#Marvin being an asshole | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

praisethegabs · 1 month

Text

OLDER

leon kennedy x reader

synopsis: he's getting older, and he knows that. not believing in luck or in love, leon finds himself in a position of complete misfortune. he convinced himself he's not worthy of love, but that changes when he meets you.

warnings: angst with fluff ending, age gap, leon is very insecure about his age and the reader. strangers to lovers, mentions of smut, ptsd, alcoholism, depression, suicidal thoughts. reader is very delicate, kind, and patient. there's parts from the vendetta book and a few scenes from re6. it starts with re6!leon and ends with di!leon

word count: 15k

a/n: guess who's back? to celebrate the 1 year re4r anniversary, I decided to post this one shot I was working for almost two months. I'm into my angst era again. also i wrote this based on this analysis i read, which made me think about the broken part of leon for a while, also this fic contains part of the vendetta book. feel free to leave comments, reblogs, tips, or positive critics. they're always very welcome ❤️

I. THE WEIGHT ON HIS SHOULDERS

Life can be a bitch sometimes.

This is what he says to himself when he finishes another bottle of whiskey. Every day, when he opens his eyes, he tries to stay positive, hoping his day will be different from his usual schedule; in the end, it is always the same bullshit. Over and over again. No apparent ending; always his solitude.

But someday it must end, right? He can’t be fighting B.O.W.'s for the rest of his life, can he? Maybe someday he’ll finally settle down and have a peaceful day. Maybe, on this day, his nightmares will stop, and if he’s lucky, he’ll sleep for the entire night. No one can blame him for dreaming of a perfect life, and no one can take this from him.

The government made him their slave, their deadly pet that follows and obeys every rule and command, and forced him to risk his neck almost every week to keep their country safe. What a bunch of assholes, he thinks to himself. Thing is, Leon hates himself for what he was forced to become.

There is so much pain. So much suffering. He only wanted to be a cop — nothing more than that. He wanted to deal with simple things — not bioterrorists ready to blow up the entire world, not grotesque mutations that defy the natural order of things. Certainly, if he had a choice to go back and change that night, he wouldn’t go to Raccoon City. He would've stayed in his cheap hotel room; he would have obeyed Marvin’s orders to not go in there.

But now he’s something else. The rookie cop who had to survive that night died. He can’t even recognize himself anymore, and sometimes, he blames himself for it. No more than he blames the government for it; if he could go back…

His days are filled with this emptiness — the sensation that he might never see his happy ending. Ada? Yeah, sure. He knows he can’t trust her, and God knows where she is or what she’s doing. He was so naive to fall for her like he did. While on his free day out of the office, he finds himself with a certain envy of happy couples. He can’t stop thinking: why can’t he have the same? Why can’t he be happy for once?

Getting older sucks. At this point, Leon thinks and has already convinced himself that he doesn’t belong to anyone and that he won’t be able to have someone. To experience love and being loved, he wants to be wanted. He’s getting older and still doesn't have anyone by his side. That’s the price he pays for having this life, and he still blames the government for taking it from him. He doesn’t remember the last time he actually felt something for someone, and at this moment of his life, it doesn’t matter to him anymore. Leon had already accepted the fact that he'd die alone. Maybe he’ll get a cat to keep him company. Since he’s not much of a dog person since Raccoon City, maybe he’ll name her a cute name; who knows? That’s probably the closest he’ll get to having something waiting for him at home.

Leon doesn’t remember the last time he actually felt happy. Since Raccoon City, he doesn't know what happiness means, and sometimes, on very rare occasions, he envies people around him. He feels like his entire life has no purpose and no meaning, and he’s completely faded to emptiness, to a sad existence based on killing bioweapons and serving his country. Does he feel proud about it? No, he doesn’t.

It’s been a very long time since Leon felt pride. That feeling died and is now buried in the remains of Raccoon City, inside that police station where his life turned upside down. Now he’s only an empty shell of what he used to be. He’s rotting inside, craving something he knows he can’t have, and there’s nothing but a void inside him, consuming every inch of him.

After serving his country for years, he started to get used to the idea that maybe he wasn’t made for a happy ending, and he shouldn’t bother with such things. He can’t afford the luxury of being with someone, because it means being vulnerable, and it also means he would have to open himself to things he swore he would never feel again. No, thank you.

Things at work aren’t exactly the best, either. Years ago, Leon started to question himself about whether the government cared about their people, especially the ones he had to kill in order to save others. Leon couldn’t forget what happened in Spain — the entire village he was forced to end so he wouldn’t die. Perhaps they could’ve saved them; possibly they could’ve had a chance; maybe if… and this is where he dozes off thinking about the infinite possibilities.

After what happened in Raccoon City, Leon knew he had lost faith. He knew things would never be the same after everything he saw that day. Sometimes, he finds himself thinking about Annette and William Birkin. He feels his body shivering when he remembers he had to fight for his life, clinging to something bigger than him. Survival.

II. RINSE AND REPEAT

He has no social skills, and doesn't know how to interact with people anymore. It all feels weird and uncomfortable, and it makes him feel terrible. Sometimes he feels like he’s stuck in time and can’t have a proper conversation with someone normal. The worst part of his life is that he feels he’s carrying a weight on his shoulders that it wasn’t supposed to be his in the first place. He has the weight of the world with him, and there is no one to help him through it. Life made him depressed, cold and distant. Life has built him this way; he's shaped himself into something he’s not, and he can’t find himself. He’s lost.

Leon can’t stop having nightmares about Raccoon City.

At this point, he just accepted that they wouldn't go away. It feels like he’s trapped inside his own mind, and there’s no turning back. Sometimes at night, he keeps looking at his ceiling imagining a different life, where he was a cop and happy. Usually, his nightmares are so dark and deep that when he wakes up, he finds solace in the sunlight, feeling relieved that he survived another night. When he doesn't sleep, when he’s too scared to close his eyes, he cries quietly, protected by the walls of his room, searching for assurance and a promise that everything will be fine. It doesn’t always work, but now he knows he can control his fears, and somehow, it helps him feel safe.

This time, his mission nearly got him killed. His entire body was full of bruises and wounds, and every part of him hurt. He felt his body swallowing a little, and he felt terrible again. He has blood under his nails, and he washes himself at least three times to make sure there’s nothing more on him than the burden of being a slave for the government.

Leon is paranoid; he can’t stand the fact that he has blood on his hands. If he sees a spot, he’ll clean it until there’s nothing left, and maybe he’s now too obsessed with the idea of being clean. It makes him feel sick to the bones, because he knows what he does and what it means. He knows that this guilt won’t be washed away like the blood on his hands, and certainly won’t get away from his head like it does from his clothes whenever he launders them. It’s a pretty shitty routine, but he’s used to it.

Now he finds himself in a very dark place; he can’t eat without feeling guilty. He can’t do the basics of his chores because he can’t stop thinking about his life, regretting every decision he made. Everything he does seems mechanical, like he’s repeating the process over and over again, a perfect killing machine that has no one to care about. On Fridays, he finds himself sitting on his couch, in complete silence, holding an empty bottle. He knows he can’t drown himself in alcohol, no matter how much he wants it or how tempting it sounds, because the liquid doesn’t affect him anymore. It doesn't make the pain go away or silence the horrors he saw during his life.

After three weeks inside his house, locked inside his room, Leon woke up with a strange feeling inside his chest. Something was telling him that this day would be different, like a big change would happen. For the first time in weeks, he decided to leave his place for a simple walk. He could do that; he could walk into the market and buy some real food or maybe get a haircut. He felt that he was able to allow himself to have an ordinary day.

After taking a long shower, Leon decided to wear cozy and comfortable clothes. He was so used to his brutal routine that he almost forgot what it was like to have a normal day, but this time, he was willing to try something different. He took a deep breath before leaving his house, and when he felt the soft, cold breeze reaching his skin, he knew he could do that.

Step by step, Leon found himself walking towards the market, even enjoying the lovely view he had from his neighborhood. He doesn’t remember it to be so… gray. Sure, he knows what winter is, but he doesn’t remember the last time he actually stayed at his home during the winter. His lips turn into a small smirk, and he thinks how silly he is. When he reaches the small market, which is more of a store, he walks slowly, looking at what he might be buying - he’s done with frozen food. He stops at the veggie section and keeps looking at it, confused.

“These aren’t fresh” a sweet voice is enough to wake him up from his trance. He looks in that direction, and all he sees is you.

“How can you tell that?” he asks you in visible confusion, which makes you smile. And that smile was enough to sparkle something oddly inside him.

“Color, smell, texture,” you explained, still smiling and showing him a fresh vegetable. “This one is fresh."

"Thanks,” Leon replied awkwardly, taking the vegetable from your hand and placing it in his basket.

“You don’t come here very often. I know almost everyone who comes to buy food here,” you said next, glancing at him with curiosity.

“I… have a busy schedule,” he says, still sounding awkward.

“Really? Well, you should definitely take some time to buy healthy food. I’m pretty sure you do a lot of workouts to keep your body in shape” you giggle, noticing the size of his muscles, which makes his face turn red.

“I’ll keep that in mind” Leon managed to say, although he wanted to dissipate from Earth.

“I can help with that” you suddenly said, analyzing him more carefully.

“With what?” Leon frowned, already feeling his heart beating ten times faster.

“I noticed you’re having difficulty with your right arm, which makes me think you got it hurt. If you’re planning to buy more, I can help with your bags” you offered, very polite and kind, catching him by surprise.

“Thanks” Leon says, finding himself smiling, which is unusual.

At first, having some company after so much time alone made him think it was strange. He wasn’t feeling ready to have a small conversation, but you didn’t seem bothered. In fact, you were enjoying walking to this stranger's house in complete silence. Fifteen minutes later, you were in front of his house in an awkward silence between the two of you.

“I guess this is it” you smiled at him, and Leon found himself lost in your smile.

“Yeah. Thank you” he said for the fifth time, which made you giggle a little.

“Anything for a customer” you said to him, giving him his bags. “My parents are the owners, so…”

“You don’t seem too old” he said, and after a second, he felt more weird. “I mean…”

“Nah, it’s ok. This isn’t the first time people say I'm younger than I look”. You smiled again, thinking that this old man was very silly and cute. “I’m 25, don’t worry”

“I’m Leon, by the way” He finally says his name to you, stretching his hand in a very educated way.

“Nice to meet you, Leon” you said before shaking his hand.

Leon took at least three weeks to return to the market.

His initial thoughts about you were that he definitely felt weird in your presence. Maybe he felt that way because of his lack of social skills and because he really sucks when the subject is social conversation. He caught himself thinking too hard about the visual and evident contrast between the two of you; you were young, bright and smart, with a great future ahead of you, and plus, you came from a loving family. Leon, on the other hand, was an orphan used and abused by the government, their pet and a man who only knew pain and brutality.

However, you were the first friendly face he saw after years. The way you were smiling and giggling at his awkward answers, it definitely made him feel something he thought he would never feel again. It was like you found the rookie cop inside him, and despite the fact that he barely said something, he felt normal around you. And that was more than enough. How could it happen so fast?

“How can I help you?” you said before noticing it was him. “Oh, hi”

“Hi” Leon is welcomed by that smile of yours. “I… um…”

“You came to buy more veggies?” you ask, still smiling at him. You think it’s cute to see him without any words.

“No… I just came because I’m looking for food seasoning” Leon said, his face slightly turning red. “I’m trying new recipes, so…”

“Yeah? What have you been trying?” you ask with sudden enthusiasm, leading him to the part with seasonings.

“Nothing too risky” he answers vaguely, following you closely.

“What kind of seasonings do you like?” You turn back to face him as you show him the shelves with different types of seasonings.

“I’m more into spicy flavors” Leon tells you, his attention going to the shelves.

“It suits you” you said, giving him some space. You saw him smiling again.

"How does spicy seasoning suit me?” he asks with a hint of curiosity.

“You might think I’m weird, but… seeing from outside, you look like someone with a rough agenda and, apparently, whatever you do is dangerous. Personally, I think you suit perfectly spicy things” you said, hoping it would make sense.

“I think I got your point,” Leon said, and then he found himself smiling for the second time.

“Lucky me, right?” you laugh, walking back to the cashier. “Is this all for today?”

“Yeah, I guess it is,” Leon nods, grabbing his wallet to pay for the seasonings.

“How’s your arm?” you ask, taking his money and counting it.

“It's better. I had to take a few painkillers, but it’s definitely better” he said, avoiding you for a few moments.

“That’s great. I know a few herbs to help with the pain” you said, giving him the change from his purchase.

“How so?” Leon asks with another hint of curiosity.

“A great sorcerer doesn’t reveal her secrets” you wink playfully at him. “You need to earn that, soldier”

“And how could I earn your secrets, great sorcerer?” Leon asks, enjoying your playful mood.

“Maybe you can invite me for dinner and show me your cooking skills” you shake your shoulders and, for the second time, catching him by surprise.

“You would love that, wouldn't you?” Leon said, and a slight smirk appeared on his lips.

“Who knows?” You wink playfully at him, with another suggestive smile on your lips.

The world has gone to hell, Leon thinks to himself.

He starts to contemplate everything that has happened to him. When did this madness begin? It was back in Raccoon City? Oh, no. It is way older than that. Maybe his collapse started when his family died, and he was left an orphan; what happened in Raccoon City wasn’t really the beginning of his nightmare. It was the cherry on top of the torments that would become his life.

Now that he’s coming back home from another mission, he can’t stop thinking how his life could’ve been if Umbrella had never happened. If those bioweapons were never created, defying every natural order. He looks outside his window, and he just can’t stop blaming himself for Tall Oaks.

What has become of this world? Leon thinks. Where did I go wrong?

His life is an entire mistake. It just goes on and on. His family first, then Raccoon City. Tricell, Los Illuminados, Uroboros and, finally, that nightmare at Tall Oaks. Leon takes a deep breath. He feels his hands shaking and closes his eyes, forcing himself to forget. How silly he is!

The future is a hell that’s only getting worse.

III. THE PAIN OF REMEMBERING

You weren't expecting Leon to find the note with your number that you left on his seasonings, the same way you weren't expecting him to call you.

However, something about him got your attention the minute he stepped foot inside the store. He wasn't like anything you had seen before; he was definitely something else.

After almost four weeks since the last time you saw him, you got a call from an unknown number. It was pretty late at night, but your curiosity won the battle within you, and you had to pick up the phone. With a groggy voice of sleep, you saw the number and frowned.

“Hello?” You ask, followed by a big yawning. It was one in the morning.

“Hi… um, it's Leon” he says with some urgency, to which you jump from your bed. “I'm sorry to wake you up”

“No, don't worry. I wasn't sleeping” you lied, forcing yourself not to yawn again.

“I know it's late, but… I was thinking about that dinner…” he says, sounding somehow hopeful. “Maybe you could come later and… talk?”

“Yeah, sure. Can you pick me up?” You ask him, and a smile appears on your lips as you answer him.

“Of course. At seven?”

“At seven, it is,” you smiled again.

As soon as the call ended, he was in complete shock. For some reason, Leon felt you wouldn’t accept his invitation, especially after being alone for so long. His heart was beating faster inside his chest, and he had to remind himself that it was just a casual date between… two friends? Could you possibly be his friend?

Leon felt anxious, something he only felt when he was on his missions.

Suddenly, the mere thought of having you at his home with him sounded terrifying. He felt like it would end in a complete disaster, and you wouldn’t see him ever again. Then, Leon had to stop and calm himself down, knowing it was his trauma trying to get the best of him. After everything he went through in his life, being able to trust someone proved to be a difficult task. He felt scared, and his mind was racing with thousands of different thoughts, each worse than the other.

Betrayal is the word that defines Leon.

He was betrayed before and multiple times, which left him with a lot of insecurities and traumas to the point he feels that he can’t trust anyone, which led to another set of insecurities. Leon feels that he isn’t enough anymore, that he can’t provide the proper attention someone might need from him, and that he can’t be in a relationship because of his problems. The truth is, he can’t be in a relationship until he leaves his trauma behind, and he knows it. That’s the easy part, but the hard one is how to let it go.

Later that day, Leon finally had the courage to clean his house. He needed some motivation to get rid of his depression, and nothing was better than finally allowing himself to have some company besides his solitude. His house smelled pretty good, everything was clean, and his furniture was even shining. He opened the curtains, and the sunlight entered his living room. He took a deep breath with the fresh air that came inside, and smiled, feeling somehow proud and happy.

At seven, you were waiting outside the store, scrolling through your phone, when you saw Leon approaching on his motorcycle. You were gorgeous, wearing a beautiful dress and covered by a black leather jacket — the perfect contrast that suited you well. Leon was completely mesmerized by the sight of you - so beautiful, he thought.

“Hey, there” you waved at him as he parked next to you.

“Hi,” Leon replies, sounding embarrassed. “You look beautiful”

“You too, handsome” you said playfully, taking the helmet from his hand and sitting behind him, your hands holding him tight. You didn’t notice the small blush on his cheeks.

"Are you okay back there?” Leon asks you, making sure you were fine before starting the engines.

“Yeah, I’m fine” you said, nodding your head, and smiling when he started to drive his bike to his place.

You two didn’t take long enough to reach his place. Leon offered you his hand so you had support to get out of his bike, and he even opened the front door for you. He led you inside his house, and everything inside was enough to show you the kind of man he was; his home was big, but simple. He had a lot of comfort there, but it seemed like he didn't spend much time at his place. You saw some photos at the fireplace, a few when he was younger, at some training camp with his possible friends.

“How old were you when you took these?” you asked him with curiosity.

“I was twenty-one” he said, grabbing the wine and the glasses.

“So young” you whispered, noticing that in some pictures, he was sad.

Leon took another deep breath. Why did this have to be so difficult? Why couldn’t he be just normal for once? Why did everything have to happen to him? You were standing there, so gracefully, observing his old photographs, so young and full of life, with no baggage with you. Someone actually happy and alive. If you knew how much he envies this.

“People say that our eyes are the windows to our soul” you turn to face him, noticing his sudden silence. “Yours are so sad and broken… what happened to your neck?”

Instinctively, his hand reaches his neck, and Leon feels the bandage perfectly secured on his skin, with a small spot of blood. Gladly, it was enough to change the subject, because he was shocked enough by what you said about his broken soul. If you only knew.

“I, um… got hurt on my job. It’s nothing.” Leon tries to avoid speaking about his past.

“It seems pretty bad” you step closer to him, your hand gently touching his bandage.

“It’s nothing… trust me” Leon smiles weakly, looking down. His heart is beating so fast inside his chest that he could explode any time. “I’m fine”

“Then explain why you are so nervous around me” you whispered, now softly touching his cheek.

Leon felt he stopped breathing, like his lungs decided to leave him alone and deal with the matter himself; how powerful your touch felt. It was enough to break every wall he built around himself for years; it was enough to make him break. And it was only a soft and kind touch. He slowly closed his eyes, his breath becoming normal again, and he allowed himself to just feel it.

“I don’t know what on earth happened to you…” your voice is full of kindness as you speak, now seeing him hold your hand as you keep touching his cheek. “But I’m always here if you decide to talk”

Leon was reaching his breaking point.

He was used to being a slave, always using his body, mind and soul to provide safety for the others without them knowing one damn thing about it; he was used to always being alone, to the point that kindness was a strange feeling, almost not existing at all and that he didn’t deserve it. But here you are.

“It hurts to remember,” he confessed, his voice a low whisper. “I tried to forget it, but I can’t”

When he felt you wrapping your arms around his body and your warmth embracing him, Leon felt his eyes getting wet. He was so deeply touch starved, craving something so human, that when he got it, he knew he was going to break. His mind was racing, and his body was trying to process the feeling and react in the proper way. He felt so many emotions at once that he thought he was going insane.

“Please, keep holding me” Leon begs, his arms finding their way through your back as he hugs you back. “Because I know I’ll fall if you let me go”

After that night, it took almost two months until Leon decided to show up at the store to see you again. He felt nervous, but at this point, he realized that, for some reason, he couldn’t stay away from you; he felt that you had some type of magnetism enough to keep him close, which made him feel comfortable, something he hadn't felt in a while.

However, before he went to the store to see you, he needed courage. Leon thought you would be upset with him after being ghosted for almost two months, although he felt responsible for it, since he never told you the nature of his job or why he was so absent. Sadly, Leon was again in a spiral of sadness and depression. His last mission was a disaster, and Leon knew he had no control over his feelings again. He was sitting on his bed, contemplating the bottle in his hands. The curtains were closed, and the atmosphere inside his room was darker. He closes his eyes for a brief moment, and then, he’s there again.

June 29, 2013. Tall Oaks, USA

“It might create more problems than it solves…” the voice of the president echoes inside his head as he points his gun towards the said person.

Leon doesn't recognize the man in front of him, or what he used to be. He keeps his gun raised, his grasp around the trigger getting tight by the second he makes his decision. His voice comes and goes, creating a tense atmosphere around him.

“Bio-organic weapons are a global threat and we are partly to blame…” Benford said once to Leon when he expressed his desire to expose the truth about the Raccoon City Incident. He looks at the living corpse in front of him. Tick tack. He knows what he needs to do. “I’ve always valued your friendship, Leon… It’s time to take responsibility and end this mess”

He shakes his head, somehow returning to his reality.

“Stay right where you are!” Leon said, his voice sounding cracked and angry. The corpse starts walking towards him and as a reflex, his grip gets more tight. “Mr. President!”

The zombie starts walking towards him and the woman next to him. He hesitates for a moment, unsure and sure about what he needs to do. Every part of him screams and begs, trying to find a solution. He knows it’s too late. He can’t save the president, he can’t save anyone.

“Don’t make me do this” Leon gritted his teeth, trying to find any reason to avoid what needed to be done. It happens fast. Adam Benford, the former president of the United States and now a corpse, throws himself towards her. “Adam!” Leon screams.

He pulls the trigger.

And there’s only blood.

He gets out of his thoughts when he hears someone knocking on his front door. It doesn't take too long for him to finally stand up and see who’s there, and, inside his mind, he’s already preparing himself to tell this person to leave him alone, but his entire demeanor changes when he opens the door, and all he sees there is you.

“You’re back” you smiled warmly at him, your cheeks red because of the cold temperature. “I wasn’t sure you were home”

“What are you doing here?” Leon’s first question isn't as welcome as you thought it would be.

