Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

This chapter contains spoilers for Ch 263.

This story contains depression and attempted suicide.

Marcus Davons typed away at his computer as if he were a machine. He mind as well have been one since he had lost all the life in his eyes the moment his wife and son had died in a car accident last year. Now all of his movements were robotic and he had no more joy in his life.

"Hey," Marcus' boss gently tapped his shoulder. "Your shift's already over. You should head home,"

"I haven't finished these files yet," Marcus wanted to bury his self in work. He didn't want to return home to that empty house where his wife and son would never be.

His boss sighed. "It's not good for you to overwork yourself like this. You ended up collapsing from exhaustion a few months ago, remember? Come on, time to clock out, buddy,"

"Most bosses would be glad to have a workaholic employee," Marcus stated in a dead tone.

"You are my best employee, but I can't have you collapsing again," His boss reminded. "Go home and get some rest, Marcus. And don't forget to eat and drink water,"

Marcus reluctantly saved his files and turned off his computer. He grabbed his backpack and headed home to his cold, empty house. He stared at a framed photo of his wife and son, two people he'd never be able to see again. They were two people cruelly ripped away from the world due to a drunk driver.

"I miss you guys," Marcus felt a fresh stream of tears begin to fall from his face. "It's not fair. The asshole is alive and living off of taxpayers' money in prison until they're eventually released. It's not fair that asshole lives while you two are dead. I wish the death penalty was still active so he'd be killed,"

Marcus sobbed and hugged the photo tightly. He wanted his family back. He hated being alone in this empty house. He missed hearing his wife's voice and their son's laughter. He missed the warmth of the house as they ate meals together and spent time together. He missed watching his son play with his toys or drawing. He hated this emptiness.

He wanted to stop thinking about them. He set the framed photo back down and crawled into his bed, allowing the thick blanket to weigh him down. He took out his phone and began reading through some Weak Hero chapters. He decided to reread Donald's backstory and started from Chapter 257.

'I pity the poor kid,' Marcus thought as he finished the chapter and moved onto the next ones. 'His mother is fatally ill and hospitalized and has to suffer from his stepfather's abuse. Anyone who hurts children doesn't deserve to live. Fate dealt Donald Na an unfair and shitty life. He is only twelve years old but he's suffering so much,'

By the time he finished reading Chapter 262, his stomach let out a loud growl. He got up and rummaged through the cupboards and fridge but realized that he hadn't gotten to buying more groceries yet so they were pretty much empty. Sighing, he headed out to go to the nearest convenience store.

He decided to read Chapter 263 while he waited for the crosswalk light to change. He quickly reached the end of the chapter and pitied Donald even more. The boy hadn't survived getting his by a truck and had died. 'He was only seventeen years old. That age is his South Korean age, so he's actually even younger than seventeen if we go by his international age. His life ended way too early just like...' 

Marcus shook his head, not wanting to think about his his own son had died at a very young age. He glanced up and saw the the light had changed and so he began to cross the road. He heard a truck coming down the road. He saw the truck incoming with no intent to stop. 

He stopped in the middle of the road and stared at the truck as it got closer with each passing second. He felt nothing. He didn't care. He didn't have the motivation or desire to move out of the way. He ignored everyone's screams of concern and warning.

'Is this what Donald felt when he got hit by the truck?' Marcus thought as he was sent flying upon impact. 'Everything hurts. I definitely have broken bones,' His body crashed back down onto the asphalt. 'I know I'm dying, but I'm not afraid. I wonder...what is the world of the afterlife like? I wonder...will I be able to see my family again?'

Marcus Davons died that night.

XXX

'Huh? I'm still alive?' Marcus sat up and noticed that he wasn't even in the hospital but rather in some apartment. 'I don't feel any pain and I don't have any bandages. Wait...' He got up and rushed to the bathroom to look at his reflection. 'I got reincarnated as some random guy!?'

'Why?' He fell to his knees. 'Why!?' He stood up and punched the mirror. 'WHY!?' He grabbed the largest shard and began rapidly cutting at his wrist, hissing from the pain of each new wound. 'No!' To his horror and rage, every single cut healed within seconds. He continued to cut himself, making each new cut longer and deeper than the last. Every wound ached but still was quick to heal.

After several minutes, Marcus dropped the glass shard and threw the cabinet open. He located a bottle of sleeping pills, unscrewed it, and began to chew and swallow the entire bottle. His insides felt like they were burning as he threw up all of his stomach's contents.

"Fuck!" Marcus shakily stood up and staggered into the kitchen where he managed to find a large knife. He stabbed himself in the chest and left the knife inside, screaming as he collapsed to the ground. The knife was expelled from his body and the stab wound healed just like all the cuts he had made before.

'It's not fair! The universe won't even let me fucking die and reunite with my family!' Marcus sobbed. 'I finally died so I thought I could be with my wife and son again! Just let me die!'

Word Count: 1019

Any intentional self-inflicted wound Marcus makes will heal, even fatal ones. If it's accidental, like accidentally cutting a finger while chopping vegetables, it will be unaffected by his regeneration. Similarly, any wounds inflicted from someone else will not be healed by his regeneration so if someone were to punch him, it'd still leave a bruise.

So...Donald's future stepdad (Marcus, not the evil bitch we're gonna get rid of) is depressed.

Chapter Text

Marcus laid on the ground, not moving until the hunger pains finally forced him to rise. The pain from the self-inflicted injuries disappeared as soon as the wounds were fully healed, but Marcus couldn't deal with the pain from an empty stomach eating itself. 

His nose wrinkled in disgust once he realized that the blood from his wounds didn't disappear and he had to actually clean it up. He forced himself to ignore the metallic scent as he rummaged through the cabinets and fridge for something to eat. In the end, he only had some instant ramen which was enough to satisfy his roaring stomach.

'This place is a pigsty,' Marcus realized. 'Soda cans, juice bottles, water bottles, empty bento boxes, empty takeout boxes...all this trash has piled up everywhere. The sink is filled with unwashed dishes. Even I never got my home to be this filthy,'

Since he didn't know what else to do, Marcus cleaned up the entire apartment. It took hours and his muscles ached, but in the end the apartment became spotless. Whoever he had reincarnated as was an avid gamer and manga reader since the shelves were filled various video games, manga books, and action figures.

'I wonder who exactly I reincarnated as,' Marcus thought and as if a button had been clicked, information about his new identity had suddenly been uploaded to his head.

Name: Leonidas Woo

Age: 30

Birthday: September 30

Family: 
Junhyeok Woo (Father) [Estranged]
Lena Woo (Mother) [Estranged]
Janghyeok Woo (Brother)

Blood Type: O

Occupation: Convenience Store Worker

Hobbies:
Anime/Manga
Comics
Video Games

'At least I won't have to worry about having any interactions with his parents since they're listed as estranged,' Marcus, or rather the now dubbed Leonidas, thought to himself. 'I'm not sure how I would interact with this Janghyeok Woo guy though. Are they supposed to be close? He's not listed as estranged. Come to think of it, Janghyeok Woo sounds familiar. Woo isn't too rare of a surname and Janghyeok seems like a normal Korean name,'

He furrowed his brows and looked over to the spines of the books and video games on the shelf. They were all written in Korean hangul, yet Leonidas could read them easily. 'I guess I'm in South Korea. At least whatever god or deity reincarnated me also let me be able to understand and most likely also speak the language,'

'I don't want to live,' He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists in anger. 'But it seems like I have immortality and regeneration on self-inflicted wounds. I could just let myself starve but I doubt this world would just let me die. I'd probably continue to suffer from the hunger pains for all eternity. I don't have the courage to continuously suffer from that pain,'

'It looks like my current job is a convenience worker. I have the location ingrained into my mind so I know how to get there,' Leonidas sighed. 'I'm only going to actually work there to earn money for food so I don't have to suffer from hunger and water so I don't have to suffer from dehydration. I'll also probably need to also keep up the rent payments and utilities payments so I don't have to suffer from the weather outside,'

Leonidas returned to the bathroom and stared at his reflection in the remaining pieces of mirror. He had messy shaggy hair and a stubble. 'These bangs are too long and keep getting in the way of my eyes,' He managed to find some scissors and cut his hair short. It wasn't perfect but at least it looked decent. He also managed to find a razor and shaved his stubble.

