*HEY, GUYS. I'LL MAKE THIS BRIEF. NO QUESTIONS FOR NOW. VIDEO IN THE MULTIMEDIA IS: Deathbeds BMTH Piano Cover BY Wait4April. ENJOY THE CHAPTER!*

Stay Creepy, My Friends!~

Chapter 28

My mind was a blur of emotions. I didn't know how to feel, what to say, what to do. What can I do?

Run.

Sam warned me. I did as he said. I began calmly excusing myself from Scapegrace's presence but I didn't get far for she grabbed onto my arm with a vice tight grip. Her hand literally felt like a metal clamp and I looked down to see it was gloved, as was her other hand. She tightened her grip and I winced from the pressure. "Excuse me, ma'am," I whimpered, "but I really need to go..! Please, let me go." Her grip only grew tighter and I feared my arm wouldn't be able to take it anymore. I did something I shouldn't have. "Let me go," I growled as I kneed her gut. Her hold on me faltered long enough for me to race past her and hide within the pulsating crowd on the dance floor. I pulled out my phone and yelled, "Ben, get out here, now! It's Scapegrace! She's here!!"

Upon demand, Ben came flashing next to me. He had his illusion on but he wielded knives with him. "Jeff should be coming at any moment," he told me, before pulling me further into the crowd. I spotted Scapegrace through the moving bodies of dancers and her eye sent chills through my body. She was coming towards me, trying to catch me in the crowd. She got closer within a moment's notice and Ben got ready to fight. But, before they could confront each other, the music stopped and everyone stopped what they were doing. There were sudden gunshots and everyone gasped or screamed with surprise. I had flinched.

"You've got some nerve coming in here, Scapegrace," a voice bellowed, "after what you did to the boss! Now he's behind bars! Because of this, we'll put you six feet under!" There was a group of men, no doubt the Jackals, who stood surrounding her. They all wielded guns and all of them were pointed towards Scapegrace. Ben pulled me close to him and I clawed to his shirt out of nervousness. What's going to happen?

"Say your prayers, you son of a bitch," a man had growled before cocking his gun and aiming. Everyone started running out of the line of danger, which left no crowd to cover Ben and I. Ben pulled me away and towards a booth, where he had me hide under the table. He crouched beside me and I could see the tension in his body. The both of us watched as all of the men started firing at Scapegrace. I screamed and covered my ears as the loud gunshots collided into a deafening symphony. When the noises had stopped, I looked back at the scene and was surprised to see Scapegrace still standing. She was still staring straight at me and I felt colder for it. She raised up a clenched hand and I gaped as she dropped all of the bullets that were fired at her. They scrambled across the dance floor, scattering at her feet. The gang members were stumped.

Scapegrace turned towards the man who bellowed out the threats and she began menacingly sauntering her way to him. He raised up his gun to fire again but she was too quick and she kicked the weapon out of his hand. The other men starting firing but nothing happened to her. She stuck out her arm and opened up her jacket sleeve more, letting more bullets fall out of it like a sick magic trick. Before any more gunshots were erupted, Scapegrace attacked all of the men, jumped from one to another, leaving a trail of unconscious gang members behind. Soon all of the men were subdued, which left her standing alone. Everyone who was partying had fled out of fear so the only people left were her, Ben and me.

She slowly, creepily turned back to face me and I gulped. Ben stood up and brandished his knives. She cocked her head as she glared at him and I could sense the tension rising between them. Without any word, Ben ran forward to execute the first move. He swiped at Scapegrace, jutted his blades out to stab but she dodged every move. Ben kicked but she caught his leg and twisted him around until he fell to the floor. Ben growled and swiped his legs, kicking Scapegrace's from out under her. She fell too but would roll away when Ben stabbed at her. He pounced and they went tumbling across the dance floor.

