two | ɐɯnɐɹʇ ɐɯnɐɹʇ ɐɯnɐɹʇ ɐɯnɐɹʇ pɐǝɥ

[strike_you_out]

 [ 726 Anderson, several hours after school is let out; the sun is still shining down but the shadows have grown long.

Kneeling in the driveway is a boy in a ball cap with a box of chalk. He's been here for the past hour furiously scribbling out and solving tedious multiplication and long division problems in preparation for an upcoming exam. While studying may seem like a mundane chore, it is obscenely unusual when performed by Lil' Slugger. 

As the driveway fills up with rainbow math-vomit, he migrates closer and closer to the sidewalk and possibly along the sidewalk all the way up to the driveway next door (assuming he gets that far). Soon his hands and knees are covered in colored dust but the task continues. ]

Comments

[lotuslife.livejournal.com]

[Fascinating. Have a woman watching you from across the street, taking in all of the brilliant colors.]

[strike-you-out.livejournal.com]

[He doesn't notice right away, so absorbed in his studying like the

good student

that he is. But when he does eventually look up, he waves to her, smiling vacantly.

That dark spot on his shirt... is that dried blood?]

[lotuslife.livejournal.com]

[Well, that's even more interesting.

She crosses the street, putting a smile on her face, as well.] Hello.

[strike-you-out.livejournal.com]

Good afternoon, Mrs. Across-the-street-neighbor.

[He tips his cap leaving pink chalk prints on it.]

[lotuslife.livejournal.com]

Studying hard, I see...

[strike-you-out.livejournal.com]

I've got to if I'm going to get an A.

[finishes scratching out some numbers, then circles them. he smart. he can math.]

Do you need anything multiplied, divided, or converted to a fraction?

[godisachild.livejournal.com]

[Well, that was fun, being gotten up at the crack of dawn the day after his murder. He'll just be walking home like a little grump now and

OH MY GOD.

Pokey's breathing increases substantially, just staring at Slugger. Move. He needs to move. Why can't he move.

He's just...standing there. Staring in terror and unable to get himself to keep moving.]

[strike-you-out.livejournal.com]

[Slugger is staring in blankfaced contemplation at the ground, chalk in hand. However, it only takes him a second to notice the other boy standing there and he jumps up excitedly to greet this "friend".]

Hey pal, I'm almost done. Wanna play some ball after this?

[Coming closer. The look on his face is terrifyingly un-sinister.]

[godisachild.livejournal.com]

[His breath catches in his throat, bobbing up and down for a minute as he immediately steps back when Slugger springs up. He stays like that for a moment, entirely breathless and just staring, before his thought finally catches back up.

Droned. He was droned. For murdering him.

...Still, this what he'd been waiting for. He should probably get news to Tak as soon as possible.

Say no. No, of course you don't want to play. There's nothing he can do to you now.]

S-S-S-S-Sure...

[ God DAMMIT.]

[strike-you-out.livejournal.com]

[You'd think Pokey's discomfort would be obvious, especially to someone who thrives on fear, but it goes completely unnoticed as Slugger gives him a light punch to the arm.]

Great! I'll meet you at the field in twenty.

[godisachild.livejournal.com]

[Pokey keeps just barely from letting out a little yelp at the punch, nodding dumbly at Slugger's statement. ...At least he's providing he and Tak with an out of the way place to get at him.]

Yeah...o-o-okay...

....Bring the bat, and I'll bring the ball, alright?

[Because fuck no is he going to let Slugger keep the bat anymore.]

[strike-you-out.livejournal.com]

You got it.

[VACANT SMILE]

[godisachild.livejournal.com]

[Pokey just smiles fakely and nodding his head before slowly starting to walk away.]

...See you at...at the field...You won't mind me bringing a friend, right?

[strike-you-out.livejournal.com]

Of course not. See you guys soon.

[Proceeds to stand there smiling that same smile until Pokey is out of sight.]

[godisachild.livejournal.com]

[Will try to walk away as calmly as he can before seeing if he's out of sight and running as fast as he can. Yeah, he needs to tell Tak they got him as soon as possible.]

