I'm free.

   He feels his cyan blood on his chest as he stares down at the others eyes. Those eyes that stared him down. Always. He felt like a knight, pitying the beast that had tormented it and those who it had loved. Was he still too soft? Even after all of this? He was unsure.

 He had to put Baldi out of his misery. He assumed that given time, Baldi might be able to put himself together, but that would just leave others suffering. So, he raised his ruler again.

 “I… I don’t know what happens after death. But I hope that happiness somehow finds you after it, Baldi. Goodbye. I’m sorry that I had to be the one to release you, then kill you.”

 With that, he smacked it against the others head, several times. To make sure he was dead. It made sense to him– Baldi did value knowledge, so that should be the thing that would lead to his death if it was gone.

[ Release ] him from prison. Both the one he’d stayed, and the body he’d lived in. His head crunched more and more in, and those eyes were eventually forced into rest.

He’d wanted happiness, and out of twenty two years of life, he’d gotten only eight days of it. Then, he was gone.

His body deteriorated as what was something, a mockery of life, stopped its clock and said that was enough for its run. He broke down, his greens and pale browns and blues to become something else. It drifted upwards and out through the ceiling.

…

 What had he done. Oh god. Oh god, no. He stumbled back, the ruler still gripped in his hand as he watched the remains of Baldi collapse. He was still alive. Why was he still alive. He felt sick in more ways than one. He thought that some sort of revenge would feel good, but to him? This was terrible.

 He never wanted revenge. Just closure.

 “Oh- Oh my god, I…” His voice became meek again, as a few frightened tears fell down his face. “I…. I never wanted this, oh my god…” He’s half expecting the founder to crawl out of the remains once he was done, and he really didn’t want to see that. Regret fell upon Eric’s face. He didn’t feel bad for Baldi because, well. He hurt him and a few others for twenty-two years, but just. This whole situation, honestly. Maybe Baldi could’ve been a better person if Schoolhouse wasn’t so cold towards him. He hesitantly approached Baldi, staring at the pieces of him on the ground.

  “I…” He stares at the metal ruler. “I’m sorry, Baldi. I… I don’t like hurting people. I really don’t. I’m… I’m sorry that you couldn’t be happy. I…” He raises the ruler again to finish him off, but hesitates. “…Why. Why am I… No, I must. I have to kill you. God– God, why me? I just want to help people…”

“...”

[ It ] was so ungodly horrible. Why couldn’t have this happened earlier. It was nicer to never have something than to have it then get it taken away. He’d grasped onto true happiness for maybe one day. Even when he was free earlier this year, that was happiness with known limit and guilt.

The immoral mortal god didn’t bother to say anything, but by the way his one bigger half was still looking around, and then focusing and making eyecontact with Eric, he was still alive.

[ ... ]

“...”

  “A-A-Ah …” Was all that he managed to say as the other attempted to consume him. He couldn’t imagine what it was like for Schoolhouse. He didn’t want anyone else to have to go through such… A disgusting thing. Eric shut his eyes tight.

 “Baldi, you are–”

 With all of his might, he took the ruler that was stabbed through Baldi and sliced it upwards, in a very harsh attempt to cut the others lips in half. Wipe that stupid look off of his face, quite literally.

  “EXPELLED - - ! ! ! !”

[ Oh ] .

Color him surprised. Color him not even pale, not faltering as his lips were cut.. And his body was split into two pieces; the line differentiating them being vertical. His mouth was slashed alongside his body, and fell uselessly to the floor like two red ribbons. The monster didn’t feel it, he felt no pain, but he knew it was something he didn’t exactly prefer compared to what he had.

He knew he was part mortal, capable of death. And this seems like something that’d be capable of killing him.

So he’d stumbled aback for a moment. The line between his halves seemingly invisible for a moment before his right side flopped over, completely detaching itself and falling to the floor. The man seemed fine on his left side, still there standing up because the cut hadn’t been fully down as to seperate his legs as well.

Unequal, he stepped back, then collapsed, his shrunken pupil enlarging back to something more relaxed looking.

“Mh.”

  “…”

 He seemed… Shocked when he actually stabbed the other. Like he snapped right out of that anger and realized what he had done. Oh god, what was he doing? Why did founder put all of his eggs into one basket like this? Was this another test? He was unsure, as he quickly did his best to fight back against the other, and actually plunge the ruler deeper into him.

 He was no longer a sniveling child who was too afraid to run in the halls, he was a man.

   “You took away my happiness for twenty two years.” He said, through grit teeth. “You’re your own worst enemy, Baldi. You only did to others what Schoolhouse did to you, in a sense..”

“...”

[ He ] was close enough to Eric like this. He had a complete disregard for himself. He felt no fear, no pain, and he was fully confident. Why would he doubt himself after what he’d eaten? What he’d consumed?

This was fun.

But it’s ending now.

   Eric was not a fighter. It just wasn’t in his character.

 If he was Emma, he would’ve stabbed Baldi at least five times by now. Neon blue blood seeped out of the wound that was high up on his chest, as he grit his teeth. At the very least, he knew the ruler had some effect on him. 

 Those words though. That damn voice of Baldis. It simply angered him. So many times had he tried talking to Baldi, asking him why and how. So many simple questions only returned with a blank stare, and more pain and suffering for him and his best friend.

 He was done. He was done with being nice. He gripped the ruler, with angry tears in his eyes and blood dripping down his shirt. He wasn’t going to let Baldi have this. He wasn’t going to let Baldi do this to other people.

