So Wattpad messed up and didn't send anyone notifications for Part 10. Part 10 is important to understand Part 11. Please go over there and read that one first if you haven't already. This chapter is dedicated to the great @FuriousWolf7423 for stroking my ego. <3
The Mask Ryan was back.
"Tina, you need to finish your work."
"Unicorn told me to stay here. I'm staying."
"Don't listen to Unicorn. He doesn't know what he's talking about."
"He's coming to get me, and then he can help me fix..." She gestured to herself "this."
"Your legs? Common, Tina, you're stronger than that. You can walk it off."
"My legs are literally broken, I can't walk at all."
"That's weak, Tina."
"You know, I'm not so sure that you're actually Ryan."
"Of course I'm Ryan, Tina."
"Ryan doesn't like it when I kill people."
"You have to complete your work, Tina."
"He also would care that my legs are broken. He wouldn't make me walk.
"It's just a flesh wound. You can walk it off."
"It's actually the opposite of a flesh wound, it's a bone wound. And again, I cannot walk this one off."
"Tiiiinaaaa!"
"You keep yelling."
"You must complete your work. Think of all the people relying on you."
"No one relies on me, I only kill people."
"Tiiiiiiinaaaaa!"
Tina heard the familiar sound of a portal coming from outside her home. "That will be him then."
"Tiiiiinaaa!"
Tina heard the front door open.
"I'm in here, Unicorn!"
"Tiiiiinaaaa!!"
Unicorn entered the room. As he did, Ryan disappeared.
"Thanks for coming. I'm not doing so well."
"Goodness, Tina, what did you do?"
"I had a pretty bad fall... I had to army crawl home."
"Are you okay? That's a stupid question, of course you aren't okay. Is it okay if I look at your legs?"
"Yeah."
Unicorn gently touched one of Tina's legs. The girl hissed in pain.
"Sorry."
"Don't worry about it," Tina reassured him, holding back a cry in the back of her throat. "Just get it over with."
She gritted her teeth against the stabbing feeling in her legs. She held back tears of pain as best she could.
"This is pretty bad, but I think I can fix them back at my lab. We just have to get you there."
"Unicorn... There's another thing I think you might be able to help me with."
"What's that?" Unicorn asked, adjusting to maneuver his arms under her torso and knees. He gently lifted her up.
"I want to not be a zombie anymore."
Unicorn stumbled, but held her steady. "What?"
"It's driving everyone I care about away from me. I've had a moment of clarity, and I want to do whatever needs to be done to reverse the process. I know you said there isn't an antidote, but I want to rebuild my friendships, and that requires a change on my end. I'm willing to do whatever you need me to do to find an antidote." Tina paused for a moment before adding, "I want to stop killing people."
Unicorn nodded. "I'll do everything I can to help you."
"Thank you." Tina felt the darkness she had been fighting off start to take hold. The next thing she knew, she was lying on a bed. She didn't open her eyes yet, but she could hear voices.
"Do you know what happened to her?"
"She says she fell."
"She was completely drenched in blood."
"Yeah, and dirt. Wherever she was before she was at her house had a lot of dirt and blood."
"She's cleaned off now?"
"Goldy helped her clean off. She was super out of it, but she cooperated enough for Goldy to get her clean."
"Is she okay now? Her bones-"
"She's mostly healed. Get this though, she wants to help me find an antidote."
"Wait, really?"
"Yeah, she doesn't want to kill anyone else. She wants to fix her relationships with all her friends."
"How close are we to an antidote?"
"Soon, Ryan. Any day now. We just need to do a bit more testing."
Tina opened her eyes and groaned.
"Go."
"But I-"
"Go, you can talk to her later."
Tina heard the sound of footsteps retreating. She rubbed her eyes before sitting up.
"Tina?"
"Unicorn?"
"How do you feel?"
"Not in pain?" The girl suggested.
"That's good. You're mostly healed."
"Unicorn, what do we need to do to make an antidote?"
Unicorn paused, and Tina used the time to sit up, dangling her now-healed legs over the edge of the bed.
"I could use a blood sample, if you'd be willing to give me one."
"Yes. Anything you need."
Tina watched Unicorn shuffle off to go grab a needle or something.
"Do you think, if I can be cured, Ryan might ever forgive me?"
"Do you think this is your fault?" Unicorn countered.
"I think I should be held accountable for my actions, zombie or not."
"Then yes, I think he'll forgive you. You're taking responsibility for your actions and are actively trying to get better."
Unicorn cleaned her arm with an alcohol wipe, and carefully inserted the needle into Tina's arm. Tina looked away and started humming as Unicorn took blood samples.
When he was done, he put a tiger bandaid over the needle mark.
"Unicorn?"
"Hmm?"
"Thanks, for helping me."
"Of course, Tina. You're my friend. Of course I'm going to help you." Unicorn turned to leave, probably to do whatever tests he wanted to do on her blood.
"Unicorn?" He turned back to lock eyes with her. "Thank you for still believing in me."
Unicorn smiled at her, before leaving.
Once he was gone, Tina added: "I think you might be the only one who still does."