Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

story is aimed for readers 17 & up

I do not support twisted-doctor

-

What is this story about?:

This story is an AU rewrite of Re-Nightmare originally created by Twisted-Doctor (Formally known as Sleepykinq) The author of this AU rewrite, aka; me, has taken both the original comic and the animated web series and adds the well needed elements of psychological horror, character development, terror and mystery to weave a story worth reading and respecting.

This story almost exclusively revolves around Alfred and Kao as they struggle to survive and maintain their hopes for survival and freedom while under the captivity of The Masked Killer, soon to be known as Mystery.

Understanding the timeline:

This story takes place in the 1980s. It aims to be realistic of the timeline and technology used. While it takes place in the 80s, it uses ‘modern dates’ (2022-2023).

Setting and character changes:

Parts of the original comic and other canon iterations have been changed in this AU, with character design changes, setting names, personality changes, etc. this is just simply an AU and not professional in any aspect, it’s not going to be completely canon based. It’s all just for fun.

⚠️ GENERAL WARNINGS ⚠️

Disclaimer: the things these characters do and say do not reflect my actual views on certain people or subjects. 

• Ableist language (slurs, etc)

• Graphic violence

• Non consensual use of drugs or substances against another person.

• Child abuse and neglect

• Heavy swearing

• Gaslighting and manipulation

• Homophobia + transphobia

• Suggestive language
• scenes of attempted rape & implied rape (no actual scenes of rape are shown or described)
• suicide and self harm

Credits of inspiration:

I give thanks to the movie:

Cry in the Wild: The Taking of Peggy Ann

This movie was what inspired many important plot points in this story. I also take inspiration from the protagonist and antagonist characters for my writing of my story as well.

I also was inspired by:

BURNS PHARMACEUTICALS by Charlottes_Hellhole

Thank you to those who gave my story a chance 🖤

Chapter Text

Prologue

-

The clicking of shoes against the cream colored marble floors alerted the hospital staff of the oncoming news crew. Once word got out about the infamous serial killer case finally being resolved after many long years of terror and uncertainty, the whole state had gone into an uproar. This of which was the catalyst for the sudden outpour of reporters and news stations frantically running around for valuable information on the raved over topic. Every interviewer, regardless of the location or whether related to the fuzz or not, wanted all the details from the two revealed remaining survivors.

Two camera operators, four interviewers and three other accomplices flooded the building floor, not caring that their muddy shoes dirtied up the tile flooring, nor did they care how intimidating they might have appeared. They were only concerned about being the first to talk to these victims.

Callum, the cyan-furred interviewer in the modest white undershirt, covered by a fancy dark blue tuxedo and long dark gray pants, held his head high as he strolled along with his colleagues through the interior of the bustling building. He clutched a small notepad and pencil in his left hand, feeling prepped and ready to uncover the long awaited truth that was currently laid within these very walls. 

This was the day he had been waiting for since 2005, when all the terror stories had started. He had been only thirteen-fourteen, maybe, when the news first reported the initial death, but that had been only the beginning. The body count accumulated over time, growing steadily as the years passed. One, seven, thirteen, twenty nine- the numbers continued on. Eventually someone close to him became a victim of the brutal murders. That alone was what called Callum to the studio. 

 “I cannot believe these deadbeats actually manage to maintain such a filthy clinic.” Ash, one of Callum’s colleagues and somewhat friendly acquaintances exclaimed under his breath as he walked. The crimson draconic being scrunched his nose up in disgust as he glanced around. Callum in response said nothing, and merely glanced at his watch. It’s 7:55 am, if we're lucky they may be already awake. 

————————————

It was early in the morning, 4:00 in the morning to be exact and Callum had barely made it to his car for his usual early morning shift before his phone started to ring bloody murder.

“Cal! you got to get to the office as soon as you can, it's an emergency!” Spoke a young, high-pitched fellow that Callum couldn’t remember the name of.

“It's Callum, and what is so goddamn important that you have to blow up my phone for?!”

“It's about that serial killer case you’ve been so obsessed with!”

A pause. 

“Go on.” Callum waited with a bated breath.

“Apparently that murderer is finally dead and bro, you won’t believe this but- there are two survivors!”