'It looks like Leonidas wears glasses,' He picked up the spectacles. 'But my current eyesight is fine? Since this is Leonidas' body, then his eyesight is fine?' He tried putting the glasses on and found them to be too strong so he opted to not wear them. 'Dying and reincarnating seems more shocking than eyesight being magically fixed,'

After showering and changing into a set of clean clothes, Leonidas headed to work. When he got to the convenience store, his coworker was shocked by his appearance. "L-Leonidas!?"

"Yeah," Leonidas shrugged. "It's me,"

"Geez man, I'm just surprised," His coworker managed to regain his composure. "You actually got your hair cut, shaved, and got rid of your glasses. What's with the change of appearance? You got a date or something?"

"Just felt like it," Leonidas shrugged once more. "Guess you could say I wanted a fresh start,"

It was a rather slow day. There weren't many customers. Some of them were obviously minors wanting to buy cigarettes and alcohol. Leonidas could've refused and reprimanded them, but he didn't care and just pretended not to notice their age. All he cared about was getting the job done and getting paid.

Leonidas caught sight of a child walking past the convenience store, pausing to stare into the store through the window. Normally Leonidas wouldn't be bothered by it, but the boy looked identical to a young Donald Na. He had the same hair color, hair style, eye color, and skin color. The boy also seemed to be in a similar situation as Donald, having bruises littering his body and clothes old and raggedy.

'It's probably just a kid that looks like him,' Leonidas thought. 'I was reading Weak Hero right before I died so my mind's probably mistaking the people here for them,' He furrowed his brows. 'What if I am in the Weak Hero World? It's already an indisputable fact that I got hit by a truck, died, and was reincarnated as this Leonidas Woo guy. Being sent to another world isn't that farfetched,'

He thought back to how injured and obviously malnourished that boy looked. 'Donald Na or not, he's living in a terrible situation. I pity him,' He clenched his fist as he remembered the bruises on the boy's body. 'One of the most unforgivable things that I despise the most is child abuse. Parents are supposed to love and raise their children, not hurt them! All children deserve parents but not all parents deserve children!'

Word Count: 1003

The reason why Leonidas didn't recognize Janghyeok Woo's name as that of Cheongang's founder is because despite being first introduced as Janghyeok Woo in the English version of Weak Hero, in subsequent appearances and mentions of his name, he is called Ronald Woo.

Chapter Text

'Before I try to help that abused child, I should check my bank account to ensure I'll have enough money for my rent and food first,' Leonidas took out his phone and clicked the bank app, his fingers swiftly inputting his username and password through muscle memory. His eyes widened in shock once he saw the amount in his account.

'Holy fuck! Why the fuck is Leonidas working as a convenience store worker if he has this much money in his savings!'  He couldn't believe the numerous digits in his balance. 'Huh? I've been getting a lot of deposits from Janghyeok Woo. Wow, Leonidas must be really close with his brother,'

Leonidas thought about quitting his job but decided against it. He would rather have a sense of normalcy and routine in this new life. Also, it'd be better for him to continue gaining money in case of an emergency, like needing a large amount of money for medical expenses.

The rest of his shift was boring and uneventful. Once it ended, he quickly left and headed for the grocery store to stock up on food and drinks. Since he had enough money, he bought fresh fruits and vegetables, some meat, some frozen meals, canned coffee, and also some snacks. He also bought a few packs of instant ramen for when he didn't feel like cooking.

He returned to his apartment and put everything away. He decided to make some cream stew for his dinner. As it cooked, he sat down in front of his TV to watch some movies. His mind kept thinking back to that kid he had seen and how similar he looked to a young Donald Na.

A scream caught his attention. It wasn't just a scream, it was a child's scream. And that scream came from the apartment next door. Without hesitating, Leonidas ran out of his own apartment and started banging on the front door. "What's going on!?"

"Mind your own fucking business!" That voice belonged to an angry man.

Furious, Leonidas began kicking the door until the lock broke and he rushed inside. His rage further escalated when he saw the child from before huddling up in a corner with his mother.  Leonidas wasted no time attacking the man in the apartment and began beating him to a pulp. He didn't stop until the man was unconscious.

"Are you alright?" Leonidas' eyes widened when he recognized the woman. 'That's Sua Lee, Donald Na's mother. That means I really am in the Weak Hero World!'

"Y-Yes," Sua nodded. "Thank you,"

"Who is this guy?" Leonidas kicked the unconscious man.

"He's...my boyfriend," Sua revealed.

"Some of your wounds aren't fresh," Leonidas narrowed his eyes. 'Since this is her boyfriend, it must be Donald's future stepfather who's an abusive piece of shit,' "The abuse is a normal occurrence, yet you're staying in a relationship with him?"

"I don't have a choice..."

"It's one thing to let yourself suffer in a relationship with him," Leonidas said. "It's another thing to not protect your child by not removing him from this situation,"

"We don't have anywhere else to go!" Sua claimed. "At least with him, we'll have a place to sleep and be protected from the weather. I don't have a job and I don't have enough money for the down payment for any apartment. What can I do!?"

"The first thing you can do is call the cops and report this asshole for domestic abuse," He once again kicked the unconscious piece of shit.

"But—"

"As for a place to stay, I have a pull out couch bed," Leonidas offered. "What do you say, take the first steps toward a better life? Toward a safer life for you and your son?"

XXX

Sua's boyfriend or rather ex-boyfriend ended up waking up before the police arrived so he got into another scuffle with Leonidas. Leonidas still overpowered and knocked the bastard out, although he was surprised that the bruises he received didn't immediately heal. 

Once the police arrived, they took everyone's statements and then dragged the bastard off to prison. Sua and Donald were taken to the hospital to have their wounds treated. They were also noted down as being malnourished.

"Since your ex is now in jail, he's no longer in your apartment," Leonidas pointed out. "But the offer to stay at my place still stands,"

"Why do you suddenly care?" Donald finally spoke up. "You've always ignored everything that happened. Why, after all this time, did you suddenly intervene?"

'I can't blame him for being wary of adults,' Leonidas thought. 'All of the adults have ignored his abusive situation even though he always goes to school with ragged clothes, several wounds, and obvious signs of starvation,' "I decided to get my act together and become a better person,"

"Can we really stay at your apartment?" Sua asked nervously.

"I wouldn't offer it if I wasn't sincere," Leonidas said. "Although, I do understand your hesitance because we're strangers that only know each other as neighbors,"

"Our apartment is a mess," Sua said. "And...it's filled with horrible memories. If it really isn't too much trouble, I'd like for my son and I to stay at your apartment,"

"I just finished cooking some cream stew if you guys want some," Leonidas said as he brought them over to his apartment.

"That sounds delicious," Sua commented.

Leonidas brought out three plates, scooped some rice into each plate, and then scooped some cream stew into each plate. He set a plate in front of Donald and Sua before sitting down and digging in. 

Donald took a small bite at first. His face immediately lit up once he tasted the dish. He began to eat faster. It had been so long since he had something actually delicious and filling.

'This atmosphere is nice,' Leonidas noted. 'It's much more warmer than whenever I ate alone. Honestly, I prefer this atmosphere,' "Is there anything you guys specifically want for breakfast?"

"Pancakes?" Donald asked hopefully.

Leonidas smiled. "Pancakes it is then,"

Once they finished eating, Leonidas set up the couch bed. He brought out extra bedsheets, extra pillows, and extra blankets. "Feel free to also watch TV if you want,"

"Thank you," Sua smiled back at him.

Word Count: 1008

Chapter Text

'The bruise is still there,' Leonidas thought as he inspected his wound in the mirror the next morning. He took a razor blade and sliced the inside of his wrist. The wound quickly healed up. 'I guess self-inflicted wounds are the only ones that instantly heal. Any injuries caused by someone else will stay there,'

He clenched the razor blade tightly in his hand. 'I wonder...if I get someone else to kill me, will it work? If I get someone else to run me over or stab with a knife, will I stay dead? Or will whatever deity is healing me know my suicidal intentions and still allow me to regenerate and continue suffering?'

