#thlouretta gudds

[heyimanowl]

Barly Doxman

[peanut-tyrug]

Pink City AU: Hunt for the Boxman

Chapter 3 - Fixing what’s been Broken

Hoonis and Dento team up amongst the discord and havoc of the Pink City to fix what they themselves and others have torn apart.

—

NOTICE: This AU is partially based on my ideas/interpretation. If anything appears to be inaccurate, I apologize. I tried to work with what little I had to make smth. I also took a few artistic liberties.

Another thing: THE PINK CITY AND IT’S CHARACTERS DO NOT BELONG TO ME!! IT BELONGS TO GOOSEWORX!! Some canon lore for The Pink City has also been implemented in this story. This is just an AU/story I made based on it. If you’d like to check out The Pink City series itself, check it out here!

—

TRIGGER WARNING: This fic contains nightmares, threats, arguing, caps, swearing, an apocalypse, screaming, crying, death, stabbing, self hatred, and daddy issues. If you aren’t comfortable with these things, please don’t read this.

It hasn’t been long since the disaster that occurred live on television. Right on Bep’s show…

All she wanted to do was get her head back in the game. Get back into making her show. Forget all that had happened, forget that emotional breakdown with that… nosy little shit show host.

The stress hammers at Bep’s head like a mallet. She can’t help but stress over her show. How people will perceive her… all the disgust, confusion, rage…

It’s an absolute nightmare…

…A literal one.

Bep wakes up with a sudden gasp. She rises up and glances around, and hears her phone going off. She scrambles to her phone and picks it up. She holds the phone in her hand.

Her eyes squint angrily.

Someone’s calling her.

Hoonis is calling her.

…That blasted, dense man… the man the couldn’t help but press on about her deadbeat father. The man that couldn’t shut his trap about the person she hated with every fiber of her being.

The phone eventually stops ringing, going to the lock screen. Bep then goes into her messages and types out a message to Hoonis.

'Leave me alone'

Bep chucks her phone to the edge of her bed and lays back down…

…The nightmares continue to rage on in her head.

—

It’s the next day.

Everyone’s preparing for Bep’s next show. Setting up lights, doing sound checks. Everything must be perfect.

Perfect for her.

Bep storms around the small studio room, checking in on her employees. Although, she’s more uptight than usual.

“Hey!” Bep exclaims, pointing at a camera man. “Do NOT keep that lens cap on! I swear to God, you aren’t going to see the end of my wrath if you do!”

“Yes, ma'am!” The camera man says worriedly, fearing for his life.

Bep then turns to a sound guy, fiddling with the sound board. She storms to him, to which the employee responds by shivering in terror.

Bro slams her hands onto the sound board. “You better not fucking miss your cues, you hear me?” She says in a harsh whisper.

“Yes, Ms. Nemeni, ma'am.” Says the sound guy, his fear overtaking his voice.

Bep then turns to her small tech crew. Only few have actually stayed, including the team’s lead, since they need the money.

Bep struts over to the tech lead, Bendle. He quickly notices her approach.

“Bendle!” Bep begins. “Keep an eye on the tech team, please. We don’t need a light flickering or falling!”

“…Ms. Nemeni?” A tech guy questions. “Why are you always so hard on us?”

Bep averts her gaze to the questioning man. She forgot he was new here.

“…Well, that’s because I NEED TO BE!” Bep exclaims. “If I don’t keep you all in check, WE ALL PLUMMET TO THE GROUND!! We lose our AUDIENCE!! We lose our SOURCE OF PROFIT!! We mess up, we have NOTHING!”

“But why do you yell so much?” The tech guy asks. “I don’t think that’s a good work environment—!”

Bep proceeds to the yank the tech guy to her face. She stares him down, and he stares back, complete horror in his eyes.

“Sometimes I NEED TO BE LOUD!!” Bep exclaims. “I have to be the army general because people like YOU can’t get your work done! I need ALL OF YOU to get to work, RIGHT NOW, or so help me, I WILL TEAR YOU APART LIMB FROM LIMB!!”

Most of the tech team scatters to their positions.

All but one.

One of Bep’s most loyal employees. Practically her right hand man.

Bendle.

He stays in place, not even daring to move. Bep looks to the young man with fury. Bendle firmly glares to his boss.

“…Bendle?” Bep asks. “Didn’t you hear me?”

“I did hear you, ma'am.” Says Bendle.

“…Then why aren’t you moving?” Bep asks, voice seething with fury.

“Because I’m tired of the stress you put us through.” Bendle responds.

Bep quickly becomes infuriated and lost for words. As she stammers, trying to make a coherent sentence, Bendle speaks up again.

“You’ve done nothing but stress us out for ages.” Says Bendle. “You never seem to care about our emotional well being.”

Bep tries to retort, stammering, trying to make a good enough argument.

…But as she tries, a thought pops in her head.

“You’re a terrible boss, that’s what you are.” Says Bendle. “And I am so, so, so, tired of putting up with your shit. We all are. We could all leave, but we don’t. We need the money. If you want us to stay as bad as you do, why don’t you try to improve as a person?”

Everyone in the crew stares back at the brave man and his powerless boss. All Bep does is stand there, completely motionless, as a memory of old reappears in her head…

…A terrible memory. One that would make her seethe every time it popped up in her mind…

~~~

'Why not?'

'I don’t want to work on your stupid show!'

'But why? It’s done so well! You could get a lot of money!'

'It’s not what I want to do with my life!'

'But what about what I want for you?'

'What about what I want!? What I want to do with my own life!?'

'I am your father! You do as I ask!'

'But this is my life!'

'What about what I want for you?'

'…You don’t love me.'

'…What?'

'You don’t love me. You don’t care about me… you just wanted me for your stupid show!'

'No! I do love you!'

'Then why are you pressuring me to do something I don’t want to do!?'

'It would be good for you!'

'But what if I don’t want to do it!?'

'Then suck it up!'

'That’s what I mean! YOU DO NOT LOVE ME!!'

~~~

…That same argument… that same talk…

That same talk Bep had with her father…

…Darles…

The memory rings in her head. Reflects back to her...

Suddenly, a loud and thundering rumbling is heard from outside.

The ground begins to shake, causing equipment to topple and fall. The crew catches their equipment just before it hits the ground.

“The hell is that!?” A sound guy exclaims.

As the rumbling continues, loud bangs are heard…

Then, a sound that resembles the aftermath of a bomb slamming into the ground.

The ground vibrates even more, causing the crew to fall forward on their faces.

“EVERYONE!! GO!!!” Bendle exclaims.

As everyone scurries to the exit, banging is heard against the studio’s roof…

Suddenly, dark and inky tendrils protrude through the roof of the studio, quickly cornering the crew.

Bep watches as her crew is swiftly lifted into the air. Thrown against the wall. Chucked around the room.

…And slowly becoming disgustingly distorted.

Losing their logic and reason. Losing their ability to think. Losing their ability to keep a proper form.

Corrupted.

“Come on!” Bendle exclaims, running to Bep. “We gotta go!”

As Bep turns to face Bendle, she watches as Bendle is lifted into the air through the hole in the roof. Bep watched as the young man is carried into the sky.

And Bendle watches as Bep becomes further and further away from his view.

The tendril carrying the young man comes to a halt. Bendle quickly turns his head around.

And comes face to face with something that would forever lurk in his nightmares.

A thin, magenta-suited man with a box for a head, said box being covered in a black ooze with spider-like legs protruding from the sides of the head. Front and center, looking directly into Bendle’s soul, colorful yet petrifying eyes. The types of eyes that haunt you while you sleep.

…Bendle feels as if he could pass out.

Suddenly, the tendril holding the young man up slams him back down into the building.

Bep watches as the man falls back to the floor of her studio, complete horror in her eyes. A crater is created in the floor of the room she stands in. Bendle lays practically unconscious, his body glitched and distorted.

The young man slowly brings an arm up. He then begins to rise to his feet, much to Bep’s horror.

Bendle isn’t who he was anymore. None of her crew were.

They were all like mindless, bugged out zombies. Completely void of whatever proper mental state they had left.

Bendle stares at Bep, his eyes a bright blue aura. His body glitching and distorting beyond what Bep can comprehend.

Bep swiftly turns to the exit and scurries out of the studio. She runs almost aimlessly through the halls and eventually skids to a stop by a closet. She shoves herself into the closet and shuts the door. She sits back against the door and curls up into a ball.

…She begins to sob.

…All of what she had caused her employees… the anger, the fear, the stress…

…She had become the very person she hated…

…Her father… the one who caused her all the stress, the pressure she endured…

She had done the same…

…What had she wrought…?

—

It hasn’t been long since the carnage had started to rain down upon the Pink City.

Hoonis huddles away in his home, within a closet, protecting himself from the danger outside…

He can hear all of it.

All of the screaming, crying, bugged out terror. People getting slammed against buildings. He can feel the quaking hits against the walls outside.

…It’s terrible.

At least he knows Dento’s safe in his home, with his family… very likely mourning Elain.

…Poor Elain…

She had been taken by Darly. Lord knows if she’s still okay, wherever she in sky she was. Wherever in that void she was… maybe she was okay…

…Although, it may not be likely.

Darles— or Darly, is not the man he once was. He’s been bent to Darly’s will. Insane, sick in the head… Hoonis can only imagine what he’s done with her…

…He needs to get her back. Get Darles back… that was what he settled out to do anyway, find Darles and just speak to him. Just that time… but Elain, she and Dento had helped him. He was grateful for them. They were his friends.

…He can’t sit in his closet like this. He had to do something to help his idol and friend, along with the dying city outside.

…He needs to find Dento…

Wherever he lived…

Hoonis goes through his pocket and grabs his phone. He texts Dento.

'Hey. What’s your address?'

…For a bit, nothing.

Then—

'What do you need it for?'

'I want to talk to you. I’ll explain when I get there'

—

Hoonis scrambles through the streets of the Pink City, trying to evade whatever could suddenly decide to chase after him and get to Dento’s home.

Nothing really seems to be on his tail… at least, for a time.

The glitched citizens roaming amongst the carnage quickly take notice of the one unlike them. The small group eventually forming into a mob of people.

Hoonis doesn’t dare look back. He continues to run, not even paying attention to where he’s going.

He needs to hide.

As he turns into another street, he swiftly slides to his right and enters a random building. He shuts the door behind him and rushes deeper into the building.

As he runs, the place quickly becomes familiar…

…Bep’s studio…

…Surely if she doesn’t notice he’s here, he’ll be fine… right?

He rushes down a hall and enters the closest room to his left. He slams the door shut and slams his back to it.

“…The fuck are you doing here?” A voice asks from Hoonis’ left.

Hoonis glances to the voice’s origin. His eyes go wide.

Bep is looking directly up to Hoonis, her eyes watery with tears… what happened to her?

“…H-hey, Bep.” Hoonis says worriedly. “…Sorry. I didn’t know I had—“

“No, no.” Says Bep, softly. “You’re fine… they likely won’t find us here anyway. They don’t have any of their sanity left, it seems.”

“…Are you alright?” Hoonis asks as he sits himself next to Bep, since he knows he’s now allowed in the room.

“…I’m sorry.” Says Bep. “For… breaking out at you the yesterday.”

Hoonis suddenly appears surprised. He never expected to hear her apologize. Before he can speak, Bep continues.

“…It was wrong.” Says Bep. “I only inflected hell upon you… just as I did to everyone else… just like my father…”

“…What do you mean?” Hoonis asks. “I-if you don’t mind my asking, heh.”

Bep quickly appears hesitant…

She can’t keep it away forever. She’s done that long enough.

“…My father, you know him, along with what he did, if you rememeber. He— he didn’t want me to do what I wanted.” Says Bep. “What I wanted to do with my life. He wanted me to continue his show, and I didn’t… I’ve felt for years that he never truly loved me because of that. Despite my efforts to separate myself from him, I think I only became him.”

“…How?” Hoonis asks.

“I-I stress my employees out constantly. I never give them time to relax, take a mental break.” Says Bep. “I’m pushing them beyond their limits, and I was completely blind to it… my father did the same to me, stressed me out to my breaking point… I did the same to my own employees… I’m just as bad as my father…”

Hoonis almost couldn’t fathom what he heard.

…He knew Darles loved his daughter, he said so himself… he never intended this.

“…He never intended you to be upset.” Says Hoonis.

“What?” Bep asks, almost fiercely.

“I-I-I’ve seen him.” Says Hoonis. “He said he loved you with his life— he feels genuine guilt for what he caused you.”

“How do you know that?” Says Bep. “You’re making that up, aren’t you?”

“…He’s up there.” Says Hoonis, pointing upwards.

“I-I don’t understand.” Says Bep.

“In the sky.” Says Hoonis. “He’s stuck up there.”

“What?” Bep asks.

Suddenly, banging is heard. The corrupted have found them.

“SHIT!” Hoonis harshly whispers. “Take my hand!” He whispers as he turns to Bep.

Before Bep can even retort, Hoonis rushes out of the room. He barely escapes the corrupted hoard, just before he can even get hit. He and Bep eventually scurry out of the studio and into the outside world.

“Look up!” Hoonis exclaims, looking back to Bep. “Do you see what I mean now?”

Bep’s eyes go wide as she looks upon the carnage. Buildings are cracked or partially crumbled. Citizens limp around the streets, completely void of an actual mental state. As she gazes upon the city, she spots something in the sky.

…Someone…

The figure is faint, yet close enough to be visible. A man with an eye-covered box on his head, coated in a thick black ooze with spider-like legs sticking from it’s sides. The physique of the man is thin. Familiar…

Darles.

Bep can only pray that he won’t see her.

Suddenly, Hoonis and Bep find themselves in darkness again. Hoonis found an unlocked door to a nearby building. They’re safe now.

The duo quickly sits themselves down, breathing heavily.

“…I-I saw him.” Says Bep. “…What the fuck happened to him…? You know, don’t you?” She asks, turned to Hoonis.

Hoonis hesitates before finally finding what he wants to say. “…He’s a god now.” Says Hoonis.

“…WHAT!?” Bep shouts.

“Shh!” Hoonis hushes. Bep silences, letting Hoonis speak again.

“…He made a deal with these gods to make his show succeed.” Says Hoonis. “They took him, as part of their deal… and now he’s a god.”

Bep quickly appears suddenly confused. How did he even come across them in the first place? What are these gods?

“…He only gets worse…” Says Bep. “…He can’t improve… and if he can’t, then I can’t either…”

Hoonis processes her words… if she feels she’s like him, and he can’t change…

…She won’t change either…

“…Don’t think that way.” Says Hoonis.

“Why?” Bep asks, voice strained. “I’m just like him. I-I’m part of him— his genes are in me… I can’t change, just as he can’t…”

“Both of you can change, I know that.” Says Hoonis. “…Even if I have a terrible father who never loved me, who is a lost cause… whose to say your father can’t change? Why not give him a chance? Give yourself a chance?”

Bep processes Hoonis’ words…

“Why not try to actually change instead of wallowing in your guilt?” Hoonis asks.

…Why not change when you still have the time to do so in your life? Why not work to be better? Why not learn to grow as a person?

Suddenly, Hoonis places a hand on Bep’s shoulder. Bep swiftly turns her head to face the show host, her eyes wide with shock.

“You can do it.” Says Hoonis. “Just try.”

Bep hesitates before placing her hand onto Hoonis’. She doesn’t say anything, she only nods… she will try. She wants to try. She can only become a better person if she’s willing to try.

…Not only can she change… Darles can change…

The only way to know was to see him again… if she got to truly see his guilt… she wouldn’t believe it unless she actually saw it before her. To start her change, she can actually be less judgmental. Unlike Hoonis’ father… maybe her’s can change.

…Although, she appears hesitant to believe it. All that had happened in the past stays with her. All that she had done stays with her. Hoonis notices her hesitancy as she looks down to the ground.

“…I know that your hesitant...” Says Hoonis. “But I know you’ll see change in him, you’ll see change in yourself too. I promise.”

Bep doesn’t respond, appearing uncertain. Hoonis quietly accepts it and pats her shoulder… he knows she’ll see it. He knows so… he then gets to his feet and rushes out of the building and back into the city.

…Bep is conflicted… Can she change? Can Darles change…?

…All she can do is wait… All she can do is try. Instead of wallowing in your sorrows… she can’t sit here in guilt forever, right? …Just be less stubborn for a second. You can start your change there.

…Yes, she can change. She wants to change.

She just has to wait and see if he wants that change too.

As Bep sits, she hears a sudden banging on the door leading inside the building… along with the sound of bugging static…

—

Dento sits in his home, on the couch, moping quietly. Danina sits next to him, giving him comfort. Despite the assistance from his sister, Dento can’t help but feel like garbage.

If only he had known Elain would do that to herself, act ignorant toward her pain… he should’ve known… if she had known… this wouldn’t have happened.

If both of them knew…

“Oh, dear!” Says Dento’s mother, who is pacing around the living room. “Oh, where is your father!? I called him, he hasn’t come home—!”

“Mom!” Danina exclaims, cutting her mother off. “He’ll be home, I’m sure of it.”

“Who knows what danger’s out there, Danina?” Says the mother. “He could’ve gotten shot, or beat up, or—!”

Suddenly, someone knocks on the door.

“See?” Says Danina. “He’s home. You can shut up now.”

The mother seems to ignore Danina’s remark as she hurries to the front door and unlocks it. Suddenly, someone no one, except Dento, expected to see.

Hoonis slams the door open, causing the mother to get smacked onto the wall. “Where’s Dento!?” Hoonis exclaims.

“Where’d you come from!?” Danina questions as Dento swiftly moves his head to face the show host.

Hoonis closes the door behind him and notices Dento’s mother behind it. He gasps a bit as the mother recovers, completely fine yet dazed. “Sorry, ma'am!” He says.

“…Y-you’re alright, sir.” Says the mother with a slight chuckle.

Hoonis’ eyes quickly notice Dento sitting on the couch next to his sister. He rushes over to the Bounty Hunter, who jumps back in fright.

“Dento!” Hoonis says in a hurry. “We gotta talk, come on!”

“Hold it!” Says Danina, putting a hand in front of Dento as if to protect him. “What do you need him for?”

“You suddenly barged into our home without a purpose to be here.” Says the mother.

Hoonis turns to the mother. “I need to speak with Dento, miss.” He says. “It’s an emergency!”

“A-about what?” The mother asks.

“…I-it’s a lot, I’m sorry—!” Hoonis begins, before being swiftly cut off.

“You’re sending him back out there, aren’t you!?” Danina exclaims. “You’re crazy if you think he’s going out there, it’s a war zone outside!”

“I know, but I need him for this!” Says Hoonis. “It’s for a friend of his!”

“Wha— oh, her?” Danina asks, knowing who Hoonis’ referring to. Dento quickly notices who he’s talking about as well.

Elain.

“Yes!” Says Hoonis. “I need his help to get Elain back!”

“He’s mourning right now.” Says Danina. “I don’t think he’d—!”

Suddenly, Dento hops off the couch and walks up to Hoonis. He looks up to the show host with a stern expression. He wants to help, even if he’s in mourning.

Elain is his friend. Even if she hurt him, he knows she didn’t mean it… they can speak about it later. Learn to improve…

“Are you sure?” Danina asks.

Dento locks eyes with Danina and nods.

“It’s dangerous out there, hun.” Says the mother to Dento. “I don’t want you getting hurt.”

Dento looks to his mother and shakes his head. He lowers his hands from the top of his body to the bottom, displaying what he was wearing: Bounty Hunting gear. He’s a Bounty Hunter. He’s seen a lot of terrible things in his life. If he can handle taking down a bounty, then he can handle this.

“…You have faced a lot in your life.” Says the mother. “M-maybe I should let you go.”

If Dento had a mouth, he’d have the biggest smile on his face. He slowly nods to his mother. He rushes to his mother and hugs her.

“…Oh, my little boy.” Says the mother. “Your father would be applauding you right now.” She picks Dento up into her arms and hugs him back.

Danina then gets up from the couch and head to her family. She faces Dento. “You better come back alive, you hear?” She asks.