Threadjackan for organization

[insectoidalien.livejournal.com]

[Plan whack-a-drone is GO.

Since she'd rather you not remember who she is, Tak shows up in her holographic disguise, tapping her foot impatiently while she looks for you, Slugger.]

((Tak's disguise looks like this (http://images.fanpop.com/images/image_uploads/Tak-invader-zim-779919_147_200.jpg)))

[strike-you-out.livejournal.com]

[And in due time he arrives at the field with his bat. He's never met or seen this girl but his 'bff' told him he was bringing a friend so this must be her.

Slugger nods to her smiling a cheerfully hollow smile. Next he'll be looking around for Pokey.]

Is he coming? We can't play without the ball.

[godisachild.livejournal.com]

[And he'll be coming up the field soon, holding a ball out in his hand to make sure Slugger can see it. He doesn't know why he's bothering to make sure the ball is so obvious; it's not like the drone is going to be expecting foul play. And he doesn't bother to try and disguise himself in anyway. It wouldn't really matter, since he knows him.

In a way, he wants Slugger to know what's about to happen was because of him.

He stops a few feet away from Slugger and Tak, ball in hand.]

.....Hey.

Agh, forgot that Pokey's never seen her disguise.

[insectoidalien.livejournal.com]

[Tak stands a bit behind Slugger, careful not to let their target out of her sight. Even though he can't see her, she forces a innocent smile on her face and a high-pitched voice out of her throat.]

Hi! You ready?

We can say she showed him beforehand. ;)

[strike-you-out.livejournal.com]

Ready!

[Totally unsuspecting, he offers up his bat.]

Who wants to bat first?

Yeah, that's what I'd assume! :D

[godisachild.livejournal.com]

[Pokey licked his lips a bit, holding the ball out.]

How about....how about I bat first? If you don't mind?

[strike-you-out.livejournal.com]

[He'll take the ball and hand Pokey the bat. Pay no attention to those spots of dried blood on his sleeve, Pokey; but feel more than welcome to realize that your bat has been spray-painted gold.]

Alright, let's play.

[insectoidalien.livejournal.com]

Guess I'll catch, then!

[Tak crouches behind home plate, whispering an aside to Pokey.]

Don't swing. Let me catch it.

[godisachild.livejournal.com]

[Pokey just nods a little as Tak speaks, lining up to make it look like he'll be ready to swing when Slugger throws the ball.]

Ready when you are.

[strike-you-out.livejournal.com]

[In a bizarre twist of fate, Slugger takes his place at the pitcher's mound where he winds up and throws the ball with all the skill of a generic drone boy.

At the very least, the ball will make it to the catcher.]

[insectoidalien.livejournal.com]

[Tak catches it easily. She leans back like she's just going to job it back, but hurls it with all the strength she can muster. Straight at Slugger's head.]

[strike-you-out.livejournal.com]

[Slugger is still trying to determine whether or not that would count as a strike when there is suddenly a baseball colliding with his head right between the eyes.

The next thing he sees is clouds and sky as he's now lying flat on his back on the ground. He sits up woozily, bleeding a bit from the nose but still smiling.]

Hey, you've got a strong arm.

Maybe you should pitch.

[insectoidalien.livejournal.com]

[Huh.]

Alright.

[She switches places with Slugger and pitches hard, trying to bean him again. If it still doesn't work, maybe Pokey can catch him in the face when he swings.]

[godisachild.livejournal.com]

[And swing he will. An incredibly wide one to try and hit Slugger. It's taking every bit of self control he has to not go wild and start just swinging at Slugger in general.]

[strike-you-out.livejournal.com]

[By now Slugger is short a few teeth and on the verge of concussion. What finally does him in is Pokey's purposely misguided swing to the head.

This time the drone doesn't get back up and instead lies there on the ground, drooling and unconscious.]

[insectoidalien.livejournal.com]

Finally.

[Tak grabs a couple of limbs and slings Slugger across her shoulders.]

