The day of the trial came, and boy was it a doozy. They each were given a rope, spikes for their shoes, and a knife. They were to be expected to climb a cliff side to the top, it had some carving in the side of it, and clearly it had been used before all this. Tristan felt like groaning, but, it shouldn't be any different than the trees and rocks at his home in the mountains with his grandparents.

He looks to see Masky would be climbing with them, to make sure none of them fell to their death. "That would be too easy a way out." Jeff had said, making Tristan's stomach turn.

He catches Toby's eye, and sees his mouth guard lift again, with an excited nod to him. With that, they took off, Tristan finding using the rope to be around his middle and around something below incase he fell was the best course of action. He judged each weight of area he went to step, before doing so. This was a trial not of speed, but of strength, to see if they could make it to the top.

Taking a breath from time to time, he climbed, he looked over. Masky was making this seem so easy, however, Tristan noted he was climb by throwing his rope up, securing a good hold, and climb up.

Moving back to focus, he willed himself forward, he wasn't going to hold back, like he promised. He knew how to climb well, and soon managed to shimmy up the rocks to a ledge to rest for a moment on. He was at least near a hundread feet off the ground, the top was a good twenty feet away. Masky stayed behind at those struggling, not seemingly caring, or struggling.

Getting too his feet he got to the next area, then paused. Something felt off in the air, so he looked down. Emily was just a few paces behind him, so was Kate. Some of the other contestants, two boys were above him, then a girl just below Kate, struggling the most.

However, something caught his eye, one boy, about his age, Conner, he thinks was his name, was bent down to look like he was adjusting his straps. Beside him, with a rope around the rock, was Masky making his way up. That was the same boy making lip about escaping two days ago, after he near failed his battle against Toby.

But, that wasn't on Tristan's mind, what was, was what he saw glinting in the sunlight. The knife they had been given, and Conner was right near Masky's rope with purpose. His heart pounded his yell drowned out by the wind.

Then, the sound of something sawing away was heard. Masky looked up and moved to climb faster than he was. But, Conner was quicker. Tristan didn't have time to think on it all, as he moved back down the cliff face he had been on. His hand wound healed mostly now, but the cut opened again as some rocks hit it hard enough. Not that he felt it, he moved over to a boy, grabbing his rope and tying it around his own to make it longer, the knot was one he learned his scout when he was little. It would hold.

Tristan heard it, Masky's yell as he had tied it to one of the larger rocks. The boy went to protest, "Touch it and I'll gut you." Tristan hissed coldly, making the other back off in fear. Then the sound, he dared to look down to see Masky just missed the ledge, his rope gave.

All through this, static filled his mind, Slender's power. However, Conner had pushed through it, and went to leave through the other side of the cliff. Masky fell down, and Tristan pushed the mental pain from his mind. He ran forward, heart racing, and jumped down.

Plummeting to the ground below as well.

-0-0-0-0-

Wind stung his eyes, but Tristan refused to let that stop him. Just a few ways away was Masky, his arms outwards, trying to slow his own fall. Tristan could taste the fear in the air, he heard Toby and Hoodie yell out something, the static was still there, but not as strong.

For a moment, the sun blinded him, but there the proxy was. A breath away, Tristan willed himself to fall faster somehow, and soon arms snaked around Masky's middle. The wind was knocked out of him as he hit the proxy hard.

Then they both were falling, like a rock to the ground below. Masky moved upward, his hand gripping the rope. But that didn't stop the impact it did to Tristan's middle. He focused on holding tight to the other, the scent of herbs and dirt was strong in the masked man's jacket.

They swung wide, and Tristan was to dazed form the impact of both hitting Masky and the rope to stop himself from hitting the hard rocks. They cut into his shoulder and side, though he couldn't feel pain, he could feel his breath knocked out of him again.

Tristan saw stars for a moment. The rope groaned for a moment, but the knot and it held firm.

The only sound was the howling wind and their panting breath. Masky and Tristan looked down, the ground was a mere thirty feet from them.

"Tris?" Masky managed out in shock, then laid his masked face on Tristan's shoulder, "By the dread father..." he muttered.

The wind howled again, bringing small cheers below. Tristan felt he failed the task as Toby and Hoodie along with Jeff were quick to get them down.

