Can't Say

Chapter 42

      Mere hours before everyone was to gather at the Slender Family-Zalgoid border, you trembled with excitement - equaled by fear. You could feel your body quake, despite the numb and loose sensations. You were parched; god, no, you were nearly cotton-mouthed. With each piece of new gear you equipped, the more your heart pumped adrenaline through your veins. Masky suggested that you bring the holy water guns and back-up canisters for the beginning of the war. This way, you could break through your nerves and still fight until you were able to produce saliva again. You also equipped a crossbow and numerous bolts, plenty of kunai and shuriken, knives of various uses, and your Ruger SR 22 pistol and coinciding ammo for minions who weren't of Zalgo's race. It all added up, weighing you down more than you ever had experienced. With so much gear strapped to your shoulders, torso, and waist, you felt a lot like Rambo, just not as steel-nerved as you had hoped.
      Slenderman had dumped you at the mansion after your precious moment, then disappeared again just as quickly. He had gone to inform the waiting allies, leaving everyone at the mansion to do their part and be ready to move out at a moment's notice. Even Laughing Jack, Eyeless Jack, and Jeff were gearing up with extra weaponry and defense. BEN could only equip select items, due to his ghostly state.
      When your and your brothers were alone in the weaponry room, you paused and spoke up, "Guys." The doubt in your voice for what was to come reverberated clearly to the others.
      "I swear to our master, himself, ____," Hoodie threw his head back and slouched his shoulders in exasperation, "if you spill some shit about how you love and appreciate our relationship as Proxies, I will projectile vomit all over your face." He finished with a hard glare through his covert mask, then returned to counting and sorting ammo. Masky and Toby concurred with a simultaneous grunt.
      Were you that obvious? Maybe it was your timing. Or, you sneered in Hoodie's direction, "Aww, I didn't know you felt that way about me. I was just going to say that we're probably going to need more ammo." You held your hands up in an exaggerated shrug, "But, if you want to get all sentimental on me, then let's just get to the group hug part." At this, you spread your arms open, pretending to expect what you suggested.
      Hoodie immediately turned to you, rushing right to your arms as he lifted his mask just enough to reveal the bottom half of his face. Toby and Masky did the same. You didn't actually plan for a group hug - much less, kisses? The thought made you flinch just in time to hear all three men make barfing noises right in your face. The off-putting odor of their combined breaths nearly suffocated you, but at least it wasn't vomit. You broke into laughter, pinching your nose and waving the fumes away to allow fresh air. Your brothers reset their masks, but not before flashing a trio of side-grins. They each gave you a light punch on the shoulder before going back to prepping their gear. You stared after them, taking in their profiles in fear that you may never share these moments with them again. Despite the desire to say more, you knew they were thinking the same: you were happy to have earned their respect - their trust; you loved them like brothers; and if anything happened to them in the war or anytime after, you'd be devastated.

      The time had come. You were as ready as you could possibly be. Your dry mouth begged for water, but you knew it would do no good. Your thirst was due to fear, not dehydration. No amount of water could quench that. Instead, you bore through it, doing your best to ignore how terrified you were of the soon-to-be war.
      Slenderman transported everyone from the mansion to the rendezvous point near the border. There, you were met by his brothers, their Proxies, and their residents. You recognized Sexual-Offenderman's group, making note that even Seedeater was there. He was lazily playing with a Husky dog that wore an unnatural smile on its muzzle - its lips pulling back much further than you thought possible. Tanya, Neela, Sabrinae, and - you cringed as he cast a seductive stare in your direction - John all looked just as heavily armed as your team. Isadora, Bridget, and Cata Wumpus looked to be tactically dressed, where their usual attire would be of no use in the coming conditions. They all looked tense; checking each other's gear over and over.
