Stanley woke himself with a scream. Whether it was a scream of fear or anger, he didn't know.

He was sitting in a large bed within a luxurious room with Caffeine sprawling on top of the blanket covering Stanley and he splayed out in a lazy stretch when Stanley sat up.

Stanley felt very strange when he opened his eyes and it took him a few moments to realize what it was.

It was too quiet. There were no Souls anywhere… "Was it all a nightmare?" Daylight shone in through sliding glass doors but he could only see the sky from his position. "Status?"

Status

Name: Stanley Cascade

Race: [Psionic Source-Touched Human](E Rank)

Traits: [Adaptable] [Source-Touched] [I Made My Choice] [Ruthless Soul]

Titles: [Solo Hunter]

Class: [Soul Psionic(Initiate VIII)](Rare)

Class Skills: [Mind Over Matter(Apprentice VI)](Epic)

Attributes:

Strength: 39

Vitality: 41

Dexterity 40

Perception 45

Intelligence 41

Willpower 55

Twin-Soul 201

Non Class Skills:

[Still Mind of the Psionic Beast(Initiate IV)](Rare)

[Soul Awareness(Initiate VII)](Rare)

[Source Regeneration]

[Heat Resistance I(Passive)]

[Cold Resistance I(Passive)]

Buffs: [Soul Support Tether] [Walter's Gratitude]

Debuffs: [Deadly Soul Wound(Patched)(Shielded)]

"Not a nightmare then…" Stanley sighed and lifted himself into the air, sliding out from under the blanket. Caffeine rolled off the bed as the blanket moved and he happily shook and then wagged his tail up at Stanley.

"Where is everyone?" The quiet was unnerving. "How did I get in here?" He remembered lying on the floor for a rest but… "Walter." As if on cue, someone knocked on the door.

Stanley glanced at himself and was relieved to still be dressed, only missing his shoes and jacket. He sent his mind outside the door and felt… a man? He realized that he'd gotten used to feeling Souls to tell who was who when he couldn't see them but just feeling the shape of someone did not help him in any way.

"Come in." He called instead.

Walter opened the door and stepped through before quickly closing it behind himself. In the brief moment where the door was open Stanley felt the Souls. All of them, coming through the doorway. Then they vanished again when the door shut.

"Good evening, Sir." Walter spoke with his usual dry tone. "How may I assist you?"

"Walter." Stanley settled onto his feet as he glanced around the room. "Neat trick with the room."

"Of course, Sir." Walter smiled very slightly and his Soul felt of satisfaction and pride. "I am pleased that my modifications were successful." He gestured with one hand around the room. "Please think of this as your home whenever you desire a place to relax."

You have been Granted Resident Status within (Sentient)Lair. [Walter's Domain]

Buff Gained. [Walter's Domain]

+5% All Regeneration

+5% Effectiveness of All Attributes

+100% to Offspring Conception Chances

-50% Offspring Incubation Time

Rapid and Declining Growth rate of Offspring until Maturity.

Stanley looked over the Notification and saw that it was basically what Nate had told him but apparently you had to be a resident to get the buff. He didn't know what the requirements were usually but it seemed that Walter could make it happen himself.

He glanced up at the man and the gratitude still coming from his Soul was a bit much for Stanley and he looked away.

"Thanks Walter, I just might do that." His gaze swept around the richly decorated suite. "It startled me… but I have to admit, it is kinda peaceful…"

Walter opened another door that led into a ridiculously large bathroom. "If you would like to freshen up, dinner will be served shortly."

"I should really let Nate know I'm okay…"

"I have managed to reinstate the running water." Walter snapped his fingers and the shower turned on, steam immediately started billowing out from the stupid amount of shower heads and a damn waterfall… "Woah..."

"Dinner will be an exquisite… fish…" He coughed lightly into his hand. "...prepared by our best Chef. Shall I return when you are finished?" Walter pointedly glanced at Caffeine. "The Lord is of course welcome at dinner."