“Where!?”

“Being treated at the local Treelight hospital is all I know, but if we gather up the crew in a hurry, we could get the first report on them! We’d be the first-” Click.

————————————

And now here they all were, walking closer and closer to the pristine white rooms that contained the first surviving victims of the largest cases in Treelight’s history. 

It was clear from the start that most of Callum’s younger colleagues in his designated reporting group only wanted a quick buck for their paychecks, and the fame for being apart of the first reporting crew to get the “juicy gossip” on the currently unnamed murderer and the horrible acts that the victims had been subjected to. They didn’t really care about the actual crimes, or the history surrounding them. It was all for the perceived reward, nothing else. For Callum himself though, he didn’t care about any of the material benefits of being an interviewer. He genuinely and fully cared about discovering the truth, learning in depth about the entire timeline of events and truly desired to know how these newly discovered victims managed to survive. 

Speaking of which, how did they survive? Sure, one survivor could be considered a big deal, but two within the same timeframe? That was something else on its own. It seemed impossible even. As far as everyone had known, this person… This monster, was the devil hiding in the shadows, like a reaper waiting in the wings for his next victim, Killing and maiming anyone and anything in their way until nothing was left. So this… This new development changed everything.

Callum knew that all his burning questions would be answered soon. All he had to do was wait just a few more minutes. Then the wait would be over. Amidst those anticipatory thoughts, he hadn’t paid attention to the arrival of nurse staff in striking white uniforms anxiously guiding the news crew around the corner to a couple of secluded rooms down an isolated hall, farther away from the general patient care rooms. The placement of these rooms made it seem as if it was created for the critically injured or maybe perhaps it was made to merely keep certain individuals out of sight, like the two who were actively the center of attention now- or soon would be. Eventually once the staff did their job of guiding along the crew, they eventually left the group to their lonesome. Callum was surprised none of them stayed around to supervise.

“Okay guys, this is what we've all been waiting for. Me, Callum, and you two will take this door here, while the rest of you will take the door beside us, kay?” Spoke a gruff, hazelwood colored canine who currently stood beside Callum’s tall frame. Callum couldn’t recall this specific colleague's name, perhaps it was Gorden? Yes, that was it. Callum then quickly shook off his nerves, pushing away every other thought and made the first move, firmly knocking, and pulling open the door, allowing him and the others move in.

The interior of the hospital room appeared exactly the same as any typical hospital facility room would usually look with a moveable bed, covered by a white thin cloth, a heart monitor beeping continuously- etcetera. It was all identical, all except the person currently occupying the bed’s sheets, looking absentmindedly at the wall beside him. Callum was immediately sick to his stomach when he saw the poor state of this “survivor”. His right eye had been injured somehow and tightly wound up in gauze, his ears appeared to be replaced by metal, (which who knows what could have happened to have caused something so gruesome as that?) and the bruises, cuts and scars that covered his bare arms. All created under a long span of time he would assume. Callum had most definitely come here expecting someone battered up, but not this. Whoever had done such a thing to this man here was an absolutely vile person. Callum could only wonder what the other survivor’s state was in.

Shaking off his discomfort, he helped his colleagues set up the cameras they had brought in, (not for live recording, heavens no, simply a recorded document for the station to use later.) and quickly got everything else settled, and organized. 

Callum took another hesitant glance at the male and wasn’t surprised when he hadn’t moved an inch. Not even the blue patterned hospital gown he wore let out a ripple of movement. Callum felt bad about the fact that he and Gorden and all his other accomplices were going to basically interrogate this poor guy for information, when he clearly wasn’t in a state to do so, yet he had already agreed to go through with this when he had dashed into the office that morning.

 The blue feline took a deep breath, pulled out his notepad and pencil, recalled the entirety of his prewritten script, and finally with quick gestures given by Gorden, the interview officially started.

“Hello sir, My name is Callum Ledger of the 4U news group. We came here to ask you a few questions regarding an event that involved you. Would that be alright?” Callum rehearsed, keeping his voice soft. When the other didn’t immediately respond, Callum flickered his pale blue eyes at the sheet that hung over the front of the bed that was mainly used by nurses and doctors. 