      Nearby, you saw Splendorman with his crew. He worriedly lectured them about something you couldn't quite hear - probably strategies they came up with. Gathered around the polka-dotted Slender-being were four females of generally young age. You noticed a set of twins first, noting that the only difference between them was the way they carried themselves; one looked far more confident that the other. At first, they looked to be of different heights, but you quickly realized that, due to their contrasting postures, they equally reached average female height. Their pale skin held a powdery texture when compared to their light, brown hair. On their left forearms, you spotted a familiar symbol: The Operator Symbol. You wondered if all Slender-beings shared this mark, or there was a deeper story to how the twins were branded with it. Next to them, looking oddly bright and cheery for a Creepypasta, was a colorful young woman with long, curly, aqua hair. In it, she wore a purple headband, decorated with an equally colored bow that matched her eyes. There was a similar bow tied around her neck. Adorned on her body was a happy, pink dress; the top half hung on her shoulders and upper arms; the skirt half just reached her knees, fluffed out by layers of white lace underneath. You expected her to be wearing a pair of doll shoes, but instead, found her in a pair of purple knee-high boots. On one of her cheeks was a red star, just under the eye. Opposite of that, a small, white rabbit was perched upon her shoulder. It looked innocent enough, but you had learned long ago that nothing in the Creepypasta world was truly innocent. Lastly, in the crowd closest to Splendorman, was a barely pubescent female, dressed in a black, long-sleeved shirt, blue jeans, and a pair of tan, knee-high boots. You noticed that she had a tail - and it wasn't for decoration - that instantly reminded you of a typical devil tail; long, red, and a spear-head at the tip. She had shoulder-length, brunette hair, which waved down and around to frame her face. Well, you thought it was her face, with how realistic it looked. Her peach skin didn't match, however; the strange mask was styled after a wolf. It had the muzzle, nose, and ears, splotched with gray and gold. All that you could see of her eyes were two beady, white pupils, surrounded by their individual dark voids.
      "Pay attention, ____", Slenderman's voice broke your deep study of new faces. He looked nervous, but his body held a contrasting demeanor of determination. "There will be many of those who you haven't met before. It will be difficult for you to determine ally from enemy when this all begins."
      "Maybe we should have made matching shirts," Eyeless Jack snorted. He already seemed upset about how rough things were going. Not only was there hardly anyone here, but most of the allies you knew of hadn't arrived. This seemed more like a battle than a war.
      Slenderman held firm on his patience. He needed to keep everyone in good standing with each other, or risk having traitors. "I have a plan for this. It may or may not work, but for the time being, I'll need everyone to be familiar with as many allies as possible. If you're unsure during the battle, then aid whoever you recognize." Things were going to be a hit or miss, it seemed. Considering how Zalgo has the advantage with the disruptor, you knew that any Slender-being would be holding back during the first half of the battle, at least. "Your main goal is to eradicate any disruptor that you find. We need them destroyed as soon as possible."
      Everyone nodded, holding back any jokes they would usually toss out. As much as the Creepypastas probably wanted to tease Slenderman about him and his race's weakness, they knew that this was a serious matter. There would be time for taunting and mischief later - if they proved victorious.
      Your eyes wandered over to Splendorman again. There were two more beings of sorts in his group - both so small for the terrors they'll have to behold. One was a young girl; a child, really. Everything about her body screamed prepubescent. Her long, messy hair reminded you of dark woodlands unkempt by human hands. A stain of trickling blood cascaded from her scalp and down the length of her face, randomly branching to each curve of her flesh until it tucked away somewhere in her pink night gown. Gripped tightly in one hand, she held a raggedy, brown, teddy bear by a single paw. It dangled there, facing you. The single remaining black eye stared right into your soul. You nervously averted your gaze to the other being that was - floating - next to the small girl. It was similarly sized to her teddy bear; it looked like it was made to be a plush animal; but this was not so innocent. The strange thing looked familiar. You recognized it as a character from an old game and TV series. His orange-yellow and white fur was oddly iconic. The single, thin antennae that dangled a red ball from atop this being's head was new to you, but maybe it was your foggy recollection. The dual fox tails, however, were what kick-started your memory. It was Tails! But, it also wasn't. This was an ominous, dangerous, and downright evil being. You could feel its oppressive presence from where you stood. The sensation had the hairs on the back of your neck stand straight.
      Slenderman's irritated flick of your forehead caused you to jump with fright. He glared down at you with what little expression he could form on his lacking face. "As I was saying," he emphasized before continuing whatever instructions he had already given out. "Pair up for the beginning of the war, and try to stick together for the majority of it. Once Zalgo's numbers have dwindled enough, we can begin splitting up and picking off the remaining minions." His head turned, which everyone in his group followed suit with curiosity.