Stanley followed his gaze to the excited pug who was glancing back and forth between them with a rapidly wagging tail. "Saying 'dinner' is gotta be blackmail or something… maybe entrapment?" Stanley sighed. "Thanks Walter. That sounds great."

"Very good Sir." He turned to go.

"Walter?" Stanley asked and the man turned back. "How long did I sleep?"

Walter pulled a damn pocket watch out and popped it open. "Two hours and thirty-two minutes, Sir."

"Thanks…" He 'was' glad that he hadn't slept a day or two away again. Walter left and Stanley looked at the huge shower and started feeling just a bit grimey.

A few minutes later Stanley was hovering underneath a veritable waterfall of nearly but not quite scalding water that pounded against his skin from every direction.

"Awwww…" Stanley sighed in pleasure. "You should get in here, Caff." He looked at the pug sitting almost behind the door frame and deliberately outside the bathroom. "I bet you need a bath."

At his words Caffeine vanished from the doorway and Stanley could feel him in the far corner of the other room. Stanley chuckled and got the soap. "An unstoppable juggernaut of destruction, but still cuddly and adorable as ever…"

When he finally emerged, Stanley discovered that his clothes had vanished from where he had haphazardly dropped them about the bedroom and bathroom. "Sneaky Walter…" He hadn't even felt the man's Soul.

But he did find his clothes… in the bedroom and laid out neatly on the now remade bed and freshly laundered if the smell was any indication, or rather the lack of smell… "Very sneaky."

Dinner was an awkward affair with Walter refusing to sit down at the table and Daryl only popping in for a few minutes before leaving to stay with the still sleeping Adrian. It got better after Stanley finally snapped and nearly but not quite yelled at Walter.

"Sit the fuck down, Walter!" The man didn't jump in surprise at the sudden outburst but his Soul did. "You're making me twitchy by just standing there."

"Of course, Si…"

"And stop calling me Sir!" Stanley demanded.

"Of course…" Walter seemed to struggle but managed not to say it as he hesitantly and stiffly sat across the table from Stanley.

"Sorry Walter." Stanley dropped his eyes to his plate of fish. "I'm sure you're just doing what makes you comfortable… but can we just chat?" Stanley handed a small piece of fish to Caffeine in the chair next to him, the pug having once again swallowed his own dinner in one massive bite.

"Of… Yes." Walter pulled another plate from out of nowhere, complete with another steaming fish. Caffeine immediately vanished from the chair and Stanley felt him stop on the floor next to Walter.

"You can feed him." Stanley reassured the other man with a chuckle. "Just give him small bites or he'll eat it all and beg for more anyway."

"Yes…" Walter cut off what he'd been about to say. "...I have noticed that." He said instead, a small smile on his lips.

"So Walter, how are things here?" Stanley asked as soon as the man took a bite. Walter's face didn't show it but Stanley felt the flash of irritation from his Soul and he grinned at the prim and proper man.

Walter took his time chewing, swallowed, then took a sip of something bubbly that appeared in his hand, before he finally sighed.

"Things are… not ideal." He stared thoughtfully at his plate. "I fear I may have made this place too comfortable and now far too many do not wish to venture outside, an attitude that I am sure will not allow for long term survival."

"Have you tried just shoving them out the front door?" Stanley gestured with his fork. "Maybe give em a stick or something?"

Walter smiled, just a bit. "I aspire to achieve results without resorting to such… tactics. For the moment at least." His smile widened. "Many amenities are in such short supply after all."

Stanley took a bite and said with his mouth full. "You've got fish at least."

Walter hid his disapproval at the bad table manners. "Yes. The catch has improved greatly ever since someone discovered that bloody meat makes a most excellent bait."

Stanley suppressed a shiver at the flash of… something, in the other man's Soul.