He sighed deeply as he cleaned up all the blood and put the razor away. He made his way to the kitchen where he started making pancake batter from scratch. Sua and Donald were still asleep in the living room, having been exhausted both physically and emotionally from the events yesterday, so Leonidas tried to be as quiet as possible.

The smell of fresh pancakes woke the two up. Both of their mouths watered as Leonidas set three plates down on the dining table, each with a stack of pancakes. He also placed a bottle of syrup and a jar of jam on the table for them to add to their pancakes if they wanted to. He set the remaining pancakes on a fourth plate in the center of the table.

Donald took a tentative small bite and his face immediately lit up just like it had done when he had tasted the cream stew last night. "It's delicious!" He began to eat faster.

"How old are you?" Leonidas inquired. 'He was twelve by the time his mother died, but he's definitely younger than that, especially since Sua never married that abusive boyfriend of hers,'

"I'm eight," Donald said through a mouthful of pancakes.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Sua lightly scolded her son.

"Sorry," Donald apologized.

"You're a bit small for an eight year old," Leonidas noted. "I could've easily mistaken you for a five year old. You should eat more," He placed more pancakes onto Donald's plate. He then placed more pancakes onto Sua's plate. "There's a lot of pancakes so both of you can eat as much as you want,"

Donald and Sua were both hesitant. All this kindness that Leonidas was showing them was so foreign. They had already grown accustomed to the abuse that they had suffered at the hands of Sua's now ex-boyfriend. All the kindness Leonidas was showing them was honestly a bit overwhelming.

"I need to head to school!" Donald exclaimed when he saw the time on the clock.

The memory of owning a car flashed in Leonidas' mind. "Would you like me to drop you off?"

"It's okay..." Donald mumbled. "My school isn't that far,"

Sua hugged her son and kissed his forehead. "Have a good day at school, Donald,"

"I will," Donald smiled at her before leaving.

"His clothes are pretty torn up," Leonidas noted once Donald was gone. "Do you know what size he is?"

"I don't have any money to buy new clothes for him," Sua quietly said. 

"That wasn't the question," Leonidas stood up. "Let's surprise him with some new clothes,"

"What are your intentions?" Sua asked. "You've already provided us with a place to stay and food to eat. Now you're also offering to buy my son clothes? All of this is too much,"

'Oh right, we're just strangers,' Leonidas realized. 'I only want to help her and Donald because they're fictional characters I know. If it were anyone else, I probably wouldn't have gone to such lengths. I probably would've intervened attacking a child, but I wouldn't have invited them into my apartment,' 

"Do you want the truth?" Leonidas asked. "You and Donald are fictional characters in a webtoon called Weak Hero," He honestly didn't care that saying these things made him sound crazy. If it wasn't obvious, his mental state wasn't exactly healthy. 

"Fictional characters in a webtoon?" Sua questioned, a bit concerned for Leonidas. "Leonidas, that sounds...impossible,"

"Impossible?" Leonidas scoffed. "Nothing's impossible. It just takes time to get something done. Do you think humans thousands of years ago would ever imagine things such as computers as phones existing?"

'He's a bit...delusional,' Sua thought. 'I should've known something was strange when he suddenly decided to help us after ignoring us all this time. But still...he was kind to us. He saved me and Donald,' "What role did we play in this webtoon you say we're in?"

"Donald's actually the main villain in the webtoon," Leonidas revealed. "At seventeen years old, he's the leader of a criminal empire consisting of high school freshmen,"

"W-What!?" Even though Sua thought Leonidas was imagining all of that, the fact that he imagined her precious son who doesn't fight to be the leader of a criminal empire shocked her.

"You died when he was twelve years old," Leonidas casually continued despite the grim and tragic nature of the news. "Your now ex-boyfriend had become your husband by that time and after your death, he ran off with the insurance money,"

"Then what happened to Donald?" Sua asked, extremely concerned now.

"He lived on the streets and joined a gang," Leonidas answered. "His gang continued to grow,"

'This is all in his imagination. There is no way he knows what will happen in the future. Well, what would've happened in the future if I had stayed with my ex,' Sua thought. "If you know what will happen, why did you interfere?"

"I felt sorry for Donald," Leonidas admitted. "He had a rough childhood. Child abuse is something I consider inexcusable so I decided to step in," He chuckled lightly. "You think I'm crazy, right?"

Sua didn't answer, unsure if answering honestly would cause Leonidas to snap.

"I got trapped in this world yesterday," Leonidas claimed. "Since I already know how the canon storyline goes, I decided to at least help Donald. Besides, I don't know what else to do while trapped here," 'Maybe, if I accomplish changing Donald's path in life, I'll finally be allowed to kill myself and move onto Afterlife and reunite with my wife and son. Why else would the apartment I ended up in be right next door to Donald's?'

'He's delusional, but he still has a kind heart since he rescued me and Donald,' Sua thought. 'It doesn't look like he has any plans to hurt us. Right now, we don't have any place to stay and if we stay here, Donald will be able to eat everyday. For now, I should play along and pretend that I believe him. It sounds cruel, but it's for Donald's sake,' "I believe you,"

Leonidas could easily tell she was lying, but he pretended not to notice. It didn't matter to him.

Word Count: 1117

Chapter Text

Sua felt guilty. In her eyes, she was taking advantage of the kindness of a man who had deluded himself into thinking that he was helping fictional characters from a webtoon. 

Leonidas went to the clothing store and held up various sized clothing, trying to figure out which one was Donald's size. Sua realized that there really was no stopping him and decided to direct him to the proper sizes so at least he wouldn't waste any money on wrong sized clothing.

Leonidas picked out several clothes for Donald and tossed them into his shopping cart. He then started heading to the women's clothing section. Sua realized that he also intended to buy clothes for her and quickly tried to stop him.

"Clothes for my son are more than enough," She told him. "I don't need any,"

"My goal is to help Donald have a happy childhood so he doesn't end up becoming a villain like in the webtoon," Leonidas deadpanned. "Pretty sure his childhood won't be considered happy if his mother isn't also living a good life,"

Sua hesitated a bit to speak her mind but eventually mustered up the courage. "Even if you do consider us to be fictional characters, haven't you considered how it is from our point of view?"

"What do you mean?" Leonidas asked.

"A complete stranger suddenly let us into their home and is buying us all of these things that we could never afford," Sua pointed out. "I'm grateful for all the help you've given us, I really am. But there needs to be some boundaries put into place,"

'Oh right, they're real people in this world,' Leonidas realized. 'They're not just fictional characters anymore, at least not as long as I'm stuck here in this world. I guess my behavior is kinda strange and a bit creepy in their eyes. If I continue to make them uncomfortable, they'll leave and avoid me,'

'I don't want them to avoid me. This is the only lead I have on a possibility of returning home. I don't know what other thing I could possibly do in this world aside from changing Donald's past into a more positive one. At least with Donald and Sua, there's at least a slight connection between them and Leonidas since they're neighbors. If I seek out other Weak Hero characters, it'd be extremely suspicious since I'm an adult and they're currently eight years old,'

"I'm sorry," Leonidas apologized. "What are your boundaries?"

"I'm willing to accept the meals for me and my son and you allowing us to stay at your apartment," Sua said. "And I'm even willing to accept these clothes for my son. But I want to be able to also repay you. I'll do the housework and cooking, but I want to also start paying rent once I get a job. I don't want to be a freeloader,"

"Those boundaries are understandable," Leonidas agreed. "But I do have one slight change,"

"What is it?" Sua asked.

"I know you said clothes only for your son, but do you have any clothes fit for a job interview?" Leonidas pointed out. "I'd like you to allow me to buy you at least one set of formal clothes,"

'All of my clothes are in the same state at Donald's, if not worse,' Sua thought. 'No job would hire me if I don't show up looking presentable. Leonidas isn't asking to buy me a whole wardrobe, just one set of clothes that I actually need,' "Alright, one set of formal clothes,"

XXX

Donald stared at the bag on the couch bed. "Mom, what's this?"

"Open it," Sua smiled.

Donald opened the bag and took the clothes out. "Are these for me?"

"Yes," Sua nodded. "You should thank Leonidas. He's the one who bought them,"

Donald turned to Leonidas. "Thank you, Mr. Woo!"

