Freddy vs. Ash

by A. Eggleston

  While Steven's face was a look of shock and offense, Faith's smile reverted to the same, serious grimace she had when she launched the knife into the Deadite's skull. "Yeah, I know. I almost did."

  Steven took her scowl as a sign to calm down. He stopped shouting and spoke clearly this time. "Well, I'm glad you spared me."

  Faith smiled. "Me too." She winked at him and turned around. She led him out of the aisle and tried to find their way back to Ash and Evelyn.

  After walking a short distance, Steven stopped next to her and bent down to pick something up. "Hey, look at this." He picked up a matte black Beretta M9 handgun. On the shelf next to it was a box of ammunition. "It's my lucky day." he glimmered.

  Faith looked next to her and noticed the handgun and box of ammo in Steven's hands. "Ooh!" she marveled.

  Steven swiveled his upper body away from her and spoke like a child who refused to share his toys. "Nuh uh! It's mine now." He looked at Faith's makeshift bayonet. "You already got something. You need to stop being so greedy." He smirked at her.

  Faith looked into his eyes and laughed. She took one hand off of the handle and playfully pushed his shoulder. She felt Steven push her back.

  By an act of pure coincidence, Evelyn, Faith, and Steven met with one other as they found their way back to the front of the store. Evelyn and Faith made eye contact and ran towards each other.

  "Evelyn!" shouted Faith.

  "Faith!" replied Evelyn.

  Faith dropped her bat, and the two of them smiled and hugged as if they had not seen each other in years.

  "I didn't think I was going to find you!" said Evelyn with tears welling up in her eyes.

  "Me neither!" said Faith. She pulled back from the hug and noticed all of the scratches on Evelyn's face. "You're all cut up, what happened to you?"

  She answered bluntly. "Some of those Deadites have really sharp nails."

  Faith nodded in disapproval. "That bitch..."

  Evelyn gleamed and smiled widely. "That's what I said!"

  "Really?!" The two of them laughed, completely ignoring all of the commotion around them.

  It was Steven who broke their reunion. He tapped both of them on the shoulder and pointed outside the store, towards the parking lot. "Guuuuuys?" he said, slightly annoyed by their sudden cavalier attitude about their situation. "Look outside." he instructed.

  The three of them turned their heads to look outside. They noticed that all of the Deadites had fled the store and were now circled around the lot. Barely visible inside the circle were Ash and Freddy. Both of them had blood on their faces. They looked at each other with such malice and pure loathing, that the only thing that could vent their hate, was to beat the living hell out of each other.

  Chapter Thirty Five

  Ash and Freddy looked at each other with such hatred, it seemed that both of their eyes, not just Krueger's, glowed in the night. Both of them were in their fighting stances, ready to kill one another.

  Ash had his right arm bent, blocking himself by holding his chainsaw blade in front of him. His square jaw was covered by the ever-moving blades, but the rest of his face was visible. His bushy, black eyebrow was cocked, while his brown eyes looked at his enemy with both caution and malice. Gray smoke from the chainsaw rose up in the air, creating an atmospheric mist around both him and Freddy.

  Freddy's back was hunched, like a gargoyle atop the edge of a roof. He kept both elbows bent, with his gloved hand out in front. The knives slowly fell up and down, one by one, like a subtle wave. The parts of his blades that weren't stained with blood were shining under the moonlight. When his four blades came up, they partially hid his charred face.

  Ash's black boots and Freddy's brown boots both scuffed beneath the concrete as they slowly circled each other, waiting for the other to strike at any moment. There they both stood, ready to fight it out in the middle of the circle of Deadites in the S-Mart parking lot. Aside from the blood and horrid sight of the undead running amuck at every corner, the image was synonymous with two grade school bullies ready to fight in the school parking lot, while the other students have gathered round as spectators.

  So it's come to this? Ash thought. Beating the bat crap out of each other in the parking lot? Well, I have to admit, it's better than being dragged to my death by a bunch of Deadites and wait for Freddy to plunge those fuckin' knives into my skull. His head still throbbed from when the bastard sucker-punched him...again. He still had a hard time wrapping the rules of the dream realm around his head. As if getting his nose busted in the dream wasn't bad enough, Freddy just had to pour salt on his wounds. He felt a thick, warm, ribbon of blood fall from his right nostril. It traveled from his nostril, down to his upper and lower lip and down to his scarred chin.

