*HEY GUYS! IT'S BEEN A WHILE AGAIN, THOUGH HOPEFULLY IT WASN'T AS LONG AS LAST TIME. THIS CHAP IS PRETTY LONG BUT YOU ALL ARE GOING TO LOVE IT! ALSO, A BIG SHOUTOUT TO MY BUDDY TUCKER (Tuck_Miller22 ) FOR HELPING ME OUT WITH A •SPECIAL CHARACTER•!~ THANKS, BRAH!

QUESTIONS!!:
-What was your first thought when you woke up this morning? (Too sleepy to remember. XD)
-What would you say is your greatest strength or weakness? (I'd say my strength is my imagination and my weakness is being really sensitive.~)

OKAY, ENJOY THIS ONE GUYS!!*

Stay Creepy, My Friends!~

Chapter 39

Jeff raced down the streets of Gracewood and I held onto him for dear life. I wondered if he'd take a moment to think carefully. How does he expect to find Elizabeth when everything around us seems to be nothing but blurred shapes? He didn't even stop at a red light and I really hoped there were no cops around for that.

I tugged on Jeff's shirt, trying to get his attention. When the first attempt didn't work, I tried again and again. It finally took me smacking my hand against his helmet to get him to pull over. I jumped off of his bike and stood in front of him. "What's wrong," he grumbled.

"You're not thinking straight," I stated. Jeff didn't argue with me. "Where did you plan to go," I added. He shook his head, saying, "I...don't know."

"I know you're frustrated and worried about Elizabeth but you need to calm down," I said sternly, "Driving around like a maniac isn't going to bring us any closer to her."

"Sorry," he muttered.

"Where's Ben?"

"At the hideout taking care of Jack," he answered.

"How come you're not having him search," I asked.

Jeff sighed. "I had him stay there in case anything happened. He'll be able to defend the hideout and Jack if trouble were to come. Besides, I needed someone who wouldn't frustrate me more than I already am..."

"Well, I'm flattered, but I can't help you if you're not level-headed."

"I know," Jeff grumbled.

"When did you discover Elizabeth was gone?" I inquired.

Jeff paused for moment. "Thirty minutes ago," he responded.

"Did she leave anything behind?"

"Just some of the clothes you bought for her," he said. "Her jacket and boots were gone, along with her eyepatch and mask."

"Anything else?"

Jeff paused again. "The window in her room was stripped of the boards on it. It was half-way opened when I saw it. I don't know how she removed the boards so quietly or when she did so. Ben nor Jack never heard anything. Neither did I."

"So, you don't know when she left?"

"No, which sucks because I don't know if she's still close or too far for us to catch a trail..," he muttered irritably.

I thought for moment, trying to figure out a good solution about this. "She wouldn't go through the rest of the countryside," I started, "it's nothing but forest and fields. No proper recourses. She had to have gone through the city. She might stick to the secluded areas. Since she didn't bring any of the things I bought for her, she's probably going to grab stuff from here, maybe to start fresh." I started thinking about the layout of Gracewood and the countryside close to it. A blue, translucent image of the area manifested in my vision. "Thanks, Sam," I whispered, before examining the mental map. I pointed at the hideout, hidden in the countryside, then I traced my finger to Gracewood. "There's a few small houses," I mumbled, "and after this park the stores and business buildings come in.."

"What are you doing," Jeff suddenly asked me. I could just imagine the confused expression on his pale face. I waved my hand at him and continued with my analysis. "If she went this way," I continued, "and if she were to need supplies then she'd probably head for the..."

Gracewood Recreational Plaza.

Smiling, I pointed towards the area. I began looking for where Jeff and I were right now. I checked our surroundings for a landmark and once I picked a decent one I turned my attention back to my imaginary map. I found our location then determined our distance from the plaza, what streets we'd have to take, directions and such. Once I had it all figured out I waved the map out of existence and took in a deep breath. "I know where we can look first," I told Jeff. His tension eased and I heard him stifle a soft sigh.

Once I hopped onto his motorcycle again we were off. I shouted directions over the wild wind and clung to Jeff's shirt yet again. Soon we arrived at the plaza, which had a decent amount of shoppers roaming about. I hopped off of the bike and brushed my wind tussled hair back. "I'll check the plaza itself and ask around," I said, "Search the areas around it and ask people about Elizabeth too. Come back for me in twenty minutes or so. If anything happens, find me. If you get a lead, find me."

"Got it." Jeff was off in no time, his tires screeching momentarily and the noise made me cringe. I didn't hesitate to enter the plaza. I whipped out my phone and quickly texted my parents, telling them I'll be at Kayla's for a study session. After two minutes, they bought it. I put my phone back into my pocket then reached over my head to pull the hood of my jacket up. I started with the first shop. People spoke to me but they didn't have any information on Elizabeth. I moved on to the next shop. When that proved fruitless, I kept going to the next. Store after store had no one who had seen Elizabeth. It was frustrating whenever someone said "Sorry, haven't seen her". I was done with half of the stores in his plaza. I even entered restaurants and asked employees and customers - this had me asked to let them dine in peace and leave a few times. I checked every store. If it had a second floor, I took the elevator and asked around there too. Asking people who hung around outside hadn't helped much either. I wondered if Jeff was having any luck. I hoped he wasn't getting too frustrated with this task. I'm even starting to lose patience.