"You're welcome," Leonidas replied. 

Donald quickly got cleaned up and changed into his new clothes. He loved them and happily smiled as he ate dinner. Leonidas couldn't help but actually smile a bit upon seeing how happy Donald was. Sua felt a bit upset with herself for not being the one providing for her son, but she knew she'd be able to do so once she got back on her feet and got a job.

Once he finished eating, Leonidas returned to his bedroom. 'It's good that Sua is going to get a job. It wouldn't be good for her to rely 100% on me financially. I don't plan on staying here forever. Once Sua is financially stable, there is no need for Leonidas woo to be part of her life. She won't need my help anymore,'

He sat down at his desk. 'Once she doesn't need me anymore and I'm sure Donald will have a happy childhood, then maybe I can finally die. I can finally move on to Afterlife and reunite with my wife and son,' He took out a sketchbook and did his best to draw his family from memory. He wasn't the best artist, but he could recognize his drawing enough as his wife and son.

'Soon...' He hugged his drawing tightly to his chest but was careful to not crumple it. 'Soon, I'll see you guys again. Soon, we'll be a family again,'

XXX

When Donald left for school, Sua cleaned the apartment. There really wasn't much to clean since Leonidas had deep cleaned it when he had first ended up in this world and didn't make any large messes either. Once Sua did the little cleaning needed, she left to search for any job openings.

Leonidas quickly got ready for work too. It was once again, another slow day. His coworker chatted on about some random topic that he frankly didn't give a fuck about. Once it was finally time to clock out, he bolted from the convenience store. 

When he arrived back to his apartment, he noticed that Donald was sitting in the hallway. "Why aren't you going inside?"

"It's locked," Donald deadpanned.

"Shit, sorry," Leonidas quickly unlocked the door. "I forgot that you guys don't have keys to my apartment. I'll request two more keys from the landlord or manager,"

"My mom's not home yet?" Donald asked.

"Not yet," Leonidas answered. "I think she might've found a job," 

An awkward silence fell between them. "Um..." Leonidas spotted his game console. "Do you want to play some video games?"

Word Count: 1035

Fun Fact: Marcus Davons' name originated from me mispronouncing Marcus Damons from Digimon Data Squad all these years.

Chapter Text

Leonidas Woo was awful at video games. Back when he was Marcus Davons, he had gone to the arcade with some friends when he was younger but wasn't as skilled as his friends. Right now, Leonidas was trying his hardest to win yet he was losing to an eight year old child who had never played any video games before.

Sua arrived at the apartment after the two had been gaming for a whole hour. She was surprised to see Donald happily playing video games. She smiled at the sight of her son not having to worry about anything and being able to act his age.

"Mom!" Donald got up and hugged her tightly. 

"Welcome back, Sua," Leonidas greeted. "Did you find a job?"

"Yes," Sua nodded. "I'm now a waitress at a restaurant. I was given training after passing the interview. Morning shifts are from 6:00 AM to 11:00 AM. Noon shifts are from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Night shifts are from 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM. The shifts I'm assigned to will vary each week though,"

"Congrats," Leonidas said. "By the way, I realized that neither of you have a copy of my apartment key so I'll go request some copies from the landlord later,"

"You don't have to—"

"Your son was left sitting outside until I got home from work because I had locked the apartment," Leonidas deadpanned. "What will the neighbors think if I force him to wait outside everyday after school?" 'The neighbors probably wouldn't give a shit either way. They've ignored obvious signs of abuse coming from Sua's apartment, including screaming, so they most likely wouldn't pay any attention to Donald if he had to stay outside in the cold,'

"I'm also going to be locking the doors at night for safety reasons," Leonidas added. "It'll be less of a hassle if you had your own key instead of me having to unlock it for you,"

Sua couldn't think of a valid reason not to have the key to Leonidas' apartment and agreed. She started to prepare dinner. "If I don't to have time cook a meal, I'll make sure there are enough leftovers from the previous meal and all you'll have to do is heat it up. For breakfast, I'll just wake up early to prepare it,"

"That's fine," Leonidas agreed. "But make sure you get enough sleep and are well-rested,"

Once dinner was prepared, the three gathered around the table to eat. Donald happily talked about his day at school. Leonidas could tell that Donald was genuinely happy about attending school, meaning that his current teachers weren't mean to him like his fourth grade homeroom teacher and Yeowon Elementary School's Head of Academic Affairs were.

Sua spoke about her training at the restaurant. She would need to memorize which table was which number as well as which tables were in each section. The section she was assigned to could vary each day. 

"Leonidas," Sua addressed when she realized that the man was just silently eating his dinner and was being left out of the conversation. "How was your day?"

"My day was uneventful and boring," Leonidas shrugged. "Nothing interesting happened. All I did was restock shelves and worked at the register,"

To outsiders, they would look like a normal family of three.

XXX

It became a daily routine for them. Sua would wake up first and prepare breakfast. If she had a morning shift, she'd leave a note for Donald and leave before he and Leonidas woke up. On most days, she'd be able to eat breakfast or dinner with the two. However, there were some days where she had to work the entire day and night. It was exhausting, but she did get paid more.

After Donald arrived home from school and Leonidas arrived home from work, the two would often play video games together. Leonidas did not improve at all. He could not win a single round of fighting games against Donald no matter how hard he tried. 

Leonidas made sure that they only played video games after Donald was done with his homework. There were a few times when Donald asked Leonidas for help on his homework if he was unsure if he had the correct answer. Leonidas was surprised that Donald needed help, especially with how smart he had been portrayed in the webtoon. However, he also recalled that in the webtoon, someone like Gray didn't have perfect 100s across every single subject.

Leonidas was enjoying the warm and lively familial atmosphere that had been created in his apartment. He loved it but at the same time he hated himself for loving it. His heart ached because this type of atmosphere was what he, Marcus Davons, was supposed to have with his wife and son. 

It felt as if he was betraying his family, his real family, by enjoying the atmosphere. Despite this, he would rather live in the welcoming apartment rather than the cold and stinging home from when he had been living alone after his wife and son's deaths.

XXX

"Mr. Woo?" Donald shyly asked. "Can...Can you help me bake a cake?"

"Uh, sure," Leonidas agreed. "But what's the occasion?"

"Today's Mom's birthday," Donald answered. "We never got to celebrate it properly. Even before she was dating...that guy...she was always busy with work. I want to bake her a cake,"

"Alright, let me search up an easy recipe online," Leonidas took out his phone. "What flavor?"

"She likes chocolate, just like me," Donald informed. "Can we make a chocolate cake?"

"We need to go to the store to buy some cocoa powder and chocolate since we don't have any here," Leonidas said. "That's if we want to bake it from scratch. Would you rather make it from scratch or follow the instructions on a box of cake mix?"

"I think a box of cake mix would be easier," Donald told him. Donald also thought it'd be cheaper than using a lot of ingredients to make the batter from scratch.

Leonidas drove them to the grocery store. They headed to the baking aisle and Leonidas patiently waited for Donald to pick out a mix. While Donald chose a box cake mix and some frosting, Leonidas grabbed the "Happy Birthday" candles.

"Do you want to pick out a gift and card for her?" Leonidas asked.

"Is that okay?" Donald didn't want to push his luck and ask for too much. Leonidas was already helping him and his mom out a lot.

"It's fine," Leonidas said. "In return, you can help me improve at video games. I'm tired of losing to an eight year old,"

Donald picked out a birthday card and a small bear stuffed animal for his mom. Leonidas paid for everything and they drove back to his apartment. They followed the instructions on the box and managed to make a decent cake. After letting it cool down, Donald frosted it.

When Sua arrived home from work, she was greeted by Leonidas holding a cake and Donald handing her a bear plushy and a birthday card. "Donald, where did you get the money to buy this?"

"He and I made a deal," Leonidas spoke up. "He agreed to help me improve in gaming,"

"I don't think that's an equivalent exchange—"

"Sua, I have been losing every single battle against an eight year old who has never played a single video game before moving into my apartment," Leonidas deadpanned. 

Sua couldn't help but giggle at seeing Leonidas' expression while he said that. She could tell that Leonidas' reasoning was genuine. The three ate dinner and Leonidas lit the candles with a lighter. He and Donald sang happy birthday to Sua and she blew out the candles while making a wish.