“A friend can’t see a friend?” you answered simply, and the smile never left your lips.

“I’m sorry” he sighs, giving you space to enter his place. “I didn’t mean to be rude”

“Don’t worry” you said, removing your scarf and hat. “Are you ok?”

“I’m fine, I guess” Leon nods slowly, and you notice he’s not entirely well.

“Breakfast?” you ask him, wanting to confirm your suspicions, and he nods quietly.

You had difficulty finding yourself inside his place, since you’ve been there only once. You notice that he’s quiet, and despite that fact, which is completely normal for him, you know that there’s something wrong. So, you decided to go simple with his breakfast. Almost forty minutes later, you came back with a plate full of pancakes, crispy bacon, scrambled eggs, and some orange juice.

He leisurely used his knife and fork to eat the food you made. The careful manner in which he ate wasn’t due to his cautious nature, but rather because he had a terrible hangover that messed with his coordination, and rushing could easily lead to a slip of the hand and his shaking. Leon was a pretty man, and he could easily take on leading roles in Hollywood blockbusters. However, he currently sported a scruffy beard, exuded a weary atmosphere, and radiated fatigue and discontent.

“I think I reached rock bottom,” Leon finally says, but he avoids your gaze at all costs.

“Then I’ll help you get out of there” you said with kindness, your pinky finger interlocking with his.

IV. GRIEF AND BARGAIN

The path to healing isn’t always easy, and now Leon is aware of that.

The year is now 2014 and he’s struggling to forget what happened a year ago. Sometimes, when his mind is quiet, he starts to wonder. Is it possible that there could have been a world without Umbrella and zombies? Leon scoffed and shook off his sweet dreams. A world without zombies? That's something from a long time ago. The future is only going to become a worse hell. Then, he has to remind himself about the great things he has in life. You are one of these things.

Although he has your support, he knows that he’ll only get better walking this path by himself. The winter deciduous forest looked like branches made of human bones. A mixed forest with a walking path spread out. This is a high-end residential area in Bethesda, Maryland, where congressmen and bureaucrats commuting to Washington spend their nights. In the depths of a thicket, there was a slightly open gentle sloping area where the desired building was located. It was a designer house filled with a sense of openness, with all outer walls covered in glass, and it appeared like a model intended to showcase beautiful scenery rather than a place for people to live in.

The luxury was excessive to the point where it seemed somewhat like a toy. Leon had hidden himself in the thicket away from the road and was monitoring the designer house through binoculars with night vision capabilities. It was an unacknowledged fact, but a traitor to the country was living in this mansion. Senator Steven Air, who had sold information to a bioterrorist organization, was one of many government officials who had been involved in the incident in Tall Oaks where the President became a victim of B.O.W. Simmons, the President's aide, was among those who betrayed the government. And Leon still blames himself for what happened that night.

Currently, fifteen members of the Division of Security Operations (DSO) and two stealth drones have surrounded Steven's mansion. It was necessary to capture him and extract plenty of information before bringing him to trial. According to reports from aerial surveillance, Steven was on his way home by car from Washington. The distance from the White House to Bethesda was approximately twelve kilometers, and it would take about thirty minutes if he drove fast. Leon shifted his focus to his shoulder holster with a handgun. Of course, capturing him alive was best, but there was no hesitation in shooting the traitor if he resisted.

Leon suddenly remembers. This is Bethesda. The name is derived from the Bible. From the Gospel of John–

“Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie — the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years."

Jesus healed the man who had been sick for 38 years. God's love and His miracles. Bravo. That's exactly what this world needs in this hell.

"Target approaching."

As he thinks about the Bible, a communication comes through his earpiece. It's a report from the overhead surveillance team flying a drone. A roadway that weaves through a grove of mixed trees was approached by Stephen's white Porsche, an elegant luxury car resembling a graceful white swan. Perhaps dozens, hundreds of people may have died to buy that car. Such is the life of a villain.

"Visual on the target vehicle. Secure upon my GO signal," Leon whispered into his radio microphone. Both the earphones and microphone were of a bone conduction type that excelled in noise resistance. It converts vocal cord vibrations transmitted through the skull directly into voice signals. It was a perfect gadget for special operations where one couldn't make loud noises or miss instructions in the midst of noise.

The Porsche approached the garage.

"GO," Leon said sharply.

At that moment, two SUVs that had been hiding in a blind spot by the roadway started their engines like barking dogs and closed in on the Porsche at tremendous speed, trapping it in a pincer movement as planned. The driver of the Porsche was Stephen's secretary, with a bodyguard in the passenger seat and Stephen himself in the back seat.

Suddenly trapped from the front and back, they were thrown into confusion. Leon wondered – would the bodyguard or secretary resist? There was no doubt that they were carrying guns. He didn't want to give them unnecessary visibility, but he would deal with it when the time came. The agents jumped out of the trees. In the next moment, Stephen's Porsche exploded.

A deafening roar and shock. The high-performance explosive device planted under the car's body lifted the Porsche several meters off the ground, engulfing it in flames. And caught up in it, the DSO's SUVs overturned as well. The window glass of all the cars shattered into tiny pieces, the car bodies twisted and burned the people inside. All six agents from the team on foot, including Leon himself, were blown backwards by the force of the blast. Leon still thinks like he’s floating in the air, an eerie feeling of weightlessness that ended when he felt his body slamming against a tree trunk. In those fleeting moments, his consciousness waned, and it was the closest he had come to death.

Yet, it seemed the Grim Reaper was not yet ready to claim him.

Pain, intense and searing, jolted Leon’s awareness back to life, a grunt of pain escaping his lips. Leon struggled to his feet, and he threw up, retching repeatedly. His consciousness ebbed and flowed like waves, and he knew that rest was essential. Leon suspected that his ribs and collarbone were either fractured or cracked, but, fortunately, his arms and legs remained unbroken. Gritting his teeth, he managed to force his dislocated left shoulder joint back into place, enduring the excruciating pain, as he tried to work out which way was up.

There are bruises littered across his skin, scratches and abrasions where the bark of the tree tore his flesh. The shock of the explosion and the fear of death… an unpleasant feeling of internal organs turning over welled up. No matter how many times he experienced it, he could never get used to the terror of a close-range explosion. The air was knocked from his lungs; his breathing temporarily stopped; his eardrums were about to burst; and his knees were weak. He can barely stand. Leon finally sits up, willing his agent training to give him a sense of urgency even though his body is screaming in agony. The stench of gasoline fills the air, but Leon can barely smell it. His sense of smell and hearing are both almost gone. What the hell happened? Leon asked himself in front of the burning Porsche.

He feels paralyzed.

It was three in the morning when your phone started to ring.

It was an unknown number, and you had to fight the necessity of hanging up; something inside you told you to pick up the call, which you did. It was Leon, and the way his voice sounded on the phone made you aware that something bad had happened. Terrible, nonetheless. You drove to his location, and you found yourself shocked when you found smoke, fire and the smell of gasoline among a lot of government agents and military personnel. You found Leon sitting in the back of an ambulance, his body covered by a blanket, as he was examined by a paramedic. Not only that, but you had credentials to enter that isolated area, and the way those agents were rushing from one side to the other, talking on their phones, made it clear that someone important had died. You made your way towards Leon, not daring to look around, and when you reached him, you saw tears in his eyes. You hugged him tight, like you were holding the world in your hands.

“It’s ok, I got you” you said to him, your words full of assurance and kindness.

Leon refused to be taken to the hospital; instead, he asked you to drive him back home, since he felt he couldn’t do it on his own. The ride back to his place was silent, and you decided to respect his space, although you saw him trying to find solace in something real. He couldn’t stop playing with his finger, showing an elevated level of stress and anxiety. You have never seen him like this before.

“Can you stay?” Leon suddenly asked when you pulled over in front of his house. “I… don’t want to be alone”

“Yeah, sure” you nodded, noticing how vulnerable he was, which was odd.

You heard him groaning in pain once he got out of your car, but he refused your help, insisting he was fine. Knowing him well at this point, you gently held his hand, offering nothing but your support, and Leon quietly appreciated your effort. You helped him sit on his couch and heard him mutter something only he could understand. Judging by the look on his face and the way his hands were still shaking, you knew he was in shock.

“Do you have any first aid kits or something?” you asked him, hoping you would gain his attention.

“I’m fine” Leon replies, his eyes fixated on his shaky hands. You sat next to him, holding his hands and scratching his skin softly.

“It’s ok not to be okay." Your voice is almost a whisper as you look into his blue eyes. “You don’t have to be tough all the time”

You saw him reach the breaking point.

Feeling embraced by your kindness and safety, Leon finally allowed himself to feel his emotions — the same ones he fought hard to bury deep inside him — in the same place he swore he would never visit again. In the cozy atmosphere of his living room, having nothing but you as solace, the brunette agent gave himself a break, and when he did that, his eyes started to get watery.

After Raccoon City, Leon shut himself up so he wouldn’t be hurt ever again. He used to keep his emotions contained; he used to not think of them. He kept everything bottled up, because he knew he couldn’t handle it. Leon was so traumatized that the way he dealt with his feelings was to pretend they didn’t exist, in the first place. After Spain, it got worse. Nightmares after nightmares, the paranoia of still being infected with Las Plagas, everything that came after this.

But here you are, telling him that it is ok not to be okay, that he doesn’t have to be tough, and that it is okay to feel and to be vulnerable. He couldn’t stop sobbing; his hands were still shaking, but he didn't even care about this at the moment. Gently, you started to play with his hair, your fingers slowly going up and down on his head, providing comfort and care — exactly what he’s been missing his entire life.

“I lost them all” Leon started to say through sobs. “I saw them dead”

“It wasn’t your fault” you assured him with calm words.

“I failed them," he says as he looks at you, his blue eyes shining with tears as they fall through his skin.

“That’s not true. You didn’t know the car was about to explode or whatever happened there” You tried to calm him down.

“We were watching him; it was my responsibility to make sure they would be safe… it was my job to ensure that” Leon sobs again, and you can see he’s struggling to breathe due to his anxiety attack.

“Listen, you’re too nervous right now. Come on, take a deep breath with me” you said, hoping he would listen and cope.

Leon nods between sobs and takes several deep breaths to try to calm himself down. You took a glass of water and gave it to him, then you took his hand into yours, whispering words of assurance and kindness. You decided to put him to rest, and it wasn’t necessary to drag Leon into his bed; the moment you step foot inside his room, you can see how severe his depression is. Successfully, you were able to lay him down and remove at least his boots. Leon curled into his blankets and muffled his sobs with his pillows.

“Do you want me to stay here until you fall asleep?” you ask, sitting on his bed with him, moving his hair from his eyes. He nodded silently.

Slowly, his sobs turned into sniffs, and Leon finally fell asleep. It took almost an hour to calm him down completely, but now he was safe and sound into a peaceful slumber, or what appears to be. You don’t recall exactly when you fell asleep on his bed, but you certainly remember when you woke up to the sound of his screams. Leon never told you about his nightmares, and you weren’t expecting that. His chest was drenched in sweat, and he seemed like he couldn’t breathe. His eyes were filled with fear, and he was shaking head to toe.

“Fuck” Leon mutters, his hand running through his hair.

“What happened?” you ask him after turning the lights on.

“Just a nightmare…” he whispers, trying to calm down again.

“How frequent are they?” It was a bold question, but you needed to know.

“Every night” Leon ignores your glance, focusing on his shaky hands again.

“Here, drink it” you give him a glass of water with sugar to calm his nerves. You already had that glass with you the moment you went with him to his room.

“Do you even like me?” Leon suddenly asks you.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re so kind, beautiful, and young, with so much in your future” Leon sighs heavily. “Why would you be with a… broken man like me? I have nothing to offer but traumas and the big baggage of my shitty life”

The pressure you put on biting your lip was so intense that it was enough to cut your skin and make it bleed.

“Who says you have nothing to offer? I don’t think that’s true. You’re a wonderful person, Leon. I can see it every day when you come to see me at the store. The way you smile whenever you are around me, the way your eyes shine…” you said to him, hoping it would be enough to give him some comfort. “I don’t see you as a broken person or a man with the baggage of a shitty life. I can’t imagine what must have happened to you, and I know it must be difficult and hard because that's what I see, but, Leon, the darkness around you doesn’t define who you are. Whatever life did to you, it doesn't dictate your present or future."

No matter how many kind words you say, it isn’t enough for him. Leon blames himself for what happened, and you know he won’t forget it so soon. How can he? Those men trusted him and followed him, and now, they’re all dead. Leon thinks he should’ve saved them, even though he knows he couldn’t guess the car was about to explode.

“I wish I could heal your soul so you wouldn’t suffer anymore, but I can’t” you sigh, then look at his hand. “I wish I could fight all of your demons, but I can’t do that. I’m here and I don’t intend to leave you alone”

After holding his hand, it was the first night Leon actually slept without any more nightmares. When he woke up the next morning, he felt his eyes heavy and he instantly remembered how he cried the night before after his entire squad was murdered. Then, he also remembered that you were there with him the whole time. Finally, he noticed how strange that feeling was - the feeling of being comforted instead of comforting others. It was a strange feeling indeed, but it was a good one.

Lazily, he stood up from his bed and decided to look at himself in the mirror, washing his face and taking a moment to see the collateral damage caused by the bomb. There were a few bruises and cuts on his skin, but huge purple marks on his shoulder, which he dislocated. It still hurts, but it’s enough to keep him in the real world. He’s still alive.

“Morning, princess” you greeted him in his kitchen. “I made breakfast”

“You shouldn’t worry about that, y’know?” Leon says, leaning against his cabinet.

“Too late for that. Now is my job to worry about ya” you said, opening the cabinet above your head on tiptoe, which made him smirk. “Are you feeling better?”

“Yeah, I guess so” he says, nodding his head and helping you get the cornflakes. “Thank you… for sticking up with me last night”

“You know I care about you, right? Since day one” you glance at him with a warm smile. “I really do”

“I care about you, too” Leon blushes slightly. “More than I can tell”

You know Leon pretty well at this point and you know he has trouble speaking of his feelings. You know he can’t express himself properly, and you ain’t stupid. You know someone has hurt him before and you understand why he is the way he is. Fortunately, you are very patient, and that’s enough for now, because you don’t mind giving him time and space.

“I can look at your wounds; maybe I can help” you offered, finishing preparing the breakfast.

“This means I finally earned your secrets?” Leon asks, a small smile on his lips, as he references the conversation you had with him a few months ago.

“You surely did." You nodded, smiling. “Let’s eat first, then I’ll take a look at it”

Leon seemed to enjoy the breakfast you made for him, and, for the first time since you two met, he genuinely seemed happy. However, you knew deep inside he was trying and fighting hard to hide his true feelings; losing his squad certainly shattered him inside, and caused more damage to him than you could ever imagine.

Leon is a master when it comes to hiding his feelings. All over the years, Leon had built around himself an impenetrable shell, not allowing anyone to get closer, and all of that because he is scared of being hurt again. However, if the explosion never happened, if his men never died the way they did, Leon wouldn’t be pretending he’s fine when you know he’s not. The damage is so intense that you’re afraid he won’t recover. It’ll always be there with him, rotting inside him.

You weren’t expecting so many wounds all at once, but when he took off his shirt and you saw his bruised skin, you took a deep breath. He had so many marks, so many stories. You wanted to ask, you wanted to know, but Leon wasn’t ready to share it yet.

“I got this one back in Raccoon City” Leon quietly says, pointing to the scar on his left shoulder. “I got shot”

“How did this happen?” you decided to ask him as you gently cleaned a few cuts he had.

“I was helping a woman named Ada Wong to get a sample of G-Virus, and only a scientist named Annette Birkin had this sample. We were trying to find her and, when we did, she started to shoot Ada. I jumped in front of her, that’s why I got shot” Leon sighs, recalling the events that happened in the sewers.

“This Ada seems very important to you” you smiled at him, cleaning the other cut he had on his neck.

“She was, but it was a long time ago” Leon avoids your gaze. “Not anymore”

“She was the one that hurt you?” you ask him very carefully.

Leon didn’t answer, but his silence speaks for himself. You can see the extension of the damage and how Leon still struggles to deal with whatever happened between him and Ada. He stays silent, maybe trying to understand how his life turned into this mess. Then, he starts to count every time he was betrayed before until this very moment. His blue irises meet yours and all he feels is… peace. There’s no inner storms inside him, he feels completely at ease.

“If I ask you a favor…” Leon suddenly says, changing the conversation.

“What do you need?” you ask him without hesitation.

“Could you come with me to the morgue? There’s something I need to do” Leon sighs, preparing himself for what’s about to happen.

“Of course. I’ll tell my parents I’ll go to the store later” you nodded, quickly picking up your phone to text them.

Leon partially felt guilty, but you were so willing to go with him that he changed his mind after you helped him dress himself — the way he dislocated his shoulder still hurts and he has difficulty with it. You drove to the morgue and judging by the interior of the building, you found out Leon was some sort of agent working for the government. You were able to read the name of the organization. Division of Security Operations.

“So you’re a badass agent, huh?” you ask with enthusiasm as you walk next to him.

“I wouldn’t say I’m a badass” Leon chuckles, still feeling tense.

“Well, if you put your neck at stake to save your country, then you’re definitely a badass” you added, giving him a warm smile.

When you both stepped inside the morgue, he reached out for your hand, seeking any support you could give him. The back wall was a box-shaped cold storage room, and a row of dissecting tables lined the spacious room. And on those dissecting tables were numerous body bags. It's a body bag with the DSO logo on it. Do they really need a logo even on something like this? Irony floated within Leon's chest. Are they planning to sell products with the logo on them, like DSO-branded body bags, DSO-logoed cigarette cases, DSO-logoed pass cases...?

He walked between the body bags to the sound of his boots. Unlike normal bodies, the victims of b.o.w - related incidents were usually sent for examination to specialized research institutions. Although this time the cause of death was due to a bomb, not a zombie attack, the instruction from above was to send the bodies to various laboratories, so they followed suit. This DSO branch’s mortuary was a relay point for passing the bodies from the scene to the laboratory, like a baton in a relay race. It wasn’t easy to simply bury them in a graveyard. The morgue itself wasn’t scary, but the corpses were scary because they stimulated the imagination.

“Would they suddenly start moving? Would I end up like this too?” Leon thinks to himself a little bit loud, enough for you to hear him.

“You won’t” you whispered, squeezing his hand to let him know you were there.

Watching the corpses closely would cause a moment where the elongated shadows would appear like monsters. However, that was before Raccoon City. He had seen too many moments where the dead came back to life.

“I’m not scared of the mortuary anymore; recently, I’ve been thinking about it a lot” Leon frowned as he moved towards the back while swirling his thoughts. He thought he heard a sound from there minutes before.

“What do you mean?” you ask him with curiosity as he approaches one of the bags.

“I was constantly thinking about death and ending everything. I was depressed and thought I had no hope left” Leon confessed, his eyes locked on the body bags in front of him. “But now… I don’t think about that anymore”

He glances at you, finally. Slowly, his eyes meet your hand while you’re holding him and there’s a small smile on his lips, then his blue irises find yours again.

“I used to be scared of the morgue… but coming here with you… is something else” Leon says next. “I couldn’t do this alone”

“I’m glad I can help” you said to him with your usual kindness.

But he stops and turns his attention back to the body bags and sighs. His entire demeanor changed and suddenly, he found himself fighting hard to keep doing this. He needed that. He owed his men at least this final goodbye.

“What kind of adult did I want to become when I was a child?” Leon thinks to himself as he approached one of the body bags.

The zipper was slightly open, and the body bag seemed like it was about to move any moment. It’s common for something that seems like it’s about to move to actually move.

Leon carelessly closed the zipper. Was it because of the sharp sound that, suddenly, another body bag bounced behind him? Inside the body bag, the zombie was wiggling and struggling. It seemed unhappy, as if it had been woken up from a deep sleep by force. Leon pulled out his gun from his holster and squeezed the trigger.

“What kind of adult did I want to become? I definitely didn’t want a life like this”

V. ACCEPTANCE

After everything that happened with his squad, Leon knew he needed time off of his office. Decided to get his mind off everything and take a break, Leon chose the Rocky Mountains in Colorado as his destination. Instead of going there alone, he thought it would be good to spend more time with you, mostly because he felt safe around you and due to the nature of his job and everything he saw, he needed to feel that safety only you provided him.

You had to explain to your parents why you would be going on a vacation, but they understood with no problems; they didn’t know about Leon because you were fearing some trouble because of the age gap, so you felt they weren’t exactly ready to meet him. How could you explain to them you were apparently dating a man eleven years older than you? It would be one hell of a surprise.

It was 9 a.m. in the mountainous area near Rocky Mountain National Park, located in northern Colorado. The national park was about a two-hour drive from the state capital, Denver. Along the way, there were several viewpoints where numerous travelers parked their cars to enjoy the scenic beauty. Even in the mountainous region of the Rockies, the mountains around this area were not exceptionally high. They were just before the tree line, covered with spruce and fir trees on the subalpine slopes. The forest appeared like a beautifully groomed brush, while wildflowers bloomed modestly, sheltered by large rocks.

“This place is incredible” you sound mesmerized by the incredible view from the hotel.

“You haven’t been in places like this before?” Leon asks you with curiosity.

“I barely leave my house” you chuckle, leaving your bag on the bed. “I just work at my parent’s store and go to college”

“It feels like I’m dating a baby” Leon chuckles, also leaving his bag next to yours.

“We’re dating, huh?” you teased, taking off your sneakers.

“Yeah, we are” Leon nods his head, smiling. “I know I haven’t officially asked you, but I’m too old for that”

“It’s fine, old man. I’m just messing with you” you said, playing with his fingers.

“Old man? Now I’m offended” Leon teases back, smiling.

“You said it first” you replied to him, your hands reaching his brown hair. “By the way… I have something for you”

Leon glanced at you, frowning. The mischievous smile on your lips immediately told him you were planning something. He sat up on the bed and kept his eyes fixed on you, waiting patiently for whatever you were about to do.

“I got you a birthday present” you said with enthusiasm, catching him by surprise. “I know I’m a few days late, but I wanted to give you something for your 37th birthday”

“You didn’t have to” Leon whispered in shock as you gave him the small box.

He unwrapped the present you gave him and found a beautiful dagger, silver and shining, also pretty sharp. Leon knew immediately that you probably paid a lot on that and he felt bad. He took a deep breath and glanced at you.