-

Name: Alfred Brown

Occupation: ???

Age: 38

Cause of injury: Kidnapping, Assault, etc

-

“Alfred? That is your name, correct?” Callum prompted again gently. Alfred’s single remaining orange eye finally glanced up at him with a guarded and slightly anxious looking expression on his face. His body appeared to have instinctively tensed up, and the sound of the patient's heart monitor became more apparent as his heart rate picked up. A few long moments went on without a response which stirred a sense of concern within Callum.

“Yes, that is my name.” Alfred replied finally, his voice hoarse and raspy, as if he hadn’t talked in days.

“It’s nice to meet you, Alfred. May we ask you a few questions about what happened to you?” Callum replied swiftly, relief filling his senses as Alfred finally responded.

“Do I have to talk about it?” Alfred asked weakly, voice cracking just enough to be noticeable.

Callum glanced back at Gorden, hoping that the canine would offer some sort of assistance- maybe a word of reassurance to the victim or a nonverbal cue to decide the best response, but Gordon in response just waved his hand dismissively, he clearly wouldn’t be of any help right now.

“We won’t push you, but we just want to figure out the whole story. Whatever information you can give us would be wonderful.”

Alfred appeared to be thoughtful for a moment, giving Callum a chance to take notice of the canine’s fidgeting hands and the way he picked at his fingers anxiously. It made sense now as to why Alfred had numerous bandages covering his digits.

“Alright...” Alfred tentatively nodded. Callum felt a flutter of strong, unwavering curiosity surge through him as everything he had wanted to know since the beginning threatened to escape his throat in the form of frantic questions one by one, But Callum was smart enough to retain his formal composure and focus his mind on the memorized script of questions provided to him.

“Alright, if there is a question you do not feel comfortable answering feel free to say so.”

Alfred nodded again, but much weaker, as if suddenly unsure.

“What can you tell us about The Masked-” “he called himself Mystery.” Alfred suddenly interrupted.

“Oh! Did Mystery tell you this?” Callum inquired with hidden shock, as he taped the eraser on his pencil against his furry chin. Mystery?

“Yes…” Alfred nodded tensely. “He said a lot of things.”

“What kind of things?”

Alfred went silent.

“Next question, please.”

Callum nodded, but it was Gorden who spoke next.

“Did you know that Mystery is dead?”

Callum was taken off guard by the sparkle of life that ignited in Alfred’s remaining eye, but he was also taken off guard by Gordons deliberate derailment of script. This wasn’t the question he should be asking.

“R-Really?!”

“Yes really.” Gorden affirmed, as his eyebrows furrowed. “You wouldn’t know what happened to him, would you?”

Callum winced, Gorden really can't really be going there. He really shouldn’t. This was a formal interview for god's sake, what was with him today!?

“I do…”

“Well, enlighten us.”

Callum shot a glare at Gorden. The way he was asking these questions as if he was interrogating some criminal. He knew Gorden was one who liked stirring drama, but surely he’d know better than to treat the situation as if it was a true crime episode. Alfred in response looked away towards the wall, guilt flickering in his expression.

“You don’t have to answer that, what my employee meant to ask was-” “No, no… it's alright. I’ll answer. I… I killed him.” Alfred interrupted once again, but unlike last time, his voice appeared to be at the verge of cracking, but also had a slight underlying tone of relief.

Everyone in the room had went gone silent, not expecting this reveal. This guy, Alfred, the one in such a mess up state had killed the most notorious killer in Treelight? Was that really possible?

“That must have been… hard for you.” Callum spoke up, trying to ignore the way his voice quivered with shock.

“I… suppose…” Alfred shrugged, looking away again, Callum though could clearly see with his own eyes that there was some sort of agony flickering on Alfred’s expression, agony of which made him truly wish he knew the full story.

“You have saved hundreds of people, you know.” Callum started again, being fully aware that reassurance wasn’t exactly a part of the interview process. He simply couldn’t help but speak.

“You think so?” Alfred this time looked back at him, seeming to take in Callum’s words.

“Yeah.”

“Yeah, and You might also get charged with manslaughter.” Gorden whispered sharply out of Alfred’s earshot, Callum continued on without as much as a word to him.