Fifteen minutes have already passed. I only have six more stores to check. I was tired from running around everywhere else. I entered a store, asked people, received no info (of course), then left. I repeated this process with the other few stores. "Why did Elizabeth have to leave," I groaned as I left yet another store without info.

Well, you didn't expect her to stay in that little shack forever, did you?

I shrugged and sighed.

Not only is it a not-so-decent place but she didn't want to be there to begin with.

"I suppose I can't blame her," I muttered, "but where would she go?"

She'd roam free like she did before? Back to putting graffiti everywhere and kicking the asses of baddies? Or maybe she's returning to her kidnappers? She seemed close with them.

"Maybe," I mumbled. I was about to enter the last store in the plaza when I heard the faraway sound of commotion. Everyone seemed oblivious to this. I ran for the exit and stopped on the sidewalk, listening intently for that commotion again. It was pretty far. Following the noise, I ran. It's quite a few blocks away. Still, I ran, with the hope that something was happening that would help Jeff and I find Elizabeth.

The noise grew louder with every step I took. I turned a corner but was knocked over to the ground. A groan escaped my lips and I quickly looked up to catch a man apologizing to me as he led a woman away with him in urgency. Frowning, I got up from the sidewalk and turned towards the direction they came running from. A few others were hurrying away with looks of concern on their faces. They all came from a nearby department store. I jogged towards the building, weaving past people on the sidewalk.

I was a few meters away from the building when suddenly a loud bang sounded. I jolted and watched as something came hurtling out of the store, breaking a hole in the wall in the process. A black mass was thrown against a street lamp, and the force was enough to send the pole crashing down too. People screamed and started running away. Shoppers from inside of the store fled the scene, creating a sea of fearful bodies. Despite the people running in a panic, I spotted the black mass that came crashing out of the store. My eyes widened as I saw a limp female figure. It took a few more steps to get a better angle of her and then I was stunned.

"Elizabeth?!" I shouted. I ran past everyone to get to her side. I was a few feet away from her body when I spotted someone abnormal. My eyes went to the gaping hole made in the store's wall and there I saw someone standing over the bit of rubble. It was a man by the body structure. Facial features weren't distinguishable as the man was wearing a black mask with dark tinted goggles. He wore a black armor suit, arms exposed proving him to be of a lean, muscular build. What made him so abnormal was his hair. It was...white.

This strange man hopped off of the rubble and started making his way towards Elizabeth. I turned my gaze back onto her and I witnessed her getting up to her feet. At least she's still alive! She stood up straight and spit out some blood to the side. Despite showing her one blue eye, an eyepatch covering the other, I could see the rage in it. She raised her fists, preparing to fight the man who was walking towards her.

Ao, you need to back away from this.

"But, Elizabeth is in trouble," I said.

She'll be fine.

Elizabeth had suddenly lunged for an attack but, in a heartbeat, the man grabbed her arm, kneed her side and threw her down to the ground. His actions seemed so effortless and it left Elizabeth writhing. I frowned. "Will she now?"

Shush! You just need to get away from them before the fight gets too close!

I did as Sam said and backed away several feet. I watched as Elizabeth got back up onto her feet and raised her fists again. This time the man made the first move and he went for a jab to the side. Elizabeth easily blocked the hit but it was a distraction for the right hook that stuck her jaw. She growled and elbowed the man against the side of his head. She swung her hand back and struck his neck sharply. She pulled her other hand back for an uppercut but the man caught her arm and kneed her side. I heard her groan and she was thrown to the ground again. She rolled up next to the fallen street lamp and struggled to get up again. The man was already close to her, not allowing her time to stand. What she did instead was grab the lamp pole by its broken base, heave, and swing the whole thing into the man. I stared in bewilderment. He was sent across the ground and he landed in front of a coming car. The car jerked to a stop and honked. The man stood to his feet and turned towards the car. The vehicle honked again, signaling him move. To my shock, the man grabbed the car's front bumper and gradually lifted it off from the ground. Frantic honks erupted from the car and multiple muffled screams came from inside. My eyes were wide, not only because of my fear for the people inside but because of how unbelievably strong this guy was.

The white haired man turned towards Elizabeth, ready to throw the car right at her. She braced for it but I couldn't allow it. Panic took its course and I sprinted forward a few feet. Just as soon as the man swung the car back for the throw, I shouted, "Stop him, Sam!," then raised my hands. The panic ceased as I watched the man struggle to hurtle the car forward. He pulled and pulled but it stayed in the air. My palms burned intensely, the same sensation of the proxy symbol showing up on my body. I groaned as I could feel the pressure of holding the car back. When I looked at the man, he was looking at me. Despite the goggles, I could feel his icy glare. Fortunately, he let go of the car. Unfortunately, this left Sam and I to hold the car in mid air. I screamed as the pressure intensified and my legs trembled. Sweat was quick to travel down my face. My arm muscles burned and screamed in agony. I let out a choked noise as the strain was unbearable. Carefully, I moved my hands down, inching the car closer to the ground again. "Help...me...Sam," I groaned. The car shook as my strength wavered but it stabilized again once Sam put more force onto it. It was only three feet from the ground when my strength gave out and I fell to my knees. The car's front wheels hit the ground first with a loud bang before the rest was gently placed down by Sam. Immediately the car went racing away, the front bumper hanging off of its body. I panted heavily, relieved to know that the people inside will be fine. My hands still aches and I looked down at my palms to see the proxy mark branded into my skin wet again. I blinked and suddenly they were gone.