Dento looks to Danina and nods. He wraps an arm around her, giving her a side hug.

Hoonis looks at the scene tenderly… he can only wish he and Bep’s families had that bond… even if his father can’t change, Darles can. He can see it in him.

They just need to find a way to get him back.

Dento separates from his family and the mother sets him down. He rushes over to Hoonis with a confident look.

“Are you ready, friend?” Hoonis asks Dento.

Dento nods confidently. He’s ready.

Hoonis nods back, then looks to Dento’s family. “I’ll be sure to bring him back. He’ll make sure of that too.” He says. Dento nods in response to Hoonis.

“Just be careful.” Says the mother. “Please.”

“We will.” Says Hoonis. He then turns to the door and points at it triumphantly. “To the city!”

Hoonis and Dento rush to the door and swiftly exit the house and rush into the city. Danina and Dento’s mother wave them goodbye as the rush out of the door.

“We love you, hun!” Say the mother.

“Don’t get yourself killed!” Says Danina.

—

Hoonis and Dento scurry behind buildings and through alleys, trying as best as they to avoid any of the mindless civilians roaming the streets. None of them seem to notice they’re there, walking in straight lines like NPCs, completely lifeless and without their free will.

As Hoonis and Dento run though, they slow down and come to a stop, right behind a vacant building, as if realizing something.

Hoonis turns to Dento. He leans down to the Bounty Hunter’s level and whispers. “…What are we gonna do?”

…Dento eventually shrugs, unfortunately uncertain… neither of them thought far ahead. Just how were they going to take down Darly and end this carnage?

Suddenly, two floating hands appear behind the show host and Bounty Hunter. The hands swiftly grab their backs and lift to the air. The duo then gets pulled away from their spot at a tremendous speed, they can barely process what’s happening to them as they suddenly enter a forest.

The hands quickly come to a halt, causing the duo to jerk forward slightly. The hands slowly lower the two to the ground, back on their legs, only for them to immediately fall to their bottoms. As they recover, the hands retract, and a slight rustle is heard from the bushes in front of them.

From the bushes, an old companion appears.

Hoonis and Dento see Vondu exiting the small pile of shrubs, another familiar person in a third hand’s grip.

The librarian.

“You! It’s you!” Hoonis exclaims, pointing to the Bounty Hunter and cult leader. Dento only stares, not looking shocked, although he is.

Vondu plops the librarian down to ground, although not as gently as Hoonis and Dento were placed. The librarian thuds to ground with a grunt. His gaze shifts to the show host and Bounty Hunter.

Suddenly, breaking the slightly uneasy air, Dento’s phone vibrates. He takes out his phone and spots a text from Vondu.

'He can tell you everything you need' One text reads.

Another text suddenly comes in. 'I heard you from here. I know you want this carnage gone'

Vondu then gazes to the librarian, his look demanding. He needs the cult leader to speak.

The librarian appears hesitant, not wanting to speak of the secrets of the Elders. He turns to Vondu, wanting to retort against him, before Vondu swiftly pulls back his coat, revealing his mighty gun artillery underneath.

The librarian shrieks. “Fine, pest!” He says. “…I shall speak of true word.”

The librarian turns to Hoonis and Dento, who await an answer. He steps to the duo, pulling out a ritual knife from inside his robe.

The librarian holds the knife before Hoonis and Dento. “Pierce the leech that sits on the showman’s head, and the world will be cleansed of this carnage.” He says.

Dento gradually takes the blade in his hands. He stuffs it deep into the pockets of his Bounty Hunting gear.

Hoonis turns to the librarian, appearing grateful. “Thank you.”

The librarian doesn’t seem to respond. He’s not happy that he had to share any of that. He’d rather live to preach of his gods than be dead.

Vondu then swiftly swipes the librarian in a jar… he’s a bounty. He averts his ominous gaze from the jar to Dento and Hoonis, who stare back.

“…T-thank you, sir.” Says Hoonis. Dento nods, also saying thank you.

Vondu continues to stare before ominously creeping back into the shrubs. Hoonis and Dento slowly back away before Hoonis suddenly dips the scene, sprinting away. Dento quickly follows.

As they run, they spot the faint figure of Darly hovering over the Pink City’s center, the world appearing slightly distorted and apocalyptic, the large gaping hole in the sky aiding the terrified feeling within them.

—

Dento and Hoonis stay hidden behind a building, away from the pedestrians. They peer over to the street, not seeing anyone, but the carnage being most apparent.

“…We still don’t have a plan.” Says Hoonis.

How were they going to get to Darly? It wouldn’t be easy to get to him, since he’s so high up… what would they do?

Suddenly, Dento looks to Hoonis with a stern gaze. He places the knife in front of the show host and swiftly bolts away.

Directly into the street.

Hoonis peers over the building with a gasp. “No! wait!” He exclaims to Dento. His plea falls on deaf nonexistent ears as he watches Dento bolt into the street.

As Hoonis desperately watches Dento bolt away, he feels something tap his shoulder. He turns and yelps at the sight of Vondu suddenly appearing behind him.

“You!” Says Hoonis. “What are you doing here, friend?”

Vondu points forward, and then glances to Hoonis, asking what he was looking out to the street for.

“…Dento left.” Says Hoonis. “He’s entrusted me with the dagger… I don’t know if I can—!”

Vondu places a hand on Hoonis’ shoulder, as if to console him.

Hoonis sighs. “…You’re right.” He says. “I need to do this. That isn’t Darles… I will do it! I have to!” He says as he turns to Vondu with confidence in his eyes.

Vondu nods. He then averts his gaze to the street ahead. He steps to the alley’s edge and peers over the building to the street. Hoonis huddles just behind him as watched Vondu and waits for him to act.

Vondu then points upward toward the city’s center, having spotted Darly a decent distance ahead.

“…What about Darles?” Hoonis asks.

Vondu looks back to Hoonis and points at the dagger, then points back to Darly.

“How am I going to get there?” Hoonis asks.

Suddenly and swiftly, Vondu picks Hoonis up and holds him in the air, as if preparing to chuck him to Darly.

—

Dento’s been running for awhile. His legs hurt, but he’s willing to do this… if Darly has Elain, then wouldn’t that make Darly want Dento too? If he wanted her so bad, and since he seemed to know a lot about her, he’d know Dento is Elain’s crime fighting buddy.

Dento runs through the street a bit, before stopping and coming to a halt. He turns a heel and stares upward, directly up to Darly.

…He’s offering himself up as a sacrifice.

Darly is so high up, Dento can barely see him… yet he can feel those petrifying eyes staring down at him…

Then, something pushes Dento down to the floor. He can barely process what’s happening as he slams onto the road… Dento’s eyes then come upon a horrifying sight.

Elain.

Elain remains on top of her former partner in justice, keeping him pinned to the ground. She then picks Dento up by the arms, letting him hang in the air. Dento only stares in shock and disbelief, looking deep into Elain’s dead blue eyes.

…What had happened to her?

“Well, well, well!” Says a voice from above. An awfully familiar one.

Darly.

Dento looks over Elain’s shoulder to see Darly looking down to the ground, looking upon his partner and her former friend. “Look at who we have here!” He says. “The puppet’s little partner? Coming to be almighty and safe his friend? Delightful!”

There is then a suspenseful, long pause…

“DESTROY THE PEST!!” Darly suddenly shouts. “BEAT HIM UP!!”

Suddenly and swiftly, Elain begins punching her former partner across the face. Dento can barely avoid Elain’s attacks as she swiftly chucks him into the air and kicks away with a leap.

Dento skids to the ground, his back grinding against the road. He slowly picks himself up to see Elain quickly approaching him. He swiftly pulls a gun out from his side… but hesitates.

He’s never had to shoot someone such as Elain. He didn’t like the thought of it.

She may have hurt him, and was still hurting him now, but he knows she doesn’t want any of this… she never did…

Before Dento can even move again, Elain throws him into the air once more. While Dento falls through the air at the absurd high altitude he had been thrown to, Elain mercilessly begins to smack and slap him around like some kind of toy. As the two approach the ground, Elain holds onto to the barely conscious Dento, allowing him to fall back to the ground first.

Elain holds Dento down to the ground. They lock eyes again as Dento hears an evil maniacal laugh approaching them. Dento turns his head slightly to spot Darles slowly descending to them.

“Pathetic!” Says Darly. “You couldn’t even lay a scratch on her! And I thought you were good at beating people up! Ha!”

Darly then goes into another round of awful laughter. As Darly laughs, it descends into an odd shriek.

As Dento stares upon Darly, he waits for Hoonis to strike…

Nothing.

…Until he suddenly sees the show host slam onto Darly’s back, the dagger in his hand.

“What in the FUCK!?” Darly shouts. “GET OFF OF ME!!” He exclaims as he struggles to get Hoonis off of his back.

“I’m doing this for you, Darles!” Hoonis says in an overly dramatic tone. He holds the dagger just above Darly’s head, but he appears to be shrouded in anxiety…

He just can’t do it. Not to Darles.

A tendril then yanks Hoonis of Darly’s back, causing the dagger to almost fall out of his hand. Just as he clings onto it’s handle, another tendril yanks the dagger from Hoonis’ hand and brings it to Darly to inspect.

Darly inspects the dagger in a cartoonish manner, rubbing his chin with his hand. He then turns to Hoonis. “Ah!” He says. “Publicly executing me, I see? How futile!”

“Why can’t you just stop this?” Hoonis asks, a terrible tinge of desperation in his voice.

“Unlike you, I’m not letting my feelings get in the way of what I need to do!” Says Darly. “That ungrateful man must see what his gift can bring onto himself! You are only a hindrance in what he needs to understand what a TRUE celebrity is!”

Darly then turns to the tendril wielding the dagger— he notices it has suddenly disappeared. His eyes glance around, wondering who could’ve taken it.

Suddenly, a large entourage of bullets soar through the area, causing Darly and Elain to retreat, Elain taking Dento with her as she hovers into the air and stops beside Darly. As Hoonis is brought into the air, the tendril he’s in gets shot at and eventually disappears, causing Hoonis to fall to the ground. Hoonis lifts his head, spotting a quickly approaching figure.

Hoonis sees Vondu rushing toward him, his artillery of fire arms revealed. The guns continue to shoot, as if they have unlimited ammunition. In one of his floating hands is the dagger. He had taken it when no one was looking. He stuffs the hand holding the dagger in his coat.

Vondu stops in front of Hoonis and glares at him, angry that Hoonis didn’t do his job. His eyes are like daggers staring directly into Hoonis’ soul, piercing his very spirit like a red hot spear.

Hoonis flinches. “I just couldn’t!” Hoonis says desperately. “I’m sorry!”

Suddenly, pedestrians begin flooding the streets, racing for the sane people standing in the road. Vondu begins to fire his artillery aimlessly at the hoard. All of them trip and fall as the bullets pierce their skin, only making holes with no blood seeping from them.

Hoonis stays huddled behind Vondu, not certain of where to go. Out of nowhere, a tendril grabs Hoonis by the waist and pulls him up to Darly.

“Three little lackeys in one day?” Darly asks himself. “What a show!”

On the ground, Vondu continues to shoot at the pedestrians. Most of them have been taken down and lay on the ground unconscious. With a few more shots, the city goes dead quiet. The zombies remain on the ground while everyone else stays entirely silent…

…Until the sound of another hoard is heard.

Vondu swiftly turns his head around. He spots a few bugged out office workers chasing after an unarmed woman. As he watches, and before he can swiftly react, he suddenly gets pulled into the air by a tendril. As he gets pulled away, the dagger falls out of his coat.

“You’re too slow there, pal!” Says Darly. “There’s nothing you can do! This world is MINE!! And MINE to own! …Now, where is that dagger?”

Tendrils then begin to shake Vondu, causing various random items to fall out of his coat.

…All but the dagger.

Down at the ground, Bep continues to run from the workers. She had been running from them for who knows how long, but she still tried to run away from them.

As she runs, she spots a dagger sitting in the road. She bolts to it and swiftly grabs it, holding the weapon triumphantly in her hand. She rushes to the zombies and begins to ruthlessly stab them until they fall unconscious.

“Where is that dagger!?” Darly shouts into the air.

Bep turns. Her eyes quickly face the demented man hovering above her.

Darly’s eyes swiftly glance down to the woman on the ground. He spots the dagger sitting in the woman’s hand.

Darly wants to attack… and yet, he doesn’t… he only stares at the woman. Not with any anger, no… he stares on with regret.

…He could never hurt her… not again. He had yet to attack her all this time, and he wasn’t doing so now.

His feelings are getting the better of him.

“No!” Darly suddenly shouts. “Let all your MORTAL compassion die down! You do not need it! WE NEED THAT DAGGER!!”

Suddenly, tendrils shoot from the sky hole and launch forward to Bep. She barely avoids them and begins to run… until the tendrils halt.

Bep continues to run, not trusting the tendrils sudden stop she sees as she turns back. She faces forward, running forward.

As the sane trio in Darly’s grasp watch Bep scurry, floating hands from within Vondu’s coat hurry toward the woman and pick her up. The hands carry Bep away for moment, out of sight from Darly as he struggles with his head.

Bro is swiftly hovered over the Pink City and swooped over to a safe distance behind Darly, before halting. A hand taps the dazed Bep’s shoulder. Bep turns to Vondu, the source of the hand. Vondu points to the dagger, then to Darly’s head.

Go for the head.

Bep, appearing slightly confused but determined, nods. Bep is slowly lowered to Darly. Once she’s there, the hands let go of the woman, allowing her to plop onto the demented man’s back.

Darly suddenly shrieks and hovers away from his captors, trying to get Bep off of him. Bep can barely hold onto Darly, but she tries to keep herself clung to him.

“GET OFF OF ME!!” Darly shouts. “HE DOES NOT NEED YOU!!”

As Darly says that, Bep becomes uncertain again.

She could totally jump off and end this fight now…

“…Tell me you love me, damn you.” Bep says desperately. “Show me that you can change… please.”

…Darly then goes quiet… before suddenly speaking again.

“…I loved you with my life, Bep.” Says Darly. “I didn’t want this, I did it to myself… and I fucking hate myself for it… please, understand me, when I say that I love you with all my heart… you are my daughter, and I love you.”

…Bep only stares upon the back of Darly’s head. She notices that Darly is beginning to slow and hover back down to the ground.

“I wouldn’t be letting you shank me in the head right now if I wasn’t willing to change for the better.” Says Darly. “We can end this hell, and start over. Right here, right now.”

Bep continues to stare…

If she wants to change, she has to prove it. Take his word… she knows he wouldn’t be saying any of this if he didn’t truly care.

her expression goes stern. She slowly lifts the dagger…

…Then she strikes.

A hard blow directly to the back of the parasite’s head. Darly shrieks with gut wrenching agony… the city then begins to distort and bug out. Colors and unknown sounds fill the Pink City grounds as the world practically falls apart…

…Then…

…Nothing but darkness.

Horrendously quiet, deafening silence…

…And then… light.

Everything in the Pink City is quiet, practically dead, but it isn’t. Everyone that was once a dead brained zombie lay in the city’s center, so do the saviors of the city and the mad man. Everything is quiet…

Until everyone slowly begins waking up…

Everyone glances around. It’s like the entire universe suddenly reset… whatever god or legion may have allowed this change, they are eternally grateful for it.

As everyone wakes up, Darles slowly rises to his feet, the parasite no longer clinging to his head… his deal was broken, and the damage it caused was undone… he could actually change, even when he never thought he could… he can now.

Everyone in the city, including the idol hunters and Vondu, look upon the scene.

As Dento stares, he has a swift realization… he turns his head…

Elain stands directly next to him… Elain slowly processes the eyes looking to her, but she slowly sets her eyes back down, appearing ashamed.

…This shame stays, until Elain feels something cling to her side. She looks down to see Dento tightly hugging her leg, being too short to reach any higher. Elain only stares at the sight, appearing to be caught off guard by the sudden act… she wasn’t expecting this at all.

She expected he’d be upset with her, not even daring to look her in the eye, but he isn’t.

All Dento could focus on in that moment was his closest friend being alright. He could care less about what had happened, what they both caused.

That was in the past now. And they were going to use the future to improve. Change for the better.

Darles, in the crowd of citizens just coming to, stands in almost complete disbelief… it was done… he could actually try and live his life. A second chance…

“Darles!?” A voice shouts from the crowd. “Oh, golly, where’d you go!?”

Darles quickly recognizes the high pitched sound. His eyes dart around, trying to spot the voice’s source.

“…T-Thlouretta?” Darles exclaims softly into the crowd.

Suddenly, Thlouretta pops out from the crowd, appearing panicked. Her eyes glance around, until they halt onto the tall suited man in the middle of the crowd… a smile creeps up on Thlouretta’s face.

“…Darles?” Thlouretta asks in disbelief. “Is that you?”

“…I-I’m all that’s here now.” Says Darles.

Thlouretta, still smiling, slowly walks over to her old friend. As she stops, Darles gets down on one knee to be close to her height.

“…I missed you so much.” Thlouretta says softly.

“I did too.” Says Darles. “…I’m so sorry I left… but now that’s behind us. I can actually live again—!”

“Dad!?” Another voice shouts. Darles and Thlouretta look back to the crowd as Bep races through the citizens, marching directly towards her father. Bep gives Darles a stern look as she approaches him. Thlouretta steps to the side to give them so room.

Bep’s expression the softens. She’s almost in disbelief at what she’s seeing… her own father, actually willing to change. Bep and Darles exchange the same soft but awkward look.

“…I’m sorry, my daughter.” Says Darles. “I did you wrong, and I didn’t know… what I did was stupid… I can’t change what I did, but… I can at least change now, right?”

“…Yeah.” Says Bep, voice cracking slightly. “You can… so can I.”

The crowd softly gazes upon the the three in the center as Bep and Darles tenderly look to one another before Bep slowly brings out her arms, appearing hesitant. Darles never liked physical contact, and she knew that.

To Bep’s surprise, Darles tightly clings to his daughter in a hug. Bep gradually wraps her arms around Darles. Everyone begins to gush at the sight, including the idol hunters. Vondu though still appears stern, as usual.

Hoonis would love to ask to speak with Darles, but he believes he should give him time… he may not even want to be in showbiz anymore.

That doesn’t mean he still can’t speak with the showman… maybe, with time, he could befriend him.

—

It’s been a few days since the apocalypse had happened.

The Pink City has gone back to its regular cycle, for the most part. Some still appear traumatized by the attack, but with time, they will improve. A bunch of news reports had come out on the situation and it’s causes. Some didn’t pay attention to them, not wanting to think about the treacherous day.

Elain and Dento sit in their apartment’s kitchen, quietly eating the breakfast Dento prepared. Dento turns to Elain, who appears to look ashamed.

Suddenly, Elain’s phone goes off. A message from Dento.

'You ok?'

'No'

'Whats wrong? You can tell me'

'I feel horrible'

'Why?'

'All that crap I did to you. I hurt you'

'Yea?'

‘Why do you still keep me around after all I’ve done to to you?'

'Bc you are my friend Elain. I care abt you'

‘Why? I hurt you?'

'Bc you’re my friend'

'Friends care for each other. I know you care abt me. You didn’t mean to hurt me'

'You were just being stupid. I was too, but ppl do stupid shit all the time'

'We just have to learn how to improve'

'You get me?'

Elain appears hesitant to respond. Dento gives Elain and stern look and rises from his seat. He walks to Elain and jumps into her lap. He rightly hugs her. Elain is swiftly taken aback.

Dento picks up his phone again.

'You weren’t telling me things you should’ve'

'And I wasn’t paying enough attention to you'

'We both did smth dumb, but that doesn’t mean we can’t change'

'We just gotta learn from what we did. I know we can do that. Work together to change, just as we always have'

Elain looks to the messages from Dento on her screen as Dento remains in her lap. Dento turns to face Elain, giving her a look that says 'You get me?'.

Elain turns to Dento, still appearing hesitant, before Dento gently hugs her… a realization then comes to her. It all finally hits her.

She can change. She will change.