Scapegrace threw him off and sent him flying into a couple of barstools. He fell to the floor in a heap and I could tell the hit did a number on him. Ben staggered to his feet and put his knives up. Scapegrace got up too and raised her fists, like a kick-boxer. Ben lunged forward and swiped at her abdomen, but she moved back, still keeping a kick-boxing form. They went at it, moving about the area, crashing into things and barely landing any direct hits to each other. Finally a hit was direct, though unfortunately it was Scapegrace who had it. She landed a hard punch across Ben's face and he fell to the floor. Blood started spilling down his chin from his lip but he wiped it off and kept going. Scapegrace wasn't having any of it and she grabbed him fiercely by his blonde locks of hair. He growled and landed a graze to her calf but she didn't let it faze her. She threw him across the floor, letting him tumble to a stop at the center of the multicolor flashing dance floor. He groaned and struggled to get back up.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Scapegrace break into a run for him and before I could scream out a warning, she jumped up to pounce. Her right fist was raised and I could've sworn I heard a whirring right before she landed. Luckily, Ben dodged the hit in time and Scapegrace punched the floor instead, but she left a crater in her wake. The area she punched was nothing but cracked bits and pieces of the dance floor and the colors that used to pulsate there had died off. I had literally felt the force of her punch in the floor and, with the damage she had caused, I couldn't imagine what could've happened if Ben hadn't moved.

Scapegrace yanked her hand out of the damage and whirled around to face Ben. They started fighting again. Off to my left, I saw a figure coming into the building. I turned and saw Jeff. Hope filled me and I felt safer already. I'm guessing he had spotted me because Jeff came sneaking over to me. "Are you okay," he asked me. I nodded. He glanced over at the fight between Scapegrace and Ben and I could see him tense up. He whipped out his army knives from his holsters and said, "Whatever happens, do not come out from under this table. Last thing I want is for you to get caught in the fight."

"Okay," I murmured. Jeff and I looked back at the fight only to see it go horribly wrong. Ben lost his knives which left him weaponless. Fortunately, he removed his illusion and he was back to his normal self. As a back-up, he pulled out his Claymore and wielded it towards Scapegrace. Even in his true form, he looked beaten. His sword is too big to be used on Scapegrace, though. We need her alive. What is he doing?

Ben tried for a jab at her side but to my shock, she grabbed the Claymore by the very blade itself and stopped the hit. Ben gaped and tried yanking his weapon out of her grip but she wouldn't budge. I expected blood to be dripping from her hand, even with the glove, but nothing was happening. Then, she did the impossible and squeezed and twisted the blade to an unusable state. She let the Claymore go but it wasn't fit for battle anymore. How could she do that? What is she..?!

Ben stared at his damaged sword and he looked pissed. He threw it aside and ran after Scapegrace. He tried for a punch but she caught his fist with barely a flinch. Ben growled and lifted up his knee to her gut but she smacked it and Ben seemed to be in excruciating pain. He fell to the floor and tried to get up but the leg that Scapegrace had jabbed wasn't working anymore. What did she do? Scapegrace leaned over and reached for him and Ben tried to land a few punches but she jabbed a certain part on his wrist and elbow that made his arm go limp. She did it again. She...hit the joints. She dislocated his arm..! Ben growled in pain and annoyance and used his other arm but she only pulled the same moves. Soon, Ben was paralyzed and he couldn't move all that much. I kept chanting in my mind for him to get up and fight again, but he wasn't able. Scapegrace crouched by him, lifted up his head and pressed into a certain part on his neck. Ben began gasping for air and struggling to breath. I knew what she was doing. My mother taught me this, she's cutting of oxygen to the brain. I shook my head and prayed for Scapegrace to stop. But she didn't and with one little push of her thumb Ben was left limp on the floor. His red eyes looked glassy as he was left to stare up at the ceiling. Is he...? No, he couldn't be.. He can't.

I looked at Jeff and I could feel his anger and adrenaline rise from him. Then, he went off. He bolted forward and stabbed Scapegrace on her shoulder. I heard her yelp, and I was surprised she could even make a sound. Jeff locked his arm around her neck, kicked at the back of her legs and Scapegrace was sent falling to her back. She landed with a hard thud and Jeff pinned her down with his foot. He twirled a knife in his hand and was about to throw it down at her, when she grabbed his leg and twisted him around until he fell. She pinned him down this time and raised her fist to punch, the whirring sound coming back again. I froze and screamed for Jeff to move for I knew what would happen next. In that instant, Jeff raised himself up and head butted Scapegrace. With his helmet on, it landed a bigger impact and Scapegrace's punch faltered. The whirring stopped and I breathed a sigh of relief.