“This was very expensive. You shouldn’t waste your money with me like that” Leon says to you.

“It’s a gift. You can’t give it back” you said to him, a hint of playfulness in your voice as you insisted for him to keep it.

“That’s not fair” Leon complains, laughing softly.

“It’s pretty fair to me, though” you said to him, smirking. “It’s just a dagger, not a diamond or something related. I know your job is kind of dangerous and you might need it”

“Okay, you win. I’ll take it” Leon sighs in defeat. “About my job… I know I haven’t been extremely open about it, but…”

“It’s okay, I don’t want you to feel forced to share this with me if you don’t feel ready” you stopped him before he could finish his sentence.

“I wish I could be more open to you” Leon glanced at his hands, feeling bad because of that.

“Start simple and small. You don’t have to tell me absolutely everything at once” you placed your hand on his shoulder, petting him.

“Simple and small? How could I do that?” Leon frowned at the idea. He always thought it was impossible to open up about his trauma.

You pondered for a few moments, thinking about a way to help him talk about his issues in a positive way.

“Start with something like… why don't you like dogs?” you suggested. A while ago you noticed Leon had a certain aversion to dogs.

“I… um… I was attacked by dogs in Raccoon City. They weren’t common dogs, they were infected, something like that” Leon found himself surprised by the way he spoke about this issue so easily. “Then, at Spain, I had a few encounters with wolves also infected with a parasite, monstrous things”

“See? That one was pretty easy” you said, encouraging him to keep talking. “Wanna try to say something else?”

Leon thought about your question for minutes; inside his head, everything that has happened to him was like an endless movie. The trauma, the pain and the events that seem to be haunting him to this day. It was hard to pick one, but then, he reminds himself of your words of being simple and small. He takes a deep breath and quietly, he convinces himself that he can do this.

“Back at Raccoon City, it was my first day at the force and I was 21 at the time” Leon starts, his eyes focused on something else. “I was late, but I think that’s why I’m still alive”

While he was telling you the horrors he saw, you gently placed your hand on his, to let him know you’re there for him. It was a simple and kind gesture, but for him, it meant the world. Leon was only familiar with danger and brutality, so having you by his side providing comfort was enough to penetrate the depth of his former persona. It was enough to rescue the rookie cop buried inside those walls.

“After that night… everything changed. I’m here because of what I did to survive and I’m not exactly proud of it. I can’t stop blaming myself for my past actions, but…” Leon suddenly stops, taking another deep breath.

“You can’t control everything around you, Leon. And not everything that happens to us is our fault. You couldn’t know you were going to be stalked and nearly killed on your first day… you didn't know that there was a virus outbreak in Raccoon City that night…” you said to him, placing your hand on his shoulder. “You need to understand that this isn’t your baggage to carry. What happened that day wasn’t your fault”

Leon had your words playing on repeat inside his head. Even though he was early in the morning drinking his sorrows away, he was still thinking about what you said. He also felt partially guilty for leaving you asleep in the bed while he was drinking, but the other part of him told you knew him pretty well and you wouldn’t be judging him for this. His head was a roller coaster and at this very moment, he wasn’t at the top.

Leon sat on the first floor of a lodge-style hotel in the rural town. The hotel was two stories tall, made of reinforced concrete, but designed to resemble traditional log construction. There was only one waiter and one chef, making it far from a trendy establishment — a rather run-down place. He was having breakfast in the first-floor restaurant. Though the restaurant wasn't popular, the food was decent. Approaching footsteps came from behind him — two sets of them.

"--To come fully armed to such a peaceful town," Leon said without turning around.

"Leon S. Kennedy, the ace of the DSO, a special agent organization directly under the President of the United States," a voice replied.

Finally, he turned around to see Chris Redfield and Rebecca Chambers standing there.

"Chris and... oh, the renowned expert in biohazard research, Professor Rebecca Chambers. What do you want?" he asked.

"It's work. Cooperate," Chris said in an uncompromising tone.

Chris and Rebecca sat across from him. And it was noticeable that he wore an annoyed expression.

"I'm on vacation."

"...In the past, while protecting the President's daughter, Ashley Graham, you fought and annihilated the cult group Los Illuminados. They were using special bio-organic weapons called Plagas," Chris said.

"I've forgotten about that old stuff," Leon replied simply.

"Do you plan on loafing around in this town for another week?" Chris asked.

"I don't know what will happen in the future," Leon retorted.

"Beer, please," Rebecca chuckled at the reference to an old movie, while Chris wore an unamused expression.

Leon called over a passing waitress with a casual wave to place his order, but Chris interrupted him.

"Cancel the beer."

"No, it's not canceled."

“Come on… what the fuck?!”

"I don't need any more alcohol."

"Cut it out. What's going on?"

"That's my line."

The waitress looked between the two of them suspiciously and before walking away. Eventually, Leon pulled out a flask from his back pocket and took a swig as a substitute for the additional order that couldn't be fulfilled.

"You–!" Chris leaned forward.

"Enough, both of you," Rebecca interjected. "--Leon. We apologize for disturbing your vacation. However, we need the information you possess," Rebecca said.

Finally, Leon showed a willingness to listen.

"...What's the situation?" he asked.

Chris and Rebecca had to explain to him what happened earlier at the university. The case was simple. Glenn Arias was a new threat and they needed to stop him at all costs. However, they didn’t know how Leon was suffering inside; they couldn’t know about the recent events. Leon wearily intertwines his gestures and continues,

"Just before I took my vacation... I was involved in a DSO mission in Bethesda to apprehend a treacherous senator who was selling internal information to a bioterrorist organization."

The disgusted irritation was evident in his movements, his expression, and his voice.

"You know..." Leon begins. "Here's the thing: the informant we used betrayed us. We fell into a trap instead. A massive explosion killed many of my colleagues... and then there was the incident with the resurrection of the corpses you guys were involved in... It's all a mess,"

Leon explains, letting out a heavy sigh. It's a sigh that escapes unintentionally, like a burden he carries.

"I had planned to become a police officer in Raccoon City. It was my dream job. But on my first day, there was a massive zombie outbreak, and from there... it never stopped," Leon pauses and shakes his head. "I've been fighting this whole time. There's no end in sight, and it only keeps getting worse. Have I been living just to fight zombies and the people who create them?"

"What are you trying to say? That you don't want to cooperate with us?" Chris asks.

"It's not that..." Leon's tone is uncertain, "Well, maybe it is."

With a hesitant tone, Leon continues

“What exactly is our goal? How far do we have to run? Do we have to keep running endlessly? The villains keep coming, one after another, while the good people keep dying. Maybe it's better to lose our minds."

Then, Chris found himself forced to explain to Leon what they were facing. He showed pictures of Cathy White, the agent that was turned into a bio-weapon. And worse, her son she killed. He showed the photos taken during the autopsy and how Glenn turned people into something else purely because of power.

"Killing him is the goal," Chris declares.

"That's only your goal, not mine," Leon retorts, his voice filled with resentment.

Tension fills the air between them once again.

"Hey," Rebecca interrupts, breaking the silence just as she did before. "So, Leon, you're exhausted," Rebecca points at Leon and then gestures to Chris. "And Chris, you're frustrated. There's one thing both tired people and irritable people have in common."

"What do we have in common?" Chris asks in response.

They both look at each other with a wide-eyed grin.

"You only think about yourselves," Rebecca replies.

"I–" Chris tries to interject, but Rebecca continues.

"Chris, all you talk about is wanting to kill Glenn Arias. After helping me, you didn't say a single word mourning the sacrifices of our colleagues. Leon, you're acting like a college student in their moratorium period. People get tired of running. But if we stop running, more people will lose their lives."

Rebecca takes out a trigger-activated needleless syringe from her small bag. In front of the bewildered duo, she abruptly presses the syringe against her left forearm and pulls the trigger, causing her blood to collect in the test tube attached to the syringe.

"I'll tell you something important. We're already infected," she says.

"What?" Leon's expression tightens in response.

Rebecca continues speaking in a tone reminiscent of a teacher addressing a poor student.

"The truth is, it's difficult to estimate just how many people have been infected by Arias' new virus. The problem is, we don't know the identity of the trigger that activates it."

As she speaks, Rebecca removes the test tube from the syringe and seals it with a cap.

"The virus is activated by something only Arias knows. When that happens, the dead rise, and living humans become bio-weapons."

Rebecca glances lightly at Leon.

"If things continue like this, this city will eventually become a living hell. There won't be any safe places."

Leon remains silent, averting his gaze.

"Just so you know, a prototype of the antivirus has been developed," Rebecca says. "It actually worked on me. However, the effectiveness of the antivirus is unstable without knowing the conditions for the activation of Arias' virus. When to administer it and how long it remains effective..."

Rebecca then places the sealed test tube into a small protective case and puts it on the table.

"My blood should provide valuable data. If I die, make sure it reaches a reputable research institution that you can trust."

"You're not in danger. We'll protect you," Chris says firmly.

"What?" Leon asks, confused.

"It seems like you're misunderstanding, BSAA soldier," Rebecca lightly dismisses Chris's assumption.

There’s a slight smirk on Leon’s lips as he hears that.

"The forefront of pandemic response is not the BSAA, but the research field. How many doctors and colleagues do you think I've seen die in conflict-ridden African countries or small Middle Eastern nations used as testing grounds for bio-weapons?" Rebecca questions.

Chris tries to say something in response, but his voice gets stuck in his throat, and only faint breaths escape.

"After I left the team, you two might have fought against plenty of mad scientists. But science can only be countered with science. Unless benevolent technology advances, we will never have a chance of winning. We fight not only for ourselves but for others. Have you both understood at least a little of what I'm saying?" Rebecca asks.

She stands up and adds, "Cool your heads," before leaving her seat.

"She's a great woman," Leon comments.

"We can't handle it on our own," Chris remarks, watching Rebecca leave, and he and Leon exchanged a wry smile.

And then, here it comes. The urge to talk about what happened one year ago.

"Leon, China was tough," Chris says, referring to that incident.

"Yeah, it was like a zombie version of Black Hawk Down." he nods in response.

"At that time, I wanted to quit the BSAA so badly," Chris admits, surprising Leon, "After getting involved with Umbrella, I witnessed too many deaths. We..."

Chris trails off. His expression was heavy, as if lead had settled in the depths of his heart. Then Chris realized: Why does it make me so angry to see him like this? He was too much like his old self.

"It makes you want to quit... makes me want to quit," Chris says, emphasizing his point. Leon falls into silence. And Chris delivers the final blow. "But, the moment we quit, all of our subordinates and friends will have died in vain. We are the survivors of Raccoon City. We carry that burden."

Chris falls silent, and the air becomes still. The waitress looks annoyed by the silence. For a few moments, there’s nothing but the said silence.

"Leon, I always thought you were a cheerful guy no matter what," Chris breaks the silence.

"No one is like that," Leon replies, “Well… I’m not. I've always been a stress-tolerant guy. I've been able to do what I've done because of it. But now look back on it. In Tall Oaks, I killed the president.”

"Technically, you had to save the President infected with the virus," Chris quickly adds, trying to provide some context.

“But,” Leon shakes his head, "But the fact remains that I pulled the trigger, I shot him, and I was even suspected of assassinating the President afterward. Although I managed to clear my name, the mastermind behind that incident turned out to be the President's aide. The DSO was once called the 'Sword of the President,' but now it sounds ironically fitting."

Chris remains silent, attentively listening to Leon's words.

"Chris," Leon continues. "I've returned to active duty, but every time I face the new President, I feel anxious. I can sense his unease as well. The President's aide had sold his soul to B.O.W. terrorism. Who's next? The Secretary of Defense? The Vice President? What's become of the foundation that supports the soldiers in the field? They keep using us, while the higher-ups continue to flounder, grow bloated... They only think about shifting blame onto others."

He pauses for a moment. There’s so much pain.

Leon furrows his brow and lowers his voice. "Perhaps the reason entities like Umbrella persist is that our society harbors a fundamental evil... I can't help but feel that way now."

Even agreeing with this stupid mission, Leon can’t go without saying goodbye. He feels guilty, but the moment he sees you, everything feels completely right. He sat at the bed, watching you perfectly asleep, imagining what kind of dreams you were having. Leon sighs and shakes his head.

“Hey, sweetheart” Leon says when he sees you waking up.

“Hi” you whisper, rubbing your eyes.

“Listen… something happened and my colleagues need me. Will you be okay here?” he asks you, his thumb trailing your cheek.

“Will you come back?” you ask him, sounding a little groggy.

“And leave my baby girl here all alone? Of course I’ll come back” he smiles sweetly at you.

“Ok… I’ll be here” you nodded your head, closing your eyes to go back to sleep.

Something about you made him see, for the first time, the bright side of things. Maybe it was the fact that you were younger than him, and also the fact that you were full of energy - he was just an old and bitter man. But, hey, he’s learning how to cope with every shit that has happened to him.

Before you, Leon was ready to die.

He was ready to embrace death, he already had made peace with his inner demons. But everything changed when you came into his life. Suddenly, he thought he could live and find happiness and death wasn’t in his thoughts anymore. It was like you were able to bring him back from his darkness. He wasn’t rotting inside. You were able to rescue him from himself and return the light he needed.

But if he thought he wasn’t close to death, he was wrong. Leon never thought he would face something like Glenn Arias and come close to death, but he had his job to do. Chris needed his help and Leon finally found closure to something that was weighing on his head; the death of his squad wasn’t his fault and he found the real culprit. He found the peace he was desperately looking for. And he was able to see another sunrise and come back to you.

It was a repetitive cycle. Leon recently started to wonder if anything he did was futile. That's why he took a vacation and drowned his sorrows in alcohol. It was a kind of protest, perhaps. A protest against the grand concepts of this world and destiny. A statement of "I’m not going on like this forever, I’m not going to do it," or something of that sort. But fate was cruel. In the end, human life rarely goes well by one's own choices. Perhaps humans are merely chosen by fate without their consent. Yet, Leon now felt that it was okay like that. Being chosen doesn't make him a hero by default. He becomes a hero reluctantly because he was chosen. And that's fine.

The merged form approached Leon with an eerie growl, swinging its massive fist. Leon leaped back to dodge it, and the merged form's punch shattered one of the spires on the rooftop into tiny fragments. It had the destructive power of a construction hammer, with each strike resembling the impact of a tank cannon round. Leon intentionally slid and jumped into the merged form's feet, thinking that at such a large size, close range might become a blind spot. He positioned himself beneath the massive body, lying on his back and firing his handgun. The shots were practically point-blank, but they were still deflected by the hardened muscles and exoskeleton.

"Doesn't matter," Leon muttered involuntarily. "I'll do whatever it takes, even if it's futile. Today's a good day to die anyway."

The merged form kicked out.

The enemy's movements were deceptively swift, and Leon was sent flying as if hit by a car. His body tumbled through the air until it finally collided with a gargoyle statue, coming to a stop. The impact was so intense that his breath nearly ceased. However, the merged form continued its pursuit. It threw a straight punch, a blow that would surely result in instant death if landed, but Leon managed to evade it with a jump. Not only did he dodge it, but in mid-air, Leon twisted his body and unleashed a spinning kick. His boot-clad foot connected with the grotesque face of the merged form.

Whether it would have any effect or not didn't matter. This strike was my will. Of course, a kick from a mere human wouldn't have any effect. The merged form retaliated with its opposite hand, grabbing hold of Leon.

"Gah!" A groan escaped Leon's throat involuntarily. The massive fist tightened around him like a vice, and within a few seconds, he felt himself being crushed like a tomato.

"Leon!" Chris emerged from the penthouse.

In his fading consciousness, Leon thought about you. The way you smiled whenever you were with him and the sweet perfume you love to use. The way your hands embrace him at night, helping him sleep safely, without any nightmares to harm him. And then, he doesn’t want to die anymore. Please, God, don’t let me die this way.

Chris picked up the fully automatic handgun that Arias had dropped along the way and unleashed a barrage of bullets at the merged form. For a brief moment, it seemed like the merged form's focus shifted, and its grip loosened slightly, but that was all.

Was my life meant to end here, crushed by this grotesque monster? Leon wondered, his pessimism threatens to shatter him. Leon wasn't the type to easily get this depressed or overthink things too much. Still, he felt more than a little exhausted.

What kind of adult did I want to become when I was a child? I never imagined I would be burdened with the stigma of assassinating a president. At least, I didn't want a life like this ― It doesn't matter what I want. There's no such thing as a person who can live the life they desire. Arias must have felt the same way. In the end…

VI. ABSOLUTION

When he came back, you noticed something inside him had changed.

After the fight with Arias, Leon noticed that life was much more than death, darkness and depression. At least, he started to think like that when he almost got killed. And his only thought was coming back to you. No, he couldn’t die like that and leave you alone. His arm was injured, but he was alive. And he was back.

“What happened to your arm?” you asked him when you saw him entering the room.

“Remember that day in the morgue when you told me I was a badass government agent?” Leon asks you back, sitting on the bed next to you.

“Yep, I do” you nodded, starting to massage his tense muscles.

“Well… I’m not this kind of agent. I work under the president’s orders. I fight bioweapons for a living… since that hell in Raccoon City” Leon sighs, finally opening about his job.

“Bioweapons? Like zombies and shit?” you ask him with curiosity.

“Worse than zombies, but yes” Leon nodded with a slight smirk. “It’s dangerous, and this time I nearly got killed… thing is, my job requires a lot of my time, it forces me to not be around for God knows how long. It scares me because I don’t know if you can live this chaotic life with me��”

“Wait, wait, wait… slow down” you held his hand and squeezed it softly. “Everyone deserves a second chance in life, Leon. You were alone for too much time and I don’t mind if you need to go somewhere else to fight bioweapons. If this means I get to see these pretty eyes of yours and this sweet smile every time you come home… I’m willing to live this chaotic life with you”

Leon couldn’t believe your words. After being deprived of something so human and getting used to it, Leon felt he was about to explode. It was too much for him to handle. At this point, he knew perfectly he was experiencing anxiety. But it was a good one.

“I don’t want you to get hurt. If we do this, I’m gonna get you wrapped up in something bad someday… and I’ll never forgive myself if this happens” Leon tells you, sounding extremely worried.

“I know you won’t let anything bad happen to me. And besides, I can take care of myself. I made self defense classes” you laugh sweetly, a symphony to his ears.

“Are you sure?” Leon asks, and those big puppy eyes of his wanting nothing but assurance.

“Honey, if this wasn’t true, I wouldn’t be here” you chuckled, kissing his forehead.

After what happened, you decided to introduce Leon to your family as your boyfriend. But before that, you convinced him he needed to improve a little. Getting rid of the alcohol was the first step. He started to see a therapist and work harder on his issues, which influenced a lot of your relationship. He was more happy and willing to do things he and you both liked. One year after that incident with his squad being killed and his mission with his friends, you noticed he was ready to meet your parents.

“I’m nervous” Leon tells you when you both were entering your home.

“Why? It’s not like we’ve been dating secretly for almost three years. Besides, they’ll think you’re cute, don’t worry” you giggled at him.

“I’m not so sure about that” he muttered, following you inside your parents place.

You could clearly tell how anxious he was. However, he always felt at ease on your side, and it was like you had the power to make him relax, like nothing could harm him and the world was finally at peace. When you stepped inside the house with Leon right behind you for a Christmas dinner, your parents were already expecting both of you.

“Mom, dad… this is Leon. The guy I was talking about” you introduced him to your parents with certain expectations.

“You clearly got my taste for man” Leon heard your mom whispering to you, which made his cheeks turn red.

“So… um… how long are you two hanging out?” your dad asked and you glanced quickly at Leon.

“Three years, I guess. We met at the store” you tell your parents. “I didn’t tell you before because Leon has a busy schedule. He’s not always in town, so…”

“Well, moonpie, if you’re happy, we’re happy too” your mom says with a gracious smile on her lips.

Leon wasn’t expecting to be so welcomed into your family, but the fact that your parents treated him so kindly melted his heart. He got himself thinking about the dinner for at least one week, mostly because part of him was still thinking it was weird to receive so much kindness and affection, especially coming from a real family. He wasn’t expecting to be playing cards with your dad while you and your mom were in the kitching talking about girl’s stuff, but it was enough to make him see he made the right choice. That it was okay for him to finally experience love.

“I like your light brown hair now that you finally stopped dying it” you said, sitting between his legs in the living room.

“My emo era is over” he chuckles sweetly, like a melody.

“May it rest in peace” you made the signal of the cross. “

“Changing the subject, tomorrow I gotta go to San Francisco. Work stuff” he says to you, softly kissing your neck.

“Yeah? Am I getting some gift?” you whisper, feeling the shivers down your spine with his lips against your skin.

“Do I ever go on a mission and come back empty handed?” Leon asks you, his soft lips pressing more against your neck and you can feel him softly biting you.

The thing is, Leon is like a porcelain doll. He needs to be treated with softness and kindness, because deep down, he is vulnerable. The way his lips met your skin was a clear sign that he was ready for you. He was finally ready to be yours. However, loving Leon also needed patience, and after three years, you could tell he wanted that too.

“Do you want to do this before you leave, handsome?” you ask him teasingly, holding his hands as he keeps kissing your neck.

“Yes, I do,” he nods, almost moaning in your ear.

He gently took you to his bedroom, the place was almost a sanctuary for him. He laid you down on his bed and removed his shirt, and this time, he didn’t seem ashamed of himself. You stood up from his bed and sat him on the edge, your hands trailing down his skin like he was a roller coaster. He closed his eyes, his breath soft and calm, although he anticipated what was about to happen. Leon craved for you.

“I’ll take care of you” you whispered, leaving soft kisses across his neck and chest.

You sat gently between his legs, your sweet and soft fingers removing his pants and reaching his already hardened cock. He sat there, observing you with those big and blue puppy eyes, like he was savoring your image. When you took all his length inside your mouth and gently started to suck him, Leon felt he was in heaven. It felt so good, so powerful.

Tears started to fall from his eyes and he cried. Not because you were hurting him, dear lord, of course not! It was because he finally felt that he deserved to be loved. Your tongue did an amazing job on his cock and when he came, he felt his body at ease. Leon moaned with the sudden sensation, it was stronger than he last remembered. But it was because of you.

“I love you” he says when you touch his face, wiping his tears.