Change for the better.

…Elain gently returns the hug, promising to Dento that she will change for the better. And she imagines Dento promised the exact same thing.

They make a great team.

—

After preparing for the day, Hoonis exits his apartment, heading to Bep’s studio. She was quickly beginning to get her show back together after the tender meeting with her father, and she was having her first new airing that morning.

As Hoonis steps away from his small apartment complex, he pulls out his phone and goes into his contacts. As he finds Bep’s contact, he gazes upon the contact for his father.

…Unfortunately, not everyone can change. Not everyone wants to.

Hoonis swiftly deletes the contact from his phone. He doesn’t need that sour, unchangeable man in his phone anymore.

Hoonis presses on Bep’s contact, and his phone begins to ring. It takes a moment, but Bep eventually picks up.

“Hello, Bep!” Says Hoonis. “Are you ready?”

“Almost.” Says Bep from the other line. “Give me a moment.”

“Alright, see you in a bit!” Says Hoonis.

“You too.” Says Bep.

Hoonis hangs up and proudly struts down the street to Bep’s studio.

—

Bep sits in a small dressing room, prettying herself up for her first airing in days. All while she prepares herself, Bendle stands outside, directing the crew.

Suddenly, there is a knock on the dressing room door.

“Who’s there?” Bep asks her from seat.

The door slowly opens, allowing Bendle to peek through the door. “Someone wants to see you, Ms. Nemeni.” He says. Bendle steps aside and lets the guest in.

Darles steps from beside Bendle and slowly enters the dressing room. As he approaches Bep, Bep turns to Bendle.

“Thank you, Bendle.” Says Bep.

“No problem, Ms. Nemeni.” Says Bendle. He shuts the door, giving Bep and Darles privacy.

Darles turns to face Bep. If he had a mouth, he’d have a wide smile on his face. “You look wonderful, Bep.” Says Darles.

“Thank you.” Says Bep. “I appreciate it. You look great too with that new look.”

Darles looks down at himself. He had bought a new suit and tie, the suit being an emerald green and the tie being an vibrant yellow, colors contrasting and pairing with his body tones of teal and magenta.

“Thank you!” Says Darles with a slight chuckle. “I thought it would be a nice change. I’m not wearing that old shit suit anymore.”

“Hey.” Says Bendle, peeking through the door again. Darles and Bep turn as he begins to speak again. “You’re almost on. And Mr. Boogie’s here.”

“Thank you, Bendle.” Says Bep. “We’ll be out shortly.”

“No problem.” Says Bendle as he exits.

Bep notices Bendle didn’t call her 'Ms. Nemeni' like he should’ve…

She doesn’t mind though. She knows it was an accident.

She had changed. She no longer snapped at people.

She changed for the better. Something she never thought she could do.

Another knock on the door is heard. “Come in.” Says Bep.

Hoonis peels in through the door. “It’s about to be showtime!” He says. “Come on!”

Bep and Darles look up to each other with confidence. They both them head to the dressing room’s exit, now being backstage. They stand next to Hoonis, who stands next to Bendle.

“I’ll let you know when you’ll be on.” Says Bendle.

The trio nods. Bep then looks to the crowd, gazing upon them with wide eyes.

“You ready?” Hoonis asks Bep and Darles.

Bep and Darles nod confidently.

Suddenly, intro music is heard.

“You’re on!” Bendle whispers.

The trio then slowly walks out onto the stage and take a seat as the intro music ends. They all look out to the audience.

“Hello, again!” Bep announces to the audience. “It’s been awhile! Welcome back! Today’s very special, as I have not one, but two guests here today! Do you two want to introduce yourselves?” She asks as she turns to face Hoonis and Darles.

“Hello, everybody!” Hoonis dramatically exclaims to audience. “I am full-time show host Hoonis Boogie! A pleasure to see you all again.”

Darles appears slightly hesitant to speak. “…Hello.” He says. “I am Darles Nemeni, former showman and Ms. Nemeni’s father. It’s nice to be here.”

“Today, we’ll be interviewing these two beacons of entertainment, discussing their lives since the recent apocalypse and where they’re going from there. Do either of you have anywhere you’d like to start?”

“Oh, well…” Hoonis begins. “I’ve been fine, mostly… nightmares are a pain, but that’s life! Am I right?” The audience chuckles.

Darles chuckles softly. “I’ve been okay.” He says. His eyes trail off a bit. “I’ve been at home, getting used to… living again… it’s refreshing.”

“Since recent news broadcastings after the initial attack, most people know about the involvement you two had in it.” Says Bep. “How do you feel about that?”

“…Weird.” Says Hoonis, chuckling slightly. “I never thought I’d be a city-wide hero. Now my dad can shut up about me being a failure!” The audience laughs, with some cheers sprinkled throughout.

Darles’ gaze averts again. He appears ashamed. “…I was almost surprised no one looked at me funny.” He says. “I caused that mess and yet… I’m not being attacked.”

“I think that’s because they saw that you wanted to change, dad.” Says Bep.

Darles chuckles. “…Maybe.” He says.

Bep then turns her head to face the audience. “To my audience, I want you all to know this.” She begins. “Anyone can change, if they’re willing to. To truly change means to show that you want to change, you want to be better. And that’s what my father and I have set out to do.”

“Not everyone can change, and that’s okay!” Hoonis butts in. “Focus on the ones who actually want that change. Like Darles and Bep here!”

“Exactly, Hoonis!” Says Bep. “You took the words right out my mouth.”

“…I may have another chance, but not everyone gets that.” Darles butts in. “Use whatever chances you have to improve. It’s good for you, for others.”

Bep nods. “You have the opportunity to change for the better.” She says. “Use it.”

The sound of the outro music then cuts through the motivational air. The interviewer and showmen look to the audience.

“Oh, it’s time for a commercial break!” Says Bep. “We’ll see you all real soon!”

As the outro music comes to a close, everyone who had been watching is left in a quiet awe.

Anyone can change. Everyone has the ability to be better, but not everyone can be better.

Such is the way of life.

Imperfection is very prevalent in our world, but that shouldn’t stop you or others from seeking great things.

- END -

Previous Chapter:

[gooseworx]

what is thlouretta gudds like outside of the darly boxman show

exactly the same

[galaxygorl-does-stuff]

✨🌈darly boxman lore dump🌈✨

for those of you who don't know, The Darly Boxman Show is a short video made by gooseworx prior to tadc (you should watch it if you haven't already pls its really good, cw for eye contact)

it's connected to the Pink City universe (so like elain the bounty hunter and stuff) and is an in-universe kids show that follows Darly Boxman, Mimlimim, and milkpooch as they do weird stuff

more under the cut because this is going to be long

if you're reading this then beware you are about to dive into my crazed ramblings about a guy who has a lot of shit going on actually

actors in the darly boxman show

So, as mentioned before, the darly boxman show is a show in the pink city universe starring Darles nemeni as darly boxman, Thlouretta Gudds as mimlimim, and milkpooch as itself

(image 1 bright colors cw and image 2 eye contact cw)

milkpooch and mimlimim look the same out of the show, but darles looks a little different:

you may be wondering, "his normal eyes look so much friendlier than the box eyes why'd he do that lol" and the answer is.....

✨⭐nobody knows⭐✨

his eyes just kinda change when he puts on the box, its some "wacky cartoon logic that can't be explained" according to gooseworx

Hoonis Boogie's obsession

Hoonis boogie is the moon looking guy hugging the tv (see below). He is the host of the annual ghost of the year event. Hoonis most likely constantly rewatches the show, and wants to be "as good a host as [darly]." (sadly I couldn't find much information on this)

Darles nemeni's daughter

darles nemeni had a life apart from the darly boxman show (more or less), so lets talk about that. Starting with the fact that he has a daughter (:0 whoag) and her name is Bep nemeni

Darles mainly wanted a child to continue his legacy with the darly boxman show. Bep didn't like this and now runs an adult talk show and loudly hates kids shows.

Comic gooseworx made about darly and bep here <- link

What happened to darles

You may have noticed I said darles *had* a life apart of the darly boxman show. If you skip past the credits of the youtube video, there's a message.

The current pink city year is 2025. Darles has been missing for ~20 pink city years.

There are canonically 401 darly boxman episodes in universe and the show was running for ~15 years

However, signs are pointing to either darly coming back or hoonis going missing with him.

Since we more or less know how the eyes work with the box head, it's likely that hoonis and darly will interact at some point.

here's some more trivia that I couldn't figure out how to work into this post:

it's a kids show that wasn't really a kids show

I hit the image limit but at some point gooseworx drew darles being dragged somewhere screaming "no I don't wanna go to therapy" with the caption "he was on the verge of a creative breakthrough"

Anyway yeah darly boxman lore post because I'm fixating a little bit yay

[askdarlesnemeni]

Is there anything I can do to help?

(admin likes your icon as well !!)

[heyimanowl]

Ive been too lazy here's a fully colored Darly boxman to atone for my sins!

[peanut-tyrug]

Pink City AU: Hunt for the Boxman

Prologue: Part 1 - Admirer to Hunter

TV show host Hoonis Boogie sets out to find his long missing idol, Darles Nemeni. The man who created the one-hit wonder “The Darly Boxman Show”.

—

NOTICE: This AU is partially based on my ideas/interpretation. If anything appears to be inaccurate, I apologize. I tried to work with what little I had to make smth. I also took a few artistic liberties.

Another thing: THE PINK CITY AND IT’S CHARACTERS DO NOT BELONG TO ME!! IT BELONGS TO GOOSEWORX!! Some canon lore for The Pink City has also been implemented in this story. This is just an AU/story I made based on it. If you’d like to check out The Pink City series itself, check it out here!

—

TRIGGER WARNING: This fic contains the hearing of voices, emotional outbursts, caps, swearing, and family issues. If you aren’t comfortable with these things, please don’t read this.

Something a creative can desire is being acknowledged for their work. Remembered for what they gave the world. Acknowledged by those seeking fame.

Whether intentional or not, it can still happen to those who come across the work of someone now long gone.

Two young siblings in a family of six, Remney and Hoonis Boogie, sit in their homes dusty attic. Remney, the second oldest daughter amongst the quartet of siblings, is scouring through boxes. The youngest and only boy of the four, Hoonis, watches his sister scour.

“…Oh, where are they?” Remney asks herself.

“Where’s what?” Hoonis asks.

“You’ll see, Hoonis.” Says Remney.

Remney continues to look through the boxes. As she opens up her next box, she’s finally found what she was looking for. “Oh! Here it is!” She says excitedly, yet softly.

Remney takes out a few old VHS tapes and sets them on the ground for Hoonis to see. Hoonis glances over what’s been put in front of him. “…What’re these?”

“These are old tapes of a show the others and I used to watch, 'The Darly Boxman Show'.” Says Remney. “I haven’t watched it in ages… it’s been one of the few things to bring me joy. The others though… they don’t like as much, unfortunately…”

“What’s it about?” Hoonis asks.

“You’ll see.” Says Remney. “Help me get these downstairs, please.”

Remney opens the attic door and heads down the ladder. As she approaches the floor, Hoonis slowly hands her the tapes, which she sets on the ground as she receives them. Once the tapes have been set aside, Remney helps Hoonis down and shuts the attic door. She picks up the tapes and the two head over to their small living room. Remney puts a tape in the old TV and sits next to her brother already seated on the floor. It takes a bit, but the program eventually boots up.

The screen is taken up by a bright yellow background. A large, colorful logo then slides into view, 'The Darly Boxman Show'. Hoonis is quickly pulled in at the sight of the character portraits sliding into view.

Darly Boxman, who is literally what you’d think it is, a man with a box for a head with a pair eyes popping out of it. Mimlimim, a woman with offset white eyes and vibrant blue head. And Milkpooch, basically a white dog.

Once the vibrant yellow screen fades, a wide shot of the three characters comes into a view. As the title music comes to a close, Darly Boxman looks to the viewers with bright blue bloodshot eyes.

“Hey, kids! Welcome back to show!” Darly says in a high and peppy tone of voice. “I’d do the normal thing and catch you up on what we’ve been doing out here, but there’s simply NO TIME!” Darly puts his hands up to his box head. He then looks over to Milkpooch. “Isn’t that right, Milkpooch?”

Milkpooch responds to the question in beeps. It moves it’s head around as it speaks.

“Oh!” Darly says as his eyes widen. He glances away from Milkpooch worriedly.

Milkpooch speaks some more in response to Darly’s surprise. Darly looks back at the animal.

Darly glances away from Milkpooch again, and then looks back at it. “…We don’t have to do this right now if you’re really not feeling up for it.”

Milkpooch speaks again.

“Why are you so mad at me?” Darly asks sternly, his voice deeper and less energetic than what it had been before. It appears he’s broken character.

Milkpooch pauses before beeping a single time in response to Darly.

“Okay, THAT’S IT YOU LITTLE SON OF A B**CH!” Darly exclaims, the swear barely being censored. Darly picks Milkpooch up and throws it into the air. As Milkpooch soars, it appears to have hit something. The unknown object then reveals itself to be a white pyramid with eyes on each surface. Darly looks back in confusion.0

Mimlimim then looks forward in surprise at the pyramid. “Wowie! Darly, look!” She says through a text box. “We found Zendamina! Which means we’re near one of the seven concraduous temples!”

“That must be why Milkpooch was so rude to me!” Says Darly.

As the episode continues to progress, another one of Hoonis and Remney’s family members appears.

“Are you showing him that show we used to watch?” Asks Denise, the oldest of the four siblings, looking over to Remney. “How’d you even find those tapes?”

Remney looks back to Denise. “I found them in the attic.” She says.

“Will he like it?” Asks the second to youngest sibling, Puudle, who has also shown up beside Denise. “I never really liked it.”

“Who cares if you didn’t like it?” Asks Hoonis, looking back to Puudle. “I like it.” He looks back to the small TV.

“You do you.” Says Denise. “Have fun.” She walks off. Puudle follows.

Remney then turns over to Hoonis. “Hey, I’m gonna go paint… do you know how to handle the tapes?”

“I do.” Says Hoonis.

“Okay… don’t get tangled in the film reels.” Says Remney. She walks off and heads to her room, leaving Hoonis alone.

Hoonis stares intently at the screen, completely immersed in the world of Darly Boxman.

“…Maybe one day I’ll be able to meet you, Darly Boxman.” Hoonis says to himself. “Be just as good a host as you…”

Eventually, once the episode ends and the credits begin to roll, the show host’s name appears.

'CREATED BY DARLES NEMENI'

Darles Nemeni.

A name Hoonis would remember for all time. A name permanently glued to his brain.

Whether you like it or not, when you make something that someone admires and adores, that someone will always want to meet you and learn from you. Discover how to be a grand creative the people will remember for generations.

Regardless of if you’re even around anymore.

—

It’s early in the morning. Hoonis sits quietly in front of the TV, intently staring at the screen, before a sudden news broadcast pops up. Hoonis is snapped out of his trance, but continues to look at the screen.

“We interrupt this program to announce that Darles Nemeni, the well known creator of the children’s program: 'The Darly Boxman Show', has suddenly gone missing.” Says the news reporter.

Hoonis’ eyes go wide with shock. “…Huh?” He moves closer to the screen.

“Authorities and friends of the celebrity have looked through his home, but he was nowhere to be found. Not even his daughter was certain of his whereabouts.” Says the news reporter.

The shot then cuts to the actress of Mimlimim, Thlouretta Gudds, sitting in a chair. She’s being interviewed. “I tried giving Darles a call, but he didn’t answer… we had an episode to shoot today.” She says. “…Gee, I hope he’s okay… he didn’t seem too well when he was leaving the studio yesterday…”

The shot cuts back to the reporter. “The whereabouts and fate of the celebrity are currently unknown, and until further notice, Darles Nemeni is presumed missing.” Says the reporter. “Thank you all for your time.”

The TV then cuts back to what Hoonis had previously been watching. His eyes are wide with shock. He sits back. “…WHAT!?” He shouts.

“Hoonis!?” Hoonis’ mother exclaims as she rushes into the living room, the father following behind her. “Are you alright?”

“It’s Darles Nemeni!” Hoonis shouts. “He’s missing!”

“…Who?” The mother asks, before realization hits her. “…Oh, the man that made Darly Boxman?”

“Yes!” Hoonis exclaims. “He’s missing! What if he’s dead!?”

“Oh, honey,” Says the mother as she approaches her son. “I’m certain he’s okay.”

“Heh, I doubt it.” The father chuckles. “That man’s a looney from what I heard.”

“Don’t say that!” Says the mother sternly, now looking back to her husband. She turns back to Hoonis. “Don’t listen to him, Hoonis. I bet Mr. Nemeni is just fine.”

“…I hope so.” Says Hoonis. “Maybe I’ll find him… someday…”

Someday…

Maybe the desire to meet an idol can turn into that of a scavenger hunt for a long lost man.

—

It’s been years. 20 years, to be exact, since Darles Nemeni had went missing. He’s yet to be found. There hasn’t been a single word of him since his disappearance.

Well, barely…

Hoonis Boogie, now a fairly well know and infamous TV show host in the Pink City, has occasionally went around asking citizens if they’d ever heard of the man.

After asking many civilians and getting nowhere, he resorted to finding those who had known Darly.

“Have you ever heard of a man named Darles Nemeni?” Hoonis asks struggling freelance photographer Puggs Nisterly, who was the director of photography for Darles’ show.

“…I worked with him. We go way back.” Says Puggs. “But, I haven’t seen him. Sorry, man.”

~~~

“The weather today is clear now, but some hard rain may be coming in later, so keep those umbrellas high.” Says Marmalo Luzz Jr., a radio host, and the son of Marmalo Luzz, who was an actor on Darles’ show.

“Excuse me,” Says Hoonis, suddenly barging into Marmalo’s recording room. “Have you heard of a man named Darles Nemeni?”

“Huh? What?” Says Marmalo, turning back. “No, man! Get out!” Marmalo gets up from his seat and drags Hoonis out the booth. Hoonis attempts to let himself back in, but to no avail.

~~~

Something that can be hard to stomach is hopelessness. Losing all the confidence you had, and watching it be slammed in a blender.

Hoonis had tried all he could. Digging through old episodes to find others who had worked with Darles, but not being able to find many. Most cast and crew members either no longer lived in the city or had passed on. He’s tried to look into the man’s life too, but there wasn’t much of anything that could’ve explained what had caused him to go missing.

…Other than possibly how insane Darles was. Or acted.

The man had gotten noticeably mentally unstable as his show progressed. Maybe the show had gone on for so long that he was just tired of working on it? If so, why did he not stop? Because he wanted money? Is his insanity rooted from something else? Had he always been like that?

As Hoonis walks down the street, feeling helpless, a poster on a wall catches his eye. He looks up at it.

The poster shows a woman dressed in a gray suit. A happy look lays on her face. Hoonis looks up to see a show title. 'The Bep Nemeni Show', it says. To side of the poster reads a slogan of some kind: 'Live. Laugh. Loathe.' it reads.

Hoonis ponders over the name. Bep Nemeni…

“DARLES’ DAUGHTER!?” Hoonis shouts. “She has her own show?”

Hoonis quickly becomes invigorated with hope. She can help him get more insight on the man.

He needs to get on her show…

But how? Hoonis isn’t certain.

Amongst his thoughts, Hoonis’ phone begins to ring. He scrambles through his suit’s pocket and picks the device out. Denise, now his manager, is giving him a call.

“Hello?” Hoonis asks.

“Hoonis,” Denise says from the other line. “Get to theatre quick. You need to be ready for Ghost of the Year by the time the sun sets. Can you do that for me?”

“OH SHIT— RIGHT!” Says Hoonis. He had forgotten. He’d be hosting the 57th annual Ghost of the Year that night. “I’ll be there! Thanks for reminding me!”

“You’re welcome.” Says Denise, she hangs up.

Hoonis begins rushing to theatre. Amongst his crazed thoughts on his show that night, he keeps Bep’s show in his mind.

He’ll get on her show… somehow.

—

The show appears to be going smoothly. Everyone is happy and Hoonis is doing well.