Jeff pushed Scapegrace off and got back on his feet. I looked at her and could see she wasn't pleased at all. She ran at him and kicked at Jeff's head. The kick was enough to knock his helmet off and Jeff was exposed. His black eyes showed a lot and they showed he was pretty pissed off. They had me reeling back and his eyes weren't even glaring at me. Scapegrace tried to kick at his head again but Jeff ducked under her leg in time. During this though, she ran around and pounced on his back. They struggled for a while; Jeff tried shaking her off and went as far as smacking her against the bar or the walls. Scapegrace wouldn't let go. Jeff elbowed at her side over and over and soon they both went falling back. Jeff landed by her legs and in an instant, Scapegrace wrapped her legs around his neck, constricting more and more. Jeff gasped and writhed, trying to wiggle his way out of her trap. He lifted up a knife and stabbed into her thigh, which made her growl and release him. Jeff got back up and threw one of his knives like a dart, which struck Scapegrace's back. She cried out and crawled along the floor, trying to get back up on her feet. Jeff wasn't having it and he threw his other knife, which almost struck at her neck but it only landed around the tops of her shoulders.

Scapegrace shuddered and tried to remove the knives. Jeff walked over, pulled out the knives from her back which left Scapegrace in more pain, and he sat on top of her. He wrapped his hands around her neck and pulled, putting her in a painful curve. Her hands flailed as she was losing air. Jeff's face was stone cold as he pressed his hand against her throat. By now, she must be blacking out. Out of the corner of my eye, something glinted by her foot. I looked and gasped as a blade popped out of the heel of her boot. Crap!

"Jeff, look out!!" I screamed in warning but it was too late. Scapegrace kicked her leg up, sending the hidden blade straight into Jeff's back. He cried out and let go of her. Jeff crawled away, holding his back as blood started trailing down his jacket. Jesus, the wound was almost near his spinal cord..! Scapegrace got back up on her feet and gasped for air again. She held her throat and rubbed it as she glared down at Jeff. She started backing away and for a moment I thought she was going to run off again. Fortunately, she didn't. She only backed away to...take her jacket off. I gave her a curious look, wondering why she'd make an effort to take it off. Then...I saw why.

As soon as the jacket was loose enough, she whipped it off of her body and threw it aside. I stared with wide eyes at her right arm, what looked like an arm. It wasn't though. Her arm was nothing but gleaming, silver metal: gears, panels and more. She flexed her arms, making parts under the metal exterior shift. I trailed my eyes along the artificial appendage, stopping at her shoulder as that's where it cut off onto her actual skin. There was discoloration at the edges where metal and skin met but it didn't seem fatal. I wondered how it was possible. Prosthesis are possible, but they don't have the full workings to move like actual limbs yet. Her arm though, it acted like an actual arm. The metal almost seemed like a sleeve but I knew it wasn't. How..?

I didn't have any more time to marvel over her arm. Scapegrace was going after Jeff again but he was struggling. I wondered how Ben could've taken her hits when I remembered. Ben isn't human. Jeff is, though. Jeff can't take as much as Ben could. He's weak now. I can't let Scapegrace hurt him right now. It's bad enough Ben might be dead... She won't hurt Jeff.

Ao, what are you planning to do?

I could hear the worry in Sam's voice and I felt terrible for what I was about to do next. I'm the dumbest person alive when it comes to this stuff..

I crawled out from under the table and screamed to get Scapegrace's attention. She was already picking Jeff up by his shirt collar. "Hey!!!," I shrieked, "Leave him alone!! Come after me!! Isn't that why you're in this mess?! For me?!? I'm right here!! Come and get me!!"

"Blue, what the hell are you doing?!" Jeff snapped.

Yeah, what are you doing?! Quit it!!

Sam snapped at me too. I didn't listen to either one of them. I already caught Scapegrace's attention. There's no turning back now. She dropped Jeff and started making her way towards me. I panicked. I'm more than dumb, hell, I'm brain dead...!