  “You hurt so many people –” A step back. “You hurt me, Emma, the Principal… And so many more people. There is no excuse for that, you only care for yourself.” His words had a very angry, violent edge to them. He was gripping the ruler so hard that it almost hurt him. “I-I’m going to stop this. I’m going to kill you, Baldi. I’m going to kill you.”

  With that, Eric went on an all out assault. He screamed in absolute rage as he tried to repeatedly smack and stab at Baldi with the ruler, a mixture of sadness and anger seen behind those glasses of his.

[ He ] just backed up from the assault, retreating his plan to grab the ruler until he could. Then Baldi went in, assuming he’d be fine when he believed Eric to have been slowing. Giving into mortal weakness.

But because Baldi was mortal..  He was bound to overstep.

To make a mistake.

Which he did.

And he’d been stabbed. 

  Terror gripped at him in that moment. Everything seemed to go in slowmotion. 

 He remembered. Every time that blast of static interrupted his senses as Baldi smacked that ruler against him, sending him into nothingness. Every time. Every single time. It all happened at once. He raised the ruler, holding it as if he didn’t even want to hold it, as he cried out, swiping at the other. Specifically, at the others chest.

  “G-Get away from me!” He yelled, as he attacked.

[ Mutually ] assured destruction. His swipe hit, but so did Eric’s. Both cut just as deep as the other, but one maybe bled and the other didn’t. Inside of Baldi’s body was nothing. Blackness, just like his mouth.

And with Eric’s swipe against his form, the boy had torn a slight hole in that thing that was his form to peel away what waited to be never seen underneath. And he felt no pain, but he did heed Eric’s cry and get back. Simply to look at himself.

“You really don’t know how to use that thing. You’re very amateurish, Eric, but it’s a learning process. Hand it over, and I’ll show you how to really use it.”

  “Actually, no, Baldi. I rather not be eaten by your dirt riddled mouth.” Eugh. It gave him the heebie-jeebies just thinking about that. He huffs. “I don’t worship Schoolhouse, Baldi. He helped me and Emma. He helped me become a teacher. He helped us to the best of his ability to get over the stuff you’ve done to us. I don’t see you doing any good wills to warrant me calling you a god, Baldi.”

 Eric rubs his temples.

 “Sorry, but from what I’ve seen? I can’t let you be free. I don’t want to deny happiness from anyone, but your happiness means suffering for others, so. Sorry about this. I’m not a violent person, but I guess I have to play the hero. For once.”

 With that, he opens the lid to the blue box, and out of all things– 

 Takes out a metal ruler.

[ So ] that’s how it is, then. A ruler. Tool of math, tool of holy crusade, to be turned against him. Metal.. Much more stable than the wooden one he had, and very shiny. He’ll have to restrain himself from eating the ruler with Eric. After he’s gotten a couple nice swipes in, of course.

Things bleeding, dripping, secreting material.. True show of pain. Of pain, shameless pain that couldn’t be denied. Yes, he’d love that. He would love that. He’ll do that.

“Irony at its finest with that ruler.”

  “…I would be disgusted, but honestly, coming from you, I’m not surprised.”

 There’s a sigh. He had no choice, then. No wiggle room for being nice. He literally ate a god, and that could cause trouble. He glances at the blue box for a moment, before sucking in some air through his teeth.

 “Baldi… Why did you come here? To thank me? Because I don’t want to hear that from you. Did you want to show off how much you got revenge on Schoolhouse? Whoo. You did it. You just kinda. Proved his point that you should be locked up and all.”

 Hoo. Going in hard, there.

 “I’m done being nice to you, Baldi. I was trapped in there for twenty-two years, too, and you don’t see me going around, eating gods and hurting people. I get it. You have complicated reasons for hating founder and all, but I’m sick of you using that as an excuse for your actions. If you have been using that as an excuse, even.”

[ ... ]

“I know I am a terrible, horrendous being, at least the way you think I am, and I revel in it. What did you hope to accomplish with this? Provoke me into consuming you like the abomination god you worship? Because if that’s what your motive behind your monologue is, I’m willing to indulge you. Maybe you’ll meet him inside the void of stomach acid I contain. Then you two can relax in there while I truly relish in eternal freedom and happiness.”

  “…”

 Eric manages to look up at the other, and shudders. He fearfully adjusts his glasses to make sure this wasn’t just some sort of trick his mind was playing on him. It wasn’t, sadly. He almost ignores the compliment, as he gets up from his chair, silent for a long moment. 

 Then, he manages to speak.

  “Lets get to the point. What did you do to founder?” He was doing an amazing job at not stammering, despite his fear.

“I ate him.”

[ His ] claws flex slightly, preemptively, expecting something. Even from his student, his passing student, he couldn’t not expect something with a question like that.

“Is there a problem? Would you like to solve it with me?”

As much as he legitimately respected Eric, he couldn’t trust him if he was showing concern for the hedgehog. No, not at all. It was broken right then and there, with that one simple question.

  “…”

 It was inevitable that the other would find the classroom. The school was very simplistic, everything labeled with signs on doors. He crossed his hands on his desk as he felt Baldi behind the door. He just knew he was there. Even as an adult, the thought of him. Tiny, young. Trying to get away from this man without breaking any rules.

 Still hurt him. 

 He couldn’t even look at the other, just. Staring at his desk, with that blue box off to the side.

[ Baldi ] opened the door by phasing through and having it open behind him. He saw Eric, then examined the classroom.

“Wooow!” He’d stretched in his nasally tone, before locking eyes with the ‘teacher’ before him. Man, they looked so similar, the two of them.

“Good job on being a super smart stu- teacher!”

He’d congratulated, and he actually sounded sincere.