"I bet it does…" He didn't worry about what 'meat' was being used. Maybe the cowards could still be useful… plus Adrian could regrow limbs… "I wonder if that would be Mana efficient?" He didn't think they were doing that… at least Daryl wasn't. Walter though…

"I know you can teleport. I've felt it." He pointed his fork at Walter. "And Daryl told me you can't leave the building."

"I did pay a price." Walter nodded stiffly.

"I'd say it's worth it." Stanley said. "As long as you're not planning to travel at least. And yea, you can't go out and fight alongside the others, but don't underestimate the value of having a safe place to rest. Especially now…"

Walter nodded but didn't say anything else.

"I suspect you can see and likely hear everything in the building… or at least a lot of it?"

Walter took a bite of fish and didn't confirm or deny the question. Stanley chuckled but didn't say anything when Walter's Soul betrayed him.

The rest of the meal was pleasant as they talked and Stanley tried to guess the limits of Walter's power.

In the end Stanley accepted the offer to stay and sleep in a safe place. But despite the quiet and despite having the, he assumed formidable, Walter on guard duty, Stanley did not sleep well. Formless and faceless 'things' haunted his dreams. All gleaming teeth and flashing claws. He woke screaming and sweating more than once.

At one point, after waking up plastered to the ceiling with his bed thrown against one wall, someone knocked on the door.

Stanley moved the bed back into place and settled into a chair. The sky outside was faintly lit by the coming dawn and Stanley stared into it as he struggled to stop the trembling in his hands long enough to pet the pug who was resting his sad face on Stanley's knee.

"Come in." He called with a hoarse and shaky voice.

Walter stepped inside. He didn't open the door to do it, simply appeared.

"Sir… Mister…" Stanley felt the flash of irritation and almost smiled when he remembered that he'd never told them his last name. Almost smiled.

"Stanley. I heard… I… Would you like some refreshments?"

"Sure." Stanley ran his trembling hand over Caffeine's head while the pug tried to lick his fingers.

Walter set a silver tray on the small table next to Stanley and started pouring tea into porcelain cups. Stanley listened to the clinking of the dishes while Walter worked. When he was finished, the man set a cup and saucer down for Stanley and sat in the other chair with his own cup. Stanley added a handful of sugar cubes to his cup from the bowl on the tray and they both sipped quietly for a while.

"Would you like to talk about it?" Walter asked after Stanley pushed a sugar cube over the edge of the table for Caffeine.

"No!"

"Of course… Stanley."

They sat in silence and drank tea. When Stanley drained his cup, Walter poured another. He then added one sugar cube and then poured in some milk. "Try this." He slid it back to Stanley.

"Milk in tea?" Stanley shrugged mentally and then had another thought. "How do you have milk?"

"While I am capable of preserving some fresh supplies, I am afraid milk is a dwindling resource."

Stanley nodded and took a sip. It tasted like tea. With milk in it. He offered it to Caffeine and the pug slurped it up happily. Stanley felt only the barest hint of disapproval from Walter.

"I understand…" Stanley finally said quietly.

Walter remained quiet as Stanley ran his hands over Caffeine's head and looked into his big brown eyes.

Finally Stanley spoke again, in a bare whisper. "I understand why people don't want to go out…" He switched to scratching the pug's ears. "It sneaks up on me sometimes… it shouldn't. I killed them!" His voice rose as he talked and then trailed off into a whisper. "I killed so many of them… so why…"

Walter didn't speak for a while. "I have not faced these creatures as you have. Only watched helplessly from afar. I know this is not the same… yet I too suffer at times."

Stanley wanted to scream at Walter that it wasn't even close to the same… but he could feel the man's Soul, could feel the pain and fear that rose up from his memories.

"There is a woman within the tower." Walter said hesitantly. "I do not know exactly what she did before this, but now she helps many here. She listens to them, talks to them, and they depart her company, feeling better… I believe."