My relief was driven away by utter panic as I spotted the man coming right for me. I quickly scrambled back across the ground, watching him draw nearer and nearer towards me. Suddenly Elizabeth came tackling him down. The both of them landed with a hard thud and Elizabeth pinned the man down. She raised her right fist and the familiar sound of whirring rang through the air. Without warning, she slammed her fist down towards the man's head. Quickly, he dodged the hit, allowing the ground to break under the force of her fist. She pulled her fist back to punch again but the man caught her by the wrist, pulled himself up and head-butted her. She yelped and fell off of him. When she tried getting back up the man kicked her across the face, nearly knocking her mask off. I could tell this didn't sit well with her. Elizabeth whipped off her jacket, exposing her arms and a T-shirt I bought for her. In a matter of seconds she was throwing punches smoothly yet sharply. The man blocked, dodged or took the hits but he showed no signs of dropping.

I found a safer place to watch the fight from and I wondered where Jeff could be. All of the commotion should be cause for him to race over here. It should also lure in the police too. Oh crap. While Elizabeth and the unknown man fought continuously, I pulled out my phone to call Ben. I know he's supposed to take care of Jack but I need him here now.

Just when I was about to call Ben, I heard the roar of a motorcycle. I couldn't contain my excitement as I turned my head towards the noise. Sure enough, Jeff swerved around the corner of the street on his jet black motorcycle. I would've been happy to see him but I failed to notice at first the black, mutated body of a Corrupted chasing after him. I groaned, "Aw, come on..."

Jeff spotted me then quickly swerved his bike around. He came to a stop and pulled out an army knife from a holster on his leg. The Corrupted came barreling at him but he threw the knife and it was sent straight into the Corrupted's leg. It tumbled across the ground with a loud screech and stopped in front of Jeff. Jeff hopped off of his bike and leaned down towards the fallen Corrupted. He pulled out another army knife and drove it right into the creature's chest. A pained howl erupted from the Corrupted's maw as Jeff sliced its chest open and exposed a black, rotten heart. Without a moment's hesitation, he stabbed his knife into the heart, black ooze gushing out onto the ground. I gagged at the sight and once Jeff pulled the knife out the Corrupted began to rot and turn to ash. Jeff picked up his other knife and holstered the two weapons.

Jeff turned and ran towards me. He crouched down beside me and asked, "Are you okay?"

I nodded. "I'm fine. But..." I turned my gaze towards the fight between Elizabeth and the unknown man. "Oh..," Jeff murmured.

"We need to get Elizabeth away from here," I stated, "She can't stay with that man any longer."

"Who is he?"

"I don't know, but he's dangerous. We can't take any chances," I responded. The both of us looked at the fight to see Elizabeth getting punched across the face and sent down to the ground. She looked worn and tired. The man showed no signs of exhaustion. Elizabeth sat up and growled at the man. Quickly she lunged upwards, hands balled into tight fists, with a cry of anger. The man stopped her attack by clasping a gloved hand over her face and shoving her back into the ground. She frantically clawed at his hand.

A low growl came from Jeff and I spotted his hands clenching into fists. "I've got a plan," he suddenly hissed. He reached into his inside jacket pocket and handed me something. I grabbed it and asked, "What is this?"

"A pocket knife," he answered, "I know you have Sam, but keep it with you just in case. I'm going to interrupt the fight and grab the enemy's attention-."

"No!!"

"What? Why not?!"

My eyes were wide with worry as I answered, "Because, that man is dangerously strong! He picked up a car by the front bumper and threatened to throw the whole damn thing at Elizabeth! Luckily Sam and I stopped him but it still doesn't change the fact that he could've done fatal damage. All of this mess you see before you? It was all him!"

"Listen, I know you're just worried for me but I can handle this," Jeff said, "I've taken down Corrupted larger and stronger than I. What's a punk have against me?"

"Jeff, I seriously don't think-."

"Trust me, Ao, okay?" Even with the helmet, I could feel his hard gaze on me. Despite my feelings towards this whole situation, I nodded my head with reluctant approval. "Thank you," Jeff started, "now, once I've gotten the enemy's attention, you need to quickly rush in and get Elizabeth away from here. After you've reached a good distance from this place, call Ben and get back to the hideout. Have him come back for me, too. I don't intend to keep the fight going. Police will start coming and there'll be more trouble than necessary." Jeff pulled out his knives and gripped them firmly in his gloved hands. "Are you ready?," he asked. I had to be honest, I shook my head. He shrugged, remarking, "When is anyone?"