I looked around and found a few glasses on the table I hid under. I grabbed one and threw it at Scapegrace's head. She dodged it and kept coming. I grabbed another and threw it, this time it struck her metal arm. The glass shattered and she stared down at the pieces. Then she glared up at me and I started to shake. She was getting too close. I made a break for it to get farther from her. I abandoned the stupid heels and ran. I tried going for the stairs in the corner but Scapegrace caught up to me and grabbed my arm. I was jerked back into her grasp and I screamed and writhed. She threw me down to the floor and I groaned.

Ao, let me-!!

"No!!" I said, "Don't!!"

But-!

"Listen to me and don't do anything!!" I ordered. I felt hands grab me by my waist and I was yanked up from the floor. I struggled and kicked my legs, punching at Scapegrace's back as she draped me over her shoulder. I elbowed the back of her head but she didn't seem fazed. "Let me go!!" I yelled at her. She didn't listen. I frowned and reached my hands around her head, clawing at her face. My fingers caught onto something and I yanked it off. Suddenly, she threw me down to the floor and I landed on my side with a hard thud. I winced from the pain and looked down at my hand to see what I had grabbed. It was...an eyepatch?

I looked up and stared at her other eye. Shivers coursed through my body as I stared at her eye with a gold yellow iris and pure black sclera. The gold of her eye glinted with a strange menace and left me paralyzed. Why is her eye like that? How..?

I had no time to wonder as she yanked me up to my feet by my arm. I tried pulling myself away from her but she wouldn't let go. I tried for a punch to her face and I managed to land it but she wasn't bothered. My hand hurt though and I shook off the pain. Scapegrace tried getting her eyepatch back but I held it out of reach. "Do you think you'll get this back after all you've done?!" I growled. "Not on your life!!" She quit trying to grab her eyepatch and she reeled her metal arm back. Her hand was clenched into a fist and I knew she was going to punch. What I hadn't expected...was the whirring sound.

I didn't have enough time to move. Her fist came at my stomach and with one hit I saw stars. My body was rattled with so much pain and force from that hit. Scapegrace pulled away and I fell to my knees. I could still feel her fist on my body even when she was a foot away from me. I couldn't contain myself.. The hit was forceful enough to have me throwing up onto the floor. My throat burned and my stomach felt like it was being wrenched like a damp towel. I tried to stop but I just kept spitting up more and more. I couldn't breathe. I was choking. Tears formed in my eyes and fell. My body trembled. I felt like I was dying. My vision was blurring in and out of blackness and I was almost sure I saw blood in my own chemicals.

My head felt fuzzy and I could barely hear Sam's voice. It was muffled, jumbled, echoing but not coming through. I wasn't sure what he was saying...but he sounded angry. Beyond angry, even.. My head was pulsating with heat now and soon my body. I felt a hostile heat unlike anything I've ever felt and it built up more and more until it was too much. It burst into a volatile essence.

My hands clutched at my head as I let out a loud, shrilled cry. My scream echoed and pulsed around me. A weight began to crush me, pressing me down, causing me to scream even more. I opened my eyes and looked down at my shaking hands only to see the proxy symbol on my left hand in glowing bright scarlet. Then it disappeared and I found it on my shoulder. It began moving around on my body and I could feel its heat as it flitted from my back to my stomach to my neck, everywhere. I wanted it to stop. Why won't it stop? I cried for Sam but he didn't respond to my pleads.

I lifted my head up to look around and I was horrified to see Scapegrace getting bashed into a wall over and over again by nothing. Things were flying as she was thrown across the floor and beaten around like a rag doll. Her body was lifted up and she clutched at her throat, as if she was choking. Her feet flailed and her body trembled violently. Then she was sent to the floor again. Spots of blood sputtered from her head and I pleaded for her to be left alone. A white haze slithered at the edges of my vision and everything seemed to have a second to it. Things kept spinning and distorting beyond reality. Though, one thing was clear out of the rest of the environment. There was an outline of a figure, like a ghost. It looked like a...man.. I think. I can't make things out. But it was hurting Scapegrace, brutality lashing out like a savage wild animal, beating her into the floor. Then it clicked.