“Judges! Have you made up your minds?” Hoonis asks.

One of the judges, a glitched and shadowy being with a singular eye, nods.

“Okay! I guess it’s that time of night where we find out which one of these horrifying ghosts will be our GHOST OF THE YEAR!” Hoonis declares, the crowd cheers.

From the distorted being, an envelope flies out of their head and hovers directly into Hoonis’ face.

“Ow! The f**k was that?” Hoonis asks.

The being moves it’s arm and beeps in response.

“Alright!” Hoonis begins. “The Ghost of the year is…!” He pauses, as a big star in above the stage hovers over the various chosen ghosts picked for that year, fixing to chose the winner.

Although, it seems to be taking awhile. A little too long.

The distorted judge seems to be irritated by how long the judging is taking. They expand into a large mass, causing the stage to glitch out. Including everyone there and the show’s host.

Hoonis let’s out a distorted shrill before everything suddenly goes dark and quiet.

—

Hoonis suddenly wakes up. He gasps and looks around.

He’s no longer in the theatre.

Instead, he’s in a hospital room. The only sounds coming from a heart monitor and a small fan in the corner of the room. His head feels like it’s stinging a bit. Hoonis feels his head to realize bandages have been wrapped over it.

Hoonis sighs and lays himself on the bed. Who knew that bringing suspense could wreak absolute havoc on a theatre full of civilians?

…Lord knows how long he’ll be stuck in bed.

…How was he going to get on Bep’s show now…?

Suddenly, a knock is heard. Hoonis looks over to the door.

“Mr. Boogie?” A voice calls.

“…Yes…?” Hoonis asks.

The door slowly opens, revealing the source of the voice. Hoonis’ eyes go wide.

Bep Nemeni herself steps into the room.

Hoonis quickly rises. “…Bep Nemeni!?” He asks. “Is that you?”

“Yes, Mr. Boogie.” Bep replies.

“Oh, call me Hoonis.” Says Hoonis. “What are you doing here?” He asks jovially.

“I saw your live show tonight.” Says Bep. “I really liked it. I wanted to ask if you’d like to—“

“YES!” Hoonis exclaims.

“LET ME TALK!” Bep yells back.

Hoonis is taken aback by the sudden anger.

…Maybe she got that from her father?

“…I wanted to ask if you’d like to be on my show sometime. When you get better.” Bep says.

“Of course!” Says Hoonis. “I’d be honored to be on your show.”

Hoonis then suddenly gets an idea.

“…I have a question for you, if you don’t mind answering.” Says Hoonis.

Before Bep can ask about Hoonis’ question, her watch suddenly beeps. She looks down at it. Her face engulfs in worry. “Oh, I’m sorry. I have a meeting to get to.” She says. “We can talk about your question after my show with you, okay?”

Hoonis quickly becomes washed in disappointment. “…Sure.” He says.

“Good.” Says Bep. “And take this, it has my studio’s address and number on it. Call me when you’re ready.” She pulls out a small card from her suit pocket.

“Thank you.” Says Hoonis, trying to hide his disappointment. He takes the card.

“You’re welcome. Get well soon.” Bep exits the room, shutting the door behind her.

Hoonis sighs.

He’ll just have to wait a bit longer.

—

It’s been a few days since the accident on stage. Hoonis has mostly recovered. He still has bandages wrapped on his head.

It’s fairly late in the afternoon. Hoonis sits on his head, phone in hand. He types Bep’s number into the phone. It rings, before Bep picks up.

“Hello?” Bep asks.

“Hi, Ms. Nemeni. It’s Hoonis.” Says Hoonis. “I’m out of the hospital. I think I’m ready to join your show.”

“Great.” Says Bep. “Come by the studio at 4:30 pm tomorrow, got it?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Says Hoonis.

“Good.” Says Bep. “See you tomorrow.”

“You too.” Says Hoonis. He hangs up.

If he had a mouth, a large smile would be plaster on his face. He bubbles with excitement.

The time had finally come.

—

It’s the next day. And despite him still experiencing headaches, and the odd visions of his now deceased mother, he feels he’s recovered enough to finally see Bep and join her on her show. As he finishes getting ready, he picks up his phone and rings up his father. He’d call Remney, but she’s busy.

“Dad!” Hoonis exclaims. “I think I’m getting close to finding Darles!”

“Whose that?” The father asks in an old and bitter tone.

“…Darles Nemeni? The one who made Darly Boxman? The man I’ve been searching for since I left home?” Hoonis tries to remind his dad.

“…Oh, that one.” Says the father. “You’re still after him? What’s up with you?”

“I have a dream you don’t get.” Says Hoonis. “I want to be just like him. Learn what he learned… only mother would appreciate my aspirations…” He reminisces.

“Who cares? She’s dead.” Says the father. “But, I know I can’t stop you. Go after that lunatic all you want. Don’t come crying to me or your sisters when he turns you down.”

“I hope I don’t have to!” Says Hoonis. “And stop doubting me!” Hoonis hangs up the phone and shoves it into his pocket. He heads out of his rickety old apartment and heads to Bep’s studio to prepare for the show. He proudly walks down the street.

—

Hoonis continues to walk down the street, Bep’s card in hand, until he stops at a fairly large yet still small building. It’s address matching the one on the card. Hoonis slowly walks up to the door and slowly knocks.

It takes a bit, but someone eventually opens the door. The man looks down at Hoonis.

“…Hey.” Says the man. “…Mr. Boogie? Hoonis?”

“Yes…” Hoonis looks at the man’s name tag. “Bendle. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too, sir.” Says Bendle. “Ms. Nemeni’s waiting for you. I can take you to her.”

“Thank you.” Says Hoonis.

“No problem, sir.” Says Bendle.

Bendle takes Hoonis down a few small hallways before slowing into the backstage room. It’s dark. Scattered around are a few cameramen and other crew members holding flashlights. Among them is Bep, who is speaking to a cameraman. She doesn’t sound very happy.

“…Is she alright?” Hoonis asks.

“She does that a lot.” Bendle responds.

“…Do you…” Hoonis begins. “…ever get tired of it?”

Bendle doesn’t respond. He only glares down.

As Bep is sternly and harshly whispering to the cameraman, she turns her head. Her expression quickly changes. She then approaches the men.

“Hoonis!” Says Bep. “I’m glad to see you’re doing better.”

“I-I am too.” Says Hoonis.

“Is there anything I need to do, ma’am?” Bendle asks Bep.

“Yes,” Bep begins. “Go over to the cameraman and teach how to do his job. He can’t do it right.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Says Bendle. He heads off to man Bep had been talking to.

“Are you ready?” Bep asks.

“Ready as I’ll ever be! Heh.” Says Hoonis in an excited tone.

“Just as peppy as you were when I first saw you!” Says Bep. “Get yourself situated. We’re almost ready to go on air.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Says Hoonis as he nods. Bep leaves him to go check on her crew again. He looks around.

Everyone is preparing for the show to start. Everyone must be nervous.

Hoonis is especially nervous.

He’s been waiting forever to talk to someone that knew Darles. Someone that would hopefully have insight on Darles that had never been publicized.

As he wanders through his mind, Bep suddenly appears by him. “Are you ready?” She asks.

“Yes.” Hoonis responds, his voice tinged with nervous excitement.

Suddenly, music blares from beyond the back of the set. Bep takes Hoonis’ arm and drags him out. They enter the set, and in front of them, a large audience sits. Each seat looks to be taken up. Everyone’s claps and cheers echo through the set.

They’re on air.

Hoonis hasn’t been this excited or nervous about a show in years.

As the two hosts go up on stage, Bep releases Hoonis, allowing him to take his seat.

After the music stops, Bep begins her opening. “Hey, everybody!” She says excitedly as she sets herself in a seat. “How are you all doing?” She shouts to the crowd. Everyone claps and cheers.

“On tonight’s show, we have someone very special! You might’ve seen him before!” Bep begins. “Please welcome, Hoonis Boogie!”

The audience cheers again. Hoonis quickly rises from his seat and lifts his arms into the air. “HELLOOOO, EVERYBODY!!” He shouts, letting his inner TV star shine. The crowd cheers even louder. Hoonis sets himself back down. The crowd simmers.

“How are you tonight, Hoonis?” Bep asks.

“My emotions are very conflicted right now!” Says Hoonis. The crowd laughs.

“Okay!” Says Bep. “For those unfamiliar, Hoonis here has been a show host for— how many years?” She asks.

“Around ten years, since I got out of college.” Says Hoonis. “Heh, it was a hellhole, let me tell you!” The crowd laughs.

“I’d imagine it was!” Says Bep, chuckling. “Just like my father!” The crowd laughs again.

Hoonis ponders over the statement… Bep doesn’t like her father? Was it a joke?

“Anyway,” Bep continues. “Some of you may know Hoonis as the current host Ghost of the Year! Matter of fact, he recently hosted one of those shows, but it didn’t go very well.”

“It, in fact, did not.” Says Hoonis.

“How are you feeling, Hoonis?” Bep asks. “After that incident? You didn’t get your funny bone tickled too much now, did you?” The crowd laughs.

“Now, I won’t bore you with the details of my oddly swift recovery, but the visions of my dead mother are finally starting to fade! And thank God for that, am I right?” Says Hoonis. The crowd laughs as Bep nods in agreement.

Amongst the crowd’s cheers and laughter, a faint voice can be heard. “Yeah! I hate my mom!” Says the voice.

“That’s wonderful to hear, Hoonis! I’m glad you’re feeling better!” Says Bep.

“Heh, I am too.” Says Hoonis. “I don’t have to hear my mother’s distorted whispers in the night anymore!” The crowd laughs again.

“Yes, yes, exactly!” Says Bep. “Moving on from that, I have a question for you, Hoonis. What inspired you to become a TV star?”

“Oh! It started when I was young.” Hoonis begins. “A dear sister of mine showed me these old tapes she and my other siblings watched when they were young, 'The Darly Boxman Show'. I’d imagine you’re familiar with it?”

Bep then appears to be a bit strained. “O-oh! Yes!” She says, sounding slightly irritated. “I’m familiar!”

“…Are you alright?” Hoonis asks.

“I’m alright!” Says Bep. “No need to get your gears all stuck in a jam!” The crowd chuckles.

“…As long as you’re okay with it.” Says Hoonis. “Anyway, the creator of the show, your father, he went missing. And I’ve been trying to find him for years. I’ve been wanting to meet him ever since I had been exposed to him…”

“Maybe you shouldn’t.” Says Bep under her breath.

“…What?” Hoonis asks.

“Maybe you shouldn’t go after him.” Says Bep again, slightly louder.

“Why?” Hoonis asks.

Suddenly, Bep aggressively stands from her seat. “BECAUSE HE’S A TERRIBLE MAN!!” She shouts. “All he wanted me for was to continue his legacy, continue his show! HE NEVER CARED ABOUT WHAT I WANTED!! WHAT I WANTED TO DO WITH MY OWN LIFE!! Why go after a man who cared more about his legacy than his own family!?”

Hoonis is taken aback. “…I-I’m certain he loved you very much.” He says.

“HE NEVER LOVED ME!!” Bep responds.

“Are you sure of that?” Hoonis asks. “Did he ever show he loved you?”

“If he ever did, I doubt he meant it.” Bep responds.

As Bep stares Hoonis down, the crowd begins to talk amongst each other. Bep snaps out of her anger and looks to audience. “Haha! We’ll be right back after our commercial break!” She then picks Hoonis up by his shoulder and drags him off stage. Outro music plays as the the crowd slowly claps.

Bep drags Hoonis out of the set and into a hallway. She grabs him by the shoulders. “WHAT DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND!?” She yells. “HE NEVER LOVED OR CARED FOR ME!! He just wanted me for his STUPID SHOW!!” She pushes Hoonis away.

Hoonis stumbles back, but regains his balance. He stares Bep in the eyes. “…But don’t you miss him? At least a bit?”

Bep doesn’t answer. She looks down.

“…That’s none of your business.” She says. “Just go.”

Hoonis hesitates, wanting to speak again.

“Please.” Bep says quickly, cutting Hoonis off.

Hoonis steps away from Bep, leaving her alone. As he walks off, he can hear faint sobbing from the nearby hall.

She’s likely not happy that the crowd had to see her in such a state. Another thought sticks to his head.

…She does miss him. Although, not outwardly.

Hoonis doesn’t want to think Darles was a man that didn’t care for his family. He was a celebrity, but hopefully one that actually cared about others. About his daughter.

After all, why would you want to idolize someone who reminded you of your own unloving father?

…Maybe it’s all a misunderstanding on Bep’s part?

The only way to know is to meet the man himself.

…Hoonis is desperate. Desperate to find anything on where Darles may have gone. Who the man was… and why he acted the way he did…

…What if there’s something here that had gone unnoticed?

As Hoonis walks, Bendle appears to his side.

“Hey—“ Bendle begins.

“AH!” Hoonis yelps, startled. “Bendle! Hello! Do you need something?”

“I can wash your vest if you’d like.” Bendle suggests. “We have a washer here. I thought it’d be good to wash it for you. As an apology for what happened tonight.”

“Oh!” Says Hoonis. “Thank you! I appreciate it.” Hoonis removes sparkling violet vest and hands it to Bendle.

“You’re welcome, sir.” Says Bendle, taking the vest. “You can stay here 'til you get your vest back.”

The two men separate. As Hoonis walks, he tries to find a spot where he can start looking for evidence.

Hoonis is suddenly filled with determination as he turns to see a small storage room. He quietly opens the door and enters. Around the dark room are various boxes stacked on top of each other, which are likely full of props and equipment. Hoonis begins scrambling through one of the boxes… only to find old VCR tapes.

Hoonis reaches for one of the tapes and stares at it. No title indicating what could be hiding within those reels of film. He looks around some more to spot an old TV sitting in a small hidden part of the room, hidden behind a box.

Hoonis steps to TV and spots cords within the box. He turns to see an outlet near the TV.

Only one thing to do with all this.

Hoonis plugs the TV up and sticks a tape into the tape player. Static appears on the screen… before a very familiar bright yellow background appears…

Realization and nostalgia hit Hoonis like a truck.

These are Darly Boxman tapes…

—

It’s been a few hours. The sun has likely set by now. What started as a search for clues has turned into a show binge as Hoonis intently watches the episode’s ending play out. His bow tie has also been untied, unbeknownst to Hoonis.

As the episode’s credits roll, Hoonis places a hand to the screen and rubs it down the buzzing glass.

“Oh, Darly Boxman…” Says Hoonis. “Will I ever be as good a host as you?”

As Hoonis admires his idol, the door to the storage room opens. Hoonis turns his eyes to spot Bendle staring him down.

Hoonis turns his head around to stare at the man in silence, before speaking up again. “I wouldn’t remember this if I were you!” He says.

Bendle then shuts the door and stands in the hallway, confused by what he saw. “…All I wanted to do was tell him his vest was done drying…”

“Bendle?” Bep asks Bendle as she approaches. “Where is Hoonis? I don’t think he’s left the studio…” Irritation bubbles in her voice.

“…I-in there…” Says Bendle, pointing to the door.

“What?” Bep asks, heavily irritated.

Bep slams open the door to see Hoonis placing another tape in the TV. Hoonis looks back as tape slowly enters the slot. Bep stares in utter anger and dismay at the sight of her father’s show intro begins to play.

“…WHAT IN GOD’S NAME ARE YOU DOING!?” Bep asks furiously.

“H-hello, Bep!” Says Hoonis. “I just found these old tapes and—“

Before Hoonis can continue, Bep goes up to the screen and punches it, breaking the screen. Glass gets thrown around everywhere, but no one is terribly hurt.

“…Got carried away.” Hoonis finishes his sentence.

“Bendle!” Says Bep, turning to face Bendle. “Find who smuggled in these tapes!”

“Y-yes, ma’am.” Bendle hurries off.

Bep then slowly turns to Hoonis and looks him dead in the eyes. “…What about 'I hate my father' do you not understand?” She asks, voice shaking with anger.

“I-I…” Hoonis stammers. “I was only trying to see if there’s anything I could find on Darles…”

“What the hell could I possibly be hiding from you!?” Bep asks.

Hoonis thinks about Bep’s statement… “…Nothing about his personal life, I’d imagine. I’d be left to believe he was always a busy man…” Says Hoonis. “But, still, did he ever truly show he never loved you?”

Bep looks taken aback. She then gets up and drags Hoonis out of the room and to the washers. She takes his vest out of a drying machine and hands it to him.

“Get out.” Says Bep. “I’m done with you.”

Hoonis hesitates. He stands silently.

“Get. Out.” Says Bep, even more sternly than before. “GET OUT!!”

Hoonis hurries out of the washers and heads for the exit. Bep storms off.

Hoonis almost trips as he exits Bep’s studio. The sun has set. The sky is dark and the buildings are a deep purple. Hoonis walks down the sidewalk as puts his vest back on and fixes his tie.

His arms sag, he walks slow. The day that he had been waiting for has become one of the most disappointing days Hoonis has ever lived.

—

Hoonis has been trying for days. Going after any morsel of info he could find, but there wasn’t anything. No new point to go off from.

He’s watched tapes, interviews, everything he could find and purchase from sellers. He’s even rewatched them, thinking there could’ve been something he missed.

Everything…

And yet, nothing.

He stands in his room in front of a bulletin board he made, pacing. Trying to connect the dots.

No new information on Darles. Nothing.

“Oh, dear God!” Hoonis shouts into the air. “Give me a sign! A new lead! Anything!!”

Hoonis plops onto the floor, onto his back, desperate for answers. Desperate for anything that could help him.

Amongst his silent pleas, that he thought would fall on deaf ears…

“…HELP…” Calls an unknown voice.

Hoonis quickly rises and glances around.

“…HELP ME…”

No one is there.

The word repeats in high yet desperate tone.

“…HELP…”

“…HELP…”

“…HELP…”

An idea crosses Hoonis’ mind.

He needed help…

…What if he had some extra help in finding Darles?

What if he had been trying to look for him all wrong? What if he needed extra hands?

He wants to call Remney, but she’s busy. Busy with art things. Hoonis then gets another idea.

Go around the city. Ask who could be of help. Who wouldn’t want to help a celebrity?

—

It’s early in the night. The Pink City has been coated in a soothing purple hue.

All appears calm and well.

…But it’s not.

“Excuse me! Hello!” Hoonis calls out into the street. “Would anyone be so kind as to help a celebrity find his idol?”

Hoonis goes up to multiple citizens as he calls out. Each one moves out his way, creeped out by the stranger asking for such a thing no one wanted any part in.

As Hoonis scouts the area for people to ask, he spots two strangers sitting in front of a gonstri shop. Both strangers appear to be wearing causal clothes. One is wearing a fedora on her head while the other has a cigarette in his mouth.

Hoonis rushes over to the table the strangers are sitting at and body slams on top of it. Both strangers appear to be stunned, the fedora wearing one more so than the other.

“WOULD YOU BE SO KIND AS TO HELP A CELEBRITY LOOK FOR HIS IDOL!?” Hoonis shouts into the fedora wearing woman’s face.

The woman, looking panicked, darts her eyes around before pushing Hoonis off of her shoulders. The man gets up from his seat and stares Hoonis down, almost as if he’s defending his friend.

Fear begins to bubble within Hoonis. He gets off the table and stands before the duo.

“Have you ever heard of a man named Darles Nemeni?” Asks Hoonis. “Darly Boxman?”

The man shakes his head, a no. The other, however, looks as if she’s thinking. Trying to recall something…

Hoonis looks with desperation as he waits for an answer.

The woman then looks to the man and outlines a box over her head.

Hoonis’ eyes light up. “Yes!” He says. “You know who he is?”

The woman then begins to think. She eventually looks back up at Hoonis and shrugs.

“You don’t know?” Hoonis asks.

The woman shakes her head. Her friend then looks to her, then to his phone. He’s texting her. The woman does the same.

…Hoonis wonders why they’re texting.

“What are you texting for?” Hoonis asks.

The duo looks up at Hoonis. The man then shows him his phone. It appears to be how they communicate.

