Chapter 11: Looking Glass 

Hello again! We’ve got another Bloody Mary chapter, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it plays out! This chapter will contain blood and elements of body horror, so discretion as always is advised. Enjoy the chapter! 

Flannigan and Flaherty entered the apartment building, looking around. They glanced at the paper that Alan had given them. Apartment 324, it read. Marian joined them, her Taser drawn as she stepped through the door. The trio moved to the elevator and pushed the button. The doors opened with a soft ding, revealing a pizza deliveryman with an empty bag inside. He froze at the sight of a uniformed officer and two armed detectives. Marian shooed him with her hand, and he ran for the door. The trio stepped into the elevator, and Flannigan hit the third floor button. The elevator began to rise, and the three officers were left with their thoughts and the elevator music. 

The elevator dinged again, and the doors slid open. Marian led the charge down the floor, each of the officers scanning the doors for the right number. 

“Found it!” Flaherty declared. They stopped outside of 324, examining the door. Flaherty tried the handle. It turned freely, but the door was stuck fast. He shook his head. Marian guided him aside and slammed the door with her boot. Her heavy kick splintered the doorjamb, and the door swung freely. Flaherty looked sheepish. 

“I loosened it for you.”

Flannigan patted his back as the trio walked into the filthy apartment. Marian wrinkled her nose at the sight. 

“Who lives like this?” She demanded as she waded through the garbage. She sat at the computer and booted it up as the detectives looked around. She found a single file on the computer's hard drive. She took a memory key from her pocket and plugged it in. She clicked on the file to start dragging it over when a notification popped up. 

This file is protected for security purposes. Please enter your password. Attempts remaining: 3.

Marian sighed softly. Of course it wouldn't be easy. Alan hadn't even mentioned that there would be a password. She tried to think about what he could have made it. What would a thief value? She got an idea and set to the keys. 

Freedom_

Marian held her breath as she hit the enter key. 

Access denied. Please enter your password. Attempts remaining: 2. 

Marian let out her breath. She needed to focus. She couldn't just think like a criminal, she had to think like a player. She needed to think like Alan. 

Houdini_

Access denied. Please enter your password. Attempts remaining: 1. 

Marian swore loudly. The detectives looked up from their snooping. 

“What's wrong?” Flaherty asked. 

“The damn file’s password-protected,” Marian explained. “I've got one more guess to figure it out or we've got no confession.” 

“Try 12345,” Flannigan suggested. “I use that password for everything.” 

“I never pick my own passwords,” Flaherty said proudly. “I let my kids pick them for me. They can’t get a password out of me if I don’t know what it is!” 

“Right,” Marian nodded, just agreeing with him to make him stop talking. Then an idea dawned on her. 

“Oh my god, you’re right!” she suddenly exclaimed. 

“I am?” Flaherty asked. 

“He is?” Flannigan asked. Marian began thinking. No wonder Alan hadn’t told them the password - he didn’t know what it was! She didn’t need to think like a criminal or like a Player. She needed to think like a Hero! She pondered, wondering just what Houdini would set as a password for something so vital. Then she got an idea. 

Metamorphosis_

Password accepted. 

Marian breathed a sigh of relief. She copied the file over to her memory key and ejected the drive. As she pulled the key from the computer, she grinned at the detectives. 

“Gentlemen, we’ve got what we came for.” 

—

Hunter pulled out a chair for Iris before sitting at a table. He set his lunch tray down, Iris sitting across from him. The two started to eat their meal, just enjoying a moment of peace in the throng of people. Hunter pulled out his phone, when the screen suddenly cracked. 

“Dammit!” He dropped his phone on the table. Iris looked up, her mouth full. 

“What happened?” she asked, furrowing her brow. 

“Nothing happened, it just broke,” Hunter shook his head. The pair stared at the broken phone, and a pair of gleaming eyes stared back at them. Hunter threw the phone in his panic, his free hand reaching for the deck hanging on his hip. The two Players looked up, seeing the throng of people dispersing. In the middle of it all stood a woman with green eyes and rich brown hair. She crossed her arms and smiled at the two. 

“Hello, loves,” she said with a wry smile, parting her scarlet lips. Two pale arms rose from dead screens, cracking the glass as they stretched and wrapped around the strange woman, and the spectral form of Bloody Mary rose behind her. She stared at Hunter and Iris with dead eyes. Her lips split in a jagged smile, revealing a row of bloodstained teeth. 

Hunter grabbed Iris’s hand protectively. He went to step in front of her, ready to fight the mystery girl. Iris raised her hand, stopping him. He looked to her, and saw the fury burning in her eyes. 