"A therapist?" Stanley laughed bitterly. "What is she going to tell me? I'm overreacting? They aren't out to get me?" He pulled Caffeine into his lap and wrapped his arms around him.

"I do not know." Walter responded quietly. "I do not know the way… all I can do is my best."

They sat in silence and drank their tea as the sun rose outside. Until Walter finally stood. "Thank you Stanley, for keeping this old man company. I must attend to my duties." He gestured around the room. "This is your home now, please make yourself comfortable. You are welcome anytime, day or night, for so long as you desire, in perpetuity."

"I can't stay." Stanley said.

"You have done enough." Walter told him. "You have…"

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"No!" Stanley growled. "Not yet…"

"Very well. Should you ever need a place to rest… I would be happy to stand vigil and guard your rest."

Stanley nodded. "Thanks. I'm sure I'll be back, if only for that shower."

"Excellent. Would you like some breakfast?" Walter asked.

"Nah, I'm gonna head out in a minute."

"Very good… Stanley." He took a few steps towards the door and stopped before opening it, then turned to look back at Stanley. "Should you ever find yourself burdened with another of those monsters and are able, please invite it into the Tower and I shall gladly relieve you of that burden." He smiled in a very predatory manner.

"I'll definitely keep that in mind." Stanley smiled back. "Thanks."

Walter vanished and thanks to whatever had been done to his room, Stanley couldn't feel him anymore, or anyone else for that matter.

"Well Caff…" He looked into the pug's eyes. "You ready to go outside again?"

Caffeine bounced out of his lap and sprinted for the door, glancing back and forth between Stanley and the door. Stanley got dressed with a smile at the pug's excited behavior. Caffeine's excitement was undiminished when Stanley opened the doors to the porch rather than going through the building.

He took Caffeine to the ground, in case he needed to water a bush, though Stanley had already noticed a drastic decline in his own bathroom needs. Likely a result of ranking up…

As soon as he left the tower and his room, Stanley could once again feel the Souls all around and he wrapped his Soul up to avoid the distress, his own as well as theirs. He could still feel them as he descended. Could feel the fear and a cornucopia of other emotions coming from the residents of the tower, though mostly he felt fear.

"Cowards." He thought bitterly. "Too scared to fight… just hide in there until everyone else is dead… and then die screaming anyway!" Caffeine licked Stanley's chin. "It's okay, Caff. I'm fine."

He let Caffeine sniff as long as he wanted while they walked down the crumbling street to the north.

Caffeine didn't enjoy the sniffing for long and jumped into Stanley's lap. Together they flew over the river and headed for Nate's. Along the way Stanley killed whatever small and corrupted creatures they passed, collecting the meager Cores from each.

When they reached the purified zone, Stanley let Caffeine run again while he walked slowly behind, trying to savour the green and vibrant area after the desolation of the Miasma. It didn't work. The sounds of life and nature only made him more jumpy and he left the ground to Caffeine and took once more to the skies until he reached the base.

After a hearty breakfast of chicken, Stanley stood with feet planted on the dirt, facing off against Nate once again for a 'friendly' sparring session and only slightly nervous about the encounter. Caffeine was off making the rounds somewhere inside.

"Go!" Zeke yelled from a hopefully safe distance.

Nate surged towards Stanley.

Stop

And slowed mid step… then stopped completely.

Stanley smiled slightly as his Will forced the other man into immobility. It wasn't effortless but it felt nearly so compared to the previous day's match. Stanley let his attention divert enough to look at his Status.

Doubling your stats apparently had an impact. His excursion the day before had paid off, in more ways than one. Now he was really hoping that Adrian wouldn't turn into a coward after his own nightmare with the ants.

Nate's body was slowly starting to glow and along with the glow came some slow movement. Stanley refocused and the motion halted once again. Nate was too weak…

"Umm… is he breathing?" Zeke interrupted his musings.