Hoonis takes notice of the contact name at the top of the screen.

“…Elain?” Hoonis asks.

He looks to the duo. The woman, Elain, nods. She shows Hoonis her phone to show him her friend’s name.

“…Dento.” Says Hoonis. The man, Dento, nods once Hoonis turns to face him. Hoonis then decides it’s best he introduces himself. “Well, allow me to introduce myself! I am TV star Hoonis Boogie! But, just call me Hoonis. Good names, by the way.” He puts out his hand.

The duo nods as Dento steps foward to Hoonis. He hesitates, but eventually shakes his hand.

“Now that that’s done, would you mind helping look for Darly Boxman?” Hoonis asks. “He’s my idol, and I’ve been trying to find him for years, but to no avail. I’ve considered asking around the city for help, and so far, you two are the only ones who haven’t run away from me! Would you mind lending a hand?”

Dento looks to Elain. Elain looks to Dento.

They appear to be questioning Hoonis.

Hoonis questions as to why as Elain looks up at him. Desperation coats his eyes.

Elain looks back to her phone. She begins typing. So does Dento.

Hoonis waits for a response, his heart pounding from the anticipation.

Elain and Dento pack their phones in their pockets and face Hoonis. Elain puts her hand out for Hoonis to shake.

Hoonis’ eyes light up with happiness and excitement. He takes Elain’s hand and firmly shakes it. “Thank you, thank you!” He says. “I’m so glad you have the same desires I do!”

Elain nods in agreement as Hoonis continues to shake her hand. Elain appears to be slightly uncomfortable, but Hoonis doesn’t notice.

“Now, follow me!” Hoonis declares as he begins to drag Elain along by the arm. Hoonis doesn’t really notice Dento quickly running after them.

A grand adventure beyond what is known awaits them.

- END -

Next Chapter:

[peanut-tyrug]

Pink City AU: Hunt for the Boxman

Chapter 1 - Unboxing the Meat and Potatoes

Hoonis, Elain, and Dento discover that a particular actress of old has returned to the Pink City. The trio sets out to look for her, although, a peculiar threat appears to be dangling over them like hung up meat slabs…

—

NOTICE: This AU is partially based on my ideas/interpretation. If anything appears to be inaccurate, I apologize. I tried to work with what little I had to make smth. I also took a few artistic liberties.

Another thing: THE PINK CITY AND IT’S CHARACTERS DO NOT BELONG TO ME!! IT BELONGS TO GOOSEWORX!! Some canon lore for The Pink City has also been implemented in this story. This is just an AU/story I made based on it. If you’d like to check out The Pink City series itself, check it out here!

—

TRIGGER WARNING: This fic contains mentions of murder/cannibalism, drugs/mentions of drugs (laced food), mentions of psychological episodes, swearing, and trauma. If you aren’t comfortable with these things, don’t read this.



Hoonis drags Elain along as he runs, Dento quickly following behind. Elain can barely keep up with the drag as she almost trips. Dento lags behind a bit.

Many twists and turns are made. Elain has no idea where Hoonis is taking them. After a bit, Hoonis eventually stops by a small apartment complex. The show host rushes up the stairs to an upper level and screeches to a halt. He approaches his room door.

Elain puts her hands to her knees, catching her breath… she felt as if she could vomit. They went that fast, turned that quickly. Dento eventually catches up, out of breath, and storms over to Hoonis. He taps the man’s shoulder and looks at him angrily, as if to ask 'What was that!?'

Hoonis looks back to Dento, slightly confused, until he looks over to Elain, who is still trying catch her breath and not regurgitate.

“Oh! I’m sorry!” Says Hoonis. “I suppose I went too quick.”

Dento questions what the hell that even means. He supposes he went to quick? He and Elain could barely keep up! …Dento is beginning to regret agreeing with Elain to join this man…

Hoonis eventually opens the door to a small rickety apartment. Elain and Dento peek inside… it doesn’t look terrible. Just unkempt.

“Ignore the mess.” Says Hoonis as he steps in. He approaches another room in apartment as Elain and Dento follow. Hoonis opens the door to the room. Elain and Dento take a peek.

Their eyes widen.

The duo takes sight of a small, dimly lit room. Papers and small notes are scattered on the ground. Against one wall is a desk. On another wall is a bulletin board, full of sticky notes hanged up by thumbtacks. Red thread connects some of the notes together.

Hoonis enters the room. Elain and Dento, hesitantly, enter after him. Dento shuts the door.

Hoonis turns to face the pair. “This is where I’ve done all of my research on Darles Nemeni!” He says. “I’ve searched for years and years, yet I haven’t been able to get anywhere! I’m hoping you two have what it takes to help me?”

The pair nod. Elain even grabs a small blank note on the ground… she needs something to write with…

“Oh!” Says Hoonis. He goes to his desk and grabs a pencil. He hands it to Elain.

Elain begins writing something on the note. She shows Hoonis. 'We’re Bounty Hunters'

“Bounty Hunters?” Hoonis asks. “You work in law enforcement?”

Both nod.

“Wonderful! Just what I needed!” Says Hoonis. “Do you need a rundown?” He asks as he steps toward his bulletin board.

The pair nods and steps by Hoonis.

“Good!” Says Hoonis. He prepares to monologue. “I’ve already informed you of who Darles is. I’ve went around asking many to see if anyone had seen him, but, I had no luck. I’ve talked to as many former workers of his I could find, and got nowhere… I’ve looked at interviews, I’ve looked at various investigations, and yet, nothing! …I only wish I had more to interrogate…”

Suddenly, Hoonis’ phone pings. He takes out his phone and opens it up.

His suddenly go wide. He dramatically gasps.

Elain and Dento look on in confusion at the man.

“Oh, my God!” Hoonis shouts. “She’s coming! She’s coming back to the city!”

The Bounty Hunting pair looks on at the gushing man. Dento then approaches the man and taps his shoulder.

Hoonis stops gushing and looks to Dento, confused, before realizing what he wants.

“Oh! An actress who worked with Darles is returning to the Pink City!” Says Hoonis. “She had left the city to get back with family. But now, she’s returning for old time’s sake! If we can find her, then we can speak with her about Darles! Look!”

Hoonis turns his phone screen to show a recent social media post from a woman named Thlouretta Gudds, her big and blue head taking up her profile picture.

Elain’s eyes light up. Dento looks on in confusion. He taps Hoonis’ shoulder again and looks up at the man. A look that asks 'But how do we find her?'

“Oh! Uhh…” Hoonis pauses. “…I’m not sure… do you both have any Bounty Hunting equipment to track her down with?”

Elain nods. Dento looks to Hoonis and picks up a blank note. He goes over to Elain and she hands him the pencil. He writes and shows to Hoonis: 'I don’t want to use our equipment like that'

“Oh.” Says Hoonis. “…Sure. It won’t be as practical, but it’s better than getting arrested.”

Dento writes again and shows Hoonis: 'It wouldn’t hurt if we retrieved our gear, though. We could be prepared for threats'

“You have a point there!” Says Hoonis. “You two can head home if you like. You don’t mind me tagging along, do you? I want to make sure none of us gets lost. I’ll wait outside, if you don’t mind.”

Elain nods. So does Dento, although hesitantly.

The trio exit the small apartment and the Bounty Hunting duo heads to their apartment, a fair distance away from Hoonis’.

As they walk, Elain and Dento can’t help but feel they’re being watched…

The duo turn their heads to face some shrubs nearby. They stare into the darkness behind the small plants…

The leaves rustle.

The duo quickly jumps in front of Hoonis, ready to defend him in case something pops out from the shrubs.

“Huh?” Hoonis exclaims. “What’s wrong?”

Dento turns back and shushes him. Hoonis stays quiet.

They wait…

Nothing.

The duo begins to relax…

Until, as they turn and continue to walk, something… or someone, taps Elain’s shoulder.

Elain jumps and moves back, bumping into Dento a bit. Hoonis moves back from sheer shock.

Elain and Dento recognize whose stepped up. Hoonis however, is confused out of his mind.

The figure is a 'pointy-nosed' man dressed in a long black trench coat and small hat bearing a skull and crossbones.

“Whose that?” Hoonis asks. “Do you know him? Is he a Bounty Hunter?” Hoonis asks.

The man looks caught off guard by Hoonis’ question. He then looks to Elain and Dento, wondering how this stranger knows that about his coworkers…

Shivers travel up the duo’s backs.

The man pulls out a small phone from his trench coat. He’s texting someone…

Dento’s phone buzzes. A text from the man.

'Who is this? Why is he with you? Why does he know your occupation?' The text reads.

‘He’s looking for a lost man' Dento responds. ‘We’re helping him'

'And he has to know things he should not, why?' The man asks.

'He asked' Dento responds. 'He’s no harm to us'

'Affirmative?'

'Yes'

The man nods. He shows Hoonis his ID so he can get his name.

“…Vondu.” Hoonis reads. Vondu nods. He then pulls out a tablet, a Target Buddy. Elain and Dento look intently, while Hoonis remains curious.

Vondu scrolls down to a yet to be caught bounty, The Hot Dog Brothers. Twins wanted for murder and cannibalism, acquiring whatever meat they can, completely regardless of the process, and making food of it to serve… including meat from people. Vondu taps at the screen, asking if the duo had seen them anywhere.

Dento texts Vondu: 'We haven’t seen them. We’ve been on a break. Sorry'

Elain then takes her phone out to text the fellow Hunter. Dento takes a peek to see what she says. 'We heard rustling in the shrubs nearby' She says. 'Maybe look there?'

'That was me, miss' Responds Vondu.

'Oh' Elain responds. 'Sorry'

‘You’re fine' Texts Vondu. ‘Let me know if you find those brothers'

Dento and Elain nod. Vondu steps steps past them. The trio continues down their own path.

—

Elain and Dento remain in their apartment, looking for their gear. Hoonis remains outside, trying not to look suspicious to anyone who may pass by.

As the pair prepares to head out, Elain’s phone buzzes. She sees a text from Dento.

'You think we can find that lady?' The text reads.

'I hope so' Elain responds. 'I wanna find that man I saw'

'I think we should keep watch for those brothers too' Dento responds. 'We may be on a break but we can still help'

'Yea' Elain responds.

'You still doing okay?' Dento asks.

Elain had been doing fine… she hadn’t been focused on all that happened to her… best not to focus on it now.

You’ll be fine.

'I’m good'

'K' Dento responds. 'Let me know if you need to step down or anything'

'I will' Elain responds.

Elain and Dento eventually leave their apartment, all dressed in their Bounty Hunting gear. Hoonis turns, his eyes go wide.

“Wow!” Says Hoonis. “Very authoritative! Now, let’s get a move on! We’ve got an actress to look for!”

The trio sets off back into the city, ready to find Thlouretta.

Regardless of the fact that they don’t have a lead on where in the city she is.

—

The trio walks about on the street. The city is still covered in violet hue. The sky is still dark… not many citizens are out on the streets either. It’s quiet. It’s creepy.

Hoonis leads the trio, strutting forward. Elain and Dento walk behind him.

Hoonis then comes to halt in front a small grocery shop. The lights are stilll on, and the sign on the door shows it’s open, but no one is inside.

“…Why don’t we give here a shot?” Hoonis asks, looking back to the Bounty Hunters. “You never know, you know!”

Elain and Dento nod.

“Great!” Says Hoonis. “Follow me!”

The trio enters the shop. Around the premises are a few check out stations and isles filling the capacity of the building.

…Also among the area is the lingering scent of—

“Hello!” Says an unknown voice.

The trio turns. They see an oddly cheery store worker.

“Welcome!” Says the worker. “How can I be of service to you? We get it if you may not know the layout, we’ve recently opened.”

“Uh…” Hoonis stammers. “We aren’t really here to—!”

Elain and Dento drag Hoonis over to the side. The worker watches as they suddenly leave.

“Let me or my associate know if you need anything!” Says the worker.

“What’s wrong?” Hoonis asks. “He appears innocent.”

Dento pulls out his Target Buddy and shows Hoonis a picture of the bounty Vondu was after, the Hot Dog Brothers. He then points to the worker they had met. Indicating the possibility that it’s a disguise.

“…Are you sure?” Hoonis asks.

Dento appears to have been offended.

“…Oh.” Says Hoonis. “Sorry. You are the Bounty Hunters here.”

Dento nods.

“…I think I have a proposition.” Says Hoonis. “Why don’t I look for Thlouretta, and you two take care of the brothers?”

Elain and Dento nod.

“It’s settled!” Hoonis exclaims.

Elain and Dento quickly hush Hoonis.

“…Sorry.” He whispers.

The trio seperates. Hoonis sets off on his own while Elain and Dento head off together.

Dento then texts Elain. 'I think we should stick together' He says. 'Either one of them could suddenly strike us. It could quickly become two against one if we aren’t careful'

'Yea' Elain responds.

'Try not to get distracted or smth' Says Dento. 'Stay focused'

'I will' Elain responds.

Elain’s phone buzzes again. This time though, it’s not a text from Dento. Dento looks to the screen.

It’s from Vondu.

'I thought you were on a break' Reads the text.

'How do you know we’re here?' Elain asks.

'I peeked over an isle and saw you two and that other man' Texts Vondu.

'Even if we’re not working right now, we still want to help' Texts Elain.

'I see' Texts Vondu.

As Elain and Dento look at the new message, footsteps are heard. They look up.

Vondu stands at the end of the desolate isle. A floating hand hovers up. He gestures for the Bounty Hunters to approach. They head off to where they can’t be seen to devise a plan.

—

Hoonis walks down an isle, glancing around. He doesn’t see anyone that looks like who he’s looking for.

…He’s beginning to lose hope. What if Thlouretta isn’t here? What if they never find her?

He’ll just be back at a dead end again. Back where he was before he went around asking for help. Where he was after he had spoken with Bep… what was he going to do when all of his attempts to find Darles were unsuccessful…?

“Hello, sir!” Says a voice.

Hoonis snaps out of his depressing thinking. “AH!” He yelps. “I’m sorry! I didn’t see you there! Who are you?”

“I’m a worker here! My brother’s associate!” Says the associate. “Are you alright? You appear to be down.”

“Oh, uh…” Hoonis hesitates. “I’ve just been—“

As he recalls his thoughts, he remembers Dento’s suspensions.

They are the Bounty Hunters here, after all.

“A-actually, I’m alright!” Says Hoonis. “No need to worry!”

“Are you sure?” Asks the associate. “I feel otherwise! You looked down, so I thought I’d help!”

“I’m fine, really!” Says Hoonis.

“Brother!” Calls the approaching worker. “Is something the matter?”

“I think we got a liar on our hands!” Says the associate, pointing to Hoonis.

“What? No!” Says Hoonis. “Whoever said anything about a liar? I’m no liar!”

“You suuuure?” Asks the associate.

“Give him some space, brother!” Says the worker. He then suddenly pulls out a small sample tray from seemingly nowhere. “How about a sample to calm your nerves?”

“I don’t need one! Honest!” Says Hoonis.

“Oh, come on, sir!” Says the worker. “You’ll regret iiiit!”

'It couldn’t be that bad, could it?' Hoonis thinks to himself.

…If only he knew…

Hoonis takes a sample off the tray. It’s a small little meat cube. The worker and associate watch as the show host ingests the small cube.

Hoonis begins to bubble with glee. “Oh, I like this!” He says. “What’s in it?”

“Oh! That’s a secret, sir!” Says the associate.

“Family recipe!” Says the worker. “Would you like another?”

“Sorry, but no thank you!” Says Hoonis. “I’m a busy celebrity, and I’ve got things to do!”

“Ah, we get it.” Says the worker. “Let us know if you want another sample!”

“I will!” Says Hoonis. “I should let the others try those!” He says to himself as he passes down another nearby isle.

As Hoonis treads, he begins to feel… oddly weak… his vision blurs and his movements sag. As he limps, he quickly falls to the ground, completely out cold.

The brothers slowly approach the passed out host. The worker picks him up and carries him to another part of the shop, the associate following. A small cooler room next to a frozen section. The worker tucks Hoonis’ unconscious body next to a counter. The worker exits and shuts the door. The brothers quietly step away and their cheery demeanors return.

—

The Bounty Hunters are huddled in a small spot underneath a counter, barely visible to whoever may be around. The three discuss what they could do. They’ve made a small group chat to discuss their plot.

'Keep your eyes peeled. Check behind doors. They could be anywhere' Reads a text from Vondu.

'Likely' Texts Dento. 'This place reeks of meat'

'A calling card?' Elain questions. 'The meat smell, I mean'

'Kind of?' Dento texts.

'I would imagine so' Texts Vondu. 'Their whole thing is meat'

'Should we separate?' Dento asks.

'Yes' Vondu responds. 'You and Elain go together, I go alone'

'Got it' Dento and Elain respond.

The trio the begins to exit the counter. As they separate, a familiar face walks up to Elain and Dento.

“Hello!” Says the worker. “What were you doing behind the counter?”

Elain and Dento scour for an answer. Before they can respond however…

“Oh, it’s fine! Don’t mind it!” Says the worker. “We do have samples, by the way! If you want those!” He steps away.

As the worker heads off, Elain takes notice of something toward the man’s lower waist.

A zipper.

A zipper on his back.

Elain wants to unzip it, but Dento stops her. The two progress forward, looking for any clues.

—

Vondu wanders through the freezer section against the back wall, looking for any doors that could lead to some kind locked off room. As we walks, he spots a door to small freezer room. The window on the door has a layer of frost on it, making it difficult to see inside.

Vondu slowly steps over to the door, trying to look inconspicuous. As he scoots to the door, he slowly reaches a hand to the doors lock.

“Excuse me!” A voice calls.

Vondu jolts at the sound. He turns to see the associate.

“Customers aren’t allowed in there!” Says the associate. “I’d imagine you know that.”

Vondu nods and moves away from the door. He stands in place, completely still.

“Good!” Says the associate. “Keep away from that door, now! Or you’re banned!” He begins to turn away.

As he turns, Vondu notices something on the man’s lower waist gleaming in the store lights.

A zipper.

As the man walks off, Vondu tries to sneak a hand toward the zipper. The hand slowly approaches it, trying not to be noticed. The hand gently places itself onto the zipper and begins to slowly zip upward. As the man turns, the hand continues to rise. Vondu quietly follows the man as he walks, not paying attention.

As the zipper moves up, more of what’s underneath can be seen.

…Overalls. The kind a hillbilly would wear…

The zipper then reaches the top of the man’s head. Vondu removes his hand and watches at the costumes slowly sags and falls to the ground.

What is underneath shocks the Bounty Hunter.

Underneath that costume is a pinkish mass of flesh and muscle. The fat on the man flops, like the man had sucked it up to fit in the costume. The top of the head resembles that of a… hot dog…

It’s a Hot Dog Brother.

The brother stops walking and slowly turns his head to face the Bounty Hunter.

Vondu quickly pulls back his coat to reveal a stash of guns, which protrude from the coat’s darkness. They all point toward the bounty.

Before any of them can fire however…

The brother slams his fist into Vondu’s face, getting him down to the ground.

“…You’ve made a grave mistake there, partner.” The brother says in a thick country accent.

Vondu struggles to get up to his feet as the brother hovers over Vondu, pinning him to the ground. Popping out from a nearby isle is the worker, approaching the bounty and Hunter.

“You seem to be in a pickle!” Says the worker. “How about a sample?”

The worker pulls out the sample tray and shoves a sample down Vondu’s throat. As Vondu struggles to get back up and breathe, his vision begins to blur and he slowly stops moving. All before falling unconscious.

The brother carries Vondu over to the freezer room where he’s placed. He exits to face the worker.

“You’d best get your costume back on.” Says the worker. “I think we got Bounty Hunters among us. I’ll handle the other two, you get your costume back on.”

The brother nods and heads for his costume. The worker heads off the find the no good do-gooders.

—

Elain and Dento exit another room. No sight of anything out of the ordinary. As they exit, the worker approaches them again.

“Hello again!” Says the worker “If you don’t mind me asking, would you like a sample?” He pulls out a sample tray with little meat cubes on it.