Loving Leon needed patience, you knew that already.

However, living with him brought new challenges that you weren’t expecting at all. He would be gone for weeks, then he comes back out of nowhere. He always forgets to send you a message to let you know he’s coming back, but that’s okay, because his lack of patience to deal with technology amuses you. He always sends an emoji out of context, which makes you laugh and you find it very cute when he gets disappointed for misunderstanding those little and yellow faces. He’s getting there, don’t worry about that.

When he’s at home, things turn out differently. He always helps you with the chores, likes to tease you whenever you’re cooking his favorite meal and at the end of the day, you two are together on the couch watching some silly movie while he complains about it and softly scratches your leg. Sharing a domestic life was something he never thought he would have, not after everything he went through alone.

Now that he's back from whatever he did in San Francisco, you have another job to do. Tend to his injuries. It’s a small sacrifice to pay whenever he comes back hurt; this time he has purple marks all over his body and face. You don’t ask what on earth happened, because you know he can’t really give details, but at least he’s safe and sound with you again.

“Stop moving, old man!” you tell him, trying to clean a small cut he had on his neck.

“That hurts,” Leon replied back, flinching slightly.

“I know, but someone has to clean it” you rolled your eyes, applying a Barbie band-aid on his neck.

“Please, don’t tell me I got the Barbie thing on my neck” Leon closes his eyes, taking a deep breath.

“Next time I’ll get you a cat one” you wink playfully at him.

After so many death experiences and the inner wish of being dead, he’s glad that he found the absolution that he always wanted. He looks at you with amusement, part of him finds it hard to believe that he’s so lucky to have you, but the other part is glad that you are real and you love him for who he really is. You took every damaged part of him and loved with such intensity that it was enough to bring him back from that dark place he was at. He forgave himself, allowed his soul to heal and to be loved. Life had gifted him with the second chance to live, made him see the beautiful things again. You took him in when he was on the lower part of his life, and your love brought him back. He knows he’s getting older, but he doesn’t mind spending his days with you, because you are the only thing in his life that makes sense.

And he’s fine with that.

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purplehalnw · 22 days

Text

Guys I think Falsettos has become my new hyperfixation.

Like I cannot go a day without thinking about the complexities of Marvin's internalized homophobia and all the reasons for why he was an asshole.

I can't stop thinking about the little things in the proshot like Marvin worriedly saying "what?!" after Whizzer said that he "needs a man" or Marvin trying to say "Baby I'm sorry" after hitting Trina.

I can't stop thinking about Marvin's development with him becoming more accepting of his sexuality and admitting his love to Whizzer and even calling him "baby" (I cannot tell the amount of times I watched that moment guys 😭) and Marvin making friends with Cordelia and Charlotte as a way to show him getting over his misogyny and no longer just trying to fake romantic relationships with women.

I can't stop thinking about how it was implied that Marvin also passed of aids soon after and how devastating that must be for the tight knit family.

I can't stop thinking about the idea of Cordelia and Charlotte finally getting married when it became legal and everyone being happy and sad because Marvin and Whizzer should've also gotten to this point goddamn it.

I usually don't feel this emotional about the stuff I watch but omg you guys I haven't felt this way since I watched Nimona 😭

#falsettos 2016 #falsettos #marvin falsettos #whizzer falsettos #marvin gardens #whizzer brown #marvin x whizzer #whizzvin #cordelia falsettos #falsettos cordelia #falsettos fandom #falsettos musical #falsettos revival #charlotte falsettos #falsettos charlotte #trina falsettos #mendel weisenbachfeld #mendel falsettos #jason falsettos

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mackjlee9 · 10 months

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Heyy!! I love your writing and was wondering if I could request a Resident evil 4, Leon S. Kenned x male reader. Reader and Leon always had that little competition between them, always trying to be better than the other which lead to them not liking each other. They got sent to various missions together but always ended up fighting with each other on how to do things instead of focusing on the mission. It just didn’t work between them. Additionally, Reader is sarcastic and acts a bit like an a-hole sometimes, flirts with Leon in a joking way and Leon just can't stand that.

After Leon was sent to save Ashley Reader is sent to back up Leon (and Leon didn’t know that so he is kinda mad that they thought it would be a good idea to choose reader for it) on his mission and after a long and annoying search, he ends up finding Leon in the village. At first, he thought Leon was some sort of villager and attacks him. He pins him to the ground but then realized who he is and reluctantly apologizes which just makes the situation worse between them.

When they find Ashley and then lose her later Leon gets injured badly because he just rushed in without thinking to save Ashley. But he couldn’t and they ended up fighting when the coast cleared. In reality, reader isn’t mad about the fact that they lost Ashley again. He is mad that Leon got hurt in the process and Leon noticed that reader was worried about him. That could lead to an angry make-out session. Enemies to lovers typa thing

Leon Kennedy x Male!Reader [Angst&Fluff]

Masterlist.

Resident Evil 4

(M/n) is not exactly sure why or how it happened. Maybe it was the fact he was someone that had also been in the wrong place at the wrong time like Leon, but Racoon City wasn't easy for either of them, but Leon didn't like how (M/n) just kept doing whatever he wanted without taking the necessary precautions.

Later, thanks to Marvin, Leon had learned that (M/n) had been brought in for interrogation regarding the beating and murder of a wanted criminal, but the outbreak happened and (M/n) had managed to fend for himself, helping out a few officers, shooting those that had turned without hesitation, which had made others dislike him greatly, even if they saw a glimpse of hope with him around, and then Leon arrived.

He and (M/n) just got off on the wrong foot, and it just sort of stuck with them through the years.

However, while their rivalry was an obstacle in itself, they had proven to others that they could work best when together, so with them working for STRATCOM was already annoying for them, and being paired to go on missions together was even worse.

Especially when (M/n) would respond sarcastically to a comment or observation he made, not caring about anyone's safety except his, but (M/n) knew full well that Leon could handle himself just fine, which led Leon to think he was a major asshole that doesn't give a shit about others.

And then, there were the flirty comments that Leon just couldn't stand listening, making his blood pressure rise, definitely needing something to punch to be able to cool down. That's how (M/n) would know he actually pissed Leon off, he enjoyed watching the blond beating the shit out of everything that got in his way, but of course, Leon would very much rather punch (M/n) instead, but this would do... For a while at least.

Seeing the usually stoic and immovable Leon Kennedy so mad at him obviously worked to bring a victorious grin to his face, following far enough to not be on the receiving end of Leon's anger, after all, that guy knew how to kick.

//////

The first time they weren't sent on a mission together, it felt odd. On one side, Leon was finally at peace and didn't have anyone getting on his last nerve, but that also meant he had alone time with himself, leading to him remembering gruesome memories of the past, unable to snap out of them by himself. He would never admit it out loud, but he kind of missed (M/n)'s presence- but only because he served as a distraction from his own mind.

On the other side, (M/n) was bored out of his mind. If they weren't on a mission he would bother Leon in the office all day long, usually ending up in them fighting for real, but masking it as a "training session", but now? There was no one to entertain him and that bothered him more than he'll like to admit.

But while he was in the shooting range with a sniper rifle, he saw the shadow of someone approaching him out of the corner of his eye, so he sighed as he reloaded the rifle again, and looked at them.

"Your support is needed, Agent," standing up, he set everything he used in its place and silently followed her down the hall and into an office.

His tactical equipment and radio were handed to him while he was being briefed about the current situation.

'Condor One' has been M.I.A for over four hours, and was gonna be one to bring his support and find him, be Leon's back-up. Already in the helicopter, (M/n) was given a summary of what had happened, attentively listening to everything Hunnigan told him through his communicator, sending him images of the digital map they had of Leon's route and path, explaining how his last ping happened in the middle of a lake and how it disappeared after an hour.

"Copy that, Rooster, I'll keep you informed once I arrive, Condor Two, out."

//////

"This is as close as we can get for now, Condor Two!" The pilot screamed at (M/n) once he had taken his headset off and was attaching the rope to his harness. He looked at the pilot and nodded once, it was understandable that they couldn't approach the village more, after all, Hunnigan had told him about the two police officers that had driven Leon over to the outskirts of the city, one of them was killed with an axe while the other was burnt alive... He sighed thinking about the poor men, but there was nothing he could do about them now anyway.

"I'm going down!" He walked closer to the door and opened it, signaling the pilot to get them closer to the ground, as much as they could with all the trees around the place.

Making sure the rope was secure to his harness and to the chopper, he threw off the remaining black rope and slid down as quickly as he could, unattached himself and giving an 'okay' sign for the co-pilot to pick up the rope while they flew away.

(M/n) watched the chopper leave for a few seconds, before glancing around him. He was standing by a cliff, a rather dense woods awaiting behind him, taking a deep breath, he walked closer to the trees, deciding to hold his combat knife rather than his pistol, it would help him stay hidden and be more stealthy.

After doing some more walking, he found the trails left behind by a car, marks in the mud rather erratic, surrounded by various pairs of footsteps. He checked his device and kept walking the way Leon had walked through hours ago, and soon enough, he spotted a cabin.

Walking through the open door, (M/n) saw the corpse of a villager around the corner, his head out of place due to his broken neck, the deep indent of a knife was all he needed to see to know Leon had been there. He walked out again and continued moving forward, staying hidden in the shadows and behind the trees, taking advantage of the lack of light as the sun was setting behind the woods, slowly disappearing and leaving way for the moonlight to shine.

At least, he would be harder to spot by the Ganados for now.

(M/n) walked through the village, going past the same windmill Hunnigan told him about, and he could see the lake from afar, but it was too dark for him to see anything, even so, he didn't really see any sign of Leon around.

With every passing minute, (M/n) started thinking that Leon might have been hiding, probably badly injured and needed to rest, not being M.I.A for so long just didn't sound like something Leon would do, even if he was having his last breath. So maybe he missed some spots on his attempt at finding the blond as quickly as he could, so he decided to backtrack for a bit, after all, he had seen the church a while back, which Hunnigan had said was where 'Baby Eagle' was being kept.

Maybe Leon was heading that way...

The sound of his radio caught his attention, and he responded.

"Condor Two, I have been able to contact Condor One, I'll send you his coordinates right away," (M/n) hummed and took his device out, hearing the faint ding and watching a message pop up, "Condor One has been briefed about you being there as back up, Condor Two, meet up and stay safe."

"Copy that, Rooster."

Jogging back the way he came, (M/n) found himself in the village quicker than he anticipated, he knew Leon had to be heading toward the church so he knew where to go. Sort of, anyway.

But something happened.

He heard it first rather than seeing it. Someone grunting in pain, coughing, and wheezing as they struggled to fill their lungs with oxygen. (M/n) pressed his back to the nearest wall, and peeked his head around the corner.

Thankfully, the person had their back turned, so that gave (M/n) some leeway to get closer, the dim light surrounding them worked to hide him even more, although it made seeing the villager harder, he could make out their silhouette, It was a man by the looks of it. His coughing masked the slight crunch of (M/n)'s boots on the dirt.

Keeping a tight grip on the handle of his combat knife, (M/n) observed how the villager began standing up, his body slowly turning around to face him, red eyes seemingly glowing in the dark engulfing them. Without a second thought, (M/n) jumped the man to get rid of him and keep going on his way to find Leon, but this villager was putting up a real fight.

Having him pinned under his body, (M/n) used his upper body strength to press down on the villager's arms, pushing against him and preventing him from cutting his skin open, his (e/c) eyes never looking away from those red eyes of his.

However, the villager had moved his head away just in time before his knife could pierce through his skull, and while he pulled the blade off the dirt, the man under him started using his strength to push him off. With his knife now knocked away from his hands, (M/n) only had his fists to finish the villager, but he was still putting up a tough fight.

But with one punch to his chest, the flashlight attached to his shoulder and chest strap flew away a couple of feet, rolling for a moment. Apparently, the hit had turned it on and now they were able to clearly see each other's faces.

"(M/n)?" He asks out of breath, the red eyes now gone, now back to his blue eyes.

Was I... Seeing things just now?

"Uh, sorry... Didn't know..." (M/n)'s words died out as he moved back and began standing up, reaching his hand out to help Leon stand up too. The blond frowns at the action, but silently takes (M/n)'s hand, and dusts himself off as a way to avoid the awkward and tense silence, "Let's..."

He stops for a moment, walking to where his knife landed and holstering it back to his strap. Leon does the same, leaning down to pick up (M/n)'s flashlight, turning it off, and handing it back to him, who silently grabs it and attaches back to its place.

"Let's just keep going-," before they could take a step in the direction that would take them forward on the mission, the light of the fire on torches starts surrounding them from every direction, and quickly realizing they're outnumbered, they run to the cabin behind them and stay hidden inside until their path clears up enough to make their way to the church.

//////

"Ashley!" Leon's panicked voice makes (M/n) turn around from the lock he had been trying to unlock, and he sees the blond shooting at the caped creature taking Ashley away.

(M/n) hurries to open the lock keeping them inside the cage, and Leon is quick to bolt out, not caring about anything other than getting Ashley back, "Leon!" He calls him and immediately starts running after the man.

He just wanted to get to Leon and Ashley, get her safe with them again, go back home, and forget everything had happened, but of course, nothing is ever easy in this job, in this life.

While running straight ahead, Leon didn't even see the knight stumbling his way toward him, despite the loud clanking noise the armor did, Leon could only think about getting Ashley back, about her safety over his. But (M/n) saw the knight, calling out to Leon a little too late.

"Watch out!" Being snapped out of his tunnel vision, Leon barely managed to see the knight swinging its sword down at him, and he used his momentum to dodge the hit. Well, he didn't fully dodge being hit, he just dodge being cut in half, because there was a gash on his torso, going right through his middle in a diagonal line, blood gushing out rather rapidly.

(M/n)'s legs moved as quickly as they could to be able to make it to a groaning Leon, shrugging his jacket off and laying it over the blond's wound, pressing on it with one hand while his non-dominant hand grabbed his pistol and shot at the plaga coming from underneath the knights' helmets.

"Put pressure on it, I'll take care of this," Leon grunted and pressed his hands down on the jacket, doing his best to try and stop the bleeding while (M/n) risked his life for him.

"You should... Go after Ashley..." (M/n) didn't give any signs of having heard him, but he definitely did. And damn, he was getting pissed at Leon now.

Leon watched how every knight fell to the ground, every singular piece holding itself together by the plaga coming undone as it was killed, and soon enough, every single one had been taken care of. (M/n) sighed and turned toward Leon, holstering his pistol and walking toward him to check on his wound. It was still bleeding.

"Shit-" he draped Leon's arm over his shoulders and wrapped his arm around his waist, "Don't you fucking dare die on me, Kennedy, keep the pressure on that."

Whether the grunting was from pain or a sarcastic response, (M/n) didn't know, he just had to find a room in this stupid castle where he could tend Leon's wound.

//////

Laying the man on the bed, (M/n) tried to look around for something that could serve to clean the wound or bandage him up, but all he could find was a bed sheet, somehow cleaner than the others he had found.

For now, he had managed to stop the bleeding, and had used Leon's last spray on the wound, hoping it would numb the pain and help him heal faster. The blond frowned at the stinging pain but didn't complain.

"Sit up," Leon looked at (M/n)'s serious expression for a moment as he sat up on the bed, he was obviously mad at him and he didn't blame him, they lost Ashley and had to find her again, along with the wound that went from his abdomen to barely reaching his chest... He just made the mission harder than it already was.

(M/n) proceeded to use the pieces of the sheet he had torn up to bandage him up the best could with what they had. These kinds of moments were too quiet for their liking, it wasn't unusual for one or the other to get hurt while on a mission, but it was always weird when the other required help, it wasn't the same angry tension between them, instead it was an uncomfortable silence that neither of them could get used to.

They hated those silent moments.

"Are you stupid or do you have a death wish?" Was all (M/n) said when he succeeded in wrapping Leon up a bit, he definitely needed medical attention to stitch the wound and to prevent or fight the infection that will show up sooner or later, but they still needed to find Ashley as quickly as possible.

Leon turned to look at him with an angry expression, "I was trying to save Ashley, you were the one that didn't do anything to get her back," (M/n) scoffed and stood up from bed, pacing around the room, annoyed at the blond.

"I saved your pathetic life, Kennedy," ignoring the pain he felt, Leon stood up from the bed, watching (M/n) continuously pacing back and forth, irritating him.

"I didn't ask you to save me! Ashley is our priority here, I was doing my job, maybe you should do that too," Leon sighed when (M/n) looked at him in complete silence, an annoyed expression showing on his face.

Leon was a hundred percent sure that (M/n) was mad at him for getting himself injured like an idiot and making the mission harder on themselves now, that he was mad because they were further away from getting Ashley back, he was convinced of that. They couldn't rescue Ashley and (M/n) was mad at that, that's it. That's what it should've been.

Sighing and taking a step to walk around (M/n), Leon spoke again, "Look, let's just find Ashley before anything worse happens to her."

(M/n) wasn't dumb, he's usually the most observant of the two, so he noticed what Leon was thinking, it showed on his face. Even with the smallest change of his expression, he was able to read him like an open book.

He reached his hand out and held Leon's wrist before he could walk further away from him, hearing him sigh.

"I'm not... Mad that we lost Ashley, Leon," his blue eyes looked up into his (e/c) ones, confusion shining in them, and now it was (M/n)'s turn to sigh, he really didn't wanna say it, but he also didn't want them to stay mad at each other for this, "I was mad 'cause you weren't careful and... Got yourself injured..." He mumbled his last words, looking away from Leon.

But the blond moved his head, trying to meet his eyes. Was he... Worried? About... Me?

"I was... Worried about you, Leon..." The sound of (M/n)'s sweet and gentle voice as he responded to his unasked question made Leon's heart race in his chest, he could almost hear both his and (M/n)'s heart thumping rapidly.

Leon's body moved on his own, his gloved hands holding the collar of (M/n)'s shirt, pulling him down roughly to have their lips meet, kissing him rather aggressively.

(M/n) was caught by surprise by Leon's action, his eyes wide opened as he watched Leon's closed eyes and flushed face, making his mind foggy as a new feeling filled his body, but the blond soon realized that the other man wasn't corresponding his kiss, making him feel embarrassed and like an idiot as he backed away, pulling back and the thin string of saliva that connected them broke immediately.

He opened his mouth to say something, maybe apologize or say he just wanted to mess with him, but now (M/n)'s hands were holding him. A gentle touch on his chin and a tight grip around his belt, pressing their hips flushed against each other as this time they let themselves melt in their kiss, quiet moans and sighs leaving past their lips, muffled by the other's lips.

(M/n) groaned as he reluctantly broke the kiss, hearing Leon whining as he watched him lean closer to try and kiss him again, he sighed and held tightly onto the blond's hips, making him open his eyes again, pupils blown wide as Leon stared up at him.

"We have..." He swallowed, his eyes unable to look away from Leon's glossy and swollen pink lips, licking his as he tried to regain his composure, "We have a mission to complete, we'll... Talk about this when we get back, okay?"

Leon looked sad for a moment, but he silently nodded and they resumed their mission to find Ashley and bring her back home safely.

This enemies-to-lovers trope would have to wait a little bit longer.

#leon kennedy x male reader #leon kennedy x reader #re x male reader #re x reader #re4 x male reader #re4 x reader #resident evil leon #leon kennedy #leon s kennedy x reader #male reader #x reader #reader insert #enemies to lovers #.mackjlee9 writes

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catboymoses · 7 months

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Yiddish Falsettos Headcanons

Act 1

Marvin and Trina argue in Yiddish when they don't want Whizzer and Jason to hear what they're saying

The word "פֿייגעלע (feygeleh)" is used a LOT

Whizzer isn't fluent or anything, but he actually understands most of it. He just doesn't let on because Marvin never asked

Mendel uses Yiddish words in like every other sentence, but can't hold or understand a conversation

Trina stops Marvin from arguing in Yiddish once Mendel starts being around all the time because "it's rude" and "it's not healthy" (really it's so that she and Mendel can team up on him)

Act 2

The "isn't he an asshole" bit in Year of the Child is absolutely in Yiddish. They love to shit talk Mendel in Yiddish

That's also what they're doing in everyone hates his parents

Marvin and Dr. Charlotte use hushed Yiddish to discuss Cordelia's... more experimental dishes

Dr. Charlotte calls Jason "באָבעלע (bubbeleh)" and he fake gags at it

Marvin and Whizzer (and sometimes Dr. Charlotte) strategically use Yiddish when they have to talk about something gay in public

Cordelia mispronounces Yiddish words in such funny ways that sometimes the whole family just starts saying them like that as a running bit

Whizzer teasingly calls Marvin "באַשערט (bashert)" and Marvin definitely does NOT tear up

Whenever anyone asks Jason where he learned Yiddish, he always says it was from Whizzer. Marvin and Trina spoke it better, but Whizzer was the one who cared enough to slow down and explain it to him.

#watched indecent again so now I've got yiddish on my mind #falsettos #marvin falsettos #whizzer brown #whizzvin #mendel weisenbachfeld #marvin trilogy #trina falsettos #jason falsettos #yiddish #Jewish hcs

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phierecycled · 4 months

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i’ll insult falsettos ao3 any day of the week but “marvin (falsettos) not/being an asshole” being one of the top tags in the fandom will forever be funny to me

#falsettos #falsettos fandom #marvin falsettos

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witlesswitnesstm · 1 month

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Thinking about how Trina starts Falsettos saying that Jason is Marvin’s son in Please come to our house, but then she says that Jason is her and Marvin’s son in Year of the child. I think it’s very sweet, but it’s also kind of tragic that she associates all of Jason’s bad traits as being inherited from Marvin.

If I really wanted to be an asshole, I could say that the only reason Trina said that Jason was her child as well is because she was in competition with Marvin during that part. (I don’t believe this but this is if you wanted to interpret it in the worst possible way.)

However, the song ends off with everyone saying that Jason is their child so, I mean, that’s sweet.

Can I go on a tangent? I don’t think Trina is perfect. I mean, none of the characters are. She’s obviously not as terrible as most of the other characters, and her arc is very sympathetic, but sometimes the way she treats/talks about Jason is a little concerning to me. (But that probably comes from my general distrust of all parents.) She very clearly projects onto Jason in Everyone tells Jason to see a psychiatrist, with the line “You and I must trust our emotions, make no commotions” and there’s also “Don’t be disgusting, be yourself!” in Please come to our house. She is so worried about appearances throughout the whole play, and it makes sense for the time, but I don’t think that really, absolves it? I’m sure it probably also comes from her fear of being alone, so she complies to everyone’s wants, but she kind of controls Jason in the process.

