Victims: Daisy, Luigi, Toad, Toadette, Mona, Wario, Bowser, Kamek, Pauline, Boo, DK, Bowser JR, Diddy, Birdo, Yoshi, Wendy, Morton, Roy, Waluigi, Lemmy, Larry
Suspects: Mario, Peach, Rosalina, Ludwig, Iggy, Dixie, Koopa
Thousands of volts of electricity rushed through Iggy's body and he fell lifelessly to the floor as Player 2 stood over him, eyes cold and expressing nothing except sheer distaste. His skin was charred. The toaster lay next to him, droplets of shower water gathering on its sleek, metal surface. Electrocution was a disastrous way to go. Player 2 felt no remorse, though. Remorse was for the weak. And Player 2 was most definitely not weak.
They crawled back through the vents, listening to the various sounds of the house. The creaking of the wooden floors, the gurgling of the water pipes, the deranged murmuring of the true psychos, the crying of the weak, and Player 2's shallow breathing. All these noises made the soundtrack of a perfect kill.
Player 2 wanted to stab everyone to death as soon as possible, but alas, they could not. The other players wouldn't allow it. The game had to be completed the way the ritual said it had to. The Overlord said so. Player 2 didn't want to displease the Overlord. The Overlord would withdraw their promise and Player 2 would be left with nothing except a guilty conscience.
Player 2 slithered through the ventilation shafts, enjoying the freedom of being out of their fake skin. The only time they ever got to escape into their head was when they were basking in the adrenaline of the kill. So they savored their time there. They were a snake, bathing in the warmth of bloodshed. They felt alive. Player 2 had finally broken free of the tedious loop of their dull life and was now a being capable of other-worldly things that mere mortals couldn't imagine. Becoming Player 2 had proved to be the most beneficial decision they'd ever made.
Then the sound came. The rhythmic thud of knees hitting the metal of the vents. Player 2 was not alone. Thoughts raced through their heads as their hearts pounded in their chest simultaneously. The two were thinking the same thing.
'There's someone up here with me.'
One was innocent, the other one not so much, regardless, both were fearful of the other. Neither dared to move. Their lives were on the line if they came face to face. Player 2 wouldn't hesitate to go off-course and shoot a threat to death. It didn't matter who was in the vent with them. The vents were Player 2's territory. No other soul was ever meant to enter the vents. Player 2 finally came to their senses and bolted, dropping down into their bedroom and screwing the entrance shut, hopping into bed as the innocent peered through the gaps in the shaft entrance before moving on, none the wiser on who Player 2 was.
Player 2 knew who the perpetrator was, though. Revenge was due to be dished out soon, they thought as they drifted into a sleep riddled with inhumane thoughts that only those who were truly evil could think. Their 23rd victim had something beautiful in store for them. Something they deserved.
It was the afternoon before anybody noticed the sharp, metallic smell of singed flesh seeping out from under a bathroom door. The door was kicked off its hinges by a very glum Mario. He wasn't fazed by the acidic stench of burnt, decomposing flesh. His nose had become numb to the scent after visiting his brothers corpse in the basement many times. Death, which was once a topic of hushed voices and worried glances, had become the everyday life of the once-normal citizens. Circumstances like this always brought the true nature of people to light, discarding their old selves as if they were coats that were too small.
Two people stood on the tiled floor, gazing down at the naked, burned corpse of the koopaling who'd driven everyone insane with his maniacal laughter. The pair had seen too much malice in this wretched house to be able to offer nothing more than a grimace at the victims who had been mauled by the hand of death particularly badly. It was a depressing sight to behold, but a familiar one. They carried the body to the basement, remaining silent as they went. No one could have a conversation whilst transporting a corpse, it just couldn't be done.
Unless you were someone as deeply demented and twisted as Player 2, that is. Someone as sane and perfect at first glance. Someone who appeared more sociopathic with every look. Someone who sacrificed friends and enemies for eternal life. Someone who believed they were above normal life. And they were, in a strange way. They had completed over 30 murders and no one had come close to catching them. They were a god in all but name.