Elain and Dento shake their heads. They aren’t in the mood, nor do they trust the workers.

“Come on! You’re missing out!” Says the worker. “Your friends really liked them! They wanted you to try them!”

The duo doubts the statement.

…Matter of fact…

…Where were Hoonis and Vondu…?

The duo had been around the entire store, and hadn’t seen either of them…

“I need an answer now, please!” Says the worker.

The duo glance at each other. They then try to walk past the worker.

“Hey!” Says the worker. He catches up to them. “Not even a nibble?” He shoves a meat cube in Elain’s face. She slaps it away. Her and Dento begin scurrying off.

New objective: Look for Hoonis and Vondu.

“Oh, dear.” Says the worker. He pulls out a walkie-talkie from his side. “Brother? You got your costume back on? They’re onto us.”

Elain and Dento scurry toward the wall, looking for any door they can find.

Suddenly, the associate approaches.

“Excuse me!” Says the associate. “I’ve heard you’ve been causing a ruckus! Please quit that behavior, or you’re out!”

Elain and Dento ignore the threat. They both draw their guns.

“Drawing a gun on me?” Says the associate. “That’s a criminal offense!”

As they’re about to shoot, quick footsteps are heard.

The worker.

Dento quickly turns. He shoots the worker in the leg. He falls.

“Ack!” The worker shouts in anguish. He grips his injured leg.

“Brother!” The associate shouts.

Elain then hands Dento her gun. She hurries to the associate while he’s off guard and tackles him. He’s brought to the ground. As Elain pushes the man to his back, Dento draws his guns at the injured man.

Elain gets to associate on his back and spots the zipper. She zips up the zipper, the body under it slowly being revealed. The Hot Dog Brother pushes Elain off of him. The suit slowly flops the ground.

Elain receives her gun from Dento. Both turn to face an individual brother.

“Oh, dear.” Says the worker. “It appears the jig’s up.”

The worker then begins to unzip his suit. It falls to the ground, revealing the brother underneath. The two now revealed Hot Dog Brothers stare the Bounty Hunters down, the Hunters still holding out their guns.

The Hunters waste no time. They immediately start shooting at both of them. Bullets go flying, hitting through the walls. The brothers quickly dodge. They separate, going after an individual brother, being careful with their shots.

“Can’t catch me, miss lady!” Says the brother Elain’s chasing.

Elain is offended by the name. She begins to shoot at him even more.

The two brothers cross paths pass an isle, Elain and Dento on each end. Elain on the right, Dento on the left. Their individual targets in the same respective directions.

The left brother hands the right brother the sample tray. They stand, waiting…

Dento glances over to Elain, she glances back. Indicating to be careful, since they have that platter. Those little meats are likely laced…

Elain nods.

Then it pops in her head.

…Laced.

Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it…

Focus.

Elain focuses hard on her target, eyes wide and face stern. Her gun trembling slightly in her grip.

“One of y’all better move.” Says a brother. “We ain’t movin' til you do!”

Elain then tries to shoot.

*Click*

Nothing.

Elain stares at her gun, confused.

She pulls the trigger again.

*Click*

Nothing again.

*Click Click Click*

…Out of bullets…

…Shit.

Before she can even think to reload, the right brother tackles Elain and wraps his free arm around her waist, still holding the platter. Elain is unable to move. He sets the platter on a small isle shelf and takes her gun. He chucks it away.

Dento tries to shoot the brother holding his friend, but fails, as he’s also quickly ambushed by the other brother before he can shoot.

The brother carrying Dento steps over to the other. Both Hunters squirm in their grasps, but are unable to find a weak spot in their grips. Despite their meek arms, they’ve got strength.

“Look at 'em.” Says one brother. “Squirming like babies!”

The Hunters continue to struggle. Each time they think they can get through, their pushed back into brothers’ stomachs, keeping them in place.

The two brothers then grab a meat cube from the platter. They struggle, but they eventually shove the cubes down the Hunter’s throats.

With time, the Hunters’ movements begin to slow. They fall unconscious.

The two brothers carry the Hunters to the freezer room. As they leave, one brother looks to the other. “I think it’s time we close up shop.” He says. The other nods.

They bring down metal doors to cover the windows. Flipping the small sign to say 'Closed'.

—

It’s quiet…

…And extremely cold…

Hoonis slowly comes to. “…Eugh…” He groans.

Then it hits him.

…That sample… it must’ve been laced with something…

Hoonis looks around.

…Others are with him. Also knocked out cold.

Elain, Dento, and Vondu. All of them sit on the ground, not moving, but still breathing.

“…Dear, G-God…” Says Hoonis, shivering.

“E-excuse me?” Asks a feminine voice, speaking through a text box. She sounds like she’s shivering.

Hoonis looks over to the source of the sound.

His eyes widen. He sharply gasps.

Right there. Right next to him. Right by his side, Thlouretta Gudds, the actress of Mimlimim from 'The Darly Boxman Show', standing right there.

“…S-sorry if I’m bothering you, but do you know how to get out of here?” She shivers. “Oh, j-j-jeepers… it’s cold in here…”

Hoonis slowly rises, staring at Thlouretta intently. “I-I’m not dreaming a-am I?” He asks.

“…H-huh?” Thlouretta questions.

“…You’re who’ve I-I-I’ve been looking f-for!” Says Hoonis. “T-T-T-Thlouretta G-Gudds!” His excitement not keeping his stuttering back from being cold.

“Y-yes.” Says Thlouretta. “W-what were you l-looking for m-me for?”

“D-do y-you remember someone by t-the name of—” Hoonis speaks.

Suddenly, before Hoonis can finish his question, footsteps are heard. The two duck and hide under a counter as one of the Hot Dog brothers enters the room and heads deeper within.

“O-oh my…” Whispers Thlouretta. “Who w-was that?”

As Hoonis prepares to answer as best as he can, Vondu suddenly peers underneath the counter the duo was hiding in.

“G-golly!” Thlouretta exclaims quietly. “You s-scared me, s-s-sir! Who’re y-you?”

“H-he’s a man o-of the l-law!” Whispers Hoonis. “He’s s-s-safe.”

“O-oh.” Says Thlouretta. “A-anyway, do e-either of you k-know a-a-a way o-out?”

Vondu glances around before going to the door leading out into the store. He tries to open it, but it doesn’t budge.

“…O-oh, dear…” Says Thlouretta.

“We’ll f-find a way out o-of h-here.” Says Hoonis. “I p-p-promise.”

“T-thank you, sir.” Says Thlouretta.

“Oh, c-call me H-Hoonis.” Says Hoonis.

“T-that’s a nice n-name.” Says Thlouretta.

As Vondu continues to struggle with the door, approaching footsteps are heard. He quickly huddles with Thlouretta and Hoonis. They watch as a Hot Dog Brother emerges from the darkness.

“…Shoot.” He says. “This’ll do, I guess.”

He bends down and picks the still unconscious Elain and Dento from the ground and carries them into the darkness. As he walks, Elain’s fedora falls from her head.

“…Oh, d-dear…” Says Thlouretta.

“What’re w-we g-gonna do?” Hoonis asks, turned to Vondu.

Vondu then sneaks out from the counter. He takes Elain’s fedora and stuffs it in his coat. He turns back to the actress and show host and gestures to them to approach. They group together as Vondu slowly leads them down the dark hallway.

The small hallway leads into another small yet warmer room. The trio huddles into a darker part of the hallway.

They watch as Elain and Dento are hung up by a rope above grinders.

Not just any grinders, however.

Meat grinders.

The trio stares in horror. Vondu moves ever so slightly closer when the twins aren’t around and gets a look at the room. He then goes back to the freezer. The others follow.

He’s got an idea.

—

The Hot Dog Brothers prepare their grinders to be used on the captured Bounty Hunters. As they prepare the contraption, they boast on about their new meat type.

“I think it’ll be quite good, Bounty Hunter meat.” Says one brother.

“Heh, exactly!” Says the other brother. “I think it’ll finally get our sales back up!”

As the brothers finish their preparations, a loud clang is heard from nearby.

“What was that?” One brother questions.

“…Probably rats.” Says the other. “C'mon, we got little pieces of shit to get rid off.”

As the brothers enter the room, they turn.

Leaving the trio unnoticed.

Hoonis and Vondu exit out of the freezer and into the grinding room, while Thlouretta silently follows the brothers deeper into the freezer. Vondu helps Hoonis up to reach the Bounty Hunters and get them untied. Vondu keeps a close eye on the entrance to the grinding room, making sure the brothers are kept at bay.

As he watches, he hears another few clangs.

“Damn it!” Exclaims one brother. “Where the hell is that rat!?”

Hoonis struggles a bit to get the Hunters untied. “…It’s a tight knot.” He says.

Hoonis continues to pry at the knot until it eventually comes loose. The Hunters quickly begin to plummet. Before they can hit the grinder, floating hands hover from Vondu’s coat, barely catching them, before plopping them onto the ground.

The thud is louder than expected.

…But no one seems to notice.

Vondu sets Hoonis down and the two pick up the unconscious Hunters. Vondu takes Elain, Hoonis takes Dento. They slowly return to the freezer and glance around as they reenter.

The coast is clear.

Vondu then sets Elain to the side. He moves back and unravels his coat, revealing multiple guns underneath. He quickly shoots at the metal door, causing it to fly off its hinges.

Vondu hastily grabs hold of Elain and he and Hoonis sprint forward. Hoonis lags behind a bit, as Dento is head to carry. He isn’t exactly strong.

As they approach the exit, Vondu’s floating hands open up his coat. His guns begin shooting at the door, completely breaking it.

As the duo finally reaches the exit, they realize something…

…Where’s Thlouretta…?

She was supposed to run out with them when she heard the gun shots…

“Stop right there, meat thieves.” Demands a voice.

Vondu and Hoonis turn.

They see the Hot Dog Brothers, along with Thlouretta, who is caught in a brother’s grip.

“I’m sorry.” Says Thlouretta. “I wasn’t very quick on my feet.”

“You give us back the Bounty Hunters, we let you all go, including your little rat friend.” Says one brother. “You don’t, we will do everything in our power to get you on our menu. You got that?”

“What’s it gonna be?” The other brother asks in a teasing tone.

Vondu scrambles to think of something… he can’t just shoot at them, he could get Thlouretta killed…

…Suddenly, gun shots are heard.

Two separate bullets go through each of the brothers’ heads. They fall to the ground, so does Thlourertta, although she’s left unharmed.

Hoonis and Vondu turn back.

They see another Bounty Hunter. A small and petit star shaped man. His face… is oddly realistic. In his small hand, he’s wielding a gun.

“…Who’re you?” Hoonis asks.

The small Hunter pulls out a tiny ID. His name is Kug.

“…Hello, Kug.” Says Hoonis.

Kug doesn’t respond with a single word.

Thlouretta approaches Vondu and Hoonis. “…What about the bodies, Vondu, sir?” She asks.

Vondu turns to the actress and shakes his hand, indicating the brothers will be taken care of. Two floating hands then pull out two glass jars. That’s how he catches bounties when they’re struck down.

Pairs of free hands hover to the bounties and shove them in the jars. The hands float back to Vondu.

Thlouretta doesn’t question it. She isn’t sure if she wants to know the purpose of the jars.

“…What about the wall?” Thlouretta asks, looking back through the shot down door.

Vondu turns. A building has been covered in bullet holes.

“I’d imagine you’ll be paying for that.” Says Hoonis.

Vondu turns to the show host and gives him a thumbs up with a free hand. He will be paying.

“And them?” Thlouretta asks, referring to the people he and Hoonis are holding. “Are they alright?”

“…I’d imagine they’re fine.” Says Hoonis. “They were likely drugged too. They’ll wake up, I bet.”

Just as he says that, Dento appears to slowly be coming to, moving slightly.

“Oh!” Says Hoonis. “See? I was right!”

Dento, aggravated, puts his hand up to Hoonis’ face, as of to shut him up. He’s groggy.

“…Sorry.” Says Hoonis. Dento doesn’t really respond, and instead leans his head against Hoonis’ chest tiredly.

Hoonis turns to face Vondu. “Is Elain okay?” He asks.

Vondu looks to the young Bounty Hunter. She doesn’t seem to be waking up yet.

…Until she lifts her head up a bit. She tilts her head to Vondu and looks at him. It’s hard for her to focus, as she’s just woken up. A free hand then flies out of Vondu’s coat and places Elain’s fedora on her head.

“…Good, she’s okay.” Says Hoonis.

“I apologize for suddenly butting in, but,” Thlouretta begins. “Hoonis, right? Why were you looking for me? You never got to finish your question.”

“Oh!” Says Hoonis. “Do you remember a man by the name of Darles Nemeni?”

As Thlouretta processes the question, and her eyes light up. “Oh, Darles?” She asks. “I haven’t heard that name in years! Has he been found yet!?” She asks excitedly.

“…No, that’s why we were trying to look for you.” Says Hoonis. “My companions, Elain and Dento, and I, wanted to see if you knew anything about Darles to see if it would help us get anywhere.”

“Oh…” Says Thlouretta, disappointed. “I thought you had found him… But, I can hopefully help you find your way to him! I’d be glad to help! I could let you lot walk home with me, then we can talk.”

“Great!” Says Hoonis. He turns to Vondu. “I can carry Dento if he wishes, can Elain stand?”

Vondu tries to set Elain down. Although still groggy, she’s able to balance. Dento looks up to Hoonis, he wants to be put down. Hoonis sets the man down, allowing him to slowly balance himself.

“And what about you, Vondu?” Hoonis asks.

Vondu points to the jars. The bounties need to be taken care of. So does the shop. He and Kug will take care of the matter.

“Ah, I see.” Says Hoonis. “We’ll be heading off now. I wish you two well!”

Hoonis and the other Bounty Hunters take their leave. Thlouretta eventually begins to lead. Vondu waves a bit as the quartet heads off.

—

Thlouretta has lead the trio to her small home just outside the Pink City. Each of them sit at a small wooden table.

“Okay.” Says Hoonis sternly. “Tell us, what do you know about Darles?”

“…Oh, a lot.” Says Thlouretta. “Or, at least, what may be important.”

Thlouretta prepares to monologue. “Darles wasn’t anywhere near like he was when he went missing.” Says Thlouretta. “He was kind, caring. Charming even… it wasn’t until we started working on Darly Boxman that he started to lose it…”

“Really?” Hoonis asks.

“Yes.” Says Thlouretta. “…Oh, gee, it was so odd… the way he acted… he’d occasionally stare into space during presentations or filming. He’d just pause and… stare. He’d even have… episodes…”

“…Episodes?” Hoonis questions. The Bounty Hunters lean in, wanting to listen.

Thlouretta nods. “They didn’t happen often, but there were times where he’d just… snap.” She says. “It wasn’t like him at all. Nothing he did down the show’s run… it just wasn’t the Darles I knew…”

“…Anything else?” Hoonis asks.

“…He spoke of these Gods whenever he’d space out.” Says Thlouretta. “Oh, jeepers— something about eyes? Elders? I can only recall one time I actually saw them… they— they were just there when a wall fell—.”

“Those beings staring him down?” Hoonis asks. “I remember that episode clearly.”

“Yes! Those!” Says Thlouretta. “…No one remembered seeing them before we started filming that day. I tried to ask Darles about them, but he didn’t want to say. He avoided any question involving them… that wasn’t even our darkest moment in the show… As it went on, the episodes got progressively more disturbing. When he’d write, we’d hear him mutter things about Gods and other things that just… didn’t make sense to any of us. We were all worried for him. Especially on the night he went missing.”

As Thlouretta finishes, Elain remembers something…

…The Elders…

“How was he then?” Hoonis asks.

“He— he just didn’t look well. He looked exhausted.” Says Thlouretta. “We decided to check on him that night, but only his daughter opened the door. We her asked where he was, and she didn’t know… she didn’t even seem all that dismayed… we scoured his home, but never found him. Not a single trace of him. No one knew where he went. I tried giving him a call as a last ditch effort, but no answer… not only were we stressed about him being missing, though. We had an episode to shoot that next day and we were missing our lead. We eventually ended up canceling the show, since it seemed like Darles wasn’t going to show up.”

Before Hoonis can speak again, Elain gets up from her seat to get everyone’s attention.

“Do you have something to say?” Thlouretta asks.

Elain then spots a stack of papers on a desk beside the small kitchen. She takes a sheet and the pencil nearby the stack and begins to write something. She shows it to Thlouretta.

The sheet reads: I think I’ve seen those Gods you’re talking about.

“…Really?” Thlouretta asks.

Hoonis and Dento rise from their seats to take a peek at the writing. Hoonis looks to Elain, slightly shocked.

“…How?” Is all Hoonis can muster.

Elain then begins to draw on the sheet. Long, shadowy pillars covered in eyes. She shows off the drawing.

“…I’m sorry, but those don’t look anything like the ones I saw.” Says Thlouretta.

“I can draw what they looked like.” Says Hoonis. He takes the pencil from Elain and begins to draw what he and Thlouretta had seen. Long, shadowy creatures with one pair of eyes.

“Yes!” Says Thlouretta. “That’s it!”

“…Could he have been taken by these… beings?” Hoonis questions.

“…O-oh, dear…” Says Thlouretta. “If he was… oh, poor Darles…”

“If he was taken by these creatures…” Hoonis begins. “How do we get to them…?”

…Elain may have a way…

…No. No, no, no… don’t think about it…

Dento looks to Elain, slightly concerned.

Are you okay?

You’ll be fine. You’re going to be okay… all that Elain wants to think.

She nods.

I’ll be okay.

I’ll be fine.

“Do either of you have a way we could find these beings?” Hoonis asks.

The Hunters shake theirs heads. No.

“…They may exist outside of our own existence.” Says Thlouretta. “…Is travel like that even a thing?”

“…I’m not sure.” Says Hoonis. “We could try to find some way to escape this plane.”

“…Maybe. It’s worth a shot.” Says Thlouretta. “…I just want to see Darles again. It’s been ages… I miss him.”

Dento walks up to Thlouretta and pats her shoulder, promising that they’ll find Darles and get him back.

“…Thanks. I very much appreciate it.” Says Thlouretta.

“I suppose we best be on our way now.” Says Hoonis. “We’ve got unfathomable and all powerful nightmares to find!”

Thlouretta chuckles a bit… Hoonis’ nature reminds her of Darles. “I wish you three luck in finding him.” She says. “Safe travels!”

“You have a good night, Miss Gudds!” Says Hoonis as the trio steps to the exit.

“I don’t mind being called Thlouretta.” Says Thlouretta as she approaches the exit to let the trio go. “And you too!”

Thlouretta watches as the trio sets out. She looks up to the sky, hoping a certain someone may hear her…

“…Please be okay, Darles…” Says Thlouretta.

…She can’t help but think he’s somewhere up there, wanting to come back down, but being unable to. The powers that be holding him up above her like a cat toy.

He’s there.

…Somewhere...

- END -

Next Chapter:

Previous Chapter:

[peanut-tyrug]

Pink City AU: Hunt for the Boxman

Chapter 2 - Breaking Boundaries

The idol-hunting trio tries to find out how to reach the Pink City’s outer plane. Only along the way do they begin to break the fundamentals of their own lives and world’s rules…

—

NOTICE: This AU is partially based on my ideas/interpretation. If anything appears to be inaccurate, I apologize. I tried to work with what little I had to make smth. I also took a few artistic liberties.

Another thing: THE PINK CITY AND IT’S CHARACTERS DO NOT BELONG TO ME!! IT BELONGS TO GOOSEWORX!! Some canon lore for The Pink City has also been implemented in this story. This is just an AU/story I made based on it. If you’d like to check out The Pink City series itself, check it out here!

—

TRIGGER WARNING: This fic contains flashbacks/callbacks to traumatic experiences, panicking, a split personality, mentions of drugs, grieving, mentions of rituals/speaking to the dead, organ removal, a cult, caps, and swearing. If you aren’t comfortable with these things, please don’t read this.