  Freddy caught sight of Ash's bloody nose and couldn't help but laugh derisively. His laugh was low, graveled, and taunting. "Ha ha ha ha ha..." Freddy wiggled his knives emphatically.

  Ash leered at Freddy, lowering his chainsaw just enough to reveal his full face. He tilted his chin upward, raising his voice over the hum of his chainsaw. "What're you laughin' at?"

  "What I'm laughing at," Freddy said as he pointed a bladed finger at Ash's bleeding nose. "is your little nosebleed." Freddy smirked. "Poor Ash, you're a weak, old, dog that needs to be put down. You know what happens to old dogs." He flicked his knives up next to his face. "Time to get euthanized!"

  Ash was unfazed by Freddy's attempts to scare him. All Freddy was to him was a Deadite that never shut up. "Why don't you take that prissy glove of yours and shove it up your ass!"

  Freddy snarled at him. He had no problem dishing out one-liners, but it pissed him off to no end when someone else did it. "Look at yourself. You can barely hold up that fuckin' chainsaw, let alone kill me with it. You're getting weak and you know it."

  He kept his tone cool and calm. "I'm still here, ain't I?"

  Freddy twitched the corners of his lips into an evil smile. "Not for long." The two of them continued to circle around each other as Freddy resumed his monologue. "Face it, Ashley: You're mortal. Just one stab by my blades, and you're soul is mine. No matter how tough you think you are with that chainsaw or that 'Boomstick', you can't do a thing to me.

  I've used the Necronomicon, and it's given me powers you can't even imagine. And try as you may to blow my head off, or spill my guts to the ground, just look around you. You're surrounded. All it takes is a snap of my fingers and they come running."

  Ash smirked at him, unfazed by Freddy's words. "Please." he scoffed. "I've been killing these demonic bastards about as long as you've been creeping little kids in their beds at night. I've gone up against some of the ugliest things that book had to throw at me. Hell, I've even turned into one of them myself and came out of it alright. I've fought against an entire army, for Christ’s sake. And I've lived through all of it. What usually sends you back, huh? A couple of smart-ass kids? You're nothing, Freddy. You're shit.

  Plus, I know you're little secret. When you're in the dream realm, you're all tough. But once someone brings you out, you're no stronger than I am. And without that book of yours, you can't really do much except try to attack me with that flimsy glove you got there. What's that thing made out of, anyway? A couple of nuts and bolts, and whatever was layin' around in your kitchen?"

  Freddy spat venomously at him with his words. "At least I still got both of my hands."

  "You're goin' down, Freddy!" yelled Ash. "Without the book, you ain't got a chance against me!"

  Freddy relaxed his shoulders and brought his left hand up next to his face. "You think so? Guess we'll have to put it to the test, then." Freddy snapped his fingers.

  (snap)

  Two Deadites that stood behind Freddy's left and right side lifted their feet from the ground, and charged at Ash by the snap of his fingers. They ran to Ash, pounding their feet against the concrete like a heard of buffalo. Their white eyes became bigger the closer they got to him.

  The Deadite that charged from Ash
left side was utterly gruesome. He was over six feet and five inches, just a few inches taller than Ash. He was muscular, like some sort of bodyguard or weight lifter. His skin was already showing signs of decomposition, as the skin was blue-ish in appearance. The demon had no mouth. The only thing that remained were black gums and rotted teeth.

  The Deadite that came towards Ash's right was also a large male with a muscular build. His skin was dark, with scars and scabs across every inch of his face and bare arms. His jaw was elongated, stretching down to his chin. The corners of his mouth had been sliced, curving up all the way to his ears. When he opened his mouth, rows of jagged teeth were visible.

  Ash's eyes darted left and right at the two of them. He thought about which one to take down first. He didn't have much time to strategize, but it wasn't like this scene was new to him. He raised his chainsaw and prepared to slay some Deadites.

