The Monster fell for the Rebel

chapter 10

Pyramidhead felt himself slowly slipping. He was fading in and out of lucid awareness between Sally's periodic breaks and check ins to look over Nea, when she wasnt prodding or sewing at Nea's skin, he slept outside her tent guarding her like a faithful knight. Ready to strike at a moments notice.

He worried even when he was dragged into trials, all he could think of was Nea and her slowly healing wounds. He hadn't felt this much festering anxiety over a human's wellbeing before, he hated it. He wanted to get back at Ghostface. It had been days since Ghostface's attack but Nea was only barely strong enough to move again without the agony of her skin splitting open for the dozenth time. Every moment she was awake she gasped and twitched in agony. Pyramidhead wanted to take her to Midwhich and keep her there this time, he'd lock her in the school if it meant keeping her safe. He was sure the Entity was responsible for her wounds delayed healing, and heightened sense of pain. He was thinking about what he could do to help even as he dragged his great knife through the ground of Coldwind, lazily chasing Feng Min. She would periodically stop to look at him, the confusion on her face apparent as the oversized killer was clearly off his game. She ran him for the entirety of the trial with ease, barely missing swings. He didn't care to slaughter them, like usual. He felt confused, and angry. Anger was not a new emotion, but fear and anxiety were. He never had to worry about someone before.

He saw David at the exit gates and charged for him, remembering the personal vendetta Nea had for him. He threw a trail of madness in his direction, barely clipping him and knocking him to the ground. He stalked over the bulky man and stabbed his blade deep into his shoulder, sucking him into the ground and into a cage nearby. He cussed and kicked the iron bars, fighting his imprisonment in the rusted cage. Feng Min rushed to the rescue, guiding David towards the gate he was yanked from. After ensuring his escort to safety, Feng stopped just at the threshold behind David. She turned to look back into the field where Pyramidhead stood, his shoulders and arms dropped to his side in defeat. She felt bad for him, and turned on her heel towards him. She walked towards Pyramidhead with anxiety clenched in her chest. As the sound of his breathing got louder, so did her heart rate. Feng swallowed a dry lump in her throat, and raised her voice above the crackle of the trial grounds burning around them.

"Where's Nea? Do you know?" She asked, worried she wouldn't get an answer. He froze for a second before turning the great metallic pyramid to look at her. He stayed silent for a moment longer, then nodded.

"With me." He said, instantly regretting his decision to speak to Feng Min. She jumped and blinked in surprise, flinching backwards.

"With.....you?" She furrowed her brow in confusion, and Pyramidhead nodded again, clenching his fists around the hilt of his great knife.

"Nea hurt. Healing, with me." He muttered, then shooed his hand in the direction of the exit gate, trying to get Feng to go away, but she pressed further.

"Hurt?! What do you mean, Nea's hurt?! How?" She stepped towards him, but the Entity had decided time was up, and a spiked spider-claw shot out of the ground and stabbed through Feng Min's body, she screamed a shrill-ear piercing shriek as she died, and Pyramidhead wished he'd have had a few more seconds to explain, but was grateful he didnt have to speak to her anymore. He waited patiently for the Entity to finish it's meal and to be encased in the fog again, back to where Sally was watching over Nea.

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When the fog dropped Feng Min back at the campfire, she gasped for air. Being swallowed by the Entity was never a pleasent experience. She coughed and stood up, shaking the cold out of her bones.

"What happened? Why'd you turn around?" David asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"I.....wanted answers. I found out what happened to Nea, sort of. She's alive, at least." She said, wiping a bit of saliva that had dripped from her lip away. David looked up at her, eyeing her with distrust.

"Nea's alive?!" Dwight and Quentin snapped up to look at Feng, relief painted on both of their faces.

"She's hurt, apparently. I dont know how, but she's healing. Pyramidhead is watching her." Feng sat down on the logs surrounding the fire to collect herself and her thoughts.

"So what does that mean for us, then? Are we just down a teammate till she comes back?" David asked, his voice filled with venom.

"I guess, but if she's hurt, id rather her be out of commision for a little while than be tortured in trials, delaying her healing, or killing her for good." Dwight snapped at David. He was starting to get tired of his attitude regarding Nea, and it was almost starting to look like some form of jealousy, which rubbed him the wrong way.

"We'll just wait for her to come back, patiently." Dwight said, firmly to David.

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Pyramidhead opened the curtain of the Sally's nursing tent, and was shocked to see Nea standing while Sally examined her wounds.

"Ph?" Nea asked, her voice hoarse from misuse and lack of energy. He looked at her face, and his chest squeezed. She looked pale while the skin around her eyes darkened, making her look sickly. Her bandaged chest seemed skinnier, she had definitely lost some weight trying to recover. She tried to smile at him, but her lips thinned out and looked dry. She looked exhausted, and ill. Pyramidhead took a ginger step towards her and looped his arm over her shoulder to pull Nea into a gentle embrace. She hummed contentedly against his skin as Sally began putting down her tools.

"She's stable, she needs to go back to her side of the wall soon." Sally said between wheezing breaths. Pyramidhead clenched Nea closer to his chest and a low displeased growl rumbled through his chest. Nea groaned in pain as his grip tightened on her.

Sally turned to look at him, and even behind the thin pillowcase, he knew she was giving him a scowl.

"She will be punished worse if you dont. Look at her, she's already being punished." Sally gestured to the weak and frail-looking Nea. He didn't want her going into a trial in this state. What good would that do for her? He pondered as Nea slumped in his arms, and passed out from exhaustion. He picked her up in his arms and held her like she would break if he wasn't careful. He felt Sally's cold hand on his shoulder, and when he turned to look at her, she sweetly said;

"Take her back. Now."

He could feel a hitched breath on his chest and he knew Sally was right. He just hoped her friends could help her.