Where now? We cannot take him to where I live.

[godisachild.livejournal.com]

[Pokey's still shaking, and he just barely keeps from swinging the bat at Slugger again, now that Tak's carrying him.]

....

My garage. Why not. Freak already knows where I live. We'll put a tarp down and hope my "brother" doesn't show up.

[insectoidalien.livejournal.com]

Sounds good. Let's move quickly. I don't want to be seen dragging this boy around.

[She readjusts Slugger's body and starts moving]

[godisachild.livejournal.com]

[Sounds good to Pokey. He doesn't have any real complaints, so he'll try to move the fast he can.]

The voice you used when talking to him...

Has anyone really bought that as natural sounding?

Hey. Hey guys. Do we move to a log or handwave everything?

[insectoidalien.livejournal.com]

yes in fact, they have.

[SHE IS THE BEST INVADER, SHUT YO YAP.]

I vote handwave, since it'd basically be a repeat of the last autopsy

[godisachild.livejournal.com]

Huh.

Weren't kidding about the humans you know being stupid, huh?

Whatever you guys want. :)

[strike-you-out.livejournal.com]

[Just hangs limply from Tak's shoulders, face bleeding and still frozen with a smile.]

Handwave is good then!

[insectoidalien.livejournal.com]

No. No I was not.

[And now she feels Slugger bleeding on her]

Eww...

[deaths-heritor.livejournal.com]

. . . Well. This isn't vaguely disturbing at all.

[Susan stands at the front door watching for a few minutes before calling out in a sickly sweet voice.]

Oh, Slugger. I've made you pancakes; do come inside.

[strike-you-out.livejournal.com]

[Apparently, it's easier to distract him than it looks and he comes sprinting up to the front door at the sound of her voice.]

Pancakes? You're the best mom ever!

[And now he's standing much closer to her than he's ever dared to before.]

[deaths-heritor.livejournal.com]

I know.

[Susan's face seems to be making the critical decision between face-palming and laughter; she settles on a coolly neutral expression instead as she ushers the boy inside and directs him towards the kitchen.]

Wash your hands before you eat.

[She has not made pancakes, though she does take a muffin from the pantry and plop it on the table.]

What am I to do with you, Slugger?

[strike-you-out.livejournal.com]

[Once his hands are dry, he sits at the table and stares... That is not a pancake. Fortunately, he doesn't care and is about to take a bite anyway when he takes note of her tone.]

Am I in trouble?

[Innocence. Why, whatever has he done?]

[deaths-heritor.livejournal.com]

No. You already were.

[Susan sighs and leans back against a wall with arms crossed. Oh, well. It wasn't as if this was actually her 'son' at all, and he wouldn't even remember this. Might as well put him to use.]

When you're finished eating, Slugger, the second floor could do with some vacuuming. And your father keeps missing the toilet bowl -- Take care of all of that and I'll have a surprise for you.

[strike-you-out.livejournal.com]

[He would retract his previous statement about Susan being the best mom ever if he were any less droned. He might also plot revenge.

But first and foremost--]

I was in trouble? What for?

[He's still oblivious to the dried flecks of blood on his sleeve as if incapable of seeing the stain at all.]

[deaths-heritor.livejournal.com]

I haven't the least idea, but I imagine those bloodstains may have something to do with it.

[strike-you-out.livejournal.com]

[At the mention of bloodstains, Slugger looks down at his shirt with a start. He appears on the verge of crying out when a vacant look transforms his face like a dropped curtain.]

Mom, can I go study some more? I'll be back in to clean upstairs in an hour. Please?

[deaths-heritor.livejournal.com]

. . . . . . . . .

[Well that was odd. Susan nods after a half-moment of hesitation.]

Certainly, Slugger. Dishes in the sink now.

[She will, of course, be following and watching him wherever he goes.]

[strike-you-out.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Mom.

[He does as told, taking his muffin with him on his way out and smiling like a brainwashed fool.]

[deaths-heritor.livejournal.com]

Think nothing of it.

[She follows, frowning.]