Jeff suddenly sprinted forward towards the unknown man. The man had just been about to attack a fallen Elizabeth. Jeff shoved him away and wielded the blades towards him. Jeff began moving forward, making the man back away. Once Jeff twirled his knife and lunged forward, I quickly rushed for Elizabeth. She was still conscious but tired as she struggled to sit up. I crouched down next to her and said, "Elizabeth, we're going to leave. I'm going to get you out of here." I held out a hand so she could take it, but instead she glared me at and smacked my hand aside. She suddenly snapped in a fierce voice, "I don't need your help! And, I'm not leaving until I've won the fight!"

Rubbing my hand, I said, "You can't keep going for much longer! Please just come with me. You'll be safe-."

"Don't pity me!!!," she snapped again. I gaped at her as she got up to her feet and stood tall again. I tried to grab her arm but she had sprinted away and I missed. I stood up and watched as a fiery Elizabeth charged towards the unknown man. Jeff had just pushed him, leaving him open for an oncoming Elizabeth. The familiar mechanical whirring of Elizabeth's arm echoed through the air and she mercilessly drove her metal fist into the man's gut. He was sent back in a blur of black and white, and had hit the ground so hard that it cracked. He tumbled to a stop where he lay still.

Elizabeth seemed satisfied but Jeff felt otherwise. "What are you doing," he started, "You need to leave!"

"Shut it, cotton ball," she growled, "This is my fight and I'm not leaving until I've won!"

"No, you're leaving now!," Jeff ordered sharply.

Even from a distance, I caught the heated glare in Elizabeth's blue eye. She turned her body towards Jeff and growled, "You don't tell me what to do...!"

"I'm doing what's best for you," Jeff replied.

"You don't know what's best for me! You don't know me," Elizabeth hissed, "Not one fucking bit!!" Jeff said nothing towards this. Elizabeth continued with her spiteful words. "Quit trying to play the good guy! Do you think it'll make you look good? Do you think it'll make me feel more respectful towards you? Well, guess what, that doesn't do shit! You're still a weak, pathetic, idiot who has a motorcycle and knives to make up for his lack of-!"

"Watch out!!" Jeff had exclaimed. Elizabeth turned just in time to take a fist to her side. The force was enough to send her back and into Jeff's body. The both of them fell over in a heap. The white-haired man was up and recovered from Elizabeth's charged attack. He casually popped his knuckles.

This is bullshit.

I couldn't help but agree with Sam. Elizabeth is being reckless and there's no way I'm going to let her get us all killed. I pulled out my phone to try and call Ben again. At this point watching the hideout isn't a priority. I came to his contact when I felt hot air against my back. I turned, confused, only to come face-to-face with milky white eyes and a black, distorted snarl. My body froze up so quickly, it hurt. The Corrupted's creepy gaze was overwhelming and I wanted to close my eyes and look away. But I kept still and quiet. It hissed, opening its maw and baring sharp fangs that dripped with sickly, gray saliva. It was almost cat like, but I knew this thing used to be anything but a cat. It's too big, the size of a large dog, though not as big as the other Corrupted I've encountered. But, its grotesque features make up for its smaller size. It was appalling, yet it was strangely amazing too.

"N-Nice little demon spawn," I whispered shakily. A deep growl sounded from the back of its throat, making me gulp nervously. It inched closer towards me, more than I would've found comfortable. I craned my head to the side to avoid it's rancid breath and horrifying face. I stared into its dead looking eyes out of the corner of mine. My gut felt twisted, my throat felt tight. I managed to croak, "Sam?"

Yes?

"Attack," I whispered. Abruptly, I shot up from the ground and the Corrupted was quick to chase me. Its run didn't last long as Sam hurtled a piece of rubble straight into its head. There was a mess of black ooze and dark flesh. I breathed a sigh of relief, which was unfortunately sharply inhaled when I spotted three other Corrupted crawling over the edge of the department store rooftop. They howled an unpleasant cry and scurried down the walls or completely jumped down. The Corrupted that Sam hit was getting back onto its feet and its obliterated head began reforming. Four in total. All after me. "Kono neji...," I muttered dreadfully.

Run!

I wasted no time to start running away before the Corrupted could pack together and chase me down. My gut still felt twisted and with an already pounding heart I felt like collapsing into a ball. I quickly pocketed my phone and set my sights on running away to a safer place. As I turned back, I caught sight of the fight between Elizabeth and Jeff and the unknown man still raging on. The sound of sirens came from the distance and I cursed mentally. I just hoped Elizabeth and Jeff would have the sense to start running too before they're defeated or arrested.

...

Jeff's POV

Sirens. Police. No way in hell am I going to get arrested.

I dodged the oncoming enemy, rolling across the ground roughly. He was suddenly kicked on the leg by Elizabeth. When he fell to his knees, she wrapped an arm around his neck and held his right arm with her other hand. Her goal was to subdue him but with police coming she would have to wait. "Elizabeth!" I shouted. She didn't acknowledge me. Instead she gripped the enemy's arm around his back in a way that could have it dislocated or even broken. I called her again but she refused to listen. Groaning irritably, I did something that she wouldn't like. I came up behind her, kicked the enemy out of her hold and grabbed her by the waist. I hauled her over my shoulder and broke into a sprint. Like I had predicted, she was a little annoyed.