They three are growing closer to each other.

Chapter Text

One night, Sua was working the night shift. It was raining hard and lightning flashed across the dark, stormy clouds. Thunder boomed and Leonidas saw Donald flinch and whimper. Donald curled up into a fetal position, covered his ears, and clenched his eyes shut.

"Donald?" Leonidas gently asked. "Donald, what's wrong?"

Another waved of thunder made Donald whimper even louder. "S...Scary..."

"It's okay to cry," Leonidas hugged him tightly. "Donald, you don't need to remain silent,"

"W-What if he finds me and hurts me?" Donald cuddled closer to Leonidas.

'I think there was a scene in the webtoon where he hid in a closet while his stepfather threatened his mother with a knife,' Leonidas hugged him even tighter. "He's in jail now but if he does come here, I'll protect you,"

"W-What if he h-hurts you?" Donald asked.

"Then I'll fight him off," Leonidas answered. "And it doesn't matter if I'm hurt. What matters is you and your mother are safe,"

"It does matter if you're hurt!" Donald told him. "Leonidas, you matter too!"

"No," Leonidas whispered under his breath. "You're wrong,"

Donald barely heard him but didn't say anything. Instead, he hugged Leonidas tighter. 'Why...why does Leonidas think so little of himself?' He trembled like a leaf when another round of thunder boomed.

Leonidas ran a hand through Donald's hair and began to sing. He sang a lullaby, one that he hadn't sang in a long time. It was the lullaby he had only sang for one person in the past: his son before he tragically passed away. 

Donald was still scared. The storm reminded him so much of his trauma. But Leonidas' lullaby helped calm him down. By the time Sua returned home, Donald had fallen asleep in Leonidas' arms. Leonidas tucked Donald into bed.

"I'm thinking of getting him a stuffed animal to help with his fear," Leonidas suggested.

"He never told me he was afraid of thunder," Sua said. "He's always trying to put up a strong façade in front of me,"

"You're the only person he has ever loved," Leonidas told her. "When you got hospitalized and put on life support, he never told you he was being bullied at school or that his stepfather was kicking him out of the house at night and forcing him to endure the harsh cold and hunger. He studied hard and scored perfectly on tests so that he could make you smile,"

'Even after all this time, he still thinks we're fictional characters,' Sua thought sadly. She decided to change the subject. "Leonidas, do you have any big dreams? Any plans for your future?"

"I'm hoping that after changing the timeline and ensuring Donald has a happy life and doesn't become a villain, I might be able to move on," Leonidas' voice cracked. "In my world, I lost my wife and son. When I saw the truck heading straight towards me, I didn't even try to dodge because I just wanted to die and see them again. Instead, I ended up in the body of Leonidas Woo,"

Sua brought Leonidas into a hug. Even if she believed Leonidas' to be delusional about the whole dimensional traveling thing, she could still hear the genuine pain and sorrow in his voice. Leonidas found himself leaning into the comforting warmth.

XXX

"Can I really get a stuffed animal?" Donald asked when Leonidas and Sua brought him to the toys aisle of the store.

"It doesn't have to be a stuffed animal," Leonidas said. "It could be any toy you want. I just know that stuffed animals are really nice to cuddle with,"

"I'm fine with a stuffed animal," Donald walked down the aisle and stared at the various plushies in awe. His eyes landed on a white lion plushy and he raced over to it. "It's so soft!"

"It's cute," Sua smiled.

Since they were already at the store, they decided to restock on groceries. Donald hugged the plushy the entire time and the only time he momentarily parted ways with it was when the cashier needed to scan the barcode. 

While they were heading to Leonidas' car in the parking lot, they were confronted by a group of men. Sua trembled and protectively held Donald close to her. "Leonidas...they're my ex-boyfriend's friends..."

'It looks like they're here to get revenge since I got that fucker arrested,' Leonidas got into a fighting stance. "Sua, Donald, stay behind me,"

It was a very difficult fight. There were five of them and only one of Leonidas. Two of them had metal bats and Leonidas had to tank most hits because if he moved out of the way too much, they'd be able to get to Donald and Sua. Leonidas struggled as he was hit multiple times.

'I need to keep them safe,' He managed to grab one of the metal bats and continued to fight back. 'If I were by myself, I'd be hoping they'd kill me. But since Donald and Sua are with me, I have to protect them!'

"Hey," An angry voice drew everyone's attention to a man approaching them. "Why the fuck are you bastards attacking my little brother?"

'Little brother?' Leonidas furrowed his brows as he stared at the man. 'Wait, aside from estranged parents, didn't the system say that Leonidas had a brother?' "Janghyeok?"

The man, Janghyeok Woo, finished off the five guys with ease. "Leonidas, are you alright?"

"Yeah," Leonidas claimed. "Why...Why are you here?" 'I don't know how Leonidas is supposed to react around his brother!'

"I was just stopping by to pick up a cake before heading to your apartment," Janghyeok informed. "I always visit you on your birthday,"

'My birthday?' Leonidas recalled the system mentioning that Leonidas' birthday was September 30...which was the current day's date.

"It's your birthday!?" Donald exclaimed. "Why didn't you say anything!?"

"Huh?" Janghyeok finally noticed Sua and Donald. "Leonidas, when did you get married and have a kid!?"

Janghyeok is definitely going to be a good uncle.

Chapter Text

TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter contains self harm.

"Married!? Have a kid!?" Leonidas exclaimed. "Sua and I aren't even dating!"

"Huh?" Janghyeok raised a brow. "Are you sure? You three look like a normal happy family going grocery shopping together,"

"Sua and Donald are just living in my apartment right now," Leonidas deadpanned. "We needed to restock on groceries,"

"And then they were roommates," Janghyeok smirked. "Oh my god, they were roommates,"

"Leonidas?" Donald tugged on Leonidas' shirt sleeve. "Why didn't you tell us it was your birthday?"

"Yes, we could've set up some sort of celebration for you," Sua agreed.

"I forgot," Leonidas shrugged. "I don't celebrate my birthday anyways,"

"What are you talking about?" Janghyeok raised a brow, slightly confused by the statement. "I visit every year. We eat cake and watch those anime things that you like and play some video games,"

'Yet for some reason you've never once contacted Leonidas during the months that I've been here in control of his body,' Leonidas thought. "Anyways, we should start heading home. Some of the groceries need to be refrigerated or put in the freezer and I don't want them to spoil,"

Janghyeok handed the box of cake to him. "I still got a few more things to buy so I'll meet you guys at your apartment later," He said as he headed to his own car.

XXX

Leonidas felt guilty as they unloaded the groceries and put them away. He felt guilty because Janghyeok cared about his brother enough to celebrate his birthday with him and for Janghyeok to deposit a lot of money into his account. But right now, he wasn't the real Leonidas. He was just Marcus Davons, the man who took over Leonidas' body.

"I'll prepare the food," Sua said. "You two can just relax and watch some TV while we wait for...what was his name?"

"Janghyeok," Leonidas answered. "But Sua, I can help—"

"It's your birthday so you don't need to," Sua smiled. "Besides, cooking is usually my share of housework anyway,"

"Leonidas, let's play some video games," Donald grabbed Leonidas' hand and dragged him to the couch. "Maybe you might just win this time with your birthday luck,"

"Hey, if I'm gonna win I want it to be fair and square," Leonidas chuckled. "I don't want you letting me win,"

After a few rounds that Donald won ever single one of, Janghyeok arrived. "Dear nephew, I brought you something," He handed a box to him.

Donald's eyes lit up when he saw a remote controlled monster truck. "Thank you Uncle Janghyeok!" 

"No problem, Donald," Janghyeok gently ruffled his nephew's hair. "I also got gifts for your parents," He handed a bag each to Leonidas and Sua.

"Should we really be receiving gifts when it's Leonidas' birthday?" Sua asked as she took out an octopus squishmallow.

"Think of them as welcome to the family type of gifts," Janghyeok smiled.

"Janghyeok, I already told you that I'm not dating Sua," Leonidas said as he took out a video game from the bag. 

