ⓘ ⓖⓐⓥⓔ ⓣⓗⓔ ⓟⓡⓞⓜⓟⓣ ⓣⓞ ⓜⓨ ⓛⓐⓑ ⓡⓐⓣⓢ ⓣⓗⓐⓣ ⓡⓔⓐⓛⓘⓣⓨ ⓗⓐⓢ ⓢⓗⓘⓕⓣⓔⓓ ⓖⓡⓔⓐⓣⓛⓨ. Ⓣⓗⓔⓨ'ⓥⓔ ⓛⓞⓢⓣ ⓔⓥⓔⓡⓨⓣⓗⓘⓝⓖ ⓐⓝⓓ ⓣⓗⓔⓘⓡ ⓗⓞⓜⓔⓢ ⓐⓡⓔ ⓖⓞⓝⓔ ⓕⓞⓡⓔⓥⓔⓡ. Ⓦⓗⓐⓣ ⓓⓞ ⓣⓗⓔⓨ ⓓⓞ ⓣⓞ ⓑⓤⓘⓛⓓ ⓕⓡⓞⓜ ⓣⓗⓔ ⓖⓡⓞⓤⓝⓓ ⓤⓟ?" He chuckles

I frown, checking my pockets.

"Ⓑⓤⓣ ⓗⓔⓨ! Ⓨⓞⓤ ⓘⓝⓣⓡⓘⓖⓤⓔ ⓜⓔ ⓐⓢ ⓣⓗⓔ ⓕⓘⓡⓢⓣ ⓣⓞ ⓑⓡⓔⓐⓚ ⓕⓡⓔⓔ ⓕⓡⓞⓜ ⓜⓨ ⓗⓐⓒⓚⓘⓝⓖ, ⓢⓞ ⓨⓞⓤ ⓖⓔⓣ ⓣⓞ ⓒⓗⓞⓞⓢⓔ ⓦⓗⓞ ⓨⓞⓤ ⓖⓔⓣ ⓢⓔⓝⓣ ⓣⓞ. Ⓘ ⓦⓐⓝⓣ ⓣⓞ ⓢⓔⓔ ⓦⓗⓐⓣ ⓨⓞⓤ ⓦⓘⓛⓛ ⓓⓞ ⓝⓞⓦ ⓣⓞ ⓕⓡⓔⓔ ⓣⓗⓔ ⓡⓔⓢⓣ."He says

The rest? Who else is caught up in this?

"Ⓣⓗⓔⓨ ⓗⓐⓥⓔ ⓝⓞ ⓒⓗⓞⓘⓒⓔ ⓘⓝ ⓣⓗⓘⓢ ⓜⓐⓣⓣⓔⓡ ⓢⓞ ⓨⓞⓤ ⓢⓗⓞⓤⓛⓓ ⓐⓟⓟⓡⓔⓒⓘⓐⓣⓔ ⓖⓔⓣⓣⓘⓝⓖ ⓞⓝⓔ." He says

This catches my attention. Choice. One name comes to mind even if he will hate me for it.

"Horror."I say

In an instant I get teleported somewhere completely different, roughly landing in some bushes. I lift my head to find Horror cutting a tree with his axe, chopping it for wood. His movements are so rigid and he does it so silently that I questioned if he was even conscious. Then he turns around, rigidly walking away with the wood to add the logs to the pile. His eyes are completely covered with a black bar as if censoring his identity. Sure, he only has one eye but this covered it so much that you wouldn't know that he was meant to have eyes to begin with.

Okay...He's right there....There has to be an item that he has that injected the virus into him. I break that and he is free. Shit, but how am I supposed to do that? He hated me enough before this happened and wouldn't let me near him, now he will probably kill me if I get near him! But...I can't leave him like this. He isn't a lab rat to be toyed with...He deserves to be able to make his own choices...I just have to suck it up and face him.

I watch his movements carefully, looking for whatever he could've grabbed that would be responsible for this. I will attack those when confronting him. The last thing I want is to actually fight and hurt him. But before I can figure it out, a portal opens as a group of his pets pulls Farmer through. 

"Horror! There you are!"Farmer exclaims, looking relieved to see him and the pets eagerly try to get closer.

Horror releases a loud growl and starts viciously swinging his axe, alarming them. The pets scatter, looking scared and confused on why their beloved savior Horror is attacking. They rip away with their leashes out of Farmer's hand, scattering into bushes or hiding behind the log piles. Farmer dodges his attacks, looking just as shocked.

"Horror! Gah! What are you doing? Stop! It's me, Farm!"He tries to tell Horror but gets only more growls.