"You idiot!" Whack. "Put me down right now!" Whack. "You son of a bitch!" Whack. "I swear I'm gonna kick your ass into oblivion!!!" Whack.

A little.

I ran back to my motorcycle and sat her down in front of me. She growled behind her mask but I ignored it and told her to hang on. "I'm not going to-!" As soon as the bike jerked forward, she clung onto me with a vice tight grip. We raced away from the area, tires kicking up dust. As I kept my eyes forward, Elizabeth peeked over my shoulder and she said, "He's chasing after us." I looked in one of the little side mirrors and sure enough the enemy was running after us. "God dammit," I muttered, revved the engine and drove faster. I took a sharp turn around a corner, earning a short yelp from Elizabeth. Once I get onto a road occupied with cars, that can slow him down. I think I can lose him more easily after that. No, I know I will.

"Hang on tight," I warned Elizabeth. The bike's engine roared as I upped the speed and turned down a road that would lead me to a highway. "Don't fall off," I remarked.

She tossed me an icy, blue glare. "I wouldn't if you had sat me down correctly!!!," she yelled over the wind. I shrugged. We made it onto the highway and whizzed past cars. After we drove over a mile on the highway, I checked the mirrors again to see if the enemy was still tailing us. He was nowhere in sight. We lost him. There was no way he could've made it onto the highway, especially at the speed we were going. I couldn't hear sirens, probably because of the roaring wind around us, but we should be far, far away from police contact. Now all we need to do is get back to the hideout. Wait...where's Blueberry?

"Fuck," I groaned.

Elizabeth glanced at me. By the look in her eye I could tell she figured it out. "You forgot the kid," she yelled.

"I forgot her."

"Smooth," Elizabeth taunted.

"I-I'll find an exit off of the highway and go back for her," I said.

"I don't know if you recall but she ran away from a pack of Corrupted a while ago," Elizabeth mentioned."

"What?!"

"You didn't notice?"

"No!!"

"Very smooth," Elizabeth drawled sarcastically again.

"God dammit!!" I raced down the highway and watched for any exit signs. When I spotted one, I switched a couple of lanes as fast as I could and booked it onto the road back to where we were. I hoped there would be no police in our way and especially no enemy. But I hoped too late.

Something suddenly dropped down on us from overhead and I lost control of the bike. Before we fell onto the ground I hugged Elizabeth close to me and shifted my body over so I hit the road first. We tumbled over messily but when we stopped I was still holding Elizabeth. There was a short BANG before I turned to see my bike up against a light pole. Cars swerved out of our way and kept driving, some even stopped. I let go of Elizabeth and let her fall down next to me. My back ached, actually a lot of things ached. I struggled to get up but my effort was interrupted by someone grabbing me and throwing me up against a stopped car. The driver honked and I groaned from the extra pain on my back. I turned my gaze up to see the white haired man from before.

He was fixated on Elizabeth who was crouched on the ground, glaring at him. I lifted myself up from the car but felt a wave of dizziness come over me. How hard had the enemy thrown me? I heard the sound of a car door opening and I turned to see the driver of the car I hit. It was a man, inside the car I spotted a woman and I saw kids through the back seat windows. "Hey, buddy, are you okay," the man had asked. I nodded groggily. "Do you need help? You took a pretty nasty fall," he added. I shook my head, which made my temples throb. "G-Get back in your car," I told him.

"Sir, I don't think-."

"Please, get back in your car and drive away," I ordered. I don't want more people watching what would unfold.

The man wouldn't oblige. "Sir, listen, you should-."

I pulled out my knife and aimed it at his throat. The woman in the passenger seat screamed. "No," I bellowed, "you listen! Get back in your damn car and drive! Get the hell away from here!" The man raised his hands up and stared at me with wide eyes. He nodded and carefully backed away into his car. As soon as he slammed the door, the tires screeched and he high-tailed it. Other cars that had stopped also drove away quickly. I didn't want to threaten him but I can't have anyone getting caught in the fight. I sighed and turned just in time to see Elizabeth charging forward towards the enemy. She knocked him down and pounced on top of him. When she raised her metal fist to punch him, he grabbed that fist and held it away. Elizabeth tried her other hand but the enemy jabbed at her shoulder, sabotaging her attack. He flung her body over him and she landed hard on her back. She stifled a sharp gasp and struggled to breath after that.

I frowned and looked at the enemy. He was getting up to his feet. I pulled out my knives and rushed towards him. He was crouching on one knee and I stomped on one leg, holding him down. Then I grabbed him by the chin and quickly swiped a blade across his neck. Relief was quick to wash over me. The enemy staggered and lifted a hand to his profusely bleeding wound. Blood trickled down his black suit and onto the ground. He didn't make any choking noises for some reason but I ignored it. He's better off dying quietly.

But, that didn't happen...

Instead he removed his hand from his bleeding neck and I watched as all of the flowing blood...began returning to the wound. The enemy held his head back, allowing me to see the appalling process. Finally, the blood was gone and the wound closed up until his neck was left unscathed. He rubbed his neck and stood to his feet. I stared at him, awestruck, realizing he was much more different than I expected. He turned to me, popping his neck and rolling his shoulders. Even though he had the mask, I could tell he was giving me some mocking look. He reached down to his boot and pulled out an army knife. It shined with a menacing light. He twirled and flipped it in his hand before getting a good grip on the handle. Then he raised his arms, beckoning me forth with his free hand. I growled and raised my knives. I took a quick glance at Elizabeth to see she was barely getting her bearings. It's better that she recovers.

