The Opposite of Innocent | A Sequel to Unexpected Roommates [DISCONTINUED]

Chapter 14: Gaps in a Bug-Catching Net

Stu had fought tooth and nail for a moniker like this one- The Ghostface of Woodsboro, feared, dreaded, infamous. He was skilled and quick and silent, and these were all things he had had to train for. As much as he loved movies, he didn't one day watch Die Hard and suddenly decide to be as badass as John McClane. Days and nights, endless trips into the forest with Billy, sleepless stretches of time, hours and hours, stalking through pitch dark to sharpen his eyesight- stalking, memorizing, killing, all with a steady hand despite his flair for the theatrics. Stu was a master in his craft, and he'd dealt with much, much worse than a broken arm.

The memory that flashes across his vision- only one memory, not his whole life like the stories say- is from the last night with Sidney, when their plan had been falling to bits. A TV, so heavy, screaming pain inside of his head- he'd survived that. When the cops had come, assuming him dead, he'd killed them even with glass sticking brutally out of his face. He'd slaughtered his way back to Billy, beloved Billy, and had hauled his bleeding corpse off the scene- all with that glass sticking brutally out of his face. It was a miracle he had still healed so pretty.

Peter's knife, and his screaming, broken arm, were nothing he couldn't handle.

His captor's first mistake was thinking Stu's broken arm made him any weaker. His second was wanting to give the boy in his arms a bloody, dramatic finish. As Peter shot his arm across Stu's throat and pulled it back in a slash, Stu twisted and writhed like a caged animal, moving quicker than the light itself. His knife, previously discarded, found its way back into his hand just as Peter's own met the first inch of his skin, slicing it deeply. Stu shot his hand upwards- as his throat was about to be cut, his blade stuck into his attackers arm, forcing it away. His throat was saved, yes, but Peter's hand dragged the sharp metal up instead, and the line of blood being drawn across his flesh was bumped upwards to paint his chin rather than his neck. From the left edge of his jaw up, across the corner of his bottom lip, to the base of his right ear. He bled- heavily- but he was alive.

"You son of a bitch," Billy snarled, pouncing like the feral beast you had grown to know him to be. Stu rolled out of the way as Billy took his place, forcing Peter to the ground and slamming the butt of his knife across the man's chin. He struck him square in the hard jut of his jaw, no doubt sending spirals of pain into the deepest parts of Peter's skull. "Who do you think you are, trying to slit his throat like some coward?" Another strike, this time to his temple. Peter finally cried out, and slashed blindly for Billy, hoping to shake him off. Right before the blade could hit home in Billy's side, Stu returned yet again, catching Peter by the buck knife still stuck in his wrist and slamming it downwards to pin his whole arm to the ground like a butterfly mounted on a collectors wall.

"Oh, pathetic little Peter," Stu's sneer was full of teasing despite the blood streaking his face and chin; he lifted his sleeve to wipe some of it away, wincing only slightly. "Getting your ass beat by two little boys must be pretty humiliating, huh? Especially in front of our pal here," He flicks his head towards you, standing perfectly still even in the midst of the chaos. So much was happening. You wanted a fucking break. "Hit 'im again, Bill, cut the rest of his skin off," Stu's words weren't just for show, it seems, as Billy tossed his knife up into the air, catching it so that the blade was pointed downwards instead.

"Whatever you say, Stu," He shot right back, and lifted the knife above his head to slam it into Peter's, finishing him off for good- it was now that your brain chose to remember his unfortunate importance. As the knife swung, words tumbled from your lips in a hasty stream.

"Billy, no, don't!" He went rigid, knife mere centimeters from hitting home. Billy glanced over his shoulder airily. "We need him alive. A bargaining chip, remember? For Pinhead?" You manage to get your legs to move, taking a few steps forwards so that you can meet Peter's eye over the safety of Billy's shoulder. "We've gotta patch him up so he doesn't bleed to death. Pinhead might want to be the one to strip his life away." The words felt deliciously bitter on your tongue- talking about handing someone off to inevitable torture... that was not something you from one year ago would have ever imagined, or tolerated. Stu scoffed, but, inevitably, nodded his head.