Once on solid ground, Tristan fell to his knees, his legs shaking. Masky didn't fare much better, sitting down on a rock, looking shaken also. That they had both come close to death. Tristan barely registered a hand on his shoulder as he turned to see Slender between him and Masky. Tendering's for fingers gripping their shoulders tightly, but not enough to hurt.

Masky didn't seem to fight this, tentacles were out behind the tall beings back, two of them held firm to his proxy's side. Too which he saw the masked man relaxed into, comforted by the fact he had been saved. Apparently, from what Tristan could hear, this was a first this had happened.

Beside their partner was Toby and Hoodie, and Tristan could tell despite their rivalry, Toby actually had been afraid for his friend.

Then came the cursing and yelling as Conner had been captured, no surprise there, by Eyeless Jack and another being in a monochrome clown like get up. He noted also the others were being lead down by Jeff and BEN, seems the task was over.

The shock was still there, Tristan could only make out some of the conversation, his ears ringing mostly. Once Jeff took up for EJ, he was quick to come over to the two, allowing Slenderman to leave them and walk menacingly to Conner.

Some static was in the air or in his head, but it wasn't as bad. EJ turned his attention away from there, "Can you hear me alright?" he asked, it was muffled a bit.

Slowly, the sound came back from the ringing, as he told EJ in only nods and shakes or shrugs. "Alright now?" EJ asked once he got Tristan to eat some sort of herb. He nodded, the sound was back to normal, but he was still shaking. EJ nodded and gave the same to Masky, the other lifting up his mask a bit to eat it, and staying close to Toby and Hoodie.

Eyeless Jack sighed, "This wasn't supposed to happen." Tristan heard a scream now as Slenderman dragged Conner off. The other mentors giving a lot of space for the tall being to walk. "Slender is more than pissed." EJ muttered.

"You kidding? That guy will be tortured if anything else." Jeff grumbled beside him. Tristan didn't say anything, good riddance, he did think thought.

Masky and him made eye contact, there was a silent agreement between them, a thanks if you will. Before Jeff helped Tristan to his feet and Hoodie and Toby took Masky's sides to help him walk in shaky legs. "Come on kid, let's get you both to the medical wing." Jeff grumbled.

No complaints there, Tristan felt too tired and too numb to complain.

-0-0-0-0-

Tristan didn't remember falling asleep, but he soon found himself waking up on a white cot, a curtain blocked him and another bed, but he could tell someone was sleeping on it. He could only guess either Masky or another person from the trial.

"You're awake." He turned his head to EJ, who chuckled, "You really need to stop coming here, Tristan." He teased him lightly.

Tristan gave a small smile to that and took a breath, "Is he okay?" he asked.

"You mean Masky?" EJ asked nodding to the other bed, "He's sleeping contently, I kept him here to make sure he didn't have a concussion or any other problems. Slender agreed to that idea." EJ then held up his hand, "You passed by the way, Conner boy failed for trying to kill another member of the family."

Tristan nods faintly to that, "Is what Jeff said true?" he asked tentively.

Eyeless Jack looks at him, "About Slender possibly torturing the guy... yes. I've never seen him this mad in a long time." He mutters looking away for a moment as he checks on the others wounds, "Despite what we may act, we care for our Proxies a lot, Masky and Hoodie have been with Slender the longest, and he is rather fond of them. One could easily accuse him of favoritism. He wouldn't deny it either." He chuckled a bit.

"You know, just because you can't feel pain, does not mean you have to act as reckless as Toby." EJ scolded him lightly, Tristan gave a small smile at that, sheepish. "I swear, if you make it, you both will give me a headache."

"Sorry." Tristan says with a flushed look, making the other's mask lift, meaning he was smiling.

EJ then finished up and takes to cleaning, "So... why did you save Masky? I mean, Slender would have caught him either way, but you saved him." He commented. "Trying to get in our good graces?" he teased Tristan lightly.
Tristan shakes his head, "N-n-n-no..." he twitches a bit. "It's just..." he trails off in thought, how to word it properly. "Just... seemed un-u-unfair to me, to die that way, and for Conner to get away with it." He says, the numbness wasn't there again, but his neck cracked. "Plus... despite it all, I find that I rather like the other company. He actually isn't half bad.... Is that weird?" he asked EJ.

"Not really, after a while of being here, many of the selected get used to us." The doctor guy shrugged at that, "I guess our insanity rubs off a bit."