I might be looking way too far into this, but it also seems like at least part of the reason she wanted Jason to see a psychiatrist is so that she could talk to Mendel more. She invites Mendel over excessively (according to Marvin), she makes intricate dishes for Mendel, she’s nervous about Jason acting out around Mendel, and so on. It feels a little shitty cause Jason was clearly looking for answers about himself and Trina lets her feelings towards Mendel outweigh trying to consider others that could actually help Jason in the way he needs. And I feel kind of bad for Jason cause he doesn’t have friends, so the only people he can really rely on to get help are his parents.

I’m not denying that Marvin also wanted Jason to see Mendel, but I give him more of the benefit of the doubt cause he had been seeing Mendel for years already, and just assumed that he was a good psychiatrist. (He’s not.)

There’s also the line “Jason calms me” in A day in Falsettoland which is very vague, and most likely just describes how seeing Jason makes her feel calm, but the worst possible interpretation of this line is that she might be spilling all her problems to Jason, leading to him becoming a kind of therapist for her (ironically.)

But again, that’s just the worst possible interpretation, I really have no clue how morally gray these characters are intended to be, so literally any other interpretations are valid.

And this is not to say that I hate Trina, far from it actually. I absolutely adore Trina’s arc and earlier today I started crying over Holding to the ground cause god does she go *through* it in this trilogy. She has so much depth and the misogyny she deals with is written and addressed in such a compelling way. I have a so much empathy for her regarding her reoccurring themes of suicide/self harm considering it’s not something I’m unfamiliar with, and like, god man I love Trina

#falsettos #marvin trilogy #in trousers #trina falsettos #jason falsettos #marvin falsettos #stephanie j block #Trina analysis post #wow I wrote a lot #I heart Trina falsettos

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nspired1fanfiction · 1 year

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Ichor and Pomegranate, Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Image used with permission by artist Practical Al Ichor and Pomegranate by Nspired1

Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Pairing: Jill Valentine/Albert Wesker Features: Chris Redfield, Marvin Branagh, Brian Irons, the S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team (Resident Evil), the S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team (Resident Evil), Kevin Ryman, Wes Drucker, Elliot Edward, Claire Redfield, Rita Phillips, Original Characters, Tags: Partners in Crime, Crime Scenes, Murder Mystery, References to Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Human Albert Wesker, Good Albert Wesker, Well sort of, Fuck it, Flirting, Young Jill Valentine, Eventual Smut, Albert Wesker Being an Asshole, Crime Scene Details, Angst, Checking Out Your Superior, Power Dynamics, Police humor, Police Procedural, Bitter brand fluff, Eventual Romance, Pining, Slow Burn, Kevin Ryman is my wingman Chapter 11: Those Who Set a Table for Fortune

There was something different in his face, something off and without thinking about it, Jill tilted her head and studied him for a moment without answering.

The silence that lengthened between them was oddly peaceful while she thought.

He still had on his sunglasses, which was an oddity for him in his own home. Even the office only had one domed light within the space, and it cast shadows across both of their faces.

"What is it?" Wesker asked as he leaned forward slightly and brought his right hand to rest along his thigh. He still wore his black gloves and ever so gently, his four fingers rubbed against his thumb in a circular motion while he watched her.

"Captain, as impeccable as you are with reading silences, you do have some of your own tells," she answered next.

"Do I?" he mused before his thumb and forefinger paused. As if he already knew.

"Mhm," she continued, daring to reach her hand forward to grab his. "They used to train me to hunt men like you, you know."

The button to his right leather glove popped gently in her fingers while she lifted her eyes to where she thought his were behind the sunglasses.

With her fingers pulling the glove off slowly, she continued, "Men who yell, threaten, and make noise either go for distraction or display." Her smile was a closed envelope "Either suits me. If I could hear them, I could find them." The glove dropped to the floor.

"But you, captain?" The button for his left glove came undone. "I have to find you, and when I do, I simply watch." The skin of his palms was calloused as the pads of her fingers trailed after the material. "And what I see is sometimes the loudest of them all."

His fingers enclosed over hers before she could pull it back.

They sat facing one another in their chairs. Captain Wesker leaned forward further, and she didn't think she imagined the husky tone that came next.

"And what do you see?"

"You're in pain," she answered before her hand pulled from his and she slowly reached up for the sunglasses.

When he caught her wrist, she flinched from the speed but relaxed when she heard his exhale.

"Don't." He lowered her hand from his face. "Full marks for perception. You've found me at a disadvantage, but surely a headache isn't all you've figured out."

"No," she agreed with a pointed look that flashed his way. "But I'd rather see your eyes when I tell you that."

"I'm sure you would," he obliged in a drawl before he released her arm. "Let me see your reports."

#jill valentine #fanfiction #resident evil #albert wesker #greek mythology #pre resident evil 1 #weskertine #fanfic #ao3 fanfic #romance #mystery #crime drama

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all-alone-he-turns-to-stone · 2 years

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Trapped

Soldier Boy Masterlist

Summary: Soldier Boy is tired of getting slowed down by The Boys. Luckily, he has something he can use to his advantage to get left alone… M.M tried to hide her from everyone, but nothing can be hidden forever. Especially not from Soldier Boy.

Pairing: Soldier Boy x F!Poc!Reader

Word Count: 3987

Warning: Violence, brief description of a deadly injury, blood, angst, Soldier Boy being his manipulative self, vulnerable reader, manipulation, kidnapping, drug, needles, anger, guns

Rating: Mature

A/n: Hello people! So this was requested by @duhitzdae thank you for the request! I worked weeks on this fic, so I really hope it’s good! Feedbacks are really appreciated!

The Boys were seriously starting to annoy him.

First, they free him from his longtime prison in Russia, and for that, of course he’s grateful. No one from his team came for him, no one looked for him, they fucking put him there in the first place. So when a weird group of losers were the one to break open that door, he was surprised, but not for long.

The explosion left him enough time to run away.

But now, they were there again, offering him the Countess on a plate to show him they could help him. And of course, Soldier Boy didn’t need help to do anything, especially not killing. He was created to kill, after all. But a little help wouldn’t hurt, or so he thought.

Their little squad broke up in two, the ones that wanted to kill Homelander with his help and the other trying to put nails on their road to stop them. But all it did was slow them down. Because Soldier Boy wanted to take revenge on his old team, and he would get what he wanted. No matter what.

So, while the British bearded one and the skinny scared asshole were looking for the twins, he prepared a backup plan, just in case those annoying bastards showed up again to stop him.

There weren't only computers and the internet he could use to learn more about people.

First, Soldier Boy asked The Legend, after all, that guy was so scared of him he wouldn’t hesitate to throw someone under the bus if it was to save his ass. But it turned out, he was very fond of the one named M.M. and refused to give him anything. Perfect, The Legend didn’t want to give information on his dearest friend? He would target that one.

While the other two useless twats were out, there was only him and The Legend. And one little magic pill in his drink was enough to knock him out for the next couple of hours, leaving enough time for Soldier Boy to check through his office. Files, evidence, anything he could learn about M.M and then use against him.

It didn’t take long to find the drawer labeled “The Boys Initiative”. It was locked, but nothing is very locked for long for Soldier Boy. The drawer broke when he pulled it hard, and finally, he had access to what he needed.

A smile crept on Ben’s face as he read everything about Marvin’s life. God, he had plenty of choices to make his life miserable, even more than he already did. According to what he had in his hands, he killed members of his family in the past, not that he remembered it or cared.

M.M hated him. He was about to hate him even more and regret trying to stop him. As Soldier Boy turned a page, his eyes fell on something even more interesting.

“This is fucking perfect.”

The superhero closed the file and walked back to his room to put on his suit. There was someone he had to meet.

Four hours by car, that was how far she lived from her family. On a farm, isolated from everyone. It wasn’t such a bad life, actually. Spending her days with the animals filled her days with joy, and filled her head with good thoughts so she didn’t think about…

The cows were waiting for her this morning. She couldn’t hear what they were thinking, but she was starting to understand the meaning behind the colors and the forms she could see in their heads. Animals were closer to humans than most people could ever think. But because they were different… No one cared.

“Good morning Lilly.” A hand on her muzzle to caress it, the other was carrying some grass she offered to the animal. The cow made a happy moo before eating slowly from her hand. Pink and round forms filled her head. Lilly appreciated being seen first and getting the first pat on her head.

“Can you hear them think too?”

The voice was coming out of nowhere. No warning signs, no sounds alerted her of someone behind her.

And especially… No thoughts. There was barely anything, she could hear mumbling and see static, but that was it.

She turned around quickly, already stepping back. “Who are you?” She asked immediately.

“I always wondered if animals had thoughts as well.”

The man she had in front of her was wearing a weird outfit, all green, with stars all over. The only reason she recognized him was because of the shield he was holding in one hand, a shield she saw one time in a newspaper her dad forgot to hide.

“I think you know who I am, Y/n… And I sure do know who you are. Your dad says hi, by the way. Wait, no he doesn’t. He never talks about you, it’s easier to forget you exist.”

"How do you know my father?" Y/n asked, still backing away. The stable wasn’t very wide, she would soon be wedged against the back wall, but she had to save time until she knew what to do.

"Old friends," the hero muttered, walking cautiously towards her. He cocked his head to the side.“Trying to read my thoughts now? Why don’t you just ask me what you want? Use that power of yours. Show me what you can do.”

Y/n stopped moving. She hated doing this, especially against someone who knew what she was capable of.

Her pupils dilated as her mouth opened. “What do you want?”

Uncomfortable tingles invaded Ben's body. His whole being stopped working, a cloud of static flooded in his brain, confusing and blocking the path from his brain to his body. So that was the feeling of having your consciousness invaded and your free will stolen. A smile crept onto his face as the answer was snatched from his lips.

“I want you. For your power. To be sure daddy won’t cause me any more trouble as I kill Homelander.”

At this confession, Y/n frowned. It had been a while since she was forced to leave home and her father, so her memories of him were rather hazy, but she did remember one thing. He had that mind wrecking obsession of bringing down superheroes. It was to protect her that he sent her this far, because families of all those involved were in danger.

So, losing the opportunity to kill Homelander… It wasn’t like him.

But no one could lie under the influence of her power.

“He wants to stop me, Y/n. Just like he didn’t want you around anymore and sent you here, because you were in his path. It wasn’t to protect you, he was disgusted by you.”

Y/n shook her head. No, it was impossible. Her father was a good man, the desire for revenge messed up his head, yeah, but he was good, he would never do that, he loved her, that’s why he sent her here! “Stop lying!”

“I would never lie to you,” Soldier Boy started to approach again, and it was only then that Y/n saw that he was holding something in his other hand. The closer he got, the more she could see what it was, a brown folder. “Everything is in there. He was disgusted that his first child had powers, just like your mom.”

There was nowhere to go, Y/n's back was against the wall already. Soldier Boy made no attempt to attack her, he stood in front of her, his hand outstretched, waiting for her to grab the folder. “My dad sent me here to protect me, because he was fighting you fucking supes… He did that to protect his family…”

“Very respectable,” Soldier Boy nodded. “But then, why is his ex-wife and second daughter still out there, where he can visit them? Sweet little Janine… He must love her less if he doesn’t want to send her away to protect her, right?”

Y/n’s eyes were filled with tears as she reached for the file. She didn't want to believe it, she couldn't believe it. Her father had rebuilt his life, had another child that he saw often, while she... If she saw him once a year, she considered herself lucky. Her hand trembled as she grabbed the papers, the need to know stronger than the crushing pain she was feeling.

Troubled by Soldier Boy's words and the folder, she didn't focus on the fact that it was impossible for her to hear his thoughts. That was the first red flag. Or how he had found her. Her own thoughts were jumbled up in her head, preventing her from concentrating properly.

It was so fast that she didn't realize what was happening at first. It was only when her body was limp in his arms that she realized the pinch she felt in her neck was actually a needle and not a bug. Soldier Boy took advantage of her confusion to get closer, take the syringe he hid in the inside of his shield and stabbed her with the drug. Before she succumbed to the darkness, Y/n tried to operate her mouth, give an order to the superhero, but her tongue was too heavy, thick, like her mouth was filled with paste.

“I’m sorry. But we have a long way to go before we get there. I’m sure you have a lot of questions, sweetheart, and like I said, I won’t lie to you.”

Her body and consciousness may have been paralyzed, but she was still conscious enough to see Soldier Boy above her and feel his hand on his forehead. Brushing. Barely touching her. It was a soft gesture, but her stomach turned with betrayal. She was so fucking naive.

“You matter too much, sweetheart… Daddy abandoned you because for him, you’re a burden… But all I see is a young woman with so much potential. You are perfect. And you’ll never be alone anymore…”

That was the last thing she heard before darkness drowned her.

“M.M, mate, please calm the fuck down, we’ll find her.”

“How can I fucking stay calm? I told you trusting him was a bad idea, look at her!! Fucking look at her!”

The two men were at The Legend’s house. The latter had called them immediately when he woke up and expressed his concerns when he noticed a missing document and a locked drawer that had been forced open. The missing document was M.M’s file, so he rushed to the house, only to find Butcher was already there.

Butcher asked him to stay calm, that it was nothing and that they would find her, but M.M didn’t even hesitate to send his fist in Butcher's face.

That bastard found her, he had Y/n. Soldier Boy had his daughter and he sent a video of her to them. As a warning, a threat, simply.

The video started blurry, but then the focus was made on a person sitting on a chair. Y/n was bound and gagged, she couldn’t speak or move, but a newspaper was held on her thighs showing today's date. She didn't look hurt, but her eyes said it all, it was a cry for help. Then, the perfect face of the hero they had freed from Russia flooded the screen.

“I found your little secret, Marvin. You sent her far, but not far enough… Now, if you don’t leave me alone while I kill all of my team… I’ll have to damage her pretty face.”

Soldier Boy stepped back to stand behind Y/n. A knife pressed to her throat and he leaned down so his face was level with hers. Tears rolled down his daughter's cheeks.

“One little slice, and goodbye to her voice… For now, I only gagged her, you know how she can be dangerous, that’s why you sent her away and never talked about her to anyone, am I right?” The smile that stretched Soldier Boy's face made M.M.'s hands itch. The urge to repaint him, to butcher him until his pretty face was a pile of blood and flesh was getting unbearable. Taking his family was not enough, now he had his first daughter.

“Stay out of my way. Oh and Butcher, I want the TNT Twins. I think you can speed up the research. Cut!”

Butcher's nose had just stopped bleeding when M.M finished watching the video for the sixth time. He was about to play it again, maybe a detail had escaped him, a sound that would indicate where he was holding her prisoner, anything, but the phone disappeared from his hands as Butcher took it back.

“It's your fault!” M.M rose quickly to enter Butcher's bubble, ready to hand him another one.

"Relax!" Butcher stepped back. At the same time, Hughie entered the room, breathing fast, showing he ran his way over there. The young man was made aware of the situation and immediately began looking for Soldier Boy. It took a couple of hours, some phone calls and favors from people who owned him for Hughie to find a strong lead.

“I think I found them,” Hughie interrupted what was about to become a battle no one wanted to see. M.M let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and turned to the newcomer.

"Where," he growled, ripping the piece of paper Hughie was holding out of his hands. He read quickly what was written there, and already, walked towards the door. "I'm going alone," he specified as he heard the other two following him.

"Hell no," Hughie shook his head. “We’re coming. It’s kind of our fault after all…”

Butcher rolled his eyes. Of course, sentimental Hughie was going to have some regrets. "What I don't understand," Butcher muttered as the trio walked towards the car parked on the street. “Why did I never hear of that gal? You never, ever mentioned her.”

“If you plan on asking me about my past, then you can fuck off,” M.M paused to turn to Butcher, his fists clenched.

Butcher raised his hands in defense. “Just asking, yeh? Soldier Boy kidnaps your daughter we never heard of before, talkin' about how dangerous she can be. Isn't there something we should know?”

The tension got impossibly stronger as the three men were gathered near the car. The air was getting harder to breathe, even the birds seemed to know what was happening, because it was dead silent.

It got too much for Hughie. "We won't find her if we keep fighting," the young man sighed, rubbing his eyes. “The longer we stay here, the more time she’s with him.”

At that, M.M relaxed his fist, groaned, and took the driver's seat. The other two men got into the vehicle, and then, with a shrill screech of tires, they were gone.

Soldier Boy really got softer and careless because the place he was holding Y/n captive was really easy to find. No traps were waiting for them to fall in, the door of the small house wasn’t even locked. Besides, it had been far too easy for Hughie to locate the phone that had been used to take the video. It was Y/n's, and it couldn’t be a coincidence... Location had been turned on a few hours prior.

It was far too easy.

The three men had just entered the house, searching in silence for the room where Y/n was in, when Hughie realized another detail that didn’t make sense. A strong feeling of uneasiness crept up through his back as he stopped moving. “Wait a minute, Soldier Boy doesn’t even know what’s internet, how did he recorded and-”

Hughie couldn't finish his sentence as he was thrown around the room, his back absorbing all the shock as he crashed into the wall. He fell to the ground, knocked out on the spot.

M.M already had his gun in hand and was advancing in the room. The sun was about to set, so it was still bright enough to see inside, yet he saw no one. Butcher had rushed to Hughie's side to make sure he was okay, and when he had the confirmation that the young boy was only unconscious, he joined M.M, his gun ready to use. Bullets wouldn't do anything against Soldier Boy, this was a suicide mission and more than once on the way here, Butcher thought about leaving M.M's daughter with Soldier Boy. He wouldn’t hurt her, she wasn’t on the list of people he wanted to eliminate.

“You found me, and fast, good!”

Like the whole thing was only a set up, a light turned on in the room, finally illuminating the surroundings. It didn’t make sense, they should have been able to see perfectly, but yet, that light showed them stuff that was left in the dark.

In front of them, sitting on the chair, Y/n had her head hanging limply to one side. The gag over her mouth was undone, but she didn't need it with all the blood covering the front of her body, her formerly white shirt now stained with dark red...

Soldier Boy stood beside her and shook his head, a disappointed look on his face. “Not fast enough, I'm afraid.”

“Nooooo!” M.M screamed, emptying his magazine on the hero who didn't even flinch from the impacts. “You motherfucker, she did nothing wrong!!”

“You're right,” Soldier Boy walked towards them, a grin on his face. “She did nothing wrong, and yet, you sent her away. All those years she spent alone in her little farm cause daddy was scared of her, disgusted by the powers she inherited from her mother…”

"What?" Butcher lowered his gun, his head slowly turning towards M.M, but the man didn't even acknowledge his presence. His whole being was focused on the hero in front of him. The murderer who killed his daughter.

“It was to protect her,” M.M spat, his jaw so tight the words hissed between his teeth. “I always wanted to protect her-”

“Then why did you keep Janine so close to you? And Monique? Hm? Why did you never mention Y/n to anyone, not even her own little sister? Sounds like excuses to me,” Soldier Boy crossed his arms over his chest, shaking his head.

"This is none of your business," M.M threw his now empty gun to the ground to raise his fists. They were shaking. His whole body was shaking. With rage, pain, it hurt so bad it was unbearable to live in his own skin. His whole body was hurting, inside and out. If he had to, he would fight with his fists, avenge his daughter's death. Even if it would be the last thing he did.

“All she wanted was her dad,” Ben sang with a soft voice, mocking the tone of a child. “To hold her when she was scared. To tell her she wasn’t a monster. That she deserved love. But instead, all that love, you gave it to Janine.”

“Shut up!” M.M yelled, taking a step towards Soldier Boy. The hero took a step back raising his hands, now grinning with all his teeth.

“That’s why you never told us about her? Your daughter’s a supe?” Butcher asked. M.M completely forgot he was there.

“Yeah, why did you never talk about me?”

M.M's heart skipped a beat upon hearing her voice. That voice he never thought he'd hear again. The tears that had so far failed to fall finally rolled down his cheeks.

Animated like a puppet, Y/n rose from the chair. Her head repositioned itself correctly on her shoulders and she stepped into the light, stopping beside Soldier Boy. Her eyes once so full of life were now extinguished. Heavy. Empty and dark.

Filled with an anger that scared M.M.

“Y/n, please, I can explain, please, step away from him, come here…” M.M held up his hand, prompting his daughter to get to his side. But she didn't move. She kept staring.

“No need to explain,” Y/n shook her head. She ran a finger down her throat to scoop up some of the red liquid and raised her hand to eye level. “I read the file… and Soldier Boy told me everything. He couldn’t lie, I made sure of that.” Y/n's finger disappeared into her mouth as she cleaned it. “Ketchup,” she smiled. “I thought if you saw me dead, the truth would come out easier.”

“Please,” M.M kept begging her. Everything was messed up. He had to tell her… He could explain himself. He could fix things. “Please, just, you can hear my thoughts... If you don't believe me, force me to say it! Use your power on me, I don’t care! Please… I always loved you, Y/n…”

“Not enough, apparently,” Y/n shrugged. “Not as much as Janine. You thought I was a burden, a monster, you were scared of me… you are scared of me. But Ben made me realize I could be so much more…” Y/n's gaze quickly shifted to the right, and before M.M could even intervene, Butcher was already firing into the room towards his daughter.

Bullets hit metal and bounced off the ground as Soldier Boy placed his shield protectively in front of Y/n.

“Stop fucking shooting!” M.M screamed as he pushed Butcher to the ground, both men falling and fighting for the gun. Butcher struggled a bit but eventually, the gun slipped out of his hands. “Are you fucking crazy!”

"She's a bloody supe! And she's with him!” Butcher shouted, trying to get back his gun.

The two men were about to fight again when a voice echoed in the room. Uncomfortable shivers ran through their bodies, like a mist numbing their minds and freezing their limbs as soon as the words reached their ears.

It was impossible to move.

“Stop. Listen to me carefully.”

Frozen in the last position he was in, M.M didn't have the best view of Y/n, but she fixed the situation by crouching down next to them. “Leave us alone. Or next time, I won't only freeze you.”

Tears continued to roll down M.M.'s cheeks. “Please… Y/n, he’s manipulating you…”

To that, the young girl tilted her head to the side, her gaze now filled with sadness. All the years spent apart, alone, were reflected in her big, sad eyes… The loneliness. All those years she grew up alone, without a father or a mother.