“So, you’re our last Player,” she said. 

“I am,” the girl chuckled. “My name’s Coco.” 

“I’ve seen you on Insta.” 

“A lot of people have, I’m kind of a big deal.” 

“Why are you here?” 

“You’ve got three heroes. Mary wants them, and I’d do anything to get my girl what she wants,” Coco crooned sweetly. Mary gave a sinister chuckle, cocking her head at an unnatural angle. Iris clenched her fists. 

“Leave her to me, Hunter,” she said. Hunter nodded, stepping back to provide support. Iris placed her hand on her deck.

Medusa emerged from a ball of green light, drawing her bow. She was ready for battle, but Hunter placed his hand on Iris’s shoulder. 

“Maybe Medusa isn’t the best pick,” he suggested. “Given her track record with mirrors.” 

“Good point,” Iris said. She withdrew Medusa and sent out Alice, who swung her giant sword. She dipped in a deep curtsy, smiling at Bloody Mary. 

“Are you two done cuddling?” Coco asked coldly, inspecting her fingernails. Hunter stepped back sheepishly and watched the fight commence. 

[Fight song: Shatter Me - Lindsey Stirling]

Alice began the fight by twirling her sword around herself. She lunged at Coco and Mary, the razor edge of her vorpal blade just narrowly missing the woman’s neck. She didn’t so much as flinch, and Mary pressed her fingers against the blade to stop it. She caught the sword so effortlessly. Coco smirked wryly. 

“Are you done showing off?” she asked. She snapped her fingers, and Mary vanished into the screens around her. The windows cracked, and Iris looked around at the damage. 

“So you’re the one who’s been wrecking school property…” 

“What of it?” Coco teased as she selected her cards. Mary’s arm lunged from a window, nails bared as she tried to rake across Alice. Alice caught her wrist, cocking her head at Coco. Iris burned with a quiet fury, a fury that Coco could see. Her eyes went wide as Alice twisted Mary’s wrist, bending it at an angle that would be agonizing to anyone else. She pressed another card, and Mary lunged from another mirror. Alice dodged the blow easily, shrugging off the desperate onslaught. 

“You tried to take our heroes. You scared Little Red,” Iris snarled. “All that I could forgive. But vandalizing school property?” 

“You wouldn’t…” Coco stepped back, trembling. 

“I’m going to put you down,” Iris growled. Alice pulled on Mary’s wrist, yanking the spirit out of the mirror as she doubled in size. She slammed the woman into the floor, then stepped on her, putting her full weight on the specter. Mary let out a shriek of agony as Alice pressed bone-crushing weight to her, reaching out for Coco. 

Coco pulled out her compact and tossed it across the floor. It popped open, and Mary vanished into the cracked mirror. Alice cracked her knuckles as she held her sword. Coco chuckled. 

“You don’t even realize your mistake,” she said. She gestured to the cards floating in front of her. There were three in front of her. Iris cocked an eyebrow. 

“So?” she asked, crossing her arms. 

“I’ll just show you,” she grinned. Mary’s hand lunged from the mirror, raking claws across Alice’s face. Another hit came from a window, grabbing at her wrist. Iris tried to defend, but her cards were dwindling. A third attack came out of one of the cracked screens, sending Alice crashing through a wall. She toppled backwards, landing on her back as the sun shone on her. She clambered to her feet, taking a deep breath. Her eyes darted around, searching for signs of Mary. Coco laughed. 

“Not having such a great time now, are you?” she taunted with an insufferable smile. Iris grit her teeth. She looked at Alice and nodded. The giant woman began to run, making her way deeper into the city. Her Player followed, chasing after the giant’s stride. Hunter chased after, but gave up after running for a block. Maybe running more often would keep him from getting so winded. 

Alice stood in the middle of the city, growing larger to fit her new space. She held her sword tightly, waiting for signs of Mary. Then came the telltale sounds of glass breaking. Mary emerged from the nearby skyscraper, her gigantic size matching Alice. The pair grappled, straining against each other as each fought for the upper hand. Iris touched one of her cards, and Alice rammed her forehead against Mary’s in a brutal headbutt. Mary retreated, shrieking in agony. Alice swung her sword, knocking Mary back into the glass from whence she came. Hunter finally caught up with Iris, riding with Sun on his golden cloud. Screw running! Coco caught up, holding up her fractured compact. Mary snarled at Alice from the tiny, broken mirror. 

“Nobody’s ever given me this hard a time,” she panted, glaring at Iris from behind a curtain of disheveled brown hair. 