As soon as I looked back at the enemy, he was running at me. I panicked for a moment and hadn't defended myself quickly enough. He landed a blow to my arm. I growled and glanced at it. He only sliced my jacket. I stifled a wry chuckle and took my turn. I swiped my knives at his side, he blocked, then I went for his head. He ducked and punched me back. I groaned but kept a level-head. The both of us went in a circle, staring each other down. He moved first this time and swiped his blade toward my side. I was quick to react and I stabbed one knife right into his forearm, stopping his attack. He showed no signs of pain and instead pulled himself closer to knee my hip. I didn't buckle from the hit, even as he repeated the action multiple times. I pulled my other arm back and stabbed into his stomach. He stopped for a moment and the both of us stood there. We held each other still. I glared at him past my helmet's visor. Even though blood dripped down from his stomach and his arm, he didn't pull away. What the hell is wrong with him? What is he?

Finally a move was made, but he was the one to execute it. He jabbed my throat and I gasped. With this, I pulled out my knives from his body and staggered away. He then kicked my chest and I was sent to the ground. I fell hard on my back, dropping my knives, really feeling like the wind got knocked out of me. I coughed and rolled over onto my side. I felt a presence over me and I looked up to see the enemy standing over me. He straddled me and placed his hands on my helmet. Then I felt him try to remove it. I struggled, shaking my head, punching at his body, his arms and his head. Unfortunately he managed to take the helmet off, exposing my head. Fresh air reached my skin but it didn't change the fact that I was revealed. I looked up at the enemy, expecting him to freeze at the sight of my face, but he didn't. In fact, he seemed to ignore it. He held my head down onto the ground and moved my jacket and shirt, revealing my shoulder. I lie there, wondering what the hell he was doing. I would've pushed him off of me but he was quick with what he did next.

He removed his mask, showing the lower half of his face. He seemed to be holding a placid expression, even as he opened his mouth and clamped his teeth down into my skin. I cried out, both from surprise and pain. His jaws were like vices and his teeth sunk deeper and deeper until I felt my skin break and spill blood. I writhed and tried pushing him away but he stuck to me like a leech. The pain was unbearable, the pressure made it worse. I couldn't flail enough as the enemy held my arms down. I could only take the pain and suck in panicked breaths. He yanked his teeth on my skin, and I screamed. With every bite and chew, I felt like I was being mauled. Then I heard something appalling. I could hear him gulping. This made me struggle harder but it was still no use. He held onto my arms tightly, I knew bruises would form after this.

After what felt like forever, he released his teeth from my skin and pulled away. I looked up at his blood covered mouth and chin. He licked my blood from his lips and I grit my teeth. I finally yanked my arm from his grip and punched him square on the jaw. He fell off of me and I quickly scrambled away from him. My shoulder hurt and I could feel my blood flow. I pressed a shaking hand against my wound, feeling the teeth marks the enemy left behind. I groaned and tried to control my unsteady breathing. I quickly searched for my knives and holstered one of them, leaving behind the other to hold in my free hand. My shoulder throbbed from the pain and the blood that stained my clothes stuck to my skin, making me cringe. I glared at the enemy as I stood to my feet. He was still crouched down with his back turned to me. I could feel anger course through me and I prepared to attack him. Just as I was about to charge and plunge my knife straight into his skull, he turned...and I froze.

He grinned evilly at me and I watched as the skin of his cheeks tore and bled. Forming into a sickly, slit smile...just like mine. He stood up and faced me, bearing the false smile. I gaped at him, horrified. Why would he do that...? Out of everything he could've done, why that...?! And how?! I could feel my hands shaking and I tried to make them stop. The enemy cocked his head to the side, taunting me, intimidating me. I shook my head and glared. "You son of a bitch...," I growled angrily. The white hot rage that coursed through me took over and I charged after him.

I slashed my knife towards him and he didn't even have his hands up. He dodged everyone one of my attacks so effortlessly. All while bearing that smile, my smile. I was getting fed up with his bullshit.

I kicked at him but he caught my leg and I was sent falling to the ground. He jumped on me and got in my face. He pressed his hands onto my head, holding me down. I tried shaking his hands off but he held tight and made me stare at him. Then, he opened his mouth wide. He came in closer to sink his teeth into my face but he was suddenly interrupted when a fuming Elizabeth tackled him off of me. I turned my attention to their fight and saw that his bloody smile was gone. No signs of trauma whatsoever.