“How long were you in captivity?”

“a year,”

Callum simply couldn’t believe that, didn’t the masked kille- Mystery-… didn’t Mystery just kill his victims and move on? That was how it was before. What made Alfred so special?

“What was… what was Mystery like?” Callum knew this question would come up. Alfred winced.

“W-well-”

————————————

“He was a horrible man, I’ll tell you.” The second survivor replied with a subtle southern twang in his voice.

Ash, one of the main reporters of 4U news entertainment, was currently stuck sitting in a chair and interviewing some pansy. Initially he had expected an enjoyable interview where all he had to do was ask questions and get a strong, interesting if not badass response back, but no, that wasn’t what happened. Most of the questions the other guy (who he couldn’t bother to remember his name) asked him, the answers the survivors would give him would always fall into some tangents about utter bullshit. It was like he didn’t even want to answer. As if he was trying his utmost hardest to piss him off and ruin his day.

Hell, Ash didn’t want to be here. He never willingly signed up to be a part of a pathetic news team. It in fact was the very last thing he wanted to do with his life. He simply had wanted to be a NBA star. That was all his heart had desired. He had practiced and worked out on and off just to get a position in his hometown high school team. It had been everything he had wanted and more, But no, one tiny mistake had cost him his whole career, now he was stuck at the bottom, forced to interview idiots who simply wanted attention all to get a meager amount of money that barely kept him up with his rent and necessities. Oh poor me! I am a victim! I got stabbed a few times by a mentally ill Psycho! I should milk this and get millions, WAH WAH WAH! His life had become shit and he knew it, but too bad, it was either this or working at an even worse job flipping burgers and speaking to the useless, entitled people of the world. So he might as well just suck it up.

Besides that, Just minutes ago, the second survivor had admitted to being a part of murdering Mystery, as he called the killer, Along with his self proclaimed best friend, Alfred. That simple confession was what had caught back Ash’s attention, but that little speck of interest didn’t live long before his dumbass employee had to spoil the moment with more dumb and honestly unrelated questions, Following the useless fucking script as usual.

This survivor's name was apparently Kao, and he had been though absolute torture, or at least that was what the ram had been yapping about this entire time. Apparently his wings got chopped off. For Ash, It was hard to believe someone so small and weak could even have wings to get chopped off. Besides, when was the last time he saw a ram have wings anyway? It must be a lie. 

Ash at this moment recalled his own striking pair of wings, russet, large and powerful. Only strong people had wings. This had been an ideology that had been passed down to him from his father and his father’s father long before, and he believed in wholeheartedly. Yes, clearly the ram was lying. 

Ash then began to take notice of the rest of Kao’s battered appearance. One of his horns, the right one, had been brutally cracked, leaving only half of its natural shape remaining, Ash could even see the dried blood from where he sat. This was odd in itself given how horns typically self healed after a few weeks. He didn’t know what that was about, but he was sure to find out during another burst of the ram’s uttering nonsense. Next he noticed scars and some cuts not quite healed were scattered all over the male's arms, his brownish-gray hair was matted and covered in dust and dirt and there was a glazed look in his eyes that never seemed to waver even as he spoke. That bitch had been dragged from hell and back apparently. Ash, despite himself, felt something like genuine pity for the creature, if only for a fleeting second.

“Ya see, he seemed to think everything was a twisted game of sorts, he’d toy with us- day in day out- nonstop- and he’d constantly give us a false sense of hope, only to get crushed in the end, a-and when he’d catch us- he’d- he’d do horrible things to us…” Kao went on, voice sped up and frantic in a way that seemed as if he was afraid to not get all his words out before something awful would happen.

“Care to elaborate?- about the horrible things, I mean.” the other interviewer asked politely.

“Well one time he had this knife- well no… kinda, he had many tools he used, it’s hard to remember them all- You know, My brother owned a chainsaw once, he actually lost a chunk of his foot because he-“ “Okay, let's all just cut the bullshit, alright?” Ash interrupted, standing up to his full height as his voice came out loud and booming. He scoffed almost immediately as Kao flinched under Ash’s intense tone. How pathetic. His crew standing by him immediately had begun to give him a look that made him feel a little stupid, but what was done was done and more importantly, he wanted to get some clear facts straight since nobody here was going to bother with it.