Hoonis, Elain, and Dento walk down the street, discussing what they could do to find the Elders… more so Dento and Hoonis are discussing it.

…Elain is too busy being stuck in her head…

She can’t help but think about meeting the Elders again…

…Don’t think about it…

“…Maybe some kind of ritual?” Hoonis suggests.

Dento shakes his head. He and Elain are committed to doing good and helping the general public, but not to the point that they’d sell their souls for it. They’re young and have lives to live.

“How about one of the ghost board things?” Hoonis suggests again.

Dento shakes his head. He’s heard those things are fake. They’re also for speaking to the dead, not unfathomable horrors that they aren’t capable enough to properly comprehend.

“A seance?”

Again, Dento shakes his head. Seances are also for speaking to the dead. It’s not what they need.

“Then what are we to do?” Hoonis asks.

Elain is snapped out of her head when she hears the question. She taps Hoonis’ shoulder.

Hoonis turns to face Elain. “Hm? Do you have something in mind?”

Elain nods. She then pretends to open a book. She looks to Hoonis, trying to see if he’ll get it.

“…A book?” Hoonis questions. “A— a library?”

Elain nods.

“…Hm.” Hoonis hums. “We could give it a shot. There could be something on these beings there, right?”

Elain nods.

As the trio walks, Dento checks his phone. He notices the time.

It’s 3:00 am.

They need sleep.

Dento taps Hoonis’ arm. Hoonis looks to Dento. “What is it?” He asks.

Dento shows Hoonis the time. His eyes widen in shock. “Oh! We need sleep!” Says Hoonis. “You two can head back to your apartment, if you want.”

Elain then taps her phone screen. Hoonis notices.

She wants his number.

Hoonis looks over to Elain. “You want my number? I’d be glad to give it to you! We can be more in touch!”

Elain nods. Hoonis and Elain exchange phone numbers. Dento does the same.

The trio then seperates, heading to their homes.

—

Elain sits her room, dressed and ready for bed.

Although, she isn’t really wanting to get in bed just yet. She’s texting Dento.

'You doing okay?' Dento asks.

'Yea' Elain responds.

'You sure?' Dento asks.

'Yes' Elain responds.

Think happy thoughts…

Doing good for the city, going out to the beach, getting boba with Dento…

…Dento…

…When you hurt, I hurt…

No. Stop thinking about all that.

You’ll be okay.

'Alr, let me know if you need anything' Says Dento.

'I will' Says Elain.

'Gn Elain' Says Dento.

'Gn to you too Den' Says Elain.

Elain sets her phone down and gets herself in bed. She sets her head down on her pillow and closes her eyes…

…Darkness…

…Peaceful, terrifying darkness…

It’s almost agonizing.

As Elain begins to drift off, she can’t help but hear something…

…Whispers…

…All too familiar whispers…

“JOIN THE CREED.”

“JOIN THE CREED.”

“JOIN THE CREED.”

They become more and more prominent.

She can’t see a thing.

She can only hear the whispers.

…Calling to her…

Elain jolts awake. Her breathing quickens. She sits in her bed, staring into the darkness.

…Oh, no…

It’s gonna be a long night…

Elain lies back down.

…Think happy thoughts… think happy things…

…Then it’ll all go away…

~~~

Hoonis lays in bed, staring up at the dark ceiling.

…He wonders how Bep is doing.

How she feels after that show…

…All of what she said…

…Darles wasn’t like that, was he? Hoonis refused to believe it…

…No way in hell was he an unloving father who wanted nothing to do with his own kids… a father who never supported his kids… a father who…

…Hoonis’ mind had trailed off.

…He could never help but think of his own father…

His unloving, uncaring father…

…No way in hell…

—

Hoonis slowly wakes up, blinking a bit. He rises up in his bed and stretches. He spots his phone and picks it up. It’s 12:00 pm. He decides to text Elain.

'Hi!' Hoonis texts. 'Are you ready for our adventure today?'

He waits a bit.

…No response.

Maybe she’s still asleep.

Hoonis exits his messages and stares at his Home Screen for a bit.

…He could give Bep a call.

He opens his contacts and taps the contact for Bep he had left there. He never deleted it.

His phone rings. He waits for an answer.

The ringing continues.

Keeps going…

Until it stops.

Bep didn’t pick up.

Hoonis sighs in disappointment… then his phone buzzes.

It’s a text. From Bep.

'Leave me alone' The text reads.

Hoonis stares at the text, full of guilt.

…He lays on his back and sighs before getting up.

—

It’s the next day.

Elain slept okay.

…Eventually.

She picks up her phone and looks at the time.

…It’s 2:00 pm.

She also sees texts from Dento.

'Hey' Says Dento. 'You gotta get up'

She also spots some texts from Hoonis.

'Hi!' Says Hoonis. ‘Are you ready for our adventure today?'

…Shit.

She overslept.

…It’s not really unusual for Elain. She’s not very good at being organized or having a routine.

Her eyes widen. She rushes out of bed, not even giving herself time to stretch. She smacks open her door, and hurries to prepare herself for the day.

After scurrying out of the bathroom, she heads back to her room and slaps her Bounty Hunting gear on and grabs her phone. After that, she almost slips into a small kitchen.

She stops.

She sees Dento sitting at the dining table. He had been waiting for her.

Along with some food he had cooked. He made breakfast.

Dento looks to his phone. He types.

Elain’s phone buzzes. A text from Dento.

'I heard all that noise' Reads the text. 'We aren’t really in a rush'

'Sry' Elain responds.

'You’re okay' Says Dento. 'Now eat. Don’t want your breakfast getting cold'

Elain sets herself down next to Dento. As she prepares to eat, Dento taps her shoulder. She looks over to him.

Dento looks to Elain and turns his head. Are you okay?

Elain thinks…

She nods.

Think happy thoughts. Happy things.

Dento nods back.

He almost feels as if he doesn’t need to ask her that as much as he does, since she’s so insistent that she’s okay.

However, that’s what friends do.

You keep an eye on each other.

They make a good team.

—

Elain and Dento walk over to Hoonis’ apartment. It’s not far off from their own, they found out after Hoonis spilled his address to them through text.

As the duo approaches the door and Elain prepares to knock, Hoonis suddenly swings open his door, almost smacking Elain across the face.

“Good morning, good people!” Says Hoonis. He quickly takes notice of the duo in front of his door. “Hello! Are you ready?”

Elain and Dento nod, not really displaying the same kind of enthusiasm Hoonis is.

“Great!” Says Hoonis. “I’ll be leading us to the library! It’s a long way away! Come on!”

Hoonis quickly steps past the Bounty Hunters and makes his way downstairs. Elain and Dento quickly follow suit.

—

It’s been a few hours since the trio had set off. A bit longer than Hoonis expected.

It’s 5:00 pm.

Yet, they’re still walking.

“I didn’t realize it would take this long.” Says Hoonis. “I thought we’d be there by 4 at most!”

The three continue to walk, not really certain of how to keep on with the conversation.

As they walk, Hoonis’ phone buzzes. A text from Elain.

'Hru?' Reads the text.

“Oh!” Says Hoonis. “I’m good! How’ve you two been today?”

Hoonis’ phone buzzes again.

'Good' Reads a text from Dento.

'👍' Reads the text from Elain.

“Wonderful!” Says Hoonis, not looking up from his screen.

As he walks, Hoonis suddenly bumps into someone.

“Ah!” Hoonis yelps as he stumbles back.

The other slips back a little. He almost falls. “Watch where you going!” He says. “If you young people weren’t always on your DAMN PHONES, you’d see where you’re going!”

“I’m sorry, sir!” Says Hoonis.

“Malarkey, that’s what it is!” Says the man. “How about you good read a book every once in awhile! Your local librarian is losing money out here!”

Before Hoonis can speak up again, realization hits the three of them.

…This man is a librarian.

As the librarian begins to walk off, Hoonis speaks up.

“Wait!” He says. “We’re actually heading for the library!”

The librarian turns his head. “…Really?” He asks.

“Yes!” Says Hoonis. “…Are you on break?”

“…I don’t have to be.” Says the librarian. “Is there any particular book you’re looking for?”

Hoonis looks around before whispering to the librarian. “…Do you have any books on Gods?”

“…Hmm. I may have something piled up.” Says the librarian. “I think I remember someone dropping a book discussing such things. I’ve kept it since.”

“Oh! Good!” Says Hoonis. “Do you mind finding it for us?”

“I most certainly can!” Says the librarian. “Follow me.”

The librarian then leads the trio to the library, which really wasn’t very far from where they just were.

“I didn’t realize we were that close…” Says Hoonis.

“I was just preparing to leave when I had met you three.” Says the librarian. “But I’m perfectly fine with helping those who desire knowledge from the printed word!”

The librarian heads up a small staircase leading to the library’s entrance. He opens the door, allowing the trio to peak inside.

The library’s interior appears to be slightly run down. Cob webs are scattered on the floor and roof. Chandeliers light up the area, making it dimly lit.

“Ooh.” Says Hoonis. “Fancy!”

“Shh!” The librarian hushes.

“…Sorry.” Hoonis whispers.

The Bounty Hunters glance around. Elain is amazed by it. Dento, on the other hand, is slightly weirded out by it.

“Let me lead you to my counter.” Says the librarian in a whispering. “I have that book locked up tight back there.”

The librarian leads the trio to his counter. As they walk, the trio glances at the long and large book shelves. Various colors and and covers catch their eyes.

“Here we are.” Says the librarian as they approach the counter. “Wait here.” He walks behind the counter and into a backroom.

The three wait. Dento looks around a bit. He takes a peek behind the librarian’s desk.

“What’re you doing there?” Whispers Hoonis.

Dento looks back. He takes out his phone and types. He’s texting Hoonis.

Hoonis’ phone buzzes. Dento’s text.

'I don’t entirely trust him' Reads the text. ‘He’s got an air to him I don’t like'

“He seems like an innocent man.” Whispers Hoonis.

'Not to me he doesn’t' Responds Dento.

Before Hoonis can retort, the librarian returns. “Here.” He says, handing Hoonis the book they needed. “Let me know if you need anything.” He then walks back to his desk.

“Thank you.” Says Hoonis. The trio heads to a table nearby.

Dento looks over to the librarian. He glares at him. The librarian doesn’t appear to be paying attention.

…His evildoer senses are tingling…

…Although, he seems innocent enough…

But every bad guy is like that. Bounty or not.

Elain and Hoonis look at the book’s cover as Dento eyes the librarian.

“'Ghosts and Gods: A Book on the Unfathomable'.” Says Hoonis. “That’s an interesting title.”

Elain nods. She looks over to Dento. He’s still eyeing the librarian.

As Dento continues to look on at the librarian, his phone buzzes.

'You don’t trust him' Says a text from Elain.

'No' Says Dento.

'You think that man is an evildoer?'

'Yes' Says Dento. 'He’s got an untrustworthy air. And we know every bounty is like that'

'You’ve got a point' Says Elain. 'But he hasn’t acted too weird or anything. Maybe just keep an eye on him?'

'Sure' Says Dento. He turns back to the librarian while Elain looks back to Hoonis, who is soaring through the book.

“I’ve heard of most of these.” Says Hoonis. “I think I’ve covered some…” He turns to Elain. “Have you ever seen Ghost of the Year?”

Elain shakes her head, a no.

“That’s a shame. You should!” Hoonis says in a whisper. “It’s a good show, and I host it!”

Hoonis continues to look through the book. Many ghosts, ghouls, and other beings catch their eyes.

Eventually, Hoonis stops at a particular page. “Aha!” He whispers. “Here!”

The heading on the page reads: 'The Elders of Lost Eyes'.

Elain stares at the page, eyes wide.

…Keep your mind off it.

“Look at this!” Says Hoonis. He begins to read the paragraph underneath the artist depiction of the creatures, long dark pillars with various eyes. Among other depictions, such as more 'human' looking creatures with heads, shoulders, and a single pair of eyes on each head.

Just like the creatures Thlouretta saw.

'Not much is know about these beings, as there aren’t many witnesses. Although, from the few who have allegedly seen or heard these creatures amongst odd whispers, these creatures appear to show interest in expanding their 'Creed'. We would know more, but with each new witness of these beings comes a new disappearance. We may never know more about these Elders if more witnesses keep suddenly falling into a missing status.'

“…Odd.” Says Hoonis. “…There doesn’t appear to be any information on how we can see them, though…”

Elain can’t help but stare.

Suddenly, a sharp pain enters her head. She feels the back of her head.

…Somsthing’s impaled it.

She takes out what’s stabbed her.

…A dart.

…A tranquilizer dart…

She quickly begins to feel dizzy. She looks over the the librarian’s desk.

He’s still there.

…If it wasn’t the librarian who shot at her…

…Then who…?

Before she can even get up to warn the others, Elain begins to pass out. Her head slams onto the table, snapping Hoonis out of his reading and Dento away from the librarian.

“Elain?” He asks. He looks over to see Elain with her head down, unconscious.

“Excuse me.” Says a voice from behind.

Hoonis turns. “Hm?” He hums. Dento also turns back.

They look on in shock.

They see a two cloaked figures behind them, each of them have a bat in hand.

“I thought there wasn’t supposed to be any noise in a library.” Says one figure.

Suddenly…

*WHACK*

…Darkness.

—

…

…The trio slowly comes to.

They look up to see large trees covering up the sky. The sun has set. Each of them attempt to look over to each other. They all appear to be lying down. Tied up.

“…W-where are we?” Hoonis asks.

The trio looks around. Torches are scattered around a small clearing.

They’re in the woods.

Suddenly, rustling is heard from nearby shrubs. The trio tries to look over to spot the cause of the sound.

From the bushes, a cloaked and hooded figure emerges, holding his hands up in the air. “Friends!” He shouts. “They have awoken!”

From the bushes, more cloaked figures emerge, all talking amongst each other. They circle around the tied up trio and look down upon them.

The tied up idol hunters face the supposed leader. “Where are we!? What happened!?” Hoonis asks.

“It appears you don’t remember.” Says the leader. “Unfortunate. Perhaps they hit you too hard…”

Dento listens in on the voice… it’s familiar…

…Too familiar…

The leader then brings down his hood to reveal a familiar face.

The librarian.

“You!?” Hoonis shouts. Elain looks in shock.

Even though Dento, anticipated something was up with the man, he still was in shock. He didn’t know that man was a—

…Oh.

The librarian then puts his hood back up. “Never mind introductions, my dear sheep!” He says. “They require sacrifices— can I get an amen?”

“Amen.” The cult says in unison.

“…Dear, God…” Says Hoonis. “A cult leader!”

Besides that…

…Who was this 'They'…?

“…They will be pleased with your arrival.” Says the librarian. “Especially you.” He looks over to Elain.

Elain begins to panic again.

…No.

Don’t think about it.

…Don’t…

“Friends!” Says the librarian. “Bring them to the World’s Edge! The Elders shall ask, and they shall receive!”

The cult members then huddle and pick up the captives and carry them through the woods.

…Elain continues to keep her mind off things…

Don’t think about it.

Don’t think about it.

Do. Not. Think. About. It.

…But, it’s difficult.

The thoughts plague her mind. She can’t seem to shake them off this time. No matter how hard she tries…

The thought of it all…

The drugs. The Elders. The eyes. The pain. The confusion.

…Everything…

It feels so fresh in her mind, just as it was when it first happened.

Just thinking about seeing those eyes again is driving her nuts. She wants to forget it ever happened… although, she can’t.

Dento looks over to Elain, concern glossing his eyes.

Don’t think about it.

You’ll be fine as long as it’s not constantly on your mind. Eating at your mind like termites. Slapping your very soul across the face until it’s bleeding.

You don’t have to tell him as long as you aren’t thinking about it.

You’ll be okay.

Stay optimistic.

Elain nods to Dento.

…Dento almost feels uncertain about Elain.

Suddenly, the trio begins to fall.

They’ve been thrown over a cliff.

They fall. Hoonis’ shrills of terror smacking their heads like a ball in a pinball machine.

As they fall, however…

They rise.

They shoot past the cliff they had been dropped from and into the sky…

Into the atmosphere.

Into the stars.

Into the great beyond.

Hoonis’ screams become inaudible once they reach the outer limits of the world.

Past various lights and voids, all of them a terrifying sight to behold. They pass by planets, asteroids, solar systems with no sun. All of what the world hasn’t explored shoved into a few a minute trip.

The trio then enters a small hole with a large court house in the middle of it.

Elain begins to panic even more…

…You’ll be fine…

Stop thinking about it.

The trio enters the court house. Hoonis’ screams also become audible again. As they pass large white pillars and deeper into the court house, Dento kicks Hoonis’ leg, getting him to stop screaming.

“Ow! What’s the big idea!?” Says Hoonis. “Is that not a natural reaction to getting shot through space!?”

Suddenly, a loud buzzer goes off.

The rope tied around the trio unravels. Dento and Hoonis get sent downward.

Oh, no…

Hoonis and Dento stand next to each other. “What’s happening!?” Hoonis questions.

Two mouse cursors appears. They hover over the men’s bodies and click them. The cursors pull…

And the top layer of their bodies pop off, revealing their internal organs. Each one not an organic organ, but a shape one. Like something out of a cartoon.

“…AAAAAAAAAAHH!!” Hoonis shouts.

The cursors hover over the organs until stopping on their hearts and clicking it. The hearts are removed and odd creature appears off to side. It gobbles up their hearts in one bite. Their covers are then slapped back onto their bodies.

Hoonis and Dento are then brought back up to Elain’s level. Both are terrified. Hoonis especially.

The trio then begins to hover forward.

They enter a large void-like room. Large, shadowy pillars coated with colorful eyes look upon them. Above the pillars appear three eyes, which slowly open as the trio enters. The eyes look down upon them. The trio takes in the sight.

The Elders of Lost Eyes.

The trio is horrified.

…Elain especially.

…Don’t think about it…

“THEY ARE HERE.” Says the pillars. “SHE IS HERE.”

“THEY SEEK HIM.” They say again. “SHE SEEKS HIM. HE SEEKS HER.”

“BRING THEM TO HIM.” They say, echoing.

The phrase repeats.

“BRING THEM TO HIM.”

“BRING THEM TO HIM.”

“BRING THEM TO HIM.”

The trio then blasts upward. They shoot past the Elders and into another dark room. They’re all set down, and are able to stand. There’s a floor here.

…Silence.

Then…

“Hey, there!” Says a peppy, high pitched voice. “You seem confused! Allow me to introduce myself!”

Out from the shadows, clacking footsteps are heard.

The trio looks into the shadows.

Out from the shadows, a very familiar man emerges.

…Or, at least, a man who is very familiar to Hoonis.

A spindly man dressed in a magenta suit, paired with a teal bow tie and yellow undershirt comes out of the shadows.

And the most defining feature he has…

Elain looks in shock.

…A cube head…

…No, a box head…

“I am Darly Boxman!” Says Darly. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance! We’ve been waiting for you!”

Elain and Dento are completely frozen in shock.

Hoonis, on the other hand…

He looks on in utter excitement and shock. He begins to tremble as excitement takes over his brain and body.

He couldn’t help but squeal.

“AAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAH!!!” Hoonis laughs maniacally. “I’VE BEEN WAITING TO MEET YOU ALL MY LIFE, DARLES NEMENI!!”

As Hoonis races toward Darly, The boxman lifts an arm into the air. Hoonis is brought into the air. He looks on at the other man in confusion.

“Ah, ah, ah!” Says Darly. “I don’t go by that anymore! Call me Darly!”

“I never knew you could be so committed to your character!” Says Hoonis. “But why don’t you go by Dar—“

Darly pulls Hoonis close and shushes him. “That’s not important.” He says. “Anyway, thank you!”

“Y-you’re welcome!” Says Hoonis.

Darly then looks back over to the Bounty Hunters. “Oh, interesting outfits!” He says. “That reminds me, I wonder how the times have changed down there. He hasn’t been there in years, not like he needs to.” He chuckles.

…What does that mean?

Elain and Dento are suddenly lifted into the air and paired with Hoonis.

“Look at you all!” Says Darly. “So moldable! I could just completely alter your code to fit my own image!”

The trio are suddenly coated in a bright blue aura. Their forms begin to alter and break apart. The aura eventually fades, revealing the trio now with different body types or limbs.

Darly continues to repeat this process of change.

Each time getting more and more painful. Each time Hoonis’ shrills gettting worse and worse.

Elain can’t help but think of the sheer pain she had to experience…

…Stop it… stop thinking about it…

Darly eventually lets go of the trio and sets them down. They fall to their knees and take a breather.

Hoonis looks up to Darly. “What was that for!?” He asks, still trying to recover and catch his breath.

“Oh, I just like doing that!” Says Darly. “Why not do it when you’re a God?”

…A God…?

“…What…?” Hoonis questions. “…I never found anything like that in my research…”

“That’s because that old, burnt out coot went missing!” Says Darly. “…It appears you all have some catching up to do!”

Shadowy tendrils rise up from the ground and stab the eyes of the trio, causing them to see visions…

Elain isn’t liking it one bit…

…No. Don’t think it…

'The man who you know as Darles was a desperate man, willing to do anything to make himself popular.' Darly narrates as a depiction of Darles on his knees begging appears. 'Even make a deal with the Devil.'

Eyes begin appearing around Darles. The vision fades.

'The Elder’s interest in the man piqued, and they helped him.' Says Darly. 'They gave him success. He got power. Fame. Ascension. All of what he wanted… All for a price…'

A new vision appears: Darles surrounded by eyes within a dark mass looking upon him.

'If they helped him, he had to join them…' Says Darly. 'And such a hungry man took the bait.'

The mass surrounds Darles, trapping him within it.

'And now, Darles and Darly have become one.' Says Darly.

Darles pops out of the mass, a box now replacing his dual-triangle head.

'He had achieved God-hood, he ascended, just as he wished.' Says Darly.

The tendrils then pop out of the trio’s eyes. They each fall to the ground.

'Now look at him! Look at me!” Says Darly, floating in the air. “He can do anything! He HAS everything! Just as he had wished for!”

“But what about his friends? His family?” Hoonis asks.

“…What?” Darly asks.

“Thlouretta? Bep?” Hoonis asks. “What about them? Does he miss them?”

“Why would that matter?” Darly asks. “He has everything he wanted!”

“But they loved him.” Says Hoonis. “They miss him… well, maybe Bep doesn’t miss him outwardly— but still, doesn’t he still love them too?”

“As Darly Boxman went on, he became hellbent on it!” Says Darly. “All he wanted was to ascend! For his show to succeed! He didn’t care about them!”

“There must be more to it! Thlouretta spoke of how kind and caring he was! He was never like this until work on his show started!” Says Hoonis. “…And I remember hearing a voice one night, someone calling for help… it sounded like Darles… he’s still in there… in your head.”

Darly isn’t sure of how to continue.

“…Tell me, Darles.” Says Hoonis. “Tell me you loved Bep like your daughter. Tell me that you were a kind and caring man. Tell me that you aren’t a piece of shit father.”

Elain and Dento look to each other. They’re surprised that Hoonis is acting so stern about this. He spoke with such passion they had never heard from him.

Darly pauses.

“…Please.” Says Hoonis, desperately.

…Darly hesitates…

…He then begins to float back down to the ground. He tries to pry the box off of his head.

It takes some time, but the box is removed.

…Darles looks up, pain in his eyes.

Hoonis looks back, desperately anticipating the truth.

“…I loved Bep with my life.” Says Darles.

Hoonis’ eyes widen a bit. Elain and Dento rise to their feet, surprise in their eyes.

“…I-I was a good man. Thlouretta and I were great friends… and I… I let it all go.” Says Darles. “…I threw it all away for a stupid show, for fame… I ruined my life, and for what? To be in constant suffering with this parasite clinging to my head…?”

The trio stares at the man as he vents.

“I never wanted this… I didn’t want those who I cherished to leave me— I didn’t…” Says Darles as he falls to knees. “…What in God’s name did I do to myself…?”

Faint sobs can be heard as Darles lowers his head. Before anyone can approach him, he lifts his head to the box he had set down.

Darles then proceeds to pick up the box. He squeezes it slightly.

“My STUPID lust for YOU, GOT ME HERE!!” Says Darles. “I AM HERE BECAUSE I JUST HAD TO WANT FAME!! I LOST WHAT I LOVE BECAUSE OF MY STUPID ACTIONS!! …I FUCKING HATE YOU!!!”

Darles then proceeds to stand back up and throw the box into the void next to him. He falls to his knees again and begins to sob.

Hoonis then tries to approach the sobbing man, only for Elain and Dento to restrain Hoonis and pull him away.

“Wait!” Says Hoonis. “We can help him!”

The duo pulls Hoonis back further.

There isn’t a point in helping a man that’s lost his mind.

Hoonis struggles to escape the duo’s grip, but they’ve got a tight hold on him. He tries his hardest to pull away from them, until he eventually pops out of their hold. He rushes over to Darles and begins to hesitate…

…After a bit, Hoonis gets down on his knees and sits beside the sobbing man.

“…I’m a horrible friend…” Says Darles through his sobs. “…I’m a terrible father…”

“…I don’t think you are one.” Says Hoonis.

“…Why not?” Darles asks. “I sacrificed who I loved for this. I hurt people. People I cherished. And now look at me… I’m broken man. Why try to waste your time with me when I can just send you all home?”

“Because I want to help you.” Says Hoonis.

“What about what I just said do you not get?” Darles asks. “There isn’t anything you nor I could do about this… I’m stuck here, and I can’t leave. I took the bait, and this is my punishment.”

“…I can try. We can try.” Says Hoonis. “We can help you become a better man.”

“No.” Says Darles. “I doubt I can change. I’ve ruined so much… just leave me be…”

Nearby, a small portal opens on the ground. It leads back to the Pink City.

“You can change! We can get you back home, help you let this go!” Says Hoonis desperately.

“You can’t break a contract with the Devil just like that.” Says Darles.

“But, I don’t want to leave you!” Says Hoonis. “I’ve wanted to learn from you all my life!”

“Are you dense?” Darles asks. “Why learn from a man who ruined his life chasing after fame? …Just leave.”

Elain and Dento step to Hoonis and pick him up. They drag him toward the portal.

Hoonis desperately tries to escape the duo’s grasp, but to no avail. Darles keeps his head to the ground.

The trio eventually trips into the portal. Hoonis yelps as they fall.

Once the trio is gone, the portal in the floor closes.

Darles sits there, alone, and on his knees.

“…I am nothing…” Says Darles. “Nothing but a puppet…”

…Darles then begins to chuckle a bit.

“…Hehehe… he is nothing… you are nothing…” Says Darles… or really, Darly. “…Is this not what you wanted, Darles? You wanted fame, so why don’t you embrace it?”

“…You stay away from me, you fucking leech.” Says Darles, sounding more like himself.

…He and Darly are in a predicament…

“Oh, no, that won’t do!” Says Darly. “I thought we were friends!”

“We may have been, but we aren’t anymore.” Says Darles. “I want you to leave me alone.”

“Why?” Darly asks. “You made that deal, now you’re stuck with me! It’s like you said, you can’t break the Devil’s contract just like that!”

“…Leave me alone, you wretched piece of shit…” Says Darles.

“Oh, dear!” Says Darly. “…I think you need a helping hand!”

Suddenly, approaching clicking sounds are heard. Darles looks up.

He sees his box head, covered in a dark ooze. It’s crawling with it’s six shadowy, spider-like limbs.

It’s quickly approaching Darles.

Before Darles can even react, the box head lunges onto Darles’ face, trying to attach itself to him.

Darles screams and quickly rises to his feet. He attempts to pull the box off of his head, but to no avail.

“GET OFF OF ME, YOU FUCKING PARASITE!!” Darles screams, his hands mounted to his head, trying to remove the creature from him.

“You know I can’t do that!” Says Darly.

Darles continues to struggle with the beast as it slowly crawls it’s way onto his head, attaching to it like a leech.

Darles falls to his knees again and struggles to combat the creature’s hold on him, both mentally and physically.

From the center face of the box, seven vibrant eyes sprout and slowly open.

Darly begins taking hold of the poor man’s body. He takes a look at his hands and slowly rises to his feet.

“I think you need this, don’t you think?” Darly asks himself. “What else do you need, I wonder…?”

Darly begins thinking to himself… before something comes to mind.

“…I know!” Says Darly. “You need a refresher just to show you what great power they gave you!”

—

The trio falls plummets from the sky, Hoonis still squirming in Elain and Dento’s arms.

“I could’ve helped him!” Says Hoonis as the trio falls.

The hunters eventually slam into the pavement. The citizens walking around jump and quickly take notice of the large hole made in the road. They all begin grouping around the hole and gazing upon the still bodies within it.

The three slowly rise and massage their temples. Hoonis looks up to the sky and no longer sees a way back to Darles.

“…I could’ve helped…” Says Hoonis. “He can change…”

Dento looks to Hoonis and pats his back. He then looks over to Elain.

…She doesn’t look well.

Elain knows he’s looking at her.

…Stop thinking about it.

You’ll be fine.

Dento reaches an arm over to her.

Before, he can reach her though…

*BANG*

Dento stops. Everyone looks around.

*BANG*

Nothing is around them. Nothing.

…The only place they haven’t looked…

…Up.

Everyone looks up to the sky.

…Not much happens.

Until…

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

The sky explodes apart. A large hole in the sky appears. And oddly enough, it begins to bug and glitch out…

The civilians begin to panic and run away. The trio remains in the hole, not moving a muscle.

From the hole in the sky hovers an approaching figure. The figure quickly approaches the Pink City, and stops right in front of the hole in the road.

The trio stares in disbelief.

Darly.

Although, his box head is covered in a black, dripping substance. At the sides of the box, spider-like legs remain. And for the man’s face; vibrant, multicolored eyes. They could bring utter fear to anyone who dared to look upon them.

“Hey there, everybody!” Says Darly. “Welcome back to the show! Did you miss me?”

No one seems to answer. Only screams are heard as the civilians scramble to their homes.

“I’m sorry for my sudden intrusion, but it’s come to my attention that a friend of mine needs a lesson in being grateful for the power they’ve been given!” Says Darly. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to show you all what a REAL God looks like!”

Darly raises his hands, and out from the hole in the sky, shadowy tendrils shoot out and charge toward any unsuspecting civilians. The tendrils attack and hit at the civilians. Many are shot around against walls or slammed into the road.

The more the civilians are attacked, the more 'glitched out' they become. Slowly becoming horribly distorted and broken.

Darly then looks down into the trio still stuck in the hole.

“Oh, look at the menagerie!” Says Darly. “I’ve seen you before! You look like you’d be fun to play with! Especially YOU!”

Tendrils shoot toward Elain and grab her wrists and ankles. She begins to get dragged back. Dento grabs onto her. Both of them quickly get dragged out of the hole and toward Darly.

Dento pulls at Elain, trying to free her from the tendrils. He looks to Elain, she looks back.

Dento’s expression shows that of desperation.

'Don’t you let go!'

Hoonis then begins to struggle out of the hole to reach the Bounty Hunters. He can barely get back up.

Dento’s feet dig into the pavement as Elain gets dragged back. Both ends are tugging so hard, that Elain feels her body could be snapped in half.

“Ooh! We’ve got a fighter!” Says Darly.

The tendrils then begin to tug at Elain even harder. So much so, that Dento can barely hold on anymore.

In a snap, Dento’s hands give out, no longer able to hold on to Elain. Elain is shot up into the sky, completely disappearing from Dento’s view in a matter of a seconds.

Dento can’t help but watch as his dear friend is sent into the sky.

Lord knows if she’ll ever return.

Dento remains on his knees. He lays his head down as tears fall from his eyes. He silently sobs, his chest heaving, even if no audible sound is heard from him.

Hoonis is eventually able to climb out of the hole in the road. He spots Dento sitting alone, Elain nowhere to be found.

“Where’s Elain?” Hoonis asks as he approaches the sobbing man.

Dento doesn’t answer.

“…I’m sorry.” Says Hoonis. “You don’t have to tell me.”

Hoonis looks up to the sky. Dento does the same.

…Tendrils shoot out from the sky hole and quickly launch themselves toward the city.

Toward the duo that watches the sky above.

Hoonis and Dento spring up and quickly try to evade the approaching tendrils, trying to pass the hole in the road without falling in.

Once they pass the hole, the two stay fairly far apart. They run off, trying to find somewhere to hide.

As Dento runs, the sound of something approaching him catches his attention.

Too late, however.

A tendril smacks Dento on the back of his head. The force of the hit slams him into a nearby wall.

He falls unconscious before he even hits the floor.