Stanley sighed and looked closely at Nate. The man was frozen, not even blinking and Stanley couldn't tell if the glow around him was growing or only pulsing slightly. He let him go and the glow brightened immediately as Nate blurred towards him.

Stanley caught him and drove him face first into the ground. Nate responded as he had previously and tried to throw Stanley's grip off with sudden spastic movements. It worked… but Stanley's new tactic worked even better.

He kept his mind and power in a loose cloud around the flailing man and just allowed him to move freely before lifting the man into the air and holding him there. Nate gave it a good effort but only managed to bob and weave slightly without actually getting anywhere.

"You win." Nate said as he finally gave up and hung limply in the air only a few feet above the ground.

Stanley dropped him and Nate managed to land on his feet. "I thought I had a small chance yesterday… but now…" Nate shook his head. "It felt like I was in slow motion for a bit there, though I did gain a point of Willpower from that." Nate said with an unfocused look in his eyes.

"You're falling behind." Stanley scolded. "I can also confirm that fifty isn't the next Stat threshold." Stanley added with a small grin.

Nate chuckled and shook his head while the small crowd began to disperse as they realized that today's fight was over and this time without a bloody and spectacular finish.

"You need to go solo some Lairs." Stanley told him.

"I know." Nate sighed. "I just worry about leaving…" His eyes tracked over to the boy approaching them both.

"I could go with you!" Zeke jumped into the discussion. "That way if the Undead come after me again you'll be with me already!"

Nate looked troubled at the idea but also like he was considering it, slightly. Zeke's Soul on the other hand showed no fear or hesitation, only excitement and eagerness.

Nate finally shook his head. "No, you are too…"

"I want to help!" Zeke cut Nate off. "I can…"

"Can you fight?" Stanley asked, interrupting.

Zeke frowned and some of his enthusiasm waned. "No… but I don't need to, I can heal!"

"Can you heal yourself while something is eating you?" Stanley asked. "Can you heal others while something is eating you?"

Zeke paled slightly but found his conviction and nodded resolutely. "Yes. I can."

"Okay…" Stanley said and took a step towards Zeke. "How about this… You and some of the other fighters all attack Nate." He pulled a handful of small rocks from the ground. "I'll be the ranged attacker with these." Zeke smiled in excitement and Stanley added. "I'll be attacking you and your team." The smile dwindled.

Nate liked the idea and organized a group of volunteers for the exercise. "Remember…" He told them. "Protect the healer and he will keep you in the fight."

They grouped up into a formation with Zeke in the center and advanced on Nate who for his part acted like an idiot with growling noises and stomping around. Stanley hovered in the air and as soon as they made contact he started circling, looking for openings. There were plenty. Most of the group carried makeshift shields of wood and metal, though they clearly lacked the training to use them in a proper formation.

Stanley decided to make things easier and concentrated on the handful of rocks in his hand.

Light

The pebbles started glowing and he made a very obvious winding up motion before throwing the rock. It flew in a glowing line and struck one of the shield bearers in the leg, below his shield. The man yelped in pain and surprise as his leg buckled. Zeke to his credit, leapt forward immediately and touched the man's back with a golden glow.

Nate meanwhile was roaring and punching, far too gently, at the people in the front. They were catching his attacks on their shields and striking back with a variety of weapons. It didn't look like any of them could actually hurt him.

Stanley wound up again and this time someone paid attention. "Incoming!" His glowing rock was deflected by a shield and Stanley circled, looking for his next shot.

It came when Nate struck a shield and the man unbalanced and toppled onto his back. The glowing rock flew over his prone form and struck Zeke in the leg as he reached for the fallen man. It took him by surprise and the young man yelped at the stinging pain. The rest of them finally filled the gap while encircling Zeke and the 'injured' man.

"You need to hurt them Nate." Stanley called. "Give Zeke something to heal." He followed up with a faster rock that brought a gasp of pain from his target.

"We are only sparring!" Nate called back, obviously reluctant.