"Sam..?" I whimpered and the figure turned its head towards me. I saw two faint red dots, fiery with rancor and an almost demonic sense of violence. Despite this...it felt pained. I reached out a trembling hand towards it and called to it. "Sam...please stop.."

A shrill, inhuman cry of protest rang in my ears but I endured it without complaint. I began crawling along the floor, my body still trembling and weak. Whatever mess was flying would avoid me so I was free to crawl without caution. "Sam...I'm okay...everything's okay," I murmured weakly. There was another head-splitting shrill cry. I kept crawling but my body could only take me so far and I fell across the floor. I still picked myself up onto my knees and I looked up at the ghostly figure. "Stop this, Sam," I said, "there's no need to go this far.. I'm okay.. Everything's oka-."

A louder, more violent shrilled cry echoed within my mind and something hit my head. I heard glass shatter and I doubled over onto the floor again. I was dizzy but I managed to make out a broken glass cup next to my head. I felt something wet on my head and I reached up to feel it. I pulled my hand away to see a little blood on my fingertips. The heat and pressure on my body faltered and I looked up at the ghostly figure. I stared at the faint red dots which I presumed were eyes and I managed a smile. The havoc of flying chairs, glasses and whatnot suddenly ceased moving in midair.

"Sam," I started, "please stop. I know you're angry...but this isn't you." I reached a hand out to the figure again and the hostile heat within my body slowly died down. The faint red dots started to fade to a cool blue and I smiled. "You're okay, Samuel," I said softly, "you'll be okay."

I felt something gingerly graze against my palm and it looked like a hand. I wrapped my fingers around it and squeezed. The ghostly outline began to flicker and distort until it faded out of my vision. Everything that was in the air fell to the floor with a clash and I covered my head. Things seemed to calm down now. I looked down at my hands and saw the proxy symbols slowly fade away from my skin until they were gone. I couldn't feel their presence on my skin anymore. They were gone. For now.

I looked at Scapegrace and saw she was lying on the floor, unmoving. I managed to crawl to her side and check if she was still alive. Thankfully she was only unconscious but she was injured badly. So was I. And also...Jeff and Ben. Panicked, I looked for them and found Jeff trying to revive Ben.

"Come on you bastard, wake up," I heard the pale man growl. I watched him try and try. Jeff stopped for a little while and thought. Then, he raised a hand and slapped Ben across the face. The blonde man jolted into consciousness and he sat up, looking wild and out of it. "What's going on?! I didn't do it!! It was all Masky!!!" He exclaimed in a panic. Ben looked around and grimaced. "Did we celebrate New Years or something? Shit, this place looks terrible, man," he grumbled. Jeff was giving him a look but I knew he was relieved. I couldn't help but smile. Thank goodness they're both okay.

Jeff got up and limped towards me, leaving Ben to get his bearings on his own. He helped me up to my feet but I wobbled and he caught me. "Are you okay," he asked me. I nodded but that worsened my dizziness. I looked up at him and was taken aback to see a stern look in his black eyes. "You're going to explain everything to me when we get out of here," he said in a strict tone and I gulped.

Ben came over and he looked a lot better than before. Jeff looked at him and said, "Help Blue stand for a bit." Ben nodded and held onto me as Jeff let me go. He crouched down towards an unconscious Scapegrace and stated, "Now let's see who the hell this psycho really is.." He grabbed Scapegrace's head and removed the mask that covered the lower half of her face. He threw it aside and brushed her dark hair back. Jeff froze and stared down at the unconscious woman. "Holy crap," Ben whispered under his breath. I looked at the both of them, wondering why they were acting so strange. I looked back down at Jeff and watched as he hovered a trembling hand over Scapegrace's face. Then, his whole body began to tremble and I was growing worried for him. "Jeff," I called softly but he didn't respond. Suddenly, he wrapped Scapegrace into his embrace and held her tightly. "Jeff, what's wrong..," I murmured. He didn't tell me anything specific. It barely made sense to me. I don't even think it was directed towards me or to Ben. The only thing Jeff said was...

"Elizabeth.."