      Trenderman and his team approached your own, all casually striding as though they were about to start a fashion show. "Barely any of our invited allies have shown," the sassy Slender-being said. "I knew we couldn't trust them. The thought of a war with Zalgo is too terrifying." He waited for his brother to respond with some sort of optimism, but Slenderman remained silent.
      With new faces to study, your eyes darted between each of the seven bodies. There were two pairs of nearly twin-like women. The first pair, you recognized Scarlette immediately, and next to her was most likely Andrea. They both wore matching outfits, though the only difference was the opposition of colors: black and white. Andrea also seemed less confident than her sister. You were noticing a trend among twins in the Creepypasta world. Speaking of, the other pair were more noticeably different - and not just color choices and personality. Both were tall and slender women, though not unnaturally, for humans. The taller of the two had long, straight hair that was dyed a cotton candy pink with white highlights. She wore a white tank top, layered by a black combat jacket, and cargo blue jeans. Her younger sister had blonde hair, which was fashionably braided to the side. She wore a black, studded bralette, layered by a white combat jacket, and black cargo pants. Most of her equipment straps and belts were adorned by silver studs. You weren't too surprised with the pair's choice of clothing, seeing who they lived with. Were they perhaps Trenderman's Proxies? You could never be sure in this world.
      "Oh, hey, B-B-Buttscotch!" Toby called to one of the older sisters. Masky and Hoodie snickered, obviously in on the joke. He was rewarded with an angry glare and show of the tongue from the blonde sister, while the older one grinned in delight. Scarlette and Andrea tried their best to hide their amusement, but you happened to notice.
      The other three individuals on Trenderman's team didn't seem to have much to do with each other. One was a thin, young man with short, black hair. He wore a smooth, white mask that looked to be finger-painted with blood in the form of a simple smile; the eyes were almond-shaped pits of darkness. He was dressed in a blue and black suit that reminded you of a Japanese school uniform. Pinned to the left chest of his jacket was a yellow, smiley-face badge. On top of all that were the common combat equipment that everyone had strapped to their bodies. Moving on, you eyed a solemn young man with short, brown hair. He had a stitched scar across his face and on the corners of his mouth, which he kept tucked under a tan and green scarf - despite how comfortable the air was right now. Along with his warm attire, he wore a black jacket over a green shirt and black slacks. His distant gaze reached places unknown to those from the outside. Next, you saw a thin woman with unkempt, red-brown hair. She was pale, had stitched cuts on the corners of her mouth, and a peculiar, small clock shoved into her left eye socket. You wondered if that was Toby's girlfriend, Clockwork. She wore a white tank top and black jeans under a blue jacket with a fur-trimmed hood, and knee-high black boots. Honestly, you were happy for Toby to have found someone like her, though you didn't know her personality, yet. Lastly, there was another woman, with skin as pale as a Slender-being's. She had wavy, raven hair that matched her solid eyes and lips. She wore a simple black and white dress that reminded you of a casual, early 1920's style. Considering the current conditions, you understood her choice of combat boots instead of dress shoes.
      Trenderman understood that he wasn't going to get a solid answer from his brother, so he sighed and continued his one-sided conversation. "Archer, Heart Breaker, and Lancerman will be here. Offender was able to track them down, so thank him for that. Judge Angels, Rakurai, and Kitteh are here. Currently, they're making sure Zalgo didn't have any traps set for us."
      "We still have time," Slenderman finally replied. His head didn't move, but you had the sense that he was gazing around in search of more allies to raise moral. "As long as Zalgo doesn't show up, we still have time." An air of uncertainty loomed around his wake, but he did his best to hold his nerves together.
      Rapid footsteps rushed toward the gathering, approaching Slenderman. Your master tilted his head in the source's direction, following her until she stopped at his side. The woman's short, blonde bob swished at her sudden stop. The only way you could tell that her solid, jet black eyes were looking up to Slenderman was by the crane in her neck. "Rakurai found several traps along the borderline on Zalgo's side. All were disarmed," the woman clad in white reported. Her body was tightly wrapped in a long-sleeved dress that reached halfway down her thighs. The upper arms of her dress each had a single belt wrapped around them, similar to your own jacket style. Coming up to meet the dress were a pair of matching boots, and thigh-high leggings, which were held up by straps that disappeared underneath her dress.  She held a white and silver longsword at her side; at the joint between the blade and hilt was a red, circular ornament embedded into the weapon. She continued, "Kitteh says Zalgo and his army are drawing near. They'll be here soon."