I quickly found my helmet and put it back on. My glove was covered in blood and some dripped down past my jacket sleeve. It felt gross and sticky. How had I enjoyed the feeling back then? I tried letting go of my shoulder but I couldn't go without putting pressure. It hurt too much. I cursed at myself for becoming useless as I watched Elizabeth and the enemy fight. It seemed she was having an easier time than I had

She was throwing punches left and right, hitting him on the torso, across the face. She even grabbed a hold of his alabaster hair and pushed him down to his knees. In a fit of anger, she charged up her metal arm and punched his face. A wide spray of blood was enough to let me know he wouldn't have a face anymore. But, like before, he healed miraculously. Despite every part of his face breaking, it came back. Elizabeth was taken aback but her confusion didn't stop her from landing another punch. She charged up her arm, aimed, and punched. The enemy took the hit, and healed. Elizabeth tried again and he healed again. With every powered punch she grew more frustrated. She growled irritably with each punch and her pace quickened. She threw him down to the ground, pinned him down and repeatedly punched his face. Again and again and again. Her face and fist were spotted with blood at this point. Her efforts were never enough though. She eventually tired herself out, allowing the enemy to strike and ram his head into hers.

She fell over and held her forehead, her face contorted from pain. The enemy stood up and grabbed his jaw, shifting his hand to the side which caused a loud pop. He opened his mouth a few times before closing it. Elizabeth stood up with full composure again and raised her fists to fight. She attacked first, lunging forward for a punch. The enemy grabbed her wrist, pulled her in, grabbed her head and slammed it down onto his knee. The hit was enough to knock down Elizabeth's mask. She growled and wiped her bleeding lip. Her blue eye flared with such intensity that even I felt threatened by her.

She went for a kick but the enemy blocked it. Her fist moved for an uppercut and it hit. She tried for a hooked punch to the side but that one was caught and the enemy twisted her arm around. Elizabeth screamed and kicked at his left knee, causing him to buckle and lose his grip. Elizabeth shook her hand to shrug off the strain and punched him straight in the face with the other. The enemy went staggering back and he held his face. Elizabeth grinned and walked pompously towards him. She raised her metal arm again and charged it up for a deadly punch. As she threw her fist at the enemy, he countered her move by stepping to the side, grabbing her wrist and bringing his knee up to her elbow. The force of his attack was enough to break her arm. I could see the shock in Elizabeth's eye and the blood immediately drained from her face.

The enemy shoved her aside and let her take in the horrible truth that he broke her arm. Elizabeth gaped and tried to move it but only the fingers could barely twitch. I could hear the whirring of the parts inside of it as she desperately tried to make it work. It stayed limp and bent out of shape. Elizabeth began to shake and I backed away instinctively. Her glare was more fiery than ever before as she snapped, "You son of a bitch! You're fucking dead!!"

She ran at the enemy but in blind rage. She didn't think as she tried for a punch with her other arm, she didn't think as the enemy quickly upended her. She still didn't think as she found herself on the ground. As the consequence, the enemy was able to hold her down with one foot, grab her metal arm and pry off her hand. It was a mess of wires, metal and sparks. He even had the nerve to crush her metal hand, like crushing a soda can. He threw it to the side, holding no emotion at all. Elizabeth looked at him with both anger and nervousness in her eye. It unnerved me to just watch all of this but I found it hard to move with my still bleeding wound. How deep had the enemy gone? I berated myself for letting this happen to me. If I had fought better then I wouldn't have gotten myself in this mess. I should still be up and fighting, but I'm not. Now I'm wounded and Elizabeth just got her metal arm destroyed.

There was a loud, monstrous screech and I froze. Turning my head, I saw three Corrupted coming from seemingly nowhere. Dammit, not now! Anytime but now! I turned back and saw the enemy leaving Elizabeth's side. I suddenly felt hot air against my shoulder and I glanced over to see one of the Corrupted. It huffed distastefully before scurrying over towards the enemy. The three creatures were like dogs but they obviously weren't. They stood by the enemy, looking up at him as if awaiting orders. All he did was point at Elizabeth and the three went after her. She tried to get up and run but they pounced on her and attacked. It didn't take long for her to start screaming. "ELIZABETH!" I shouted. Panicked, I attempted to get up but was stopped by the white haired man. He stood over me with a menacing air about him. He retrieved his mask again and had put it back on. He looked just as he did before, even though he should've been dead long ago.

I felt weak and useless, his presence didn't lessen the feeling. He kneeled down in front of me and removed my hand from my shoulder. He moved my clothes out of the way to see the wound he made. Suddenly, he drove two fingers in the wound and I screamed in pain. My body trembled and my shoulder throbbed. He made it worse by wiggling his gloved hand around, tearing my skin. "Aghhhhh!!," I wailed painfully. My breathing was unstable and I choked on my cries. Then he abruptly pulled his fingers out of my shoulder, covering them in blood. Crimson red dripped down to the ground and more spilled from my wound. It wouldn't stop twitching... Dear god, it wouldn't stop...

The enemy lifted up his blood covered fingers and held my head with his other hand. He then drew a smiley face on my visor in my blood. I stared at him through the tinted visor in horror. Elizabeth's screams in the background didn't make it any better. I thought he was just another enemy, I thought we could subdue him, I thought we could go back to the hideout safe and sound. But I was wrong. So utterly, terribly wrong. The white haired man waved good-bye at me before standing up straight and leaving the area. I wanted to run after him but my body was frozen with dread. The smiley face seemed to be all I could look at but through it I could see Elizabeth, struggling, screaming. My body trembled, this time from anger.