They were going to complete the game.
Koopa was residing in his quiet place, a room under the grand staircase that he'd stumbled upon when watching Pauline. It was a cramped room, only designed to house coats and winter gear, yet Koopa enjoyed the size of it. It meant only he could be in here, by himself. Koopa was in no way claustrophobic, so the cupboard was perfect in every way for him. It meant he could listen in on conversations around him without being caught. He was stealthy, no one had ever or would ever catch him.
He listened in on Peach and Rosalina arguing over something stupid. As much as he hated the princesses for excluding him from everything, they were his favourite people to listen to. Their prim and proper voices and curt language intrigued him. He was so used to drawling accents and slang. The only people in Bowser's army who had spoke as clearly as the princesses did, were Waluigi and Boo. Koopa hardly ever spoke, he just liked it when other people did. However, he hated people who talked too much. People who talked too much had a death wish.
Quiet was what the world needed. Fancy technology and all that shit was unnecessary. Things were figured out by listening and being quiet for once. Maybe this was why Koopa was a smart man, or maybe he was just a genius. Maybe neither, maybe both. He let out a quiet sigh and slumped back against the sloped wall. The princesses' argument had ceased and had become a friendly conversation. How could people not hold a grudge against those who they argue with? Weaklings, Koopa thought.
He shut his eyes and thought of how the world would be if he had been given a chance.
Peach nervously walked through the twisty maze of dimly lit corridors to the room that Koopa had claimed as his. She felt her palms grow sweaty beneath her gloves. She was nervous. Koopa was a person you didn't want to get on the wrong side of. A Glock would be pressed against your temple and you'd say your last goodbyes if you messed up with Koopa. She knocked on the bullet-hole riddled door, praying that he wouldn't be there and she could just leave and forget about her stupid idea. Fate was not on her side. Koopa opened the door, a lighter in one hand and an unlit cigarette in the other. He looked wary of her, was the first thing she noticed.
"Whaddya want?" he asked, his words sharp, his tone indicating no-nonsense. She gulped, regretting ever coming here to ask for his help.
"I want you to watch Rosalina." she blurted out, biting her lip and wringing her hands together.
"I do that already. Why ya want me to watch her for you, princess? If there was somethin' shady going on with her, I'd know about it." he said, leaning against the doorframe and lighting his cigarette, making her stomach turn. She hated cigarettes. She would say something about smoking, but this guy could help her so she had to be polite.
"She's creeping me out. A lot. I'm pretty sure she's the person who creeps around outside my bedroom at night." Peach confessed, consciously looking over her shoulder to check if the star queen was somehow there. She knew she was being paranoid, of course Rosalina wasn't going to be there.
"Creepin' outside your room? Yikes. I'll do some investigating, princess. Anyone else you want me to check up on? Dixie, Ludwig, Mario?" Koopa questioned, dragging on his cigarette and exhaling a cloud of smoke into the room behind him. The mention of Ludwig's name brought back what Iggy had told her the night before. She gasped.
"Ludwig! Iggy warned me. Oh God! Yes, watch Ludwig! I have to go!" she said, tearing off down the hallway in search of the only remaining koopaling. She'd completely forgotten about him. About Iggy's frantic information exchange. She hammered on the door. Still locked. Iggy had locked it. Iggy had the key. Iggy was dead. The key was lost now. Her heart began pounding. She felt lightheaded. Her breathing became fast and panicked.
"Ludwig!" she screeched, grabbing a lightweight coffee table and smashing the lock. The door drifted open to reveal a room containing no people. She let out a long breath and slumped down against the doorframe, her head in her hands. Ludwig was on the run. His brother had ratted him out and now he was going to kill them all immediately. Someone sat down next to her and whispered in her ear two words that made something click in her brain.
"The vents."
Sorry for depriving you guys of updates for so long!
Hint: Player 2 has an 'A' in their name