      "How soon," Slenderman queried, nearly cutting off the blonde woman.
      "Give or take ten minutes," her head lowered, eyebrow furrowing. You had the strange sense that the woman was looking directly at you, but the angle of her face didn't match up. Then her expression perked up at the sight of something out of your view. She broke from whatever remained of the conversation and approached the young man in the blue school uniform and hand-painted mask. They embraced; a friendly hug before the war.
      The disgusted grunt of someone familiar burst into your hearing from the opposite side of your group. You changed view and found Kitteh approaching with a younger girl, possibly in her late teens. You assumed that could be Rakurai, which would mean the woman in white would be Judge Angels. Kitteh's face was twisted into a discontented expression, which matched the sound from a moment ago. Once she and Rakurai reached Slenderman's side, Kitteh birthed her disgust into words, "This is all we have? Zalgo will be here any moment and hardly anyone's shown up." Her attire was far different from the only other time you had met her. Kitteh sported a purple, black, and gold-striped dress that accentuated her womanly curves. The top half was a corsette, loosely hanging on with small straps that dangled off the shoulders. Its skirt was fashioned in a long, high-low style. Underneath said skirt were a pair of matching purple leggings that solidified into solid footwear. She reminded you of battle-ready witch; seeming vulnerable, but hiding enough power to make up for it.
      "The army is huge, Slenderman," Rakurai added. She showed a hint of worry to her otherwise confident demeanor. "We're way outnumbered." She was themed in the colors of black and yellow. Her hair was a black, spiky bob with yellow highlights. Sitting on the head of hair was a pair of black and yellow headphones, which had lightning bolts on the ear pieces. She wore a full-face mask that was vertically halved by black and grey. Two almond-shaped, golden eyes pierced through the sharp holes in the mask. Her clothes were an oddly chaotic, yet balanced assortment of solid swatches and diamond patterns. Her crop-top of yellow and black added life to her solid yellow jacket. The black jeans complimented this style with one leg cut off at the knee and replaced by the same diamond pattern as her shirt. Gripped loosely at Rakurai's side was a golden sword that faded to black closer to the hilt. The cross-guard was a solid gold zigzag, decorated with a single black diamond in its center. A gold vein spiraled up the blade.
      Slenderman nodded in a direction opposite of Zalgo's territory, "There are still allies of whom I know for certain will show. I sense several presences on their way. We have to trust them."
      "Even those might not be enough," Kitteh muttered aside.
      Trenderman turned to his remaining two brothers, who were still hanging back with their teams, "Everyone get ready! He's almost here."
      At that very moment, the tension in the air grew two-fold. All chatter ceased, replaced by the shuffling of combat gear and the crunching of fallen leaves as everyone moved themselves into formation. The residents filled the frontlines, followed by what few Wanderers and allies made it on time, then the Proxies, backed up by their respective masters.
       Trenderman was able to have his friend make cancelling devices to negate Zalgo's disrupters. Each of the brothers had their own, personal device, which affected a large enough radius to cover its holder's entire body and some feet further. Slenderman felt it best to hold in the back until he was comfortable with the devices' capabilities after experiencing them on the field. This way, if they weren't enough, the Slender-beings wouldn't take the full initial wave of Zalgo and his army while at such a large disadvantage. You sincerely hoped Trenderman's friend did sufficient work. The thought of losing Slenderman or any of his kin during the first half of the war was enough to significantly lower morale.
      Then, before you knew it, the white-noise of hundreds upon hundreds of bodies pushing through forest brush and debris came to slowly fill your ears. You could hear the innumerable whispers that you hadn't heard since your first encounter with Zalgo, "He comes. He comes. He comes." The whispers chanted just as out of sync with each other as the rustling leaves and snapping branches. The volume increased with each passing second. It took everything you had to stop yourself from quaking where your stood. Any moment now, you would be thrown in a flurry of gore and death; it wouldn't stop until one side was completely wiped out.