"Would you rather they get hurt here or out there where freezing up means they die?" Stanley felt Nate's begrudging acceptance of his words and the man started attacking more aggressively. Bruises began to accumulate and Zeke was focused as he frantically tried to keep up with the glowing monster that was Nate.

Nate called out suggestions and rebukes as he attacked, trying to improve the sloppy teamwork. "Close the line when someone falls! Protect the man next to you." One man lunged out of the formation in an attempt to score an attack and Nate evaded the blow while grabbing the man and pulling him out of the group. "Don't leave the formation for a reckless attack!" He dragged the man back and lifted one hand in a claw-like gesture above his prone form. "Well? Now what do you do?" They charged forward to try and save the idiot.

The formation fell apart and Stanley took advantage. A rock took Zeke in the back of the knee and he sprawled forward, his scream of pain ending when his face went in the dirt.

"Why are they all so weak?" Stanley grumbled while throwing more rocks and forcing the two rear shield bearers to defend the downed healer. The rest of the squad was attacking Nate and trying to force him away from the man he'd pulled down, who was now screaming from whatever Nate had done to him.

Zeke glowed with golden light and scrambled to his feet. Then like an idiot, he sprinted away from his two guards and ran for the other group and the screaming man.

A few strides into his run, Zeke started to turn in apparent realization and Stanley struck him in the leg. There was a snap of breaking bone and Zeke screamed as he toppled to the ground. "Didn't actually mean to break his leg… meh, he can heal it."

The two who had been trying to guard him ran towards him and exposed their backs to Stanley. "Idiots." Rocks dropped both screaming onto their faces before they reached the healer.

"You're down!" He shouted over Zeke's screaming. "Now the monster is going for the next person. Heal yourself!" Golden Light flickered on Zeke's hands but didn't last. It looked like he had landed on the broken leg when he fell.

"So what? Is he just going to lay there and die because it hurts?" Stanley fumed and glanced at the two guards who were also just laying on the ground and clutching at their own legs. "Why… Do any of you even want to survive?"

Stanley launched more rocks at the men. "Get up and fight!" He yelled over their cries of pain.

Another rock struck Zeke. "Fucking heal yourself!" He hovered above the healer with glowing rocks circling him. Why was he making such a big deal about a broken leg? That was nothing… "You don't even know what real pain is…" Stanley thought as memories of burning Source and bleeding Souls filled his mind. "Broken bones are nothing!"

He glared at Zeke with renewed anger. "Everyone is dying around you and you are just going to lay there and cry about a little pain until it kills you too!" Zeke screamed and clutched at his leg but no light shone.

Nate appeared and grabbed his arm but Stanley just threw him away towards the woods as he landed next to the healer. "Nate is too weak… They are all too weak!"

"The monster is going after Eve!" Stanley shouted at Zeke. "It just ripped off her arm! She is going to die if you don't fight!" He kicked Zeke in frustration. "Get the fuck up!"

Zeke cried as tears streamed down his face. "I… I…"

"It just ripped out her guts, Zeke! She is bleeding out!" Zeke sobbed as he clutched at his leg but no healing light appeared. "All fucking useless!"

"The monster is coming for you, Zeke! It is going to finish you off and then eat your sister alive!" Nate yelled something and tugged on his arm, trying to pull him away but Stanley didn't budge. "Heal yourself!" He demanded angrily. "We could be free of this nightmare if all these cowards would just Fight!"

Zeke cried and light flickered again on his hands but then went out. "Maybe some more pain will motivate him." Stanley hefted another rock, aiming for Zeke's unbroken leg.

Bright white lights slammed into his face and Stanley rocked back slightly as his shield blocked the attack. Eve flew through the air towards him, beams of light streaking from her hands and shoulder gun. She bodily slammed into his shield and bounced off, somehow landing on her feet as she continued firing.

"Get away from him you fucking psycho!" She screamed in between shots.