"I bought that game months in advanced since you said it was hard to get," Janghyeok told him. "I hope I got the right one,"

'He cares so much about his little brother but...but...' Leonidas sighed. "Janghyeok, I'm not your brother,"

"Huh?" Janghyeok raised a brow. "What're you talking about?"

"I'm concerned about your brother's mental wellbeing," Sua told him. "He claims that we're fictional characters from a webtoon. He says that he got trapped in this world,"

"Because it's the truth," Leonidas said. "I'm not the real Leonidas Woo. My name is Marcus Davons and I'm from another world. I..." He looked away. "I'm sorry, Janghyeok, but I don't know how or why I ended up taking over your brother's body,"

"This doesn't sound like you're telling a joke," Janghyeok noted.

Leonidas walked into the kitchen and grabbed a knife. Before anyone could stop him, he slashed his wrist. "LEONIDAS!" Everyone was shocked to see Leonidas' wound heal completely within seconds. The only evidence of it having ever occurred was the blood.

Donald cried as he ran up to Leonidas to hold a paper towel to the wound. "I don't want you to get hurt, Leonidas!"

"Donald, I'm fine," Leonidas gently told him and removed the paper towel. He wiped away the blood. "See? Any self-inflicted wound heals completely. I'm sorry for scaring you,"

The eight year old boy hugged Leonidas tightly and continued to cry. "Don't...Don't do that ever again!" 

Leonidas was surprised but gently hugged him back. "You shouldn't cry over someone like me. I don't deserve your tears,"

"Yes you do!" Donald yelled. "You matter too, Dad!"

"Dad?" Leonidas' voice quivered. "Donald...don't call me that. I don't deserve that title,"

"You've been more of a father than his biological father and my ex-boyfriend have ever been to him," Sua gently reminded him. "If anyone's deserving of that title, it's you,"

"I couldn't even protect my own wife and son!" Leonidas snapped. "I'm not worthy of being anyone's father! Besides..." His voice quietened down. "I don't even know if I care for Donald as a person or because I think preventing him from becoming the villain will be the key to moving onto Afterlife,"

"The fact that you're not a hundred percent certain that the kid is a means to an end is proof that you genuinely care about him," Janghyeok spoke up.

"Why are you so calm?" Leonidas asked. "I took over your brother's body. I don't even know if he's even still alive. Shouldn't you hate me? Try to kill me to see if it'll bring the real Leonidas back?"

"I thought I'd feel some sort of sadness or anger regarding the fact that the real Leonidas isn't here," Janghyeok said. "But for some reason I feel nothing. Maybe me visiting him and sending him money all these years was just me trying to force a traditional happy brotherhood onto him. And it's not like I called or even sent a single text during the time that since you first took over his body,"

"Leonidas," Sua questioned softly. "How did you know that cutting yourself would immediately heal?"

"Because when I first ended up in this world, I've tried multiple methods to kill myself," Leonidas revealed. "I've tried swallowing a bunch of pills and I've tried stabbing myself in the heart. Any wound that I inflict upon myself is healed instantly. The only wounds that stick are ones caused by others, like bruises from a fight,"

Sua couldn't help but embrace Leonidas in a warm hug. "I'm sorry for not believing you,"

"It's okay," Leonidas whispered. "If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't believe me either,"

Face it, Leonidas, you love your new family.

Chapter Text

Once all the blood was cleaned up, they resumed the party. It was a rather awkward silence as they ate. Donald became distressed whenever Leonidas grabbed a knife so Sua cut Leonidas' food for him. Leonidas couldn't even cut the birthday cake and had to let Janghyeok do it.

"You know," Leonidas brought up. "Your seventeen year old self also had knife trauma, although it was a different situation. The memory of his trauma was hiding in a closet and witnessing your stepfather cut your mother with a knife,"

Donald began to tear up. "I don't like knives!"

"I'm not going to let anyone hurt you or your mother," Leonidas told Donald. "Besides, that flashback was triggered when Changhui cut your arm in a fight,"

"Changhui?" Janghyeok inquired. "Do you mean Changhui Han?"

"Yeah," Leonidas nodded. "Changhui Han, the leader of the second generation of Cheongang, successor of Jang..hyeok...Woo..." He stared at his brother with wide eyes. "Now I know why your name sounded familiar," 'I'm surprised he wasn't going by Ronald instead since Donald was going by his English name,'

"What's this about my underling cutting my nephew's arm?" Janghyeok narrowed his eyes.

"You've never even met Donald in the original timeline," Leonidas informed. "At seventeen years old, Donald was the leader of the gang that ruled over Yeongdeungpo. Eventually the Union and Cheongang clashed,"

"I don't want my son to live such a violent life," Sua hugged Donald tightly. "I don't want him to get hurt in fights,"

"Even if he doesn't grow up to be a gang leader, it is still better for him to be able to fight," Leonidas advised. "The main character of the webtoon, Gray Yeon, was just a quiet kid who just wanted to study. The bullies thought he was the typical nerd and an easy target so they went after him. Although physically weak, Gray was able to use weapons and techniques to defeat his opponents,"

"What's his win rate?" Janghyeok inquired.

"He has fought in twenty fights in the series," Leonidas revealed. "He only lost once,"

"To who?"

"To Donald," Leonidas casually answered. "Donald's the only character in the series to have a hundred percent win rate. He was undefeated. Seopass wrote him so overpowered that the only way to stop him was for him to get hit by a truck and die,"

"What!?"

"It wasn't confirmed but some readers speculated that Changhui hired the truck driver to hit Donald," Leonidas added.

"I think I'm gonna have to have a talk with my subordinate..." Janghyeok mumbled.

"If all goes well, then Donald will have no reason to clash with Cheongang," Leonidas said. "I plan to ensure he has a normal childhood filled with friends," He paused for a moment. "I have no idea what illness Sua died from. Speaking of which, Sua you should get a check up at the doctor's. If it's something that can be possibly overcome if found in the early stages, then you'll live to see Donald grow up. Don't worry about any hospital bills. I'll take care of them,"

"Dad," Donald spoke up. "When are you going to start living for yourself? Everything you do is for me and my mom,"

"Donald," Leonidas gently told him. "You're a great kid, but you shouldn't call someone like me your father,"

"But—"

"Even...even if I do care about you and Sua..." Leonidas' voice was softer now. "I think I'm just using you two as a replacement for the family I lost. It's not fair to you to see me as a father-figure if I'm not seeing you completely as yourself. I'm sure you'll find someone else, someone who's better than me—"

"I don't want anyone else to be my dad!" Donald hugged him tightly. "I want you to be my dad!"

"I don't plan on staying here," Leonidas told everyone. "Donald, after I'm sure you'll grow up to have a normal, safe, and happy life with your mother, I'm hoping that I'll be able to move onto Afterlife to be with my wife and son,"

"Leonidas," Sua softly place a hand on her friend's shoulder. "I know you miss your family and want to see them again. I know we can never replace them. But...what if, even after ensuring Donald's happy life, you're still stuck here?"

"I don't want to think about that," Leonidas shook his head.

"But if that is what might happen," Sua gently said. "Then, like Donald said, you'll eventually need to start living for yourself and not for us, even if it means you'll want to distance yourself from us,"

"Mom!"

"Donald," Sua told her son. "I don't want Leonidas to feel obligated to stay with us. He has already helped us so much. I only want him to be with us if he truly wants to, not because he feels like he has to control the timeline,"

"Aside from moving onto Afterlife, I don't know what I want," Leonidas whispered.

"Hey," Janghyeok stood up. "Come on, let's go and take a walk together,"

XXX

The two brothers walked in silence down the night street. "If you truly want to eventually part ways with Donald and Sua for good," Janghyeok broke the silence. "I'll help you. I can forge documents and you won't have to live as 'Leonidas Woo' anymore,"

"Even though I keep on saying I want to move onto Afterlife after accomplishing my mission," Leonidas swallowed a big lump in his throat. "For some reason...the thought of actually never seeing them again hurts,"

"Because you do care about them," Janghyeok said. "Yet you're trying so hard to keep them at a distance,"

"Even if I do see them as themselves and not as replacements for my deceased wife and son..." Leonidas' voice broke. "I think...I think I'm just afraid of losing family again. I don't want to risk getting so close to someone and considering them to be family...only to have them painfully taken away from me again..." 