      The nearest wall of trees on Zalgo's side of the border began to fade black and melt away, parting their trunks and branches like a gate to none other than their master and his minions. All of the whispers announced in unison, "He is here!" They all stopped. Even Zalgo and his army stood still, teasing the invisible borderline. To your surprise, the minions were in an orderly fashion that should send waves of embarrassment running down Slenderman's back. Iris, Felix, and William stood on either side of their lord, though William wasn't so enthused about his being there. Zalgo was even dressed up, sporting an iron-pressed military uniform, including the commander-decorated peaked cap. Tucked under one arm was a swagger stick, held tightly at the tip; a looped tassel dangled from out of his fist. For once, Zalgo looked like a decent, reasonable being, but you knew far better.
      "Is this what you wanted, Slenderman?" Zalgo called to your master, sly humor lacing his tongue. "You want order and perfection amongst my ranks? You want us to behave and follow numerous rules? Did you print out enough handbooks to share with everyone, like we agreed?" He pointed his swagger stick in Slenderman's direction, emphasizing his strange accusation.
      Without hesitation, Slenderman replied, "I don't recall making any sort of agreement. In fact, your assumptions of this war's roots are blatantly false." He did his best to keep hold on what little cool he had. Zalgo would test your master's patience; you were certain it was one of the demon lord's specialties.
      "Oh," Zalgo shrugged. "My mistake. That must have happened in one of my many carnal dreams that plague me." His uniform combust and fell to the ground in a heap of ashes. Zalgo was now his typical nude self, of which he ran his hands down his torso in a seductive manner. "I was getting stressed in that constricting attire, anyway. How do you do it, Slendy?"
      Ever the master of the poker face, Slenderman remained steady. His brothers held back, too, most likely communicating between the four of them through telepathy.
      Zalgo raised his wrist and inspected it as though he were wearing a watch. "So, does this party start at a specific time or can we just get on with it? I've a spa appointment in the next four hours, and you don't want me to miss that." He eyed Slenderman, then scanned across to see who all had shown up to fight.
      "As you'd expect," Slenderman saw an opening to bide more time, "I, indeed, made a schedule for this war. We still have a short while before it begins."
      An exasperated sigh heaved from Zalgo. He didn't look too excited about waiting after all the trouble he put into his entrance. "You could have at least brought comfortable seating for your guests," he complained.
      "Yes, well, I was expecting more precise timing from everyone," Slenderman hinted.
      Zalgo hummed, then said, "What a shame." He raised a hand high into the air, palm wide open, "I've always been more of the impulsive sort, anyway." then snapped it into a pointing formation, aiming directly for the enemy - his enemy. "Now get rekt, bruh!"
      Upon Zalgo's obscure command, his minions broke into full sprint toward you and your allies. You could feel your heart jump into your throat, knowing that everyone else had the same or similar reaction. A flurry of curses echoed around you. Something briefly tapped your head, to which you saw Slenderman's tendrils reach the residents' heads in front of you. He had refreshed and strengthened the connections to help give commands when possible. Probably best now, since things were about to get crazy. Unfortunately, you weren't able to hear your master, yet. You and your fellow Proxies needed to get rid of Zalgo's disruptors.
      With a dry mouth, you gulped nothing. With sweaty palms, you raised your holy water gun. With shivering legs, you braced for impact.
      The brunt of the wave was mostly full of Zalgoid demons. Scattered among them were various characters who more closely resembled the Creepypastas you had met so far. You and your Proxy brethren showered the Zalgoid demons with holy water, giving your frontline defenders some relief as they tore down their foes. The separate armies clashed together, melding into a writhing pool of onslaught and gore. You did your best to pelt every target possible, slowly dwindling the demon numbers as Jeff, BEN, Eyeless Jack, and Laughing Jack picked off the majority of the force. Behind them, the few allies that had shown up aided you and your team, striking down anything that made it past the frontlines and too close to the Proxies. Slenderman lashed at who he could, but found that many of the Zalgoids wore their own, personal disruptors. His tendrils were having little-to-no effect, and he couldn't risk pushing forward with this fact. He did, however, have a plan to pick them off faster.