  Ash lifted his knee and kicked the one on his right. His boot launched towards the demon's chest and broke his ribs. As the large Deadite tumbled on the concrete, falling on his back, Ash reached for his shotgun and reached for his last two bullets in his front shirt pocket. In record time, Ash reloaded his Boomstick.

  By this time, Ash could tell by the increasing sound of snarls and demonic laughter that the Deadite behind him was getting closer. He knew he didn't have time to turn all the way around and shoot the bastard, as he was already right behind him. Ash merely twisted his upper body, raising his arms, lifting his shotgun by his head. Bluntly, Ash smacked the demon with the butt of his shotgun.

  While the demon behind him was knocked back, Ash turned back, facing frontward.

  The first thing that he saw was the Deadite to his right charging at him. Ash straightened his arm and pointed the twin barrels at the mouth-less demon. Ash pulled the trigger.

  BOOM!!!

  He shot the demon in the head, unleashing the shell into his skull. Bits and pieces of the Deadite's head had blown away. Blood sprayed out of his head like a broken water balloon. The parts that remained had now been littered with shrapnel and was bleeding profusely. His head had been forced back from the impact of the bullet. The Deadite fell down, landing on the bloody concrete, dead.

  Yeah, I'm good. Ash thought to himself. Now filled with self-assuredness and utter bravado, didn't even turn to face the last of the two Deadites. He bent his arm and rested the barrels on his left shoulder. Ash pulled the trigger, releasing his last shell.

  BOOM!!!

  Over his shoulder, Ash shot the Deadite, unleashing his last shotgun shell into his throat. It left behind a bloody, gaping hole. Some of it, however, made its way to the demon's face and chest, peppering him with shrapnel. The Deadite's head was knocked back to the sky from the force. Black and red blood poured from the dozens of bullet holes in his body. He hissed his final, raspy breath.

  Ash kept his back to the demon. His shotgun was still resting over his shoulder. He looked down to the ground. He lifted his index finger up, unwrapping it from the handle of his shotgun. As the demon fought to keep his body upright, Ash kept his finger up, predicting when the demon would fall dead. He cocked his eyebrows and lifted his finger, nonverbally telling the Deadite, "No, no. Not yet."

  As soon as Ash lowered his finger, he immediately heard the sound of a body dropping down onto the hard concrete. A confident smirk fell upon Ash's face. He chuckled softly, his laughter was deep and reverberated behind his throat. Ash placed his shotgun in the holster that strapped to his back.

  He then turned to Freddy and started his chainsaw. Ash ran to him just as fast as his Deadite lap dogs had come running for him. He let out a battle cry, "Hyah!" and rammed the chainsaw inside Freddy's chest.

  The chainsaw busted through Freddy's ribcage, sliced through his internal organs, and burst through his back. The whirring blades shredded through his body. The powerful force caused Freddy to shake along with the chainsaw. Blood sprayed in both directions: Out from Freddy's chest and back. The silver chainsaw blade was now stained with a deep red. The blades moved at such a speed, that they were merely a blur, slinging blood in every direction as the blades sawed their way through the dream demon's body.

  Ash could feel his warm, almost boiling hot, blood lightly spray on his face and his shirt. He could see Freddy shaking. He could hear him as he yelled out in pain. Once he felt that he had enough, Ash pulled the chainsaw from his chest. He let the chainsaw idle, for the time being, while he reveled in Freddy's own misery.

  The dream-walking killer clutched his chest with both hands and doubled over, allowing what seemed to be gallons of blood to pour from his chest and stomach. Freddy moaned in pain. "Ugh...Argh..." His breathing became strained. He inhaled only in short burst, like a fish that had been dragged out of water.

  Ash wiped the blood and sweat from his forehead, pushing his black and gray-streaked hair from his brown eyes. "Yeah." he said, coolly. "Hurts, doesn't it?" He stood over Freddy, towering over him. He watched the concrete as a pool of dark blood formed around Freddy's feet. The red stripes on his sweater became even an even deeper shade of crimson from the slash on his back. Ash stared at the large gash.

  His sweater frayed from the blades of his saw. Blood was dripping down his back in long, thin ribbons. His skin and muscle had been split wide open, partially revealing his insides. Parts of his spine and ribcage emerged from the hole in his sweater. This'll be easier than I thought. Ash said to himself.