Stanley glared at her. "I'm trying to…"

"Fuck you! Fuck off! Fucking sick fuck!" She screamed.

"You think you can fight?" Stanley thought. "You're as weak as the rest." She kept screaming and firing her useless guns at him. "… Fine." He prepared a rock for her. "I'll…"

The world shook and Caffeine appeared in front of him, filling his vision. A high pitched whine assaulted his ears and Stanley stepped back in pain. Caffeine stepped forward, staying in his face. "What…"

Nate yanked his arm and spun Stanley around to face him. "What are you doing?" He yelled, furious and glowing brightly with power.

"What am I doing? I'm…" Stanley looked at Zeke, still lying on the ground but looking his way. His eyes were wide with horror and pain. "What was I doing? I'm training…"

Eve stood in front of her brother between him and Stanley, her weapons glowing with bright points of light as she held them up as a useless shield against him. Her Soul was screaming with pure terror and desperate despair.

"Why was I…" He looked at Zeke again. The young man's eyes streaming tears down his face. "No… not a man… He is just a child… I was torturing… a child…" The Souls all around him bombarded him with fear and pain. Terror. "Am I the monster…" Even Caffeine looked nervous.

"Fuck…" Eve began.

Stanley fled.

Wind screamed in his ears as he tore through the sky. "I was just going to help him…" His hands were trembling and he couldn't get them to stop. "Why did I get so angry…" He screamed into the wind and crashed down onto some kind of corrupted deer monster. "Aaaah!"

Something cracked in his fist, sending pain shooting up his arm as the monster splattered across the ground.

Stanley stared at his trembling hands. "I…" He tore into the sky again, looking for something to kill, needing something to kill, anything. Another rotting deer, a flock of seagulls and some giant squirrels all died before he saw it. A tree.

A tree that looked very, very familiar.

He hit the ground beneath the bare branches and watched them spring to life and wrap reaching limbs around him. Stanley screamed at the monster as his power latched on and pulled.

A pink worm lifted and stretched from the hole in the ground before it spasmed and started trying to retreat back underground. "Don't run!" He pulled harder and a large swath of earth bulged up as something underground surged upward.

The worm undulated and pulled itself minutely deeper. Stanley screamed in wordless frustration and started digging. Huge scoops and chunks of earth heaved up and into the sky. More and more of the worm was revealed and dragged above ground as he worked, until the truly massive creature was fully exposed. It towered above and around him like a pink freight train built out of meat.

"Do you remember me fucker!" Stanley screamed at the worm as it strained and struggled to reach the hole. "You tried to eat me! You tried to eat my dog!"

Cut

The worm spasmed when he cut a slice off of one end but then only kept trying to reach its hole. "You think I forgot about that!"

Cut

Another spasm rippled through the worm and it started trying to go in any direction. "I'll never forget!"

The sounds of the worm's body slamming into the ground and trees being crushed beneath its bulk were drowned out by a sonic boom that left Stanley's ears ringing. He didn't need to look to know what caused it, Stanley could feel a worried Caffeine behind him.

He stared at the writhing worm, watching it squirm in pain, if it was even capable of feeling such things… Caffeine whined behind him and Stanley looked at the struggling worm.

"Now I'm torturing something else… It tried to eat me… and Caff…" But it was only a worm… a big one, sure, but its Soul was not complicated, nothing but hunger and now, the need to escape. It wasn't malicious, it didn't know who or what he was.

CUT

The worm collapsed into chunks of meat and goo. Caffeine approached behind him and Stanley flinched away. "I'm the monster now. You should find a better human, Caff." He fled. Caffeine's howl faded into the distance behind him.

Waves of bitter emotion washed over him as he flew, guilt, fear, anger and regret.

Stanley was more than eager when he saw the giant rats. Another of the monsters that haunted his dreams, another monster to kill.