“So were you. Take care of your daughter, Marvin. Be lucky he didn’t kidnap her too. Don’t try to find us.”

Those were the last words she uttered to M.M. The last thing he heard from his daughter were threats and the last thing he saw was all of the darkness that was now living in her beautiful eyes.

And it was all his fault.

To this day, Y/n wasn’t his daughter anymore. Even if M.M would forever love her as such, and would always try to get her back.

Now, she was their enemy. And when Soldier Boy’s vengeance would be done, who knew what they would do. And the chaos they would spread on the world. The hero was already dangerous on his own, but with her by his side, he would be unstoppable.

Butcher didn’t really care about her, it was their fault, yeah okay, he messed up pretty bad. But for him, she was just another supe he had to eliminate. Still, a thought kept hunting his mind forever after this incident: what if… they decided to join Homelander?

The end of the world, that was for sure.

Forever taglist: @nitnat6245 @b3autyfuldisast3r @eevvvaa @fictional-affairs @wickedinspirations @awkward-and-indecisive

Soldier Boy Taglist: @akshi8278

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selfabsorbed-selfdeceived · 5 months

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back in my falsettos era because writing a 12 page paper for a musical you've been obsessed with since middle school as your first college final will do that to ya and god. act one marvin is asshole through and through let's get one thing clear. but he is a relatable asshole (hear me out)

the super heavy leaning into a hypermasculine role and trying to mold his relationship with whizzer to resemble a stereotypical heterosexual marriage because he can't be comfortable with his queerness? the losing everyone you love and destroying your life because years of deeply ingrained internalized homophobia shaped your self destructive behavior? he's horrible. and also so me

and all of this makes his turn around in act two hit so much harder. because that is also me. making very important queer friends that save your life. learning to be comfortable in your queerness in its entirety. finally being okay with expressing what a lifetime of societal indoctrination deems as "weak" and "gay" and "feminine". reconnecting with the people you've lost. apologizing and rekindling old relationships. building up your life again to something even better than what you had prior to coming out. god i love marvin. insufferable asshole (affectionate)

#falsettos #marvin gardens #i think that's his last name?#idk if that's canon though #i love this musical i love this man #being queer is fucking rough #he's just like me fr #idk how this app handles nuance #but just in case #i denounce his act 1 actions

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mlmxreader · 2 years

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The Kid | Billy Butcher x platonic!gn!reader

Anonymous asked: Hi, I was wondering if it’s be alright for me to request a platonic Billy Butcher & GN teenager reader?

The reader is a member of the boys and makes it their personal goal to find as many ways as possible to annoy the living hell out of butcher. Like they hide his trench coat or lighter, they ask him dumb questions, etc.

Could you also include the prompts "Shut up." "Make me." And "Oi! Watch your fucking language!".

P.S. take as much time as you need and feel free to make it in whichever format you like best. Take care of yourself and I hope the heatwave ends soon :)

summary: Butcher is your big brother, although sometimes, he can be a right fucking asshole.

tws: swearing

Butcher had practically raised you as his own, his little sibling even though he took you on more than reluctantly, so it was only natural that you decided to join The Boys when they banded together; it was only natural that you stayed with them, even when Marvin tried to convince you to go and stay with his family, to be a normal teenager.

Butcher was the only family you had ever known, though, and you were determined to stick with him; although that didn't stop you from, at times, being the worst company. You really were siblings, right down to the stupid squabbles and trivial torments; as far as you were concerned, Butcher was your big brother, and although you claimed to hate him at times, you loved him really.

Things had calmed down, though, the Boys were trying to locate a bunch of Supes who had information on Homelander and Soldier Boy, so while trying to locate them, it gave you the perfect opportunity to do what you were best at: being as annoying as you could.

Butcher left his trench coat on the back of his chair when he had gone to get some ice and some ice cream to try and help cope with the heat, nobody was paying much attention, so you grabbed it; you stuffed it somewhere you didn't really care to notice, knowing how pissed he would be when he realised it was missing.

And shit, he was pissed.

"Where the fuck is me fuckin' coat? I left it right there," he growled, looking at you with a stern glare.

You shrugged, holding your hands up. "How would I know? I've been listening to music on my headphones all day - right, Frenchie?"

Frenchie, who hadn't paid attention to you for even a second throughout the day, nodded. "Oui. They have been, uh, listening to - what was the German band again?"

"Rammstein," Marvin deadpanned. He had been trying to catch up on his programmes, you were pretty sure you caught him watching about, of all things, those fucking vile pricks called the British royal family.

"Yeah, alright," Butcher scoffed, putting his hands on his hips. "Where's my fuckin' coat, (y/n)?"

"I dunno!" You insisted. "Where's my fucking charging cable that you borrowed?"

"Oi! Watch your fucking language!" He ran a hand through his hair. "Just give me the coat."

"I don't know where it is," you shrugged, sitting on the windowsill.

"If they say they don't know where it is, then they probably don't," Frenchie shrugged. "Why would they lie?"

"Because it's (y/n)," Butcher huffed.

"Oh come on! Just because I put mayonnaise in your coffee and I-"

"Shut up."

"Make me." You challenged. "Come on, make me, Butcher. Punch my teeth out. I dare you."

"C'mere," he gestured, and when you walked over, he put his hands on your shoulders. "If you don't tell me where it is in ten minutes, I won't make your favourite for tea."

You frowned. "You wouldn't dare."

"Try me," he growled. "C'mon, kid, cough it up."

"Over there," you grumbled, pointing over to where you guessed you had put it.

"See?" Butcher chuckled, nudging your shoulder. "Weren't so hard, were it?"

You rolled your eyes, folding your arms across your chest and huffing as you sat in his chair; you glared at him when he dared to walk past. "Ass."

"Oi!" He grumbled. "Language."

You stuck your middle finger up to him, shaking your head and kicking your legs up on the desk as you leaned back a little; even if he was your brother, and even if you did love him, sometimes, Butcher really pissed you off.

"Here," he reached into the shopping bag he had brought back, and pressed an energy drink can into your hands. "Now shut up."

You smiled, nodding. "Only if you shut up."

"You shut up." He laughed, rolling his eyes.

if you liked this fic, REBLOG IT - do not just leave a "like", REBLOG IT. you may also leave feedback in the form of asks, tags, etc which is greatly appreciated, but you SHOULD reblog it regardless.

#mlem writes #billy butcher x y/n #billy butcher one shot #billy butcher oneshot #billy butcher imagine #billy butcher x reader #billy butcher #the boys imagine #the boys fanfic #butcher the boys #the boys butcher #the boys

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th3w00ds · 4 months

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The Egos as Magnus Archives Fear Avatars

Hello ego enjoyers, I'm once again back on my AU bullshit! Or simply just me rambling on about these character's funky little vibes and assigning them TMA fears they'd probably be avatars of based on nothing but vibes. Possibly their lore, too, if they have it. -Markiplier Egos-

Darkiplier, Avatar of The Dark: This one was an obvious choice! Dark(iplier) shares the same name/nickname as The Dark, and in my opinion it really makes sense with how his character is. My other two options were either The Stranger or The Web, but I decided to go with The Dark.

Wilford, Avatar of The Spiral: I thought that The Spiral fit really well with how Wilford is, considering the Spiral is all about the world not being as it seems and general madness, like how Wilford is.

Host, Avatar of The Eye: The Eye is a perfect fit for Host, because he can see everything going on despite being blind, and seems generally very knowledgable. I also think that The Eye fits with Host because he's a podcast host, and that's very similar to the case logs of The Magnus Archives.

Google, Avatar of The Extinction: This one fit mainly because of his vibes, and his "secondary objective is to destroy mankind" thing. Google just seems like a very Extinction-y android, and given the chance, I feel like he'd gladly serve The Extinction to fulfill his secondary objective.

Yancy, Avatar of The Stranger: Okay, I admit, this one was pretty much entirely based on his vibe. I didn't really think Yancy fit any one of the Fears exactly, so I went with The Stranger as I feel like Yancy sort of has its vibe? Also The Desolation for some reason.

Actor, Avatar of The Web: Even in his lore, Actor is very Web aligned to me. He manipulates, schemes, and is generally just an asshole. Actor orchestrated the entire night of WKM, and I think that's a very The Web thing of him to do. Also control is also very prevalent in his character.

Annus, Avatar of The End: If Unus Annus taught us one thing, it was that everything ends. I think that's all that's needed for Annus's explanation.

(Jacksepticeye, Crankgameplays/Ethan Nestor, MatPat and NateWantsToBattle egos under the cut)

-Jacksepticeye Egos-

Anti, Avatar of The Slaughter: Originally, I was going to do The Web, which I still think fits really well for Anti, but I thought that The Slaughter fit more. This is because Anti is, y'know, very aggressive, and even slit his (C!Jack's?) own throat in his first appearance.

Marvin, Avatar of The Eye: This one was majorly based on vibes, and I felt that Marvin had the most Eye vibes out of the Entities. He knows a lot about magic, too.

Jameson Jackson, Avatar of The Web: I was gonna go with The Eye initially for JJ. However, I thought with his theme in some of his videos of being a puppet connected by strings and being manipulated, I think he'd be an unwilling Avatar of The Web.

Chase Brody, Avatar of The Lonely: Considering in his lore he's divorced his wife and left his child, possibly killed them or somehow lost them... ("I lost the only two people that ever mattered to me") Yeah I think it's safe to say he'd be an Avatar of The Lonely.

Robbie the Zombie, Avatar of The Extinction: Another option for Robbie I had was The End, but with him being a zombie and all, I thought that The Extinction was just a better thematic fit I guess. I also was considering The Corruption.

Jackie, Avatar of The Corruption: This Fear is a little bit of a reach, but I thought that he had the vibes of The Corruption the most out of all the Fears. Jackie in my opinion doesn't really fit with any of them exactly, so I just went with the one I felt like for him. Maybe it's a representation of him getting "corrupted" by his hero work?

Henrik, Avatar of The End: He's a doctor, and has let his patients die before. Henrik is even called the "Doctor of Death." So I think that he's a good fit for being an Avatar of The End.

-Crankgameplays/Ethan Nestor Egos-

Unus, Avatar of The End: Two End Avatars in a row! Again, same logic as Annus being an Avatar of The End. Unus Annus was made to teach us that everything comes to an end, and to cherish the life we have.

Blank, Avatar of The Lonely: I think that The Lonely fits him well, since Blank is the manifestation of Ethan's depression and anxiety. I have a headcanon that he tends to avoid crowds and lots of people like the plague, so The Lonely is a good fit for my version of him too.

Mad Mike, Avatar of The Spiral: He sells drugs in ice cream, and some of those have to have to have some psychedelic affects. I think that he'd be an Avatar of The Spiral largely because of his drug business, and that he's probably somewhat crazy.

-MatPat Egos-

Mad, Avatar of The Desolation: Mad is insane, loves fire, and canonically (if we're calling William Afton in FNAF: The Musical MadPat, which I am) burned himself badly. I think he'd be a poster child of an Avatar of The Desolation. He'd enjoy watching something burn from the outside, knowing that someone's livelihood is being destroyed too.

The Detective, Avatar of The End: My memory of ETN is quite rusty, but I believe he died multiple times and came back once only to permanently die, right? I also get The End vibes from him in general.

The Hermit, Avatar of The Vast: I would've gone with The Lonely because he's trapped alone on an island in the middle of nowhere in the ocean, but because it's in the middle of the ocean, I went with The Vast instead. Hermit just kind of gives The Vast vibes to me.

-NateWantsToBattle Egos-

Natemare, Avatar of The Web: To be honest, I couldn't really decide on a fear for him to be an Avatar of. It was between The Web and The Vast, mainly. For him, I think it's majorly because of him being a siren and being able to control people if he wants to with his voice, and that seems very Web aligned to me.

Phantom, Avatar of The Stranger: Again, I couldn't really decide on one for Phantom. I thought that The Stranger fit his vibe the most, so I went with that. The other option was The Web, but since I already have Natemare as an Avatar of The Web I thought that Phantom should be an Avatar of a different Fear.

Bones, Avatar of The Hunt: This is mainly for my version of him. He's a revenant, constantly in pain and usually very angry. I think he'd like to take it out on others in a Hunt-like way, rather than a Slaughter-like way if that makes sense. His type of violence and killing isn't mindless, it isn't random, it's planned to hurt in as many ways as it can, to cause people the most pain before dying in an attempt to soothe his own pain.

Sharper, Avatar of The Flesh: I thought that he'd be an Avatar of The Flesh since in my interpretation of him/version of him, Sharper is a cyborg. I based that off the scene in the Take Me Anywhere music video where he has an injury with metal and wires and stuff under his skin, then I thought that he would work well as a Flesh Avatar since he might not like that he's (at least partially) still made of flesh and bone instead of fully robot or fully human.

Thank you for reading, everyone! Have a good day/night!

#youtuber egos #youtuber egos AU #The Magnus Archives AU #tma au #tma #the magnus archives #markiplier egos #jse egos #jacksepticegos #natewantstobattle egos #nwtb egos #crankgameplays egos #matpat egos

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huffle-dork · 7 months

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Curiosity Killed the Cat: Chapter 13

A Magnificent Encore Chapter 12 | Masterpost | AO3 Link

(AN: I can't believe I'm finally finishing this after 5 years- and one such a momentous fandom day! Did not expect that happen GVJBH but!! It feels so freaking surreal! i hope you guys have enjoyed this journey as much as I have! Look forward to one last chapter! Also parts of this that i wrote literally yesterday have been confirmed for marvin's backstory in the comics so?? I WINNNN!!!)

Marvin was trapped in a dream. Or… more like a memory. Guess this was like dying for real…. His life flashing before his eyes. That thought always scared him but… not now.

He searched through the haze- finding something to latch onto. A memory that reminded him over and over of what he was fighting for. Maybe… it could bring him comfort… one last time.

Even if this now felt like it was a different life…

Marvin was running, glancing behind him as a group of hooded figures gave chase. Blasts of magic tried to grab at him, pulling his tattered cape and clothes. To dodge the blasts he would shift and change into a small white cat, its back mimicking the look of his cape in black blotches of fur. The transitions looked as easy to him as breathing as he skidded and dodged the magic. But his chest burned, he couldn’t keep this up for long.

“Marvin the Magnificent! Stop this instant! You’re under arrest for stolen AIMC goods and using magic against AIMC guidelines!” One of the figures shouted with authority.

Marvin grit his teeth, “You got the wrong guy! I ain’t that asshole! Leave me alone!” ….Guess the splashes of paint he threw on his signature mask weren’t enough to throw them off…

“C’mon Marvin don’t do this!” Another figure pleaded, “We can help you! You don’t have to keep doing this! Running away isn’t gonna fix any of this!”

Marvin��s chest ached. That voice was familiar… a friend. Someone who tried to help him get on his feet after killing Phantom. But, even after joining the circle… he never felt like he could belong. Even though he was magic like them- he was far too different. They could never understand the pain of being a figment.

Of being human, but not at all. Of being solid, being able to live on his own. But constantly feeling like that could be taken away from him at any minute. Of trying to find out who he was, but never fully being able to know. Not unless he fell to the whims of a creator that had done nothing but abandon him in this dark and confusing world.

He could never go back… he’s heard nothing from his so-called creator since his hastily given name. Why go back to someone who doesn’t even care?

And besides… creators, family, friends… they all meant nothing, in the end. His last friend tried to steal his soul, after all.

The books he stole were weighing him down. But he was determined to not get caught. It had been a hard time trying to get out of their sights… he was exhausted, tired, filthy. He hardly even looked like he did when he was first made anymore. His beard was ragged, the green in his hair overgrown and faded.

But still, he was stubborn and determined. He had to get away…

To do… what exactly? He wasn’t sure. He just knew that he couldn’t stay with others. They’d only hurt him in the end… or he’d wind up hurting them.

He allowed himself to screech to a stop, then skid to face the charging magicians. He yelled out and held out both his hands, charging magic and then firing out a wall of blue-green flames to cut them off. The hooded figures all scrambled to stop before hitting the flames. Marvin caught the eye of his former friend, their face pleading under the shadow of their hood.

Marvin bared his teeth ferally, “Marvin the Magnificent doesn’t exist anymore! And if you continue to chase me, I’ll make you disappear too.”

Then, Marvin’s speech gets cut off as he’s suddenly grabbed from behind by his hood, dangling in the air like a kitten caught by its scruff.

“Okay hey now- enough of that!” A light voice seemed to joke, but he also had a type of power behind his charismatic tone.

One of the magicians gasped as they looked at the new figure. “J-Jackieboy Man!”

Marvin’s blood went cold and he paled. He… knew that name. It was one of the other figments Jack made. That- that hero guy. The first one.

Fucking shit! His heart was racing with panic- he didn’t want to be brought back to Jack! He was sure he’d gone way off the path of whatever joke Jack made him for. Going back… what if Jack decided he was too wild to keep around? Too dangerous?

He wouldn’t let himself fade- he wouldn’t become like Phantom!

Acting quickly, Marvin shifted into cat form and wriggled out of the hero’s grip. Jackieboy yelped and tried to grab the cat, only for Marvin to hiss and swat at his face, claws catching flesh. Jackieboy hissed through his teeth and stumbled back.

Marvin trembled back on shaky legs then ran as fast as those little legs could take him. He was bound to outrun the hero being this small!

Jackieboy shouted after him. “Hey wait!”

The shopping center they were running through was almost empty where he left the hero and magicians. But now the disguised figment could hear the roar of the crowd ahead. He surged forward as fast as he could, determined if he could reach them he could lose the hero for good.

But, he knew nothing of what Jack blessed the other figments with. With a burst of speed, Jackie had leaped into the air, then landed in front of Marvin, eyes glowing silver-blue.

The hero wiped at the blood on his face. “…that wasn’t very nice, you know.”

Marvin hissed, the card symbols on his forward glowing with magic. At this sight, Jackie’s eyes widened.

“Wait…! I… I know you- I’ve seen you! You’re… you’re one of us! …Marvin! Marvin, right?” The hero breathed, smiling brightly.

The cat trembled back and then shifted in a bit of light back into his human form. He glared at the hero and bared slightly fanged teeth. “…what of it? You here to turn me in?”

Jackieboy looked confused, “What? No! I mean- unless those magic guys were like… actually trying to arrest you for a crime…”

Marvin looked away, a distant flicker of guilt crossing his face.

The hero’s face fell. “…oh-“ He said quietly. But then he shook his head and tried to step forward, spreading out his hands. “But I mean… hey! We can… we can figure that out! It’s just… no one has heard hide or tail of you! You were all over the telly with your shows and then… you were just gone…”

Marvin looks at Jackieboy with a surprised expression, though he tried to keep himself guarded. … they… noticed that?

Jackie’s face creased in sympathy, “I don’t see Jack much… but I know he’s been worried. And- that means you haven’t even met the others yet! God dude… we’d all would love to meet you… we’ve heard so much about you! I used to watch your shows all the time!”

The magician-turned-thief’s guard lowered as he stared at Jackie in shock. Was… all of that true?

Though… new figments huh? His eyes darkened as he spat. “I see… Jack realized I was a failure and is already setting up replacements, Huh?”

The hero looked even more bewildered. “What?! No way that’s- that isn’t it at all! Dude, you needa take a massive chill pill!”

This made Marvin’s anger even stronger. Magic sparked around him as he growled out. “I can’t afford to ‘take a chill pill’! My life hasn’t been easy like yours, Hero! You have no idea what I’ve fucking been through, what darkness I’ve had to run from. Don’t you dare try to brush it off with your fucking jokes!”

There’s a beat of silence as Jackie just stares at Marvin.

“….damn- you’re like a massive edge lord-“ Jackie deadpans.

Marvin’s magic flickers for a second before coming back stronger. “What?! Did you- did you even listen to what I-?”

“Yeah- and it was like- straight out of the edge lord handbook, dude. Super cringe-“

The magician yells in rage and tries to throw a punch at Jackie. But, the hero just catches it and looks down at Marvin with a raised eyebrow. Marvin huffs and glares at Jackie, but he can easily see how exhausted this guy looks… and how scared.

Jackie laughs nervously and then lets Marvin go, anxiously messing with his hair. “Okay you’re right- not the time for jokes… just thought they’d- I dunno… help to make you a little less intense.”

Marvin’s lip rose in a tiny snarl, glaring daggers at the hero.

The red clad man sighs and rubs his neck. “Look- you’re right. I don’t know what you’ve been through. But… I do know- Jack wouldn’t want you out here… running and struggling to survive. And- I don’t want to see that either- I mean… in my head… all of us are pretty much… brothers, you know? I couldn’t let my lil bro suffer out here.”

Marvin felt his heart flutter, a warm feeling spreading. He tries to hide his surprise at Jackie’s gentleness.

But, the hero continues, attempting to step forward. “Listen man- whatever you’re going through… you don’t have to do it alone. It’s confusing and lonely out there- and… if you come with me- I can take you to see that you aren’t alone… all of us are dealing with being figments too.”

He slowly offered his hand to Marvin.

"Us figments gotta stick together, don't you think?" Jackie grinned down at him, his smile so kind it threatened to blind Marvin.

The magician looked at Jackie’s hand with hesitation. He’d been running for so long… could he actually have a second chance? A chance to try again…?

Eventually with a shaky hand, Marvin took Jackie’s. “…alright… I… I guess I can give it a shot.”

Jackie beamed so brightly he could rival the sun.

He quickly took the magician to meet the others. Their brothers, he told Marvin excitedly. Marvin frowned at the thought. He… never thought he could ever really have a family.

Though he wasn’t holding his breath- knowing Jack these guys could all be complete fucking weirdos.

And that was his first impression as he took in the ragtag group of Jack look-a likes, mingling around a cabin at the edge of the city’s limits.

Marvin’s eyes wandered to the sight of a yellow-green haired dude in a jinx hat, whooping and hollering as he managed to shoot a nerf dart into an open box of Lyons tea. He winced as he saw the man dab. …okay-

On the couch was a teal-haired man who looked like he stepped straight out of a silent movie, preened mustache and all. Oh- of course he was also looking at a pocket watch, checking the time. He looked up at Marvin’s arrival and cocked his head silently but waved exaggeratedly at the sight of Jackie behind him.