Tears began to form in his eyes as he recalled his late wife and son. "Even though months had passed since my wife and son's deaths, I was still just an empty shell. I constantly overworked myself to the point where my boss forced me to take days off. I barely ate and I barely slept. It was a miracle I hadn't killed myself back then,"

He voice broke even more. "The time I spent with Donald and Sua...I actually enjoyed it. I was actually...happy. It felt like everything had gone back to what it used to be. I knew that Sua wasn't my wife and Donald wasn't my late son, but a part of me wanted to keep that sense of normalcy,"

"But you didn't like it when Donald called you 'Dad'?" Janghyeok questioned.

"Because I don't want to rob him of potentially having a proper father figure in case Sua does end up finding a new boyfriend who actually treats her and Donald well," Leonidas answered.

Both men suddenly froze once they heard sirens. They sprinted towards the apartment building, only to find it engulfed in flames.

This story is coming to an end soon.

Chapter Text

The red, orange, and yellow engulfed the building but that didn't stop Leonidas from running inside, ignoring his brother's shouts. He sprinted into his apartment building and kicked the door open. "DONALD! SUA!"

"DAD!" Donald screamed from the bedroom.

Leonidas rushed into his bedroom and saw the two huddled up in a corner. They were covered in fresh bruises and Sua was unconscious. Leonidas carefully picked Sua up. "Can you walk?"

Donald nodded and grabbed the bottom of Leonidas' shirt to stay by his side as they maneuvered their way through the flames. The stairwell was completely blocked off by the fire and they backed away to one of the landings. 

'There's gotta be someway out of here! We're on the third floor!' Leonidas smashed the stairway window open. "JANGHYEOK!"

"Leonidas!"

"I'm going to throw Sua!" Leonidas knew it was risky, but he couldn't think of anything else. 

Janghyeok nodded. "On three!"

"One!"

"Two!"

"Three!"

Leonidas tossed Sua towards Janghyeok. Janghyeok caught her in time and carefully set her down. He held his arms up since Donald would be next.

"Dad, I'm scared!" Donald said as Leonidas picked him up.

"It's going to be alright," Leonidas tried his best to calm him down. "I made a promise that I'd ensure your safety and happiness, remember? I need you to trust me, okay Donald?"

"I trust you Dad," Donald hugged him tightly. 

Before Leonidas could count down like he had done with Sua, he noticed the stairs above them starting to collapse. Leonidas quickly threw Donald out the window and Janghyeok dove just in time to barely catch his nephew.

'Good...they're safe...' Leonidas thought as the burning debris fell on top of him. 'My family...is safe...'

XXX

Leonidas stood in the corner of the operation room, slightly hovering above the ground and transparent. He watched as the doctors operated on his body before forcing himself to look away. The debris had mainly crushed him, but one metal bar had impaled him in the chest. By the time rescuers got to him, he had already lost quite a lot of blood.

He floated through the operation room doors and into the hallway. To his surprise and relief, Janghyeok wasn't in the waiting area. Operations, especially ones on wounds as severe as Leonidas', could take several hours. He would rather Janghyeok stay with Sua and Donald instead.

He wandered down the hallways until he located a room with the names SUA LEE and DONALD NA. He entered the room and saw both Sua and Donald lying in a hospital bed. Janghyeok sat next to Donald's side.

'I'm glad,' Leonidas thought. 'They're both going to live,' "Even if Leonidas Woo dies, I know Janghyeok cares about them and will help take care of them in my stead,"

"So does this mean you don't want to go back?"

Leonidas was startled by the sudden voice speaking to him and turned around to find a young man, possibly even as young as a high schooler, standing a few feet away from him. The teen wore a grey hoodie, dark blue jeans, and black shoes. His hair was short, black, and messy and his eyes were grey.

"Who are you?" Leonidas asked.

"I'm Alistair Rei," The boy greeted. "I'm the guy who brought you here after you got hit by Truck-kun,"

"Why?" Leonidas wanted to scream at him. "Why didn't you just let me die?"

"I was bored," Alistair shrugged. "I wanted to see what you'd do if you had the chance to save Donald and Sua,"

"What would you have done if I hadn't decided to step in?" Leonidas' voice was low now. "What if I had just let canon run its course?"

"Then they'd continue suffering until Sua dies and Donald would go down his villainous path," Alistair calmly said. "I don't watch over just this universe. I watch over many universes so I shouldn't get overly attached to a single one and its characters,"

"Leonidas Woo is most likely going to die from his wounds," Leonidas said. "What's going to happen to me now?"

"Technically Leonidas can survive," Alistair said. "But the question is, do you want to return to that life?"

Leonidas continued to watch Janghyeok, Sua, and Donald. "I think I want to continue being Leonidas Woo, but I also know I can't,"

"Uh, yes you can?" Alistair raised a brow. "I literally have the power to shove your soul back into his body,"

"I don't want to continue living as Leonidas because even though I've been using his identity for months, I'm still Marcus and I...I have a lot of problems I need to work on," He let out a deep sigh. "I don't want to drag those three down with me,"

"Family supports each other," Alistair deadpanned.

"I still refuse to be a burden to them," Leonidas shook his head. "I can tell that Sua genuinely does care about me and I care about her, but I'm sure she can find someone better. She can find a better partner and a better father-figure to her son. Right now, I'm too much of a mess to be what they need,"

"You have been what they needed all this time," Alistair pointed out. "Also, the storyline for this universe is you're supposed to say yes to going back to being Leonidas Woo so..." 

Without any warning, Alistair grabbed Leonidas by the throat, sprinted through several walls and back into the operating room, and shoved Leonidas' soul back into his physical body just as the operation was completed.

"Seriously, is it me or are these characters suddenly having more free will than usual?" Alistair mumbled as he left.

XXX

'Ugh,' Leonidas groaned as he sat up in the hospital bed. 'Was all that some weird dream or hallucination?'

"Sua and Donald are recovering in the room next door," Janghyeok sat in the chair beside him.

"Some guy asked me if I wanted to continue living as Leonidas Woo,"  Leonidas told him. "I...I refused. But then he just shoved my soul back into this body,"

"Do you wish that you had died?"

"Yeah, a part of me still wants to move onto Afterlife to reunite with my wife and son," Leonidas' voice was quiet. "That's why I don't want to burden everyone. I'm obviously not mentally healthy. I've got a lot of problems that I need to deal with on my own,"

"Why do you think you need to do things by yourself?" Janghyeok inquired. "You have your family to help you,"

"Janghyeok, you don't even know me," Leonidas reminded. "I'm not the Leonidas Woo who you thought was your brother all this time. I'm literally a stranger to you. Why do you care so much?"

"Leonidas and I were never close to our parents," Janghyeok revealed. "I just studied what they wanted me to study since they'd pay for my university and I'd use the degree as a fallback plan in case Cheongang failed. But as I mentioned before, I don't really feel anything after you told me that you weren't him. Besides, this whole dimensional traveling thing does seem kind of interesting to see unfold,"

A silence fell between the two brothers. After a few minutes, Leonidas asked, "How are Donald and Sua?"

"Donald's mostly fine but Sua took the brunt of their attacks," Janghyeok revealed. "It was her ex's friends, the ones we fought earlier. They're not going to get away with this,"

"Will Sua be alright?" Leonidas asked with worry.

"She'll make a full recovery," Janghyeok informed. 

Leonidas let out a sigh of relief.

Next chapter will be the final chapter of the book.

Chapter Text

"Your arm..." Leonidas noticed that one of Janghyeok's arms was in a splint.

"You threw them both from the third floor," Janghyeok deadpanned. "Also I barely caught Donald in time,"

"Sorry," Leonidas apologized. 

"Your wounds are worse," Janghyeok said. "You'll be hospitalized for a while and also need to do physical therapy to be able to walk again. You flatlined a few times,"

"I don't want to be a burden to anyone—"

"You're not a burden," Sua and Donald stood at the doorway, although Sua had an IV attached to her and was dragging the pole with her. 

"You shouldn't be standing up and walking around," Leonidas advised.