  Ash began to hear bones snapping.

  SNAP! SNAP! CRACK! CRACK!

  His attention was brought again to Freddy. He looked down to see his spine and ribs moving on their own. The bones jerked their way back inside. They began to sink down inside Freddy's body, in their original positions. His bones made an unsettling cracking sound as they positioned themselves back into place. The bleeding had also stopped. He no longer heard the thick dripping of Freddy's blood pattering on the concrete. It was like a faucet had been turned off.

  Ash stared in disbelief as he saw Freddy slowly straighten up in front of him. As Freddy stood tall, he unwrapped his arms from his stomach and let them fall to his sides. Ash was now able to see the hole in his chest. For a moment, he could see a long slice, beginning from his stomach and ending just below his collar bone. His sweater had been ripped, showing his burnt flesh, glistening with blood. Behind his skin were wet sinews of muscle dangling over his ribs. After looking at it for only a few seconds did the ribs begin pull themselves together. Even the bleeding stopped. All that was left were the rips in his ratty sweater, and shredded muscle tissue on his chest and back.

  Freddy shook the blood from his hands and looked at Ash. The look in his eyes went from agonizing torture to a self-gratified confidence. "I have to hand it to ya, Ash..." he said. His voice was once again steady and booming. "That one actually hurt."

  Ash kept his chainsaw up in a defensive position. His tone was that of pure shock and confusion. "Alright, what the hell's goin' on?!" he shouted. "I thought you couldn't do that out here!"

  "That's true, I'm more vulnerable out here than I am in the dream realm. But what you didn't consider was how strong I am when I've collected so many souls. You're right, earlier that would have killed me..." he said as he pointed to the large scar on his chest. "That was when I'd only gotten a few souls. But you see, I now have all of Springwood right in here." He placed his left hand on his chest. "And it's gonna take a lot more than a chainsaw to slow me down."

  No matter what, Ash was determined to keep his usual sly demeanor. He lifted his chainsaw, preparing to start it up again. "Well then," he said, confidently. "I guess I'm just gonna have to wear you down until you're weak enough, huh?"

  "You'll be dead before that happens." he stated, matter-of-factly.

  "I don't think so, skin rash." quipped Ash. "I can go all night." Ash brought his chainsaw down, pulling the rope in attempt to get it started.

  rrrrrrrrrr...

  What? Ash raised it up and lowered it again. I knew I should've picked up a
new one before this happened.

  rrrrrrrrrr...

  His eyes widened and he felt a mixture of fear and embarrassment. The damn thing ran out of gas. He figured, out of all of the times for his chainsaw to run out of fuel, or course it had to be right then. He muttered to himself. "Really? You pick right now to run outta damn fuel?" He looked at Freddy, who was twiddling his blades a few inches from his own face. He was ready to kill.

  He laughed at Ash, grinning self-righteously. "That sort of thing happens when you get older, doesn't it?"

  "Ah, screw it." Ash said. If there's one thing I'm good at, it's how to improvise. Ash raised the saw over his head, like he was wielding an axe.

  Freddy looked above, seeing Ash's face several inches above his own. His face had a look of pure rage. His eyebrows were narrowed, his teeth were gritted, and he could almost hear him snarling like a wild boar. He looked up and noticed the saw blade glimmer under the moonlight. It came towards him in the blink of an eye. Ash slammed the blade of the chainsaw against the top of Freddy's head.

  The metal smashed and scraped against his skull. He shouted in reaction to the impact. "Aaah!" His entire skull vibrated and the top of his head throbbed in pain.

  Ash lowered the chainsaw and punched Freddy with his left fist. He gave him an uppercut to the chin that lifted him off of his feet and sent him hurling to the ground.

  Freddy landed with a hard thud on the concrete. A shock wave of pain raced up and down his back, throbbing at his sides. He groaned, "Ugh...Agh..." as he writhed in pain.

  While Freddy was on the ground, Ash unlocked his chainsaw from his arm. He unhooked the latches that connected the base of the chainsaw to his forearm. Once the last latch was unlocked, it fell to the ground. All that was left now was his right nub, and the metal cup-link that surrounded his wrist that connected him to both his chainsaw and his metal hand.