I could see red code shining behind Horror, giving phrases much like the voices I heard when I was hacked. Don't listen to that THING. You don't have choices. Just LIVE and DO IT.

I leap behind Horror, pulling him back from nearly slicing Farm with his axe.

"Horror, quit it! Snap out of it before someone gets hurt!"I tell him, yanking him by the neck

He just goes wild, growling and trying to shake me off. Farmer summons one of his cowheads to hide behind, though I doubt he will blast it. It feels like I am trying to tame a wild bull since Horror is so much bigger than me, but I successfully keep yanking him back and throwing him off balance enough to get him to back away from his boyfriend. He tosses me off but I am quick to get back to my feet.

"Killer! What are you doing here?"Farmer snaps at me

"What does it look like I am doing? Trying to help Horror and saving you just now!"I say

"What kind of-?"He begins

"Don't even put this trick on me! I'm trying to help my brother get freed from an asshole and currently fighting him trapped under mind control so if you don't mind, I'd much rather continue this argument later! Just stay back so he doesn't do something he regrets!"I snap at him, dodging another attack.

I slice and toss my knives near Horror, cutting his pockets but not causing real damage to him. I broke multiple items but none freed him. Though he is doing plenty of damage to me as his punches, kicks, or sharp hands dig into my bones when he throws me away. I keep returning and getting back up though. I will free him.

I see that he turns his attention back to Farmer, slicing his summoned cowhead in half to cause it to fade and leave Farmer exposed. He raises his axe after kicking Farmer down, ready to attack. I see the beard of his axe glow a dark black much like the code covering his eyes. That's the piece that got the virus. Farmer's doomed if that thing touches him. I run over, blocking his swing with my knife. I push back, struggling to keep his blade away. Then I see about two inches of the axe's blade get chipped away by the knife, making a thin line cracking in but not breaking it. My knife snaps in half and he finally swings with full force, digging into my ribs and knocking me to the ground. 

It doesn't stop there as he sends about four more swings down at me, one digging into my skull. I frown, feeling extreme pain but his anger at me manages to let Farmer get away. I just stare at Horror, waiting for something. Then the black bar fades and a chunk of his axe falls off. Farmer quickly stomps the black smoke from it out.

"Hah! I did it! Aaggh, o-ow."I cheer, then quickly regret moving my arms in triumph

"Killer!"Farmer exclaims in shock as he picks me up.

"Huh...? Killer..? Farm..? Wait, what the-?"Horror begins, glancing over and reaching for Farmer

Farmer backs away, looking alarmed.

"Killer you're a mess. We need to get you urgent help NOW."He says

"Naaah, it's worth it."I say with a smile

"There's a crack down the center of your skull!"He snaps

"You alright Horror?"I ask, seeing how scared and confused he seems at the current situation

He looks at me, then at his axe, and drops it.

"We are going now!"Farmer says, taking his phone out.

He turns his back to Horror and I see that this scares Horror more. I could feel the pain overwhelm me in a way that I hadn't felt in ages. But I am still familiar with my end in genocide runs. I yank Farmer by the neck and glare at him.

"He was hacked and just got freed. He is lost and wakes up to this mess of a situation. Comfort him and get through this together. You better treat him right because I have no problem haunting you. Come to think of it, I'd have a lot more potential opportunities than the chaotic trouble that I do in life. Consider that, Farm."I tell him

He looks at me in surprise, then turns to Horror and nods his head for Horror to come closer. Horror does, picking up his axe but holding it low. A quick call later, a portal opens but instead we find Perl and Misty surrounded by portal devices and Nightmare's neglected phone. Farmer quickly gets me into a bed and tries to bandage my wounds or examine them to heal in some form. Telling by the look on his face, this isn't good and beyond his capabilities to heal. Then he leaves the room. 

Leaving me with Horror.

I chuckle, shaking my head.

"I have never been so happy to see your big eye in the dark before, bro."I say

"Killer...What did you do to get pinned under my axe that I can't recall?"He asks

I smile at him, knowing that this is too big of a topic to just choke out. Heck I don't have all the answers clear in my head right now. And having just liberated him while he is still in shock isn't the best time to hit him with the terrible details. Besides, I don't want to scare him more. I know what's happening but if he sees that I'm upset or scared, that won't keep him calm. So, I'll give him a simple, honest answer.

"I made my choice and now I am going to live with it. You just go be happy with Farmer, okay?"I tell him with a grin

Then I feel exhausted as everything goes dark. I shut my eyes, still smiling without regrets.

TBC