“I’m not going to lose to you,” Iris answered. She touched a card, and Alice lunged. She angled her sword at the compact, plunging it through the glass. Coco dropped the compact and leapt out of the way. Alice examined the skewered compact on her sword, then flicked it away. 

“My thoughts exactly!” Coco fumbled for her cards, trying to launch an offensive. She was getting desperate, and Iris could see that. Alice parried the lunging claw easily, then grabbed Mary by the wrist once more. Coco went pale. Alice pulled Mary from the mirror, throwing her against the ground. She threw her again, swinging her around like a dog with a chew toy. Finally, she let go, leaving the disheveled specter reaching out desperately for Coco. The woman sobbed weakly, seeing Mary in such a state. 

“Finish it,” she finally said. She looked at Iris, her eyes brimming with tears. Iris nodded. She touched her final card, and Alice plunged her sword into Mary. The specter weakly hissed as her body dissolved into a shower of golden sparkles. Hunter watched in awe as the giant woman returned to her deck. Coco fell to her knees, clinging to her deck as it vanished, appearing on Iris’s hip. 

It was finally over. 

Iris finally let herself breathe, her anger ebbing. She walked over to Coco and gently knelt beside her. She set her hand on the woman’s back, giving her comfort. 

“You’ll take good care of her, right?” Coco finally asked after a moment of quiet. Iris nodded. 

“I will, don’t worry,” she reassured her. Coco smiled. 

“Good… Just tell her she’s pretty now and then… she likes to hear that.” 

“Anything else I should know?” 

“Win this thing for me,” Coco looked up at Iris. Iris smiled and nodded. 

“I plan to,” she said. “Sorry, Hunter.” 

“Don’t worry about me,” he replied, walking over with Sun. 

“What about you?” Iris asked. “Are you going to be okay?” 

“I'll be fine,” Coco crossed her arms. She stared at the pavement longingly, as if her sheer willpower could bring Mary back to her. Hunter and Iris shared a look.

“I don't think she knows,” he said. Coco cocked an eyebrow. 

“What don't I know?” She asked. 

Hunter and Iris explained the situation as best they could, tripping over each other's sentences. They explained everything, from meeting their heroes to Cal’s savage attack on Grenda at the strip mall. Hunter recalled how Cal tried to kill him on the rooftops, earning a look of horror from both Iris and Coco. With their tale finished, Iris and Hunter looked expectantly at their new friend. She took a deep breath. 

“My god,” she said. 

“Yeah.” 

“You've been trying to stop an actual serial killer and I've just been trying to win a stupid tournament.” 

“I wouldn’t put it like that specifically, but yeah, that sounds accurate.” 

“I’ve never felt so petty in my life!” 

“It’s okay, you didn’t know,” Iris reassured her. Coco sighed softly. 

“Do you have somewhere you can go?” Hunter asked. 

“Yeah, I’ll be okay,” Coco nodded. She looked at the pair in front of her. She closed her eyes, her brow creasing with determination. “Put Mary to good use, got it?” 

“I will,” Iris smiled. Coco returned the smile and stood up. 

“I won’t forget you guys,” she said as she looked out at the city. She stretched and started to walk. “Don’t be a stranger, okay?” 

“See you around, Coco!” Iris called out with a laugh. Hunter smiled. Despite everything that had happened, this tournament had actually been pretty good for him. He looked at Iris as he pondered. It’d been good for both of them. 

—

That night, Hunter sat on the roof of the hospital. He watched the city move by below, the people going about their lives with no idea of the supernatural forces at play. Sun emerged from his deck and sat beside Hunter, crossing his legs and taking a bite out of a peach. The player relaxed as he took in a moment of peace. 

“I have to save her,” he finally said, breaking the silence. Sun glanced at him. 

“What are you gonna do?” the monkey king replied between bites of his peach.

“Whatever it takes,” Hunter said, standing up. He looked at the sunset.

“Alright!” Sun cheered, standing up. “We’ll kick some ass, then it’s peaches for everyone!” 

“Yeah, peaches for everyone,” Hunter said. He couldn’t help the smile. 

“Big damn hero time?” Sun asked, hopping onto his cloud. Hunter nodded.

 “Big damn hero time!” he declared, jumping onto the cloud. Sun took off, flying Hunter through the city. 

Thanks again for reading! As always, if you like what I’m putting out there, you can support me at my ko-fi:

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All donations go toward supporting all of my projects, including more Rising Legend! I’ve got some ideas for a sequel to this story, I’ll have more details at the end of the next chapter. Until then, have a great day!