And in the corner at a desk was a man in a white doctor’s coat and mint green scrubs. His light green hair hung over his glasses as he studied a book, mumbling to himself in German.

…yup- bunch of fucking weirdos.

“Hey nerds!” Jackie called out, shocking Marvin out of his thoughts as the hero pressed the shorter ego tight to his side. “Look who I found! Marvin!!”

Jackie turned to Marvin and then gestured out, “Marvin! These are the Septic egos! That’s what Jack calls us instead of figments- cuz we’re like, alter-egos in a way! Cool, huh?”

Three pairs of identical colored eyes all look up at him and Marvin feels his insides squirming. He must look so rough- so different to how they pictured him. How Jack pictured him…

He waved nervously, attempting a smile. But, it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

The figment in the ball cap bounded up to Marvin with sparkling eyes and explosive energy right away. “Oh no way! Suh dude!! Super awesome to meet ya!” He pointed to himself with his thumb, “I’m Chase! Chase Brody! Though~ you might know me better from my YouTube channel, Bro Average!”

Marvin staggered back, overwhelmed by the energy. He blinked at Chase, “uh… n-no sorry… I uh…. haven’t had much of a chance to… browse the web lately.”

For a second, the bright ego’s expression seemed to fall. But it just as quickly lit back up as he laughed. “Not a problem, bro! Maybe sometime I can catch ya up! Over a good cup of Lyons~!”

The magician pondered this and then felt a reaction to the thought of tea. Something he hadn’t really thought of. “…mint.” He looked back at Chase and smiled shyly. “…I like uh… mint tea… so maybe over a cup of that…?”

Chase made a face close to a grimace. “Mint??” Marvin wanted to shrink back in shame. But then the youtuber chuckled and shrugged. “Hey, not my cuppa! But like- we can hang over whoever type of tea you want, my dude!” He grinned mischievously, “Hell, I can show you allll the pics I got of my kids!”

Marvin’s eyebrows rose. “…you’re a dad?”

“That’s- complicated,” Jackie coughed close to Marvin. He patted Chase on the shoulder quickly and tried to distract the younger ego. “Yo Chase, bet you can’t make a trickshot into that trash can!”

The father’s eyes lit up at the challenge. “Oh fuck yeah dude! you’re on!”

He quickly busies himself grabbing supplies and a camera to film his attempt.

Jackie gathers Marvin up lightly and whispers. “I’ll uh… catch you up on that. Sensitive subject.”

He leads Marvin over to the doctor. The light hit his glasses just right as he turned to set the book down and studied the new ego quietly. He then nods, “Ah yes- you are the uh… magic one. Do not expect me to believe any of that shit, okay?”

Marvin bristled like an angry cat. “What?”

The doctor smirked and pushed up his glasses, sitting taller and more refined. “I am a man of science, Mr. Kätzchen. So, your little voodoo shite will not work on zhe good doctor, Dr. Henrik von Schneeplestien, ja?”

The magician growled and looked ready to jump the doctor. Jackie quickly grabbed Marvin underneath his arms and scooped him up like he weighed nothing. He laughed nervously and carted Marvin away, “Okay! No more of that! Bye Schneep, love you!”

The doctor rolled his eyes and went back to his book and mumbled, chewing on his pen cap.

Marvin is plopped down in front of the last ego, the mustached gentleman. The small magician glared at Jackie, then turned to face the teal-haired ego.

He smiled brightly at Marvin and tipped his hat. Then a screen flickered into view in front of him, showing words like an old-timey silent film still. Marvin blinked in surprise. This one had magic too?

The screen read. “Hello, good chap! I’m Jameson Jackson! Ever so glad to make your acquaintance!”

Marvin found himself smiling, “Hey… that’s a pretty cool spell…” He then sits down on the couch next to Jameson and took off his hood. ”… think you can show me how you did it?” He smiled shyly at the other ego. But, Jameson’s smile could light up the whole room as he eagerly nodded.

And soon… Marvin became one of them. He found his brothers- and finally had people who could truly understand him.

Marvin felt himself relax as the memory faded. He let the darkness take him… he knew his brothers were safe now. They could figure out the rest without him…

---------------

The boys all watch in stunned disbelief as Marvin falls.

Jameson acts quick and throws out a hand, desperately mouthing, “NO!”

A wash of teal races across the room, freezing everything as if it was paused. The heart monitor stops, the zipping electricity of the broken computer stops mid arc, the doll that tumbled out of Marvin’s hand stops mid motion, core still lit with his magic.

The boys all rush in- not frozen by Jamie’s spell. Jackie crashes to Marvin’s side and picks him up. “No! No nono no! Marvin! C’mon Marvin t-this isn’t funny! Fuck! what did you do?!”

Marvin lays limp in Jackie’s arms, eyes milky and unseeing. His open mouth leaks black smoke like a dying campfire. His limbs are caught halfway in the act of disappearing, looking see through.

“H-He’s…!” Schneep whispers in fear.

“Fading.” Anti answers gravelly, trying to push himself up using the wall.

“What does that mean?! D-Does that mean he’s dying- he’s dead?!” Chase cries out in panic, “ A-Are we next? Is it too late?”

“I-I do not know…!” Henrik whimpers.

Jackie curls up over his baby brother and watches his tears fall on his slack face. He holds him tight, his body trembling. “I’m so sorry Marvin… I-I should’ve been there for you sooner…!” He hangs his head over him and breaks down.

Then, there’s a cough that interrupts their sorrows.

Anti had managed to glitch across the room and leans against Jack’s bed. He tiredly glares at the others. “...w-whatever Jameson just cast… it paused what Kit kat did… so he’s not gone yet.”

They all look to Jameson in slight disbelief and JJ looks confused as he nods to Anti.

Anti rolls his eyes and gestures at the gentleman. “... you still have that watch, don’t ya? … I think you know what to do.”

Jameson’s eyes widen and he fumbles into his pocket to fish out his pocket watch. He touches it lightly and then clicks it open. He feels the pulse of magic within its gears- and a power he hardly remembered he had comes flooding back to him. He looks at the others excitedly and hops a bit before starting to turn the pin back. As he does, his eyes flood with teal power.

And- the room starts to move in reverse.

The heart monitor beeps backwards, the doll rolls back into Marvin’s hands- the magician himself slumps back up- out of Jackie’s arms. The hero backs away in confusion and the others move to as to not impede the magician.

They see the life force spell work in reverse, hear him seemingly talking to himself, though they can’t understand what he’s saying. They watch as he rises from the ground and crawls backwards, away from Jack’s bed after reaching for it desperately.

It seems like Jamie is trying to reverse as much as he can- but he can’t reverse far enough to undo the livestream spell- or even stop Marvin’s corruption. The teal light flickers and then dies down right as Marvin hangs his head hopelessly, mumbling something to himself. Jameson suddenly looks white as a sheet as he pitches backwards, eyes rolling up in the back of his head.

The stopwatch’s pin clicks back into place on its own, restarting the flow of time.

The others can understand Marvin again- hear him whispering. “...i-i’m so sorry… Jackie… j-Jamie… Hen… C-chase… i… I never wanted to hurt you… I… I just wanted to keep us safe…”

He’s startled out of his thoughts by the sound of Jamie falling and his head snaps up, flicking a glowing hand out to stop Jameson before he falls completely to the ground.

“J-Jamie?!” Marvin whispers in disbelief. He then takes in the others and his jaw drops. “Y-You guys?! How did you…? How did you get here?!”

The quiet sound of glitches sounds off behind them- Anti disappearing back into Jack’s head before Marvin notices him.

Chase smiles with tears in his eyes, laughing quietly. “I don’t think you’d believe us bro…!”

Jackie looks ready to tackle Marvin, looking relieved. “We’re just so glad you’re okay-!” The hero says, opening up his arms.

Marvin startles back and seems to trip over himself, lightly dropping Jamie to the floor and out of his magic as he holds out a hand towards Jackie. “N-No! D-don’t come near me..!”

He’s met with confused faces and Marvin swallows shakily as he tries to explain. “S-Something bad is happening…! I-Inside me- something is trying to t-take my body and I… I don’t want it to hurt you…!”

“The black magic inside you… right?” Henrik asks quietly.

Marvin looks surprised and almost dumbfounded. “Uh… y-yeah… I think so? H-How did you…?”

A hand grabs onto his pant leg and Marvin panics for a second before realizing its… it’s Jameson.

The gentleman pushes himself up but it looks like he’s hardly holding on. Still, he shakily pulls something out of his vest and hands it to Marvin. It’s an ornate blue hand mirror… so delicate it looks like it’s made of ice.

Marvin takes it with knit eyebrows, studying the surface. “Jays… what is this?”

Jameson smiles and shakily signs to Marvin, “Dark, trap.” He then gently touches over his heart.

Marvin looks more confused but looks back to study the mirror. Did… Jamie find a way to trap all this dark magic…? It… it was worth a shot, wasn’t it?

The magician breathes in and then tries to touch the mirror's surface. But- then his other hand lashes out and grabs his wrist, dropping the mirror.

Marvin’s eyes flare purple as a darker version of his voice snarls through his lips. “ℕ𝕠! 𝕀 𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕝𝕖𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕨𝕖𝕒𝕜𝕖𝕟 𝕦𝕤 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕡𝕒𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕥𝕚𝕔 𝕓𝕣𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕤! 𝕎𝕖 𝕕𝕠𝕟’𝕥 𝕟𝕖𝕖𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕞!” Blue flickers back in his irises and Marvin panics, trying to fight back for control. “N-No stop it! I…I don’t want this power anymore…! I-I want to be good…!”

He looks back at the others desperately- but Jamie redirects his attention and smiles warmly, signing, “Your light is strong Marvin, you are good! Just believe in it, like we all believe in you!” The other boys cheer and smile, agreeing with Jamie.

Magic still flickers in Marvin’s eyes, tears threatening to cloud his vision. But, he tries to hold onto Jamie’s advice… imagining the light within him.

The voice seems to shriek as Marvin pushes back some of its control- just enough to grab the mirror again and touch the surface, finding the runes of the spell. He acts quickly, reciting it as fast as he can.

Each word he stumbles over makes him wince, white light cracking in the purple veins on his skin. Still he keeps going- even though it hurts. The purple magic seems fo be bubbling up to the surface, pushed out by the light. As Marvin recites the last word of power, he suddenly screams, his arms falling back as something seems to burst from his chest. No actually- it’s like the dark magic is peeling off of him- and slowly… it seems to make a perfect copy of the magician, one made of pulsing black and purple shadow with piercing purple eyes.

Marvin almost collapses into the ground, gasping. He looks more like himself again- though his hair is still long and brown, matching the dark copy. As he looks down at himself he realizes… he’s not in the clothes he was just wearing- no the copy has those. He’s in… the outfit he was born in. His canon outfit. It’s been so long since he’s seen it but… it brings him a sense of comfort, even if it's just for a moment. His eyes shine with that familiar bright blue, an echo of Jack. Though the corruption still marks his skin like scars, they look far more faint now. He threatens to sway but Jameson catches him and keeps him steady. The pale magician looks up at the shadowy figure and feels his stomach drop. “T-That was inside me??”

The shadow bares its teeth at Marvin. “ℕ𝕠, 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕠𝕟! 𝕀 𝕒𝕞 𝕪𝕠𝕦.”

“Bullshit!” Jackie spits at the copy, eyes flaring with blue silver magic.

The copy chuckles and addresses the red clad man, cocking its head with a smooth motion. “𝕐𝕠𝕦 𝕤𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕪 𝕨𝕒𝕥𝕔𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕞𝕠𝕦𝕥𝕙 𝕠𝕗 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕤 𝕓𝕖𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕤𝕡𝕖𝕒𝕜, 𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕠. 𝕐𝕠𝕦 𝕛𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝕞𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝕗𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕖𝕞𝕡𝕥𝕪 𝕙𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕤𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕦𝕤𝕖𝕗𝕦𝕝, 𝕚𝕟𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕠𝕗 𝕛𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝕙𝕠𝕥 𝕒𝕚𝕣~!”

Chase has to hold back Jackie from lunging at the shadow.

It laughs and shakes his head, spreading out its hands. “𝔸𝕤 𝕀 𝕨𝕒𝕤 𝕤𝕒𝕪𝕚𝕟𝕘- 𝕀 𝕒𝕞 𝕄𝕒𝕣𝕧𝕚𝕟. 𝕀 𝕒𝕞 𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕕𝕒𝕣𝕜 𝕕𝕖𝕤𝕚𝕣𝕖𝕤, 𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕣𝕒𝕘𝕖, 𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕨𝕒𝕟𝕥 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕘𝕖, 𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕥 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕜𝕟𝕠𝕨𝕝𝕖𝕕𝕘𝕖.” It hums and snaps, bringing something out of Marvin’s pocket that shoots into his hand. A book with a cover blacker than black with purple trim.

“…𝕀 𝕘𝕦𝕖𝕤𝕤 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕤𝕒𝕪… 𝕀’𝕞 𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕔𝕦𝕣𝕚𝕠𝕤𝕚𝕥𝕪~!”

“Well… curiosity killed the cat-“ Henrik mutters.

“ℕ𝕠𝕥 𝕪𝕖𝕥 𝕀 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖𝕟’𝕥~!” The shadow laughs, turning back to Marvin. It lifts up its hand and Marvin is brought up in a bubble of purple magic, clawing at his neck like he can’t breathe.

The others all jump to their feet- trying to figure out how to help. But as Jackie tries to charge at the shadow, he’s suddenly blown back by a giant arc of purple electricity. He slides across the floor, dazed, things in his backpack flying across the floor. He groggily sees the white of Marvin’s old mask in front of him.

Phantom’s words echo in his head: “You know… there’s one thing I know about light magic… why you heroes and goody-two-shoes always best us in the end.” “...it’s your ability to be positive. To believe in each other. To have things and memories that… keep the darkness away. ...perhaps that can help you.”

Jackie looks to make sure the shadow isn’t looking before taking the mask and studying it. He narrows his eyes and then turns it over, finding a message written in blue ink.

It’s… some kind of spell. A couple runes follow after the message of “For the grey days.”

Grey days… Jackie remembers Marvin would often have days where his confidence was shot, the days he needed kind words and encouragement. He called them grey days. He used to rub the inside of his mask when he was anxious, saying it had its own kind of magic in it.

Jackie knows he’s no magician… he barely understands how his powers work, let alone Marvin’s. But, this mask was from when he was first born… maybe-

He copies the gesture he’s seen Marvin do a thousand times- and the runes on the mask glow a light blue.

Jackie’s eyes snap back to his brother squirming in the shadow’s grip.

The shadow laughs cruelly, increasing the pressure. The book it stole back hovers next to it in a purple glow, staying close to its side. “𝕀’𝕞 ��𝕠𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕠 𝕘𝕖𝕥 𝕣𝕚𝕕 𝕠𝕗 𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕨𝕖𝕒𝕜𝕟𝕖𝕤𝕤 𝕄𝕒𝕣𝕧𝕚𝕟- 𝕓𝕪 𝕘𝕖𝕥𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕣𝕚𝕕 𝕠𝕗 𝕪𝕠𝕦! 𝕐𝕠𝕦 𝕔𝕒𝕟’𝕥 𝕨𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤- 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕝𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝕚𝕤𝕟’𝕥 𝕤𝕥𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕘 𝕖𝕟𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙! 𝔸𝕟𝕕 𝕟𝕠 𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕨𝕒𝕟𝕥𝕤 𝕒 𝕨𝕖𝕒𝕜 𝕝𝕠𝕤𝕥 𝕞𝕒𝕘𝕚𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕟 𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕒𝕟𝕪𝕨𝕒𝕪𝕤! 𝕐𝕠𝕦 𝕕𝕠𝕟’𝕥 𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕟 𝕜𝕟𝕠𝕨 𝕨𝕙𝕠 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕒𝕣𝕖!”

Marvin chokes on a sob, his eyes threatening to get taken over by purple again. The shadow pushes into his face, grinning wolfishly as it whispers. “𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕗𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕠𝕞 𝕕𝕠𝕖𝕤𝕟’𝕥 𝕨𝕒𝕟𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦… 𝕁𝕒𝕔𝕜 𝕕𝕠𝕖𝕤𝕟’𝕥 𝕨𝕒𝕟𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦…! 𝕐𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕓𝕣𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕕𝕠𝕟’𝕥-!”

“You’re wrong!” Jackie shouts, using his power to send out a blast with his voice, monetarily throwing off the shadow as it loosens some of its grip on Marvin. Marvin looks back at Jackie with tears running down his face, looking lost.

“You say he doesn’t know who he is? Well I know!” Jackie says proudly, “He’s a big cry baby! He cries at Disney movies! He’s spent so much of his life afraid and scared but… he has come out better- despite everything he’s been through!” Jackie looks and meets Marvin’s eyes, pride beaming up within him as he smiles softly.``…he’s my baby brother… and I love him.”

Marvin sniffles, his eyes filling with more tears as his lip quivers. The shadow seems to roll its eyes at Jackie,“…𝕕𝕚𝕕 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕖𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕤𝕡𝕖𝕖𝕔𝕙 𝕥𝕠 𝕕𝕠 𝕒𝕟𝕪𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘, 𝕠𝕣?”

The hero does seem to hesitate for a second- just enough to look back down at the mask he’s holding. His eyes widen slightly as he sees red energy blooming on the white surface. He then grins and looks smugly back at the shadow.

“You know, for a copy of Marvin- you are forgetting a very powerful magic we all have!”

The shadow looks confused, raising an eyebrow as its eyes display a quiet bit of hunger.

The hero beams, bright as a sun as he shouts, “The power of PMA! Nothing can keep us all down- because we have each other! And I believe in Marvin’s ability to kick your sorry shadow-y ass!”

The mask glows more, and Jackie looks to the other egos, sharing a look that says ‘follow my lead and trust me.’ He holds up the mask, making sure to flash the energy growing on it. Slowly, they all smile and nod.

The copy bares its teeth in anger and shoots out magic towards the hero, a tendril of dark magic lashing out… and then spearing Jackie straight through the stomach.

“NO!” Marvin screams, trying to get out of the shadow’s grasp better, clawing at its magic.

“𝕐𝕠𝕦’𝕧𝕖 𝕕𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕞𝕖 𝕝𝕠𝕟𝕘 𝕖𝕟𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙, 𝕁𝕒𝕔𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕓𝕠𝕪. 𝕐𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕡𝕣𝕖𝕥𝕥𝕪 𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕥𝕝𝕖 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕕𝕤 𝕨𝕠𝕟’𝕥 𝕤𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕙𝕚𝕞- 𝕠𝕣 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕤𝕖𝕝𝕗~!” It laughs cruelly, squeezing Marvin’s throat tighter.

Jackie halts his momentum using his feet to skid against the floor. He wheezes in pain and coughs up some blood, but he smiles. Even as dark veins start to crawl up where the magic hit. He looks up with blue glowing eyes as he smirks. “You won’t kill us- you need M-Marvin alive…!”

“𝕋𝕣𝕦𝕖- 𝕓𝕦𝕥 𝕀 𝕔𝕒𝕟 𝕥𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕝𝕠𝕟𝕘 𝕖𝕟𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙 𝕥𝕠 𝕜𝕖𝕖𝕡 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝕞𝕪 𝕨𝕒𝕪-!” The shadow smirks knowingly, “I𝕀 𝕜𝕟𝕠𝕨 𝕙𝕠𝕨 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕗𝕚𝕘𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕤 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕜. 𝕄𝕒𝕣𝕧𝕚𝕟 𝕜𝕟𝕠𝕨𝕤 𝕓𝕖𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕟 𝕒𝕟𝕪𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕒𝕗𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕨𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕡𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕕 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 ℙ𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕥𝕠𝕞! 𝔸𝕤 𝕝𝕠𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕤 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 ‘𝕔𝕠𝕣𝕖’ 𝕚𝕤 𝕚𝕟𝕥𝕒𝕔𝕥 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕖𝕟𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙 𝕒𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟, 𝕪𝕠𝕦’𝕝𝕝 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕖 𝕓𝕒𝕔𝕜. 𝕎𝕖𝕝𝕝… 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕚𝕤- 𝕚𝕗 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕟 𝕨𝕒𝕟𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕖 𝕓𝕒𝕔𝕜~”

The copy looks over to Chase and seems to smirk, making the father shiver, the scar on his temple aching.

“W-What?!” Henrik gasps out, looking at the shadow with wide eyes. “What do you mean we can just… die? Die and… and reform??”

“Yeah what are we, Crystal gems?” Chase mutters.

The shadow looks confused and throws back its head and laughs. “𝕆𝕙𝕙𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥’𝕤 𝕣𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥! 𝕐𝕠𝕦 𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖𝕟’𝕥 𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕟 𝕤𝕖𝕖𝕟 𝕒 𝕗𝕚𝕘𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕗𝕒𝕕𝕖! ℍ𝕒 𝕙𝕒! 𝔸𝕟𝕕 𝕪𝕠𝕦’𝕣𝕖 𝕒 𝕕𝕠𝕔𝕥𝕠𝕣, 𝕊𝕔𝕙𝕟𝕖𝕖𝕡! 𝔸𝕝𝕨𝕒𝕪𝕤 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕤𝕠 𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕕 𝕥𝕠 𝕜𝕖𝕖𝕡 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕞 𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕧𝕖… 𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕕 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕜 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕟𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘!”

Henrik pales, a look of confusion and uncertainty crashing against his mind.

“𝔽𝕦𝕟𝕟𝕪…” The shadow continues, “𝕀 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝕄𝕒𝕣𝕧𝕚𝕟 𝕨𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕥𝕠𝕝𝕕 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕪 𝕜𝕖𝕪 𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕓𝕖𝕚𝕟𝕘!”

Marvin clenches his eyes shut, “I… I didn’t like t-thinking about it…! I just- I did everything to make sure they never would!” The magician admits through tears.

“𝕄𝕙𝕞… 𝕨𝕖𝕝𝕡! ℕ𝕠𝕨 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕔𝕒𝕟 𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕤𝕖𝕖 𝕚𝕥 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕝!” The shadow explains with a showman-like flare, much like how Marvin would address his crowds.

It then clenches its fist and the tendril still in Jackie rips upwards, making the hero scream in pain and get lifted off his feet.

