[PUNCH CLOCK ANIMAL] ASHTRAY

[skinstealer]

Chelsea swings her makeshift scythe into the crowd, relieved to find that at the very least, the weapon can still cut these nightmare people down. Making her way to Bazil only gets harder as more people pour in, a flood that just seems to keep coming. 








An unexpected miracle comes through in the form of Bazil getting spit back out of the crowd, practically slamming into Chelsea with a string of cusses. Bucket pokes their hand up out of the mass and gives a confident thumbs up, leaving the two of them to get back into the brawl.

BAZIL: Be a little more fucking gentle next time!
BAZIL: Tossed me out on my fucking ass…

  


The crowd lightens up on its load just enough to expose a familiar, bastardly face, Matthias in clear view of Derry...and right between it and Chelsea. 

DERRY: I found him! 
BAZIL: Who?!
DERRY: Matthias! He’s over here!!

 




Matthias snarls and tries to melt back into the crowd, seemingly not wanting to risk a face to face fight. As soon as he gets into it, Bucket gets out, a miserable, bloodstained mess with a red drenched chunk of glass tight in their hand. There’s a bit of stagger to their gait as they regroup with Bazil and Chelsea, trying to catch their breath. 

 

BUCKET: I don't remember this many people being here, he's making more and they will eventually outnumber us.
BAZIL: No shit, we're already outnumbered.
CHELSEA: If we can get to him, we might be able to break this.
BUCKET: We need to limit his options, narrow down his movement to a clear traceable path.
CHELSEA: We also need to get Derry somewhere safe, it can't handle this kind of thing alo-

 


Derry dashes over before she can finish her sentence, snatching the bottle out of Bucket's hands even with the glass digging in.

BUCKET: Derry! Careful!

 

 
It doesn’t respond, throwing the chunk of glass over its shoulder and nailing Matthias right in the back of the head.



His concentration shattered, the crowd stops moving, frozen in motion.