      Slenderman used his tendrils to grip the Zalgoids that gave him trouble, using what little manipulation he had left against them, and quickly flung the demons to your group before he phased through them. His aim wasn't perfect, but he did what he could. "Proxies," your master called, "find the disruptors on these and destroy them." At first, you mentally rolled your eyes, tired of Slenderman repeating himself, but once the demon nearly collided with you and crashed into the leafy ground, you understood.
      You shoved your gun's barrel deep into the screaming Zalgoid's mouth before it could get back up. It gagged, swatting at your ankles in an effort to bring you down to its level. You stomped on its offending hands and unloaded several rounds of holy water balls down its throat. Needless to say, the demon didn't last too long before its neck erupted in a sizzling mess. You searched over its nude, lava-encrusted body, not finding any sight of a disruptor. Where did they hide it? Up its - Oh, dear god, no.
     Pulling out the biggest knife you had, you shoved it deep into the Zalgoid's lower abdomen. Its epidermis was crispy, much like the burnt layer of a marshmallow. Hell, its everything underneath was as soft as the inside of a burnt marshmallow. You butchered the corpse, knowing there was no time for surgical precision, and soon felt your blade jam into something that reverberated the feeling of plastic. The feeling of hot, demon intestines wasn't something you ever wanted to experience. It wasn't as pleasant as the Creepypastas made their killings seem. Quickly, you wrapped your hand around the square disruptor, ripping it out from the sack of flesh that you dearly hoped was not what you originally suspected. Fighting back your disgust, you dropped the disruptor to the ground, promptly hacking it in half with your machete. That should do it.
      So far, so good. You just needed to do this way too many more times. Hopefully, the residents and allies could take care of themselves. A quick glance to your Proxy brothers saw them finding the disruptors in various places of the Zalgoids' bodies - not all as invasive as your own. At least you knew that it wouldn't be that way every time.
      "Jeff, mi amor!" The excited squeal of a young female pierced through the sounds of gore. You heard Jeff curse out, working harder to clear his fill of Zalgoid demons before whoever it was got to him. 
      Several rounds of holy water ammo helped Jeff the Killer retain control of the aggression on your team, just in time for a female Jeff the Killer to tackle him to the pile of corpses at his feet. She had long, black hair pulled back into a high ponytail by a crimson, ribbon bow. She wore a pink hoodie, a black miniskirt, and black and red stockings. Honestly, her face and choice of weaponry were the only things resembling Jeff, but at first glance, you couldn't help the confusion. The two beings with carved smiles struggled against each other, one fighting the other off, while the other seemed to be more interested in groping and kissing her pinned victim. You heard plenty of giggling from the female Jeff, along with cooing and seductive tones layered in a Spanish dialect. It was surprising how strong she was, considering her tiny frame. Jeff looked to be having a lot of trouble.
      You shot a single ball of holy water at the girl's head. It collided with her temple, exploding into a watery mess. Other than that, it had no effect on her like it did with the demons. Instead, the female Jeff the Killer halted her playful assault, twisting her head to lock eyes with you. Your heart sank with the weight of daggers that spewed through her lidless eyes. Perhaps shooting her with holy water was a mistake. Jeff wouldn't let you find out, thank goodness. He took his opening, running his kitchen knife right through the young woman's gut. She looked betrayed, turning her new gaze back to her male version. "Por que? Mi Jeff; me amor. Por que?"
      A demon fell at your feet, tumbling with momentum before your legs blocked its path. You wouldn't be able to see what Jeff did with his female self, but you knew it would be far from merciful. Now, you were distracted with another demon and its disruptor to eradicate.
      Somewhere nearby, beyond the screaming and fighting, you heard Rakurai say something to BEN. He answered back with skepticism, but the lightning user insisted. You heard Rakurai's electricity spark and build, even your hair was beginning to stand on end. BEN's voice called out, "I got it!" Then, all at once, a surge of electricity chained throughout the Zalgoid army. Only select beings were affected, yet the concentration of them was intimidating.  You saw the ones within your view flinch in reflex to the attack; nothing else. It was as though Rakurai and BEN's efforts were all for naught.
      "Good work, you two," came Slenderman's voice. It sounded clear as a set of headphones; a layer of noise that overlay the chaos of war. "Now my brothers and I can be of better aid."
      Running low on ammo, you stopped to reload. It was your last container, which you poured into the canister mounted on your gun. This would be good for another hundred rounds, but they were going quickly. You tossed the empty container aside and glanced around to gather your surroundings.