~~~

Dento slowly begins to come to. He blinks a bit before slowly rising up.

He looks around.

Nothing.

Nothing but darkness.

As he turns his head, he spots someone.

Someone familiar.

Elain.

Elain sits alone, head down. She looks as if she’s ashamed.

Dento quickly gets to his feet and rushes toward his partner. As he approaches her… he hears something…

“SHE WAS NOT READY.” Says an unknown voice.

Dento stands nearby his friend, confused. He glances around, looking for the source of the voice.

“SHE WAS NEVER OKAY.” The voice says again.

Suddenly, out from Elain’s head, a vapor appears. From the vapor emerges a collage of shapes. Shapes and colors…

Shapes and colors that would remind one of stress. Of anxiety. Of fear. Of something underlying that is left without acknowledgement.

The collage takes up the void. Only Elain and Dento remain.

“HER MIND WAS NOT READY.” Says the voice again. “SHE IS CURSED WITH A TERRIBLE BLINDNESS.”

“A BLINDNESS YOU FELL FOR.”

“A BLINDNESS SHE FELL FOR.”

“NEITHER OF YOU…”

“NEITHER OF YOU ARE SAFE FROM WHAT SHE CAUSED TO HAPPEN TO HERSELF.”

As Dento glances around, he begins to hear a different voice…

'I’ll be okay.'

'I’ll be fine.'

'I’m okay.'

'Stay optimistic.'

'Stay optimistic.'

'Stay optimistic.'

The phrase, 'Stay optimistic', continuously lingering within the void.

“HER OPTIMISM IS A CURSE.” Says the other voice.

“A CURSE YOU BOTH MUST BEAR WITNESS TO.”

Dento glances around again.

…Was this true…?

…Or some kind of trick…?

As he glances, he notices Elain slowly raising her head. She stares at Dento with horribly desperate eyes.

He stares back.

…A new phrase lingers.

'I’m sorry.'

'I’m sorry.'

'I am so, so sorry…'

…Elain.

She’s speaking through her thoughts.

…Those thoughts of desperate optimism…

…They were hers…

And she never said a word…

Leaving both of them in the dark…

If she had said something…

She wouldn’t be stuck in the sky. The city wouldn’t have been put in danger…

…He should’ve known she’d be this ignorant.

Dento suddenly feels himself being pulled away. He quickly exits the colorful amalgamation of stress, barely able to hear Elain’s thoughts.

~~~

Dento jolts awake. He quickly rises. He glances around.

…He’s in his home. On the couch.

…Someone took him home…

“Dento?” Calls a voice from a nearby hall. “You okay?”

Dento turns over to the hall. He sees his sister, Danina, peer out from the hall. She notices her awakened brother and rushes toward him.

“Oh, thank God, you’re okay!” Says Danina, hugging her brother. “Some guy was carrying you, we just got you and took you home… what even happened?”

Dento thinks about who the hell could’ve been carrying him…

Hoonis.

…He’s grateful for him.

Dento can only hope Hoonis is okay.

Dento then begins to think about how to answer Danina’s question.

“…It’s a long story, isn’t it?” Danina asks.

Dento nods.

“Alright. Oh, also, I want to make sure,” Danina begins. “You aren’t hurt, are you? Mom looked at you, but I want to hear from you.”

Dento thinks…

…Not exactly…

Not only did he lose his friend, he’s had to learn about how she functions. Her ignorance. His ignorance…

…Sometimes, he hates how Elain works…

—

Elain sits alone. Alone within a dark void. Stuck in the sky. Unable to leave.

Not certain of how to leave.

…She feels awful.

…If only she had said something…

Realized how ignorant she was…

She didn’t want any of this.

She had set out to be a Bounty Hunter to bring good to the city. Bring down ne'er-do-wells and serve them sweet justice. All she wanted was to do good… not bring the city down to destruction and ashes…

All of this. All of it…

Is it not all her fault?

If she hadn’t decided to go on this goose chase. If she had said something. If she had taken better consideration into the inner workings of her head…

The city wouldn’t be crumbling.

People wouldn’t have been getting hurt.

A practical God (hopefully) wouldn’t have been unveiled unto the city.

Dento wouldn’t have—

Dento…

He wouldn’t have been hurt…

Mentally hurt…

…When you hurt, I hurt…

…

…What has she done…?

“Oh, dear!” Says a voice.

Elain turns her head, glancing around. She quickly rises to her feet.

…It’s familiar…

…Darly.

“Over here, dear!”

Elain turns.

Darly hovers behind Elain, staring down upon her with his seven vibrant eyes. His look paralyzes her, freaks her out.

…He looked awful.

Darly then bends down a bit. His box head hovers off of his shoulders and toward Elain. It stares into her eyes and pierces her soul.

“You’re tired, aren’t you?” Darly asks.

The box head slams back into its rightful place on Darly’s shoulders. He continues to stare Elain down.

“Have you thought of an answer yet?” Darly asks.

Elain thinks…

She was tired.

Tired of these thoughts. Tired of the guilt. Tired of the stress

She nods.

“I thought so!” Says Darly. “…Why don’t I lend you a hand?” He puts out a hand.

Elain stares at Darly in disbelief.

…Why would she make a deal with him?

“…Hmm…” Darly hums. “Perhaps you need a refresher!”

Suddenly, familiar visions and whispers fill Elain’s head.

“JOIN THE CREED.” The whispers yell. Over and over. The phrase echos.

Visions of what she’s seen. What she’s experienced. What she’s faced. All of it hits Elain like dodgeballs.

Elain curls up into a ball and wraps her arms around her head.

She wants it to go away. That’s all she wants.

…But it appears she can’t get it to go away on her own anymore.

“You want this all to go away, yes?” Darly asks. “Then why not make a deal?”

The whispers are unending. The visions are infinite.

“I need an answer!” Says Darly.

…Why not make a deal, when you can no longer face these issues on your own?

Elain looks up to Darly. She stares into his eyes before slowly and hesitantly bringing out a hand.

“There we are!” Says Darly.

Darly takes Elain’s hand. The visions and whispers quickly fade.

Nothing happens for a moment.

…Until Elain starts feeling a buzzing sensation on her hand.

She stares at the hand Darly had taken. The buzzing feeling doesn’t go away. The feeling travels up her body. She begins to feel numb…

Not only that.

…Her head feels fuzzy…

She can’t think straight.

Her thoughts become indescribable. Her consciousness feels as if it’s slipping.

…She almost feels dead…

Her body and mind are numb. She can barely think cognitively.

Almost like some kind of zombie.

Elain’s body has become that of a glitchy, buggy mess. Her body can’t keep a proper shape, as it often bugs out and loses a proper form. Her eyes void of sentience, glistening in a bright blue.

Darly chuckles. “Haha! Look!” He says. “You’re like me now!”

Powerful.

Exactly what Darles wanted.

A hungry person very easily and quickly takes the bait.

- END -

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[peanut-tyrug]

Thinking abt how Thlouretta Gudds would probably say stuff like “Golly!” and “Jeepers!”

[askdarlesnemeni]

I don’t think he’s okay mim. I think he’s the furthest thing possible from okay.

[askdarlesnemeni]

You REALLY don’t look okay…you should probably stop denying that…

(admin likes your icon !!)

[askdarlesnemeni]

So, how did you even end up inside that tv? Like do you remember how you even went missing?

🙂👍

[askdarlesnemeni]

Also, I’m pretty sure I remember you saying that you know ways out.

Can't exactly just slip out whenever haha

If this hoe don't quit snoring I swear