He landed on it in a gory crater nearby another rat and screamed wordlessly at the thing. Its mouth opened, either to call for its minions or to spit on him but Stanley didn't give it the chance. He launched himself forward and brought his fist down on its head. A fist wrapped in his Psionic power.

The rat's head exploded in a burst of blood and brain matter, showering Stanley in viscera. More rats appeared and he welcomed them with his fists. Each blow either stabbing into flesh or blasting it with hammer blows of power.

Pain lanced up his leg and Stanley found a smaller rat with its teeth sunk into his calf. He screamed in pain, even as he bent and grasped onto its jaws. His body and mind flexed and he pried it off his leg. He kept pulling until the thing's jawbone ripped free, then he threw it straight through another rat.

Something splashed against his shield and tiny points of burning pain sprinkled across Stanley's face. The still squirming rat in his other hand flew true and left a gory mess where it collided with the spitter.

Stanley pounced on another himself and after ripping it in half he searched for the next target, and found the rest running away from him. "More Cowards!"

He screamed and gave chase. "Come and die! I'll kill you all!" They all fled into a brown three story building and Stanley followed them inside.

You have entered the [Lair of the Infected Rat Queen]

"Perfect!" He laughed maniacally and welcomed the swarm that pounced on him just inside the door. "Bring it on!"

He killed dozens of the giant rats in a frenzied bloodbath until they stopped coming. Then he found the hole leading below ground and eagerly dove in.

Stanley lost himself in the violence, ripping and tearing, cutting and crushing, punching and kicking. Notifications tried to reach him but he didn't care, he just kept going, just kept killing.

Some unknown amount of time later, Stanley stood unsteadily before the Queen. His muscles trembled with fatigue and his skin felt raw as he swayed.

The rat Queen eyed him angrily while he struggled to draw breath into burning lungs and watched her through his one good eye, the other was not working for some reason.

The Queen charged him with a deafening shriek and Stanley threw himself at her eagerly. He fought with the flickering dregs of power he could summon up and clawed her across the face, aiming for and missing her eye as she trampled completely over him.

Stanley launched himself in pursuit and her tail whipped into him with bone cracking force, sending him sailing across the cave and into a stone wall with more cracking sounds, more pain.

"I could die here…" The thought crossed his mind as he charged the Queen again.

A small traitorous voice in the back of his mind whispered to him that if he died then it would be over. No more pain. No more fear. No more fighting the monsters. No more anything. It would All be Over.

A hand with claws of Psionic power ripped the rat's nose into bloody shreds and she shrieked and spun to lash him with her tail. It cracked into his chest and Stanley caught it with one hand and a sweeping knife hand cut the tail free of its host. Stanley whipped the severed tail into the Queen's face as it came around to bite him. One of her eyes popped under the bloody furrow that he left across her face.

She lunged forward, teeth reaching for his throat. Stanley moved aside from her jaws and a clawed foot stabbed into his thigh.

Stanley screamed even as he cut the leg from the rat, ripped it out of his leg in a spurt of blood, and stabbed it into the rat Queen's throat.

She jumped back and Stanley held onto the claw, pulling it free in a spray of arterial blood.

The Queen's mouth opened wide and he tried to dodge but only toppled sideways when his leg buckled.

With the last dregs of his power, Stanley launched the clawed foot back at the rat.

She spit.

Lair Destroyed. All Denizens removed. If Lair is not Claimed within 24 Hours, the Lair Structures will lose Increased Durability.

Acid splashed against his leg and the small amount that landed in the tears and punctured holes, sizzled into his flesh with searing, melting fire.

The acid eventually stopped burning and the underground cave returned to the relative quiet of Stanley's labored breathing. "I'm alive… I survived…" He couldn't actually tell if he was happy about that. He was pretty sure that despite all of his injuries, he would recover, thanks to his insane Regeneration.

He didn't know if he was happy about that either.

Then the sound of claws scratching against stone came from the tunnel leading to the Queen's chamber and Stanley trembled in fear at that all too familiar sound.