“𝔸𝕟𝕕 𝕞𝕪 𝕞𝕒𝕘𝕚𝕔 𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕞𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕤𝕦𝕣𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕕𝕚𝕖 𝕢𝕦𝕚𝕔𝕜𝕝𝕪 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕡𝕒𝕚𝕟𝕗𝕦𝕝𝕝𝕪~! 𝕐𝕠𝕦 𝕨𝕠𝕟’𝕥 𝕣𝕖𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕞 𝕢𝕦𝕚𝕔𝕜 𝕖𝕟𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙 𝕥𝕠 𝕤𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕡𝕒𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕥𝕚𝕔 𝕓𝕒𝕓𝕪 𝕓𝕣𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣!” The dark copy giggles, eyes bright with madness.

Jackie’s body ripples and for a second seems to flicker, like he could fade out of existence. But Jackie grits his teeth with determination. He shakes as he grips onto the tendril and Marvin’s old mask. His vision blurs. He needs to act fast…

He pushes down the dread pooling in his stomach, his fear. He believes in Marvin… He throws the mask towards Chase, “Chase! Catch!”

Chase startles and fumbles to catch it but just manages to. He looks at it with wide eyes.

Jackie smiles and then slumps in the tendrils hold, breathing heavily and raggedly as branches of corruption eat up his skin. Then, the hero falls very very still.

The shadow whips to look at the mask flying in confusion. “𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕗𝕦𝕔𝕜 𝕚𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥?!” Its eyes land on Chase then it thrusts out a hand to hover a tendril just against his neck. Ready to pierce it. It narrows its eyes as it growls. “ℂ𝕠𝕟𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕦𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕟𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕖𝕟𝕤𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕪𝕠𝕦’𝕝𝕝 𝕕𝕚𝕖 𝕒𝕤 𝕨𝕖𝕝𝕝, 𝔹𝕣𝕠𝕕𝕪.”

Chase looks terrified- but then he sees the brave body of Jackie… and similar determination flares in his eyes. He stands tall, gripping the mask as he shouts out. “I-I’m not afraid to die!” He then hesitates and adds on.

“…no actually I… I am afraid of dying now…” He laughs quietly with a distant look in his eyes. Funny…. He never thought he could think something like that.

“because I…. I have something to live for again! Because… because of… of my brothers.”

He looks to meet Marvin’s eyes as the older brother looks at him with fear and concern. He tries to shake his head at him, encouraging him to stop this. But Chase just smiles.

“…and especially cuz of Marv. He… he helps me to be a better dad… he cares for my kids, he helped me to find my confidence again. He… he makes me want to keep trying, to keep living.”

A tear falls down the father’s face but he laughs at the shadow as the mask starts to branch more with light, orange joining red. “And now… I know I can come back! So… do your fucking worse, ya cheap knockoff! I’m not letting you take my big bro away from us!”

Marvin chokes on a sob, trying to reach out for Chase. Just as the shadow growls and whips the tendril to spear itself higher, through the side of Chase’s head. Chase doesn’t even get a chance to scream- his body immediately falling limp and hanging grotesquely in the tendril’s hold, dangling like Jackie’s. His head lolls lifelessly back, staring wide eyed and blankly at the ceiling. The magic eats away at him like rot.

The mask slips from Chase’s fingers and falls to the ground dully. Schneep hesitates, looking beyond terrified. But he sees a flick of black magic and he quickly crashes to the ground to swipe it before the shadow can grab it. The copy screams in frustration, acting already in anger and spearing into Henrik like the others, straight into his chest.

“NO NO STOP IT!!” Marvin screams, thrashing in the shadow’s grip. “I-I’m not worth this! STOP!”

Then, Henrik seems to laugh as he coughs up what looks like black sludge. He stubbornly has managed to hold onto the mask, even as his hand shakes. He claws to grip at the magic better, trying to stay awake. The magic burns, making it hard to think. He looks scared as he gazes back at Marvin but he also smiles warmly, despite the dark veins crawling scarily fast across his skin.

“Shut up, Marvin… e-even if you and I have not gotten along before… even if I do not get your magic and you do not get my science…! You are… so passionate and determined and…”

He shuts his eyes as the words struggle to come, a wave of pain rushing over him. But he then opens tearful eyes to meet Marvin’s as he chuckles quietly. “I… I want to share that… I want to study and learn with you…! I want to understand my big brother better!” His eyes flare with determination as he grips tighter onto the mask, greenish white light joining the red and orange. “So… y-you must live, Marvin…! You have to win!”

For some reason, whenever the Septics start to talk to Marvin, the shadow also seems to freeze, held in whatever power this is. Much to its anger. The second Henrik stops, it rips another tendril messily through his neck and throws him down, growling darkly. “𝕊𝕥𝕠𝕡 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕤𝕖 𝕚𝕕𝕚𝕠𝕥𝕚𝕔 𝕤𝕡𝕖𝕖𝕔𝕙𝕖𝕤! 𝕐𝕠𝕦 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕕𝕠𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕟𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘!” But it almost sounded… afraid, under all that anger.

The mask flies out of Henrik’s limp hand as he crumbles to the ground, blood pooling around him as he struggles to take in any full breaths, faint gurgling bubbling from his throat. Then… his gaze turns cloudy and unseeing, his chest no longer rising.

The mask spins and then manages to hit Jameson’s foot, the youngest septic looking at his defeated brothers in horror.

The shadow sees this and then throws its head back to laugh. “𝕎𝕖𝕝𝕝 𝕒𝕥 𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕤𝕥 𝕚𝕥 𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕤 𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖! 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕦𝕤𝕖𝕝𝕖𝕤𝕤 𝕗𝕦𝕔𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕞𝕦𝕥𝕖 𝕔𝕒𝕟’𝕥 𝕤𝕒𝕪 𝕒𝕟𝕪 𝕗𝕝𝕠𝕨𝕖𝕣𝕪 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕕𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕒𝕘𝕖𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕟𝕠𝕨 𝕔𝕒𝕟 𝕙𝕖?”

A tendril comes out and wraps around Marvin’s teary eyes, blocking off his view. Marvin whimpers and shakes, muttering out apologizes… to Jamie, to the others.

Jameson’s eyes glow teal with anger at the shadow’s taunts. He picks up the mask and stands tall, despite his fatigue. If this was to be his last stand, he’d give it everything he’s got.

There’s an almost painful spear of foreign magic in Marvin’s head- that gets echoed in the shadow’s as it shouts out in pain. Jameson’s voice is clear in their heads- just like when he broke through to Marvin during the livestream.

“Marvin, you are brave and you are strong… even though you have felt so lost for so long- you never stopped trying. Despite our lack of direction from Jack… you haven’t stopped trying to write your own story.

No one else knows how sad our stories will be. I don’t want this to become another tragedy! So, let’s rewrite this dark tale, and become more than we were forced to be, Marvin! We are by your side… and always will be.

You have not, and will never be, alone.”

Marvin sobs loudly, a mix of being overwhelmingly touched and heart-broken. Because he knows now what’ll happen next. “No… p-please…!”

Teal light joins the other colors, creating an intricate beautiful pattern across the white mask, imitating celtic knots. Jameson’s eyes widened and he smiled wide, ready to try to throw it to Marvin.

As soon as he lifted up his hand, the tendril came and speared through Jameson’s heart. He choked and the mask fell, clattering to the floor. The black magic made quick work of the tiny ego, the darkness rushing to consume him before he could even take another ragged breath. Then, the gentleman fell, limp like a puppet without its strings. The shadow made sure Marvin could see it all happen, dropping the tendril that blinded him.

Marvin felt frozen, his breath stolen as he takes in the destroyed bodies of his brothers, some of them looking like they were starting to disappear. But, instead of hopelessness… righteous fury burned hot in his chest, spreading throughout his whole body. He could hardly hear the shadow as it tried to taunt him, break him down even more. His brothers’ voices rang louder and truer in his head now, strong and solid against the whispered corruption.

Summoning any magic he could possibly have left, Marvin shot out a hand and in a quick burst of telekinesis, grabbed the glowing mask. It flew by too fast for the copy to stop and Marvin caught it expertly in his outstretched hand.

A burst of light rocketed out of him as he caught it, blasting the shadow apart. But only for a moment as it reformed a few meters back. Any tendrils still stuck in the boys burst into shards, dropping their bodies into still heaps. It growled angrily and glared at the forming sun spot that was his host. “𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕙𝕖𝕝𝕝?!”

Marvin slowly looked at his body as it glowed brightly and then at the mask. He followed his usual gesture against the back and smiled, feeling that positive energy fueling him even more. When he looked up at the shadow, he looked confident, as the light that danced on the mask's surface marbled in his eyes alongside his strong green-blue magic.

Then, two fiery wings of light unfurled from his back, power radiating from him like…

Like a Phoenix.

But his wings, shimmering brightly with light, aren’t the color you’d normally associate with the mythical bird. No, they burn with flickers of green and blue fire.

The shadow for a second actually seems scared, scrambling back. He tried to redirect his magic to find the book- maybe he can get another boost to combat this-! But, his magic doesn’t respond.

Because the book is stuck floating in a teal bubble of magic. Jameson’s last stand.

The dark copy screams in rage, purple electricity radiating off him in dangerous arcs.

But, Marvin steps forward, anger burning in his eyes. Light branches from his footsteps as he walks, covering up parts of the room that was charred by corruption. And white glowing tears are falling down his face, despite his furious expression.

The tears seem to float in the air after him, some lingering like stardust, some hovering then darting to sink into the bodies of the fallen septics. Their wounds fill with light, then start to close. They start to become solid again. They start to breathe.

“All this time… you tried to make me feel like I was alone.” Marvin spoke quietly, but his voice echoed almost ethereally. “That no one cared for me, that my creator had abandoned me, that I was doomed to keep running forever…

You made me think I was forging my own path! That I was rewriting my story… but no- I just fell into more fucking puppet strings! From one puppet master to another…”

He grips the mask at his side and grits his teeth. “You made me forget that I had my family! That I had people who could help me! Because you know deep down… that’s a magic that you can’t possibly control.”

The shadow trembles back, “𝕋-𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕚𝕤 𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕦𝕤𝕖𝕝𝕖𝕤𝕤! 𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕤𝕖 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕛𝕦𝕤𝕥- 𝕙𝕦𝕞𝕒𝕟 𝕖𝕞𝕠𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤- 𝕒𝕥𝕥𝕒𝕔𝕙𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕤! 𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕪 𝕞𝕖𝕒𝕟 𝕟𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘-!”

“They mean everything!” Marvin yells, wings flaring out. “I would still be lost and scared, convinced I was a killer until Jackie found me! Convinced I could never be enough… for Jack, for myself… for… anyone. Until they all took me in… and showed me what love actually feels like.

Though I guess… you can’t feel that can you?” He sneers down at the trembling mass of darkness.

The shadow glares at Marvin and then chuckles darkly. “𝕐𝕠𝕦 𝕔𝕒𝕟’𝕥 𝕜𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕞𝕖, 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕜𝕟𝕠𝕨. 𝕀’𝕞 𝕒 𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝕪𝕠𝕦- 𝕀’𝕞 𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕤𝕠𝕦𝕝. 𝕎𝕙𝕖𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕨𝕒𝕟𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝕒𝕕𝕞𝕚𝕥 𝕚𝕥 𝕠𝕣 𝕟𝕠𝕥.”

Marvin’s expression softens slightly, almost turning empathetic. “…you said you were my darkness, right? …as much as I want to deny you- to forget you exist… I can’t. You’re right, you’re a part of me.”

He glances down at the floor, catching a glimpse of the mirror. An idea sparked in his head.

The Phoenix ego glared at the shadow as he adjusted the glowing mask to sit on his face. The flames on his wings glowed with his brothers’ colors.

“But that part of me… isn’t who I want to be anymore. I… I don’t want to rely on anger and despair anymore! And I’m sick of things like you trying to tell me who I am!”

Without even flicking his hand, the mirror flew up into his palm where he gripped it right.

He stepped forward again and the shadow trembled back.

“I’m sick of Jack, sick of the fandom, sick of fucking puppet masters trying to make me something I’m not! I’m going to figure that out on my own… from the ashes of all the shit you’ve put me through!”

“𝕄-𝕄𝕒𝕣𝕧𝕚𝕟 𝕔’𝕞𝕠𝕟!” The shadow tries to plead, nervously smiling. “𝕐𝕠𝕦 𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕠𝕕 𝕨𝕙𝕪 𝕀 𝕕𝕚𝕕 𝕨𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕨𝕖 𝕕𝕚𝕕! 𝕐𝕠𝕦 𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕𝕟’𝕥 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕕𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕪 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕥-“

“I never needed you! I never wanted you! All this time! No one has given a fucking damn about what I want! How I wanted to do things! Who I want to be!”

His eyes filled completely with rainbow light as he stood proud and tall, the mirror vibrating with power at his side.

“I’m fucking Marvin the Magnificent! I’m my own fucking person- and you-!”

He holds out the mirror, showing the dark copy his own terrified reflection.

“You are nothing more than a reflection of something I will never be!”

He channeled magic into the mirror and it shot off a beam of hot burning light. The shadow shouted out and turned into a wisp to dodge before reforming shakily.

Marvin shouts in rage and blasts out bright magic fire at the creature. It hisses and screeches in pain as the magic singes it, carving holes in its form like acid burning through wood.

The shadow seems weaker, focusing on the searing pain in its body. It doesn’t see the flaming form barrel into it and slam it into the floor. Marvin growls as he pushes the mirror against the shadow. They struggle- parts of the shadow’s body being pulled towards the mirror.

Then, with a feral scream and a burst of magic, a ring of white overtaking a weak purple ring- the two figures are blasted apart.

The mirror drops with a tinny ring as it hits the ground. A black shadowy figure pounds against the glass inside- but no one can hear its screams.

The septics all start to rise, blinking out in confusion to the lingering magic in the air, floating and falling like ethereal fireflies.

Chase panics and touches where his wounds were then sighs in relief, slumping to the floor in an almost comical way.

Jameson pushes himself up, expecting to still feel weak but- he feels… fine? Great, even! He looks to see if that damned book was still trapped- and then gasps at seeing it on the ground as bright magic fire lapped at its contents.

Henrik is looking down at his body in marveled awe, shakily touching a hand to the faint scars around his neck.

Jackie recovers and shakes out his confusion, gripping over his chest as he confirms he’s okay. Only to pale as he sees the other side of the room.

“Marvin!”

The final blast had shot Marvin back. His body left skid marks on the floor- the path of his wings marked on the ground. The only evidence they were ever there. The light on his white mask pulses softly then fades altogether.

But the passed out magician looks… peaceful. Despite his still beaten and black-magic-scarred body. Next to his limp hand- by some miracle… is Jack’s doll.

———

Marvin opens his eyes to see he’s… not in the waking world. That’s really the only way to describe this feeling. It felt like… something in the mind, like when you’re concentrating on a thought and trying to visualize it. He seemed to be floating in a void of constantly shifting colors. But one color was more consistent than the others- veining, pulsing cracks of purple. Marvin winced at the sight.

“…alright- love how things just keep getting weirder-“ The magician mumbles to himself.

Then, Marvin’s ears twitched a bit as he sensed another presence near him. He blinked, then turned to look behind him.

And saw… Jack. Smiling warmly at him. The creator waved.

“… Hi, Marvin.”

Marvin didn’t know why tears were almost immediately in his eyes. Why he surged forward, why he wrapped his arms around the other brunette, why he dug his face in his shoulder, clutched at the back of his shirt and started crying like a baby.

“J-Jack…! Jack I- I-I…!” He choked on a sob and gasped desperate breaths before breaking down, howling. “I’m so sorry! I’m sorry- I’m so fucking sorry!!!”

“Hey…” The creator’s voice is gentle. “It’s okay… it’s all gonna be okay….”

Marvin shifts to hide his face more, biting out, “But I…! I helped to put you in a fucking coma….! I hurt you- I tried to hurt the others…! I…!”

He then pushes himself away from the youtuber and goes to hold his arms against him, trembling. He looks down at his scarred hands and then clenches them with a choked whimper. He meets Jack’s eyes and shakes his head slowly.

“Jack I… I’m dangerous…”

Jack tilts his head. “So is Anti. And Jackie- and hell any of the others could be too. Have you seen Jameson with a knife? Kid could be fucking brutal.”

Marvin shakes his head more, insisting. “Jack, I almost killed you! I… I’m too unstable I- I’m not sure if…” He looks down and then clenches his arm, biting back more tears.

“… I’m not getting rid of you, Marvin.” Jack quietly reassured. “ ‘fraid you’re stuck with all of us.” He tries to laugh, desperately trying to lighten the mood.

It doesn’t work on Marvin. He can’t look back at Jack as he mutters. “…you never meant to make me… all I’ve done is caused problems…”

“That’s not true,” Jack presses, trying to bridge the gap between them. “To be honest… a lot of you I didn’t mean to make! It just… happened.” He then smiles brightly, looking like the sun. Guess that’s where Jackie gets it from. “But…. Believe me, I wouldn’t change any of that. I’m glad I made you all. And I love you, just as much as I love the others.”

Marvin hesitates then looks back up to catch Jack’s smile. It’s… infectious, and Marvin can’t help but try to smile weakly back.

But it very quickly falls as Marvin mutters.

“…I didn’t want to hurt anyone.”

“I know you didn’t, Marvin.”

“I didn’t want to drag the others into this…! I just… I wanted them to be safe-“

“…I know.” For a second, Jack seemed to look… almost guilty. Like that was his fault.

Marvin shuts his eyes then cries out, “then why!? If you know this about me- why did any of this happen? Shouldn’t you have been able to stop it? Rewrite things?? Why did Anti target me? Why did this magic consume me? Why am I so easily changeable?”

For once, Jack is quiet. He seems to be thinking of how to respond as Marvin pants to catch his breath.

Finally, Jack speaks up.

“…because I’m not like Anti. Or the people who hurt you. I don’t want to control you… I want you to still figure out who you are, without needing me.”

Marvin’s eyes widened. Jack met his with steely determination.

“… me and Anti. We are connected- but we are not the same. Two sides of the same coin… but that means- I’m not a puppet master, like he is.

And this isn’t all me… sometimes the fans are just- curious. But… that doesn’t mean you can’t make your own choices. Before all this… you kept letting others decide for you. And even if it’s true that I didn’t put much thought in you at first… you have so much potential, Marvin. And I can’t wait to see where your story takes you. Eventually, I might have a hand in it again… but until then, it seems like you have a lot you gotta learn about yourself, Phoenix guy.” Jack smirked.

“But- when the story does continue- believe me, it’s gonna be one hell of a collab!”

Marvin slowly started to smile, finally feeling warmth bloom back in his chest.

He sighs and then looks at the purple magic around them. He looks down in his hand- and seems to find that doll again. He looks back up to Jack with glowing eyes, smiling with determination.

“You know what? … I think I actually like the sound of that. Let’s get you the hell out of here!”

Marvin then closed his eyes and curled both his hands around the doll. His body started to glow with blue-green magic, white stardust shimmering inside it as well. That same light started to bloom on the purple veins, eating up the magic and making it disappear.

Jack laughed in disbelief as he watched. The egos would always amaze him in ways he never even expected…

For a second- everything seems alright- it seems like Jack could actually wake up as all the purple fades completely.

But then, Marvin shouts out and curls up in pain, gripping at either side of his head.

Jack lashed out, trying to reach him. “Marvin! What’s wrong?”

Marvin looked back up to Jack with glowing green eyes, his sclera black, just as the void around them turned dark and started to glitch.

Familiar terrifying laughter echoed around the space as the veins Marvin just destroyed bloomed back, but this time pulsing with sickly green light.

“F-Fucking ANTI!!” Marvin screamed, digging fingers into his scalp. He meets Jack’s eyes with desperation, “I… I undid my spell! But it seems like he- he took it over…!”

But, Jack doesn’t seem surprised by this. He smiles sadly.

“Yeah… I guess that figures.”

Marvin shouts as his body starts to glitch and then flickers in and out like he could disappear.

He reaches a hand back out towards Jack, sobbing out. Something is pulling him back from reaching him, even as he fights desperately to get back to him. “Jack! I… I promise! We’ll find a way to save you…!”

Jack smiles a bit more and nods.

“…I know you will.” His voice echoed, a slight finality in it that left Marvin’s chest aching.

Then, the space floods with darkness, growing like ink overtaking water as glitching laughter continues to echo in their ears. Swallowing the light completely.

——

Marvin’s eyelids fluttered. He groaned lightly and then blearily looked out. He saw four very concerned faces leaning over him. But the sight of them filled his whole body with relief.

The magician sunk more against Jackie, who had him propped up on his knee. “Y…you guys are s..safe…” he quietly slurred.

Jackie smiled. “Yeah… all thanks to you, baby bro.”

“Dude! That must have been one hell of a fight!” Chase exclaimed excitedly, his eyes practically sparkling. “The marks on the floor made it look like you had like- fucking wings or something!”

Marvin chuckled weakly. “I uh… I did, actually.”

“No fucking way??!!”

The others laughed at Chase’s reaction.

“…you must be very tired, Bruderherz,” Schneep commented gently. “We should probably get you checked at the hospital…”

Jameson nodded and added in sign, “yes! Magic exhaustion is no joke!”

Marvin nodded absentmindedly, turning his head to look towards the other side of the room. Where Jack lay sleeping.

The room fell quiet for a couple painful beats.

“…do you think Jack will wake up…? Now that all of this is over?” Chase asked quietly.

Marvin closed his eyes with a grimace and then slowly shook his head. “No… I… I had a vision. Anti found a way to keep him asleep…”

The sadness that bloomed in the air was thick enough to feel as it weighed down on the 5 boys.

But, Marvin shuffled to weakly sit up better and then held out a hand. His eyes glowed with passion and a bit of magic. “But… I know we can all find some way to wake him… together.”

Jackie’s eyes shined as he grinned and clasped Marvin’s hand with his own. “Hell yeah!”

Chase was quick to join his hand with theirs. Henrik rolled his eyes with a smile but soon joined as well. Jameson bounced slightly before placing his hand on top.

Marvin smiled. As long as they stuck together… they could take on anything.

The clasping of hands soon turned itself into a dog pile on top of Marvin, multiple pairs of arms hugging him softly where they could reach. Marvin tried to hold back tears but then slowly and quietly broke down, letting himself be weak. He didn’t feel scared anymore, he felt nothing but bone aching relief. He was with his family again… that was all that mattered.

#readcktc #curiosity killed the cat #cktc #marvin the magnificent #jackieboy man #henrik von schneeplestein #jameson jackson #chase brody #hufflewriting #jacksepticeye fanfiction #septic egos

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