I held my shoulder as I began making my way towards her. My free hand held a knife, ready to attack. But I knew I wasn't enough to defend Elizabeth in my poor state. Still, I had to try.

Before I could reach her though, she suddenly pushed away all of the Corrupted. Her body was lined with claw marks and bite marks. She was bloody and weakened but, despite her state, she was pissed. She staggered to get up and a Corrupted attempted to strike at her. To my surprise, she screamed at it, making it flinch. The others growled at her but she screamed at them too. She held her head and trembled, then rolled up into a ball. She seemed to be in a lot of pain as she screamed and howled. Then, she acted strangely.

She started clawing at her face, ripping away the eyepatch that covered her unnatural eye. She shook intensely, wailed louder. The Corrupted watched and growled at her but they seemed hesitant to attack her. She clawed at her back and cried out in pain. I then noticed a faint discoloration in between her shoulder blades, two spots actually. They got darker and darker until they were black. My first guess was Corrupted poison but then I remembered that she was immune to it. So what the hell is it?

Suddenly, two black masses shot out from her back and she released a shrilled scream of pain. I stared at her, frozen, and watched the black masses loom over her and form into...hands. The Corrupted gazed up at the new feature and inched away, feeling intimidated. Déjà vu hit me hard as I stared at the menacing, clawed appendages. But there were two. She had only had one before. How does she have two now?

Elizabeth twitched uncontrollably but her screaming wasn't over yet. She started clawing at her face again, mostly at her left eye. She leaned back and faced the sky, the hands leaning down with her. She shook her head back and forth, screaming. Her eyes were closed but I saw black liquid trail from her left eye. It stained her cheek and dripped down her chin. Dread crawled up my throat and I suddenly found it hard to breathe. The black liquid kept trickling down Elizabeth's face until she opened her left eye. It spilled out in a bigger quantity and slithered up and across her face too. I gaped at the horrendous scene.

The black substance was quick to cover her entire face and her loud screams were cut off. They became muffled cries instead. The only part of her face that was still showing was her unnatural eye. The black liquid covered and hardened over her face like a mask. Then, I noticed a faint line tracing across her face, where her mouth should be. I wondered what it was until it split open and revealed a mouth of razor sharp teeth. A shrilled, monstrous screech erupted from Elizabeth's mouth. The jaw opened wider than humanly possible and a long, black tongue twitched with her cries. The Corrupted seemed equally terrified of this gruesome transformation.

Elizabeth's hand and head twitched as she released a gurgling growl. She leaned forward, her long, black hair covering her demented face. The hands that protruded from her back swayed with a macabre beauty. When one Corrupted growled though, they both flexed to bear their claws. Elizabeth hissed and the Corrupted that growled lunged to attack. It didn't get very far though, as the right demonic hand snatched it up and crushed it. Black blood dripped from between its fingers and the hand dropped what was left of the Corrupted: a black, mushy pulp. The mess began to wither away and the two other Corrupted howled in the loss of their fellow atrocity. One Corrupted charged to attack but it was punched into the ground by the left demonic hand. As if that wasn't enough, the hand punched it several more times before backing away and revealing another beaten pulp. Elizabeth just sat there as the hands moved for her.

There was only one Corrupted now, and to my surprise, it began backing away and making distorted whimpering. There was no such thing as mercy for it when the right demonic hand snatched it up and the left grabbed onto it too. They held onto both sides of the creature and I listened to the damn thing screech horribly. The sound of fear and agony coming from something that causes fear and agony was petrifying. The cries were hard on my ears and I begged for it to stop. Thankfully it did, but I watched as the Corrupted was torn completely in half. Black guts and blood spilled out and I felt the urge to throw up. The beast was still alive as I could hear faint whimpers. The upper half of the monster was brought down to Elizabeth.

The demonic hand dropped it in front of her and she grabbed onto the mutilated body. The Corrupted writhed and, to my disgust, Elizabeth opened her mouth wide and released a screech as she bit into the creature's chest. She tore at its flesh relentlessly, ripping out its throat, crunching bone. Black blood was everywhere. I stared in horror as she mauled this monster apart and I could've sworn she was eating it too. I could hear the crunching, the swallowing, the inhuman growl of satisfaction. It was awful. I didn't think I could ever feel sorry for a Corrupted.

Finally, Elizabeth reached the heart and ripped it out of the chest cavity with her hand. She stared at it for a moment before roaring loudly and crushing it. Black blood splattered onto her and dripped down her arm. The Corrupted began to wither, to my relief. I couldn't take hearing and watching the scene anymore.

Elizabeth staggered up to her feet, head twitching creepily. I looked at her, disturbed by what she had just done. What happened to her? I want to look away but I can't bear to take my eyes off of her. Her one visible eye shined brightly with beautiful menace, but the rest of her face meant death. So did her demonic hands. She raised her head and looked around. Her eye caught me and I felt the dread that was caught in my throat completely stab through me then set me on fire. Her gaze flared and she opened her maw to growl. She looked at me with a terrifying hunger and in that moment I knew that I was absolutely screwed.

Elizabeth screamed gruesomely, signaling a very unpleasant time for me. All I could seem to utter was...

"Oh shit."