Tristan was silent to that, before he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned, expecting to see EJ, but instead saw Slenderman. "Child?" a soft voice says, "Are you alright?" he asks him.

Getting over the shock, Tristan nods, "A little shaken still, but I'll be fine." He says softly, Slenderman inclines his head at that.

"Good we have postponed the next Trial due to this... unforeseen consequences. It will be done at the end of this week, giving you and Masky a few days to recover fully, and us to... reestablish things with the other contestants." Tristan winces at that, but Slender shakes his head, "Fear not, you and a few others in the group aren't in trouble, but some are." He says, not lying to the boy.

"Thank you, sir." Tristan said softly, feeling exhaustion again come over him. He guessed his body was still in the stage of getting over the fact he wasn't dead, and wasn't in trouble.

Slender nods again, "You didn't have to do what you did, nor did you have any reason to do so. But, you saved him anyway, that is something we need in a Proxy. If they can't trust their mentor or their partner, then how can anyone trust them?" he asks, the question lingers, "I suppose, it's a good lesson to the task. Get some rest, EJ will let me know if you try to get out earlier than he says."

The tone was slightly playful, but a serious warning all the same time. Tristan laid back on the bed as the man seemed to glide to the other bed. He didn't bother listening in, too tired to care really, as sleep claimed him again.

-0-0-0-0-

Slenderman sighed softly, "He's an enigma to say the least." He told Eyeless Jack, as he finished looking over his oldest proxy in the bed. "Had I thought this could happen—"

"Don't fret over it too much, Slender." EJ says evenly, "None of us though this would happen, but now we are prepared if it does again. He's alive and well, both of them are."

Slender sighs to this, looking at Masky, "I suppose, I have grown soft to them over the years. Too think that's even possible." He chuckles faintly.

EJ shrugs to that, "They have been with you the longest, most Proxies you get rebel mostly. But Masky, Hoodie, and Toby haven't done so once. I can only guess it's natural." He turns away, "You only recently got your forth one, how are they fairing?"

Slender inclines his head, "Alright for now, but I am keeping an eye on them. But, things are looking up." His faceless gaze looks back on Tristan's sleeping form, "What do you make of him?" he asks.

Eyeless Jack hums in thought at that, finishing up cleaning again. "He's interesting, and out of most of the selected, he had the best chance. Despite his thoughts otherwise, I'm sure you've seen them." Slender merely nods as EJ continues, "Tristan is my bet so far, but, it's still too early. For now, he shows the most promise. And the others all seem to like him." He adds the last part as an afterthought

"I agree." Slender nods faintly, "He's already showing he has the sharp wit and trust needed to be a proxy. I also have no doubt Masky will feel he owes Tristan for this." Another chuckle escape the tall being as he shakes his head. "The boy didn't think about anything to gain from his stunt, just that another needed help. And despite Toby and Masky's misgivings, I know they both feel they can trust each other in tough moments."

A sigh escapes the being, even with no mouth, "Tristan would make a good edition." He muses out loud.

EJ says nothing to that, and a comfortable silence falls between them, safe for the soft breathing of Masky and Tristan.

-0-0-0-0-

A/N: So, to explain, Slenderman has had many proxies, however they all eventually either get killed off, or are killed by him directly or by another Proxy of his. Due to the fact many of them are sleeper agents or are used by him. Slowly, a proxy, the longer they stay, become more aware and freer in their will.

Slender doesn't always do this, Toby is one of these that he hasn't done this with. Masky and Hoodie aren't either controlled by Slenderman, after years of being with him. These three are his oldest, and possibly his most trusted. They have never fought against him or tried to kill him like other proxies he's created, thus he has more of a fondness for them than some of his proxies. They are his favorites.

Slender has never once gotten a Proxy from these trials, so it's new for him to find one he likes and who he thinks has a chance. Most are chosen by Jeff, EJ, or BEN, and those he does like often die early in the game.

I get in the SlenderVerse this isn't cannon, and Proxies are used by Slender and are 'Slaves'. But I only make mentions of that verse, mostly we are in the Creepy Pasta area. And Slender isn't a tyrant in this one, he is fair to an extent, to his helpers. Because if he killed them off all the time, he'd not have many helpers left. Plus, despite being very powerful, it's been proven he needs his Proxies. Just saying...