"Most of my wounds were superficial except for a minor concussion," Sua walked over to Leonidas with Donald following after her. 

"Dad, you're not a burden!" Donald told him.

"Leonidas, you've helped us so much these past couple months," Sua gently grabbed one of Leonidas' hands in her own. "Let us help you,"

Leonidas recalled his home in the real world. That cold, empty house that was full of his grief that ate away at him each second he was in there. Tears began to fall. He wanted to push everyone away, but he also didn't want to face that feeling again. He didn't want to wake up screaming and crying only to face the harsh reality that he had no one. "I...I don't want to be alone!"

"You don't have to be alone," Janghyeok said as the three of them hugged him. "You have your family,"

"The apartment's burned down, but we can make a new home elsewhere," Sua said. "A fresh start for all of us,"

"Gangnam," Leonidas requested.

"Why Gangnam?" Donald inquired.

"Because there's someone there that I'd like you to be friends with," Leonidas smiled, recalling Gray. "I know he'll be a great friend,"

XXX

Once Sua and Donald was discharged, Janghyeok had Leonidas transferred to Gangnam General Hospital. He also found a comfortable and cozy two bedroom apartment for them. Janghyeok had to eventually return to Mapo to focus on his gang, but he left his card with Sua and Donald to furnish the apartment and buy other stuff.

While Leonidas was at physical therapy, Sua and Donald bought beds, dressers, a couch, and other furniture. Once Leonidas was recovered enough to be discharged, he moved into the apartment. He had one bedroom to himself while Sua and Donald shared the other one.

Although Leonidas was discharged, he still needed help with some tasks since he couldn't stand for long periods of time yet. He still needed help getting to the bathroom and bathing. Sua helped him without any complaints.

"Sua, you don't have to do this," Leonidas said.

"You're not a burden," Sua firmly told him. "You've helped me and Donald when no one else would,"

"You guys weren't a burden because I chose—"

"And we're choosing to help you, too," Donald pointed out. "Dad, we're family. Family helps each other,"

"I can't even walk—"

"I couldn't even provide food for my own child when you came to our aid," Sua reminded. "And of course you can't walk right now. You've still got a long way in physical therapy. We just need to take things slow and eventually you'll be able to stand, walk, and run again,"

"I know you guys say that you want to be my family right now..." Leonidas admitted. "But a part of me is still afraid. I'm afraid...afraid that you guys will eventually find someone better. I'm afraid that if I completely let you guys in, I'll break if you guys leave me,"

"We don't plan on leaving you," Sua said.

"Even if I still hold love for my previous family?"

"Of course that doesn't bother us," Sua hugged him. "Leonidas, you never chose to part ways with them. Of course you'll always still love them and miss them. That's fine with us. You don't have to erase their memory from your heart. As long as you also love me and Donald too, we can also be your family,"

"Dad, we aren't leaving you," Donald joined in on the hug. "We're not going to leave you. Every time you say you're worried about being alone, we'll be here to remind you that you aren't and never will be,"

XXX

Once he felt ready, Leonidas started grief counseling and therapy. He began journaling and bought a separate notebook for letters he addressed to his late wife and late son. In those letters, he mentioned how much he still missed them, but also about how he's learning to move on with life.

Once Donald was enrolled into his new elementary school, he was nervous. Leonidas still encouraged him to approach and befriend Gray Yeon, who Janghyeok had ensured was in the class Donald was transferring into. But Leonidas also told Donald that it was also his own choice to make and he won't force him to befriend Gray.

Donald mustered up the courage to approach Gray. When he realized that Leonidas was right about the two clicking together easily and having many interests in common, Donald found it easier to talk to his new friend.

Sua got a new job closer to their new apartment. Once Leonidas was healed enough physically, he also got a job. Janghyeok still deposited money every month into Leonidas account and when Leonidas tried to protest, Janghyeok said he could always just start a college fund for Donald with the money.

Since Donald started hanging out with Gray more, Sua and Leonidas found themselves spending time with just the two of them more often lately. They did simple things like watching movies together, going for a walk in the park, and doing some arts and crafts together. They grew even closer over time.

XXX

"What's wrong?" Donald, now thirteen years old, asked when he saw his father nervously pacing around the living room.

"I'm trying to plan the perfect proposal for your mother," Leonidas said as he fidgeted with the box containing a ring.

"Mom will be fine with any proposal," Donald told him.

"Yeah but she deserves the best," Leonidas said. "I want her to be happy,"

"She does deserve the best," Donald smiled. "And you've already given her the best and made her happy. You've helped us out and given us happiness. If it hadn't been for you, Mom and I would've suffered years under that bastard's abuse until it killed her. Then I'd have ended up as a gang leader and would be all alone,"

Leonidas heard footsteps approaching the front door. "Donald, don't tell her! I still haven't finished planning!" He quickly hid the box in his pocket.

"Hey Mom," Donald greeted once the door opened. "Dad wants to propose to you,"

"Donald!"

Sua smiled. "Of course I'll marry you, Leonidas,"

Leonidas blushed bright red and brought out the box. "Really?"

"Yes," Sua opened the box and slid the ring onto her finger. "I love you and want to be with you for the rest of my life,"

Leonidas smiled and kissed Sua. "I love you too,"

"Dad, I'm gonna need you to sign this," Donald slid a paper over to him that had all the information filled out except for the signature. "I had Uncle Janghyeok grab this form for me and was waiting until you proposed to Mom to sign it,"

Leonidas' smile shined even brighter as he signed the adoption form. He brought his fiancée and son into a large hug. "I love my family,"

Thank you for reading Dimensional Dad.

Here are some of my upcoming multi-chapter fanfics:

Trucknald: Donald died and then was reincarnated as a sentient truck. Basically the truck version of  Dognald.

Catnald:  Donald died and was reincarnated as a cat adopted by Gray to help with his emotional and mental health. Basically cat version of Dognald.

There was gonna be a Birdnald but I'm already writing Gray Parrot. Donald was going to be Ben's pet chicken.

Sons from the Future: Gray and Stephen are actually from twenty five years in the future but had been caught in a time rift. Gray is actually Gray Na-Kwan, the son of Donald Na and Kingsley Kwan. Stephen is actually Stephen Park-Go, the son of Ben Park and Alex Go.

Truck-kun Sent Me to the Zombie Apocalypse!: Donald got sent to another world where a zombie apocalypse had occurred. He ended up finding that world's Gray Yeon, who was a three year old orphan, and adopted him.

See You Again: After winter break, a new student transferred to Eunjang. His name was Donald Lee and he looked identical to Donald Na, sans the tattoos. But Donald died after getting hit by a truck, so who the hell was this guy?

A Broken Soul: Donald Na's interest in June Rei was piqued when he witnessed her singlehandedly defeating the Mokha Duo. Her eyes were dull and lifeless, yet she still fought to survive. [Donald X OC] 

A Merman's Tale: A young merman, Donald Na, suffered pain and betrayal at the hands of humans. He vowed to never trust another human again. After being seriously injured, he was found and his wounds were treated by a human his age, Kingsley Kwan. Can Kingsley help break down the walls around Donald's heart and help him learn to trust others again? 

Doug Na: Donald Na had a brother who was nine months older than him (but still the same Korean age and grade level). After Sua died, the two brothers were separated when Doug was adopted by the Yeon Family.

Soar High into the Sky: Donald Na had a twin brother, Dove Na. After their parents divorced when they were five years old, each parent took a child. Donald stayed with their mother in Seoul and Dove moved to the US with their father. Years later, Dove returned to Seoul as an exchange student at Daehyeon High School.

Gray Parrot: Gray travels back in time, but he is transformed into an African grey parrot. He meets Donald's younger self and helps take care of him. He brings him some food like fruits and berries from people's gardens. He even helps Donald study.

Sua Yeon: Donald mother, Sua Lee, dies and is sent back in time where she ends up reincarnating as Sua Yeon, the twin sister of Gray Yeon. She is unable to prevent her present self's death, and instead focuses on taking care of Donald. She acts as the Mom Friend of the group.

A Tear in Time: Donald and Sua from six years ago (before Sua was hospitalized) fall through a time rift and end up in present day Yeongdeungpo at the start of Season 2. Sua ends up dating Changhui.