      Kitteh was now in front of you, fighting off the demons that tried to take advantage of your momentary vulnerability. Two withered children did most of the fighting for her, staying close in front of Kitteh. They were surprisingly strong for their size. If a Zalgoid made it past the discolored kids, Kitteh seemed to use some sort of illusion magic to trick the demon into fighting itself. The show was oddly amusing, yet unnerving. Still, you aimed your not-so-air-soft rifle and delivered holy water aid in her direction.
      Something rumbled the ground beneath your feet - beneath everyone's feet. The thooming grew closer, rushing straight for your team. From somewhere in the hoards and hoards of Zalgoids, you saw a towering, horned monster of Zalgo's liking plowing its way through the smaller folk. Most were trampled; few survived. Just as the massive demon found itself within reach of your team, who were all struggling to fight off the smaller demons in order to get out of the way, it raised a hulking arm. Then, with one fell swoop, it flung the majority of your team and collateral demons to one side. You flew through the air for an unknown distance, eventually crashing into one of the other teams. The impacts of your wild tumble were barely registered by your pain sensors, but you heard each thump and crack. Your body almost immediately picked itself back up, at least to your hands and knees. As for your mind, however, it was still catching up; dazed and confused as it organized the now churned thoughts.
      "Our timing may has't been belated," a bellowing, baritone voice sounded from above you, "but twas for valorous reason, I assure thee." He was speaking in some sort of Shakespearean manner. Geez, you must have hit your head pretty hard. You turned your clearing vision to find the source of the voice to be not at all above you, but behind you; a Slender-being clad in silver armor, much like the Renaissance era. "Mine lief cousins, we has't gathered a vast number of aid in thy endeavors." He spread out his arms, posing to focus everyone's attention behind ally lines. You followed his cue, seeing far more Creepypastas in one spot than you knew would ever happen again in your lifetime. There were even other Slender-beings dotting the masses. "Hark! And behold!"
      The Zalgoids had paused their push against your teams, snickering at this strange Slender-being's display of confidence. A tendril wrapped around your waist, pulling you up and across the grounds, back to Slenderman. Masky, Hoodie, and Toby accompanied you with their own tendril rides. Everyone looked heavily battered, but still able to continue - not that anyone had a choice. The four of you were lowered to the ground, standing around your master. Your entire team regrouped, keeping their guard up as they waited for a command. "Yes," Slenderman laughed lowly, his newfound confidence matching his cousin's, "Hark!" Tendrils branched from each Slender - black, white, decorated with bells, and other various quirks - reaching to each other, reaching to their Proxies, reaching to their residents and allies. They became their own forest beneath nature's canopy, lightly touching their targets - the fruits of their endeavors. The thick layer of weaving appendages darkened the shade that was already cast by the trees above - squirming and searching. You were reminded of the dancing shadows that flickered across sea beds. And yes, even you were graced by your master's connection, watching the tendril make contact, then retract. All at once, just as quickly as they spread, the tendrils retreated to their masters, disappearing or shortened behind the Slender-beings' backs. You stole a glance across the army of Zalgoids, eyeing Zalgo, himself. He seemed more amused than concerned with the new arrivals and display of Slenders.
       Slenderman's voice sneered knowingly, saying, "And behold."
       Instantly, your vision changed. You could no longer see from your own pair of eyes. You could see everything; you saw everyone; you saw everyone next to everyone; you could see what every single being fighting for the Slender Family could see. All minds were united. Your mind wanted to melt, unable to fathom what it was trying to process. The human brain was never meant to have such power; it was never meant to see so much all at once. The abysmal energy going into these efforts was draining on the electrical signals for the rest of your body. Your limbs and organs had the urge to go limp. Yet, here you were, standing strong as your brain held firm, supported by something - by someone.
       "I believe my plan worked out well," came Slenderman's voice. "All of you seem stable." There were a few short moments of pause, then, "The others agree to their teams' stability. Now, then," Your master's tendrils flared out from behind, writhing and whipping. His skin tightened, his fingers sharpened, and his hidden mouth ripped open to a jagged smile. He inhaled, hollow and deep, hissing with predatory lust. "Let's do this how I intended."