“You helped kill Mystery, right?”

 “Er, yes.” Kao muttered, his voice shaking.

“Care to explain why?”

“W-What do you mean why?!” Kao was next to raise his voice, if Ash didn’t know any better Kao looked rather outraged, which to him sounded kinda odd, considering how small and truly un-intimidating this guy was. Ash, nonetheless continued.

“Couldn’t you just escape or something? I mean, there were literally two of you, and just one of him, are you sure you couldn’t have found a different solution? Are you sure that your friend didn’t misinterpret the situation?-“ “Haven’t y'all been listening!? He tortured us for god's sake! How would ya know what it was like for us?! Ya can’t! You've never been in our situation, so don’t go blaming me n’ my friend!” Kao seemed to practically snarl as his southern accent seemed to thicken by the second.

“A-ah- w-well- Pardon my colleague's choice of words, He simply was wondering how you got stuck in such a situation. That’s all!” The interviewer from before swiftly spoke, they chuckled nervously before regaining their composure.

Ash wanted to beat the shit out of them when they said that. The audacity… Ash angrily sat his ass back down on his chair.

“N-Nah, no harm done.” Kao forced out a weak chuckle, eyes dull. “I shouldn’t have yelled, it was rude, but…” Kao’s voice went dark. “We wouldn’t have decided to kill him if we didn’t have a choice, y’know?”

Ash leaned forward.

“We tried to be civil… but being civil just doesn’t work after some time… and when you’ve been trapped like I’ve been, ya lose what moral compass you may have had.”

 A string of silence.

“How did this happen exactly? How did you and your friend get in this situation?”

Ash sighed. Back to the useless questions. 

“It’s quite a long story.” Kao rubbed the back of his head anxiously.

“We have plenty of time, I assure you.”

Almost on cue, when both Alfred and Kao where asked the same question. Alfred and Kao responded almost simultaneously.

“It all started a year ago…”

Chapter Text

Chapter One

One year ago - July 2022

-

Beams of light filtered through the muted daffodil colored curtains. The felt fabric, though, did not fully eliminate the blinding source of light that was blasting into a particular male's eyes. 

The room, shared by two, was fully furnished. (one sign of a well lived home.) The walls and ceiling were pure white, although near the bottom of the walls was a thin line of green wallpaper that couldn’t be fully covered by the white colorant. 

Many trinkets and souvenirs over the course of life were mostly gathered here, while in their miniscule, impractical purposes, were all sentimental to the owners of this lovely establishment. You would be able to find many small framed photos along the walls and dressers, all depicting the family at certain events and sentimental moments from the long past.

In the room was a decent sized bed, a reasonably sized wardrobe closet and a full length mirror by the doorway. On one side of the mattress, the right side specifically, included a dresser with paint chipped off, a maroon alarm clock (strategically placed next to the person who had the tendency to oversleep) and thin black oval glasses that shimmered as the light reflected on the lenses. The other side had another dresser, a more modern version than the previous with simply a large book and a lamp on top. It wouldn’t take many guesses to figure out which side belonged to the other.

Alfred, was the one currently snoozing in bed, fully unaware of the time, just peacefully dreaming. He was the one with the peachy brown fur and medium long locks of auburn hair- copper as it is also called- that draped over his face messily. Eventually the sun’s blinding light became simply too much, prompting Alfred to awake from his deep slumber. He was disappointed to notice that his beloved wife, Yuki, was not beside him as per usual. A cold spot was all that was left on her side of the mattress. It was odd, that was for sure, but while he wanted to get up and locate her, his hazy, sleep fogged mind was not yet ready to take on the day ahead of him, so instead he just elicited to roll over, in a dash ditch attempt to return to dreamland. Of course, just by chance he happened to look at the time, which his little alarm clock happened to provide. 6:12 am… CRAP! Alfred's bright orange eyes widened quickly as he scrambled out of his covers and frantically went rummaging through his wardrobe for his uniform. You see, today was his first day at his new job. Specifically the first day of being a pharmaceutical representative for Rx Industries, which happened to be a small blossoming company with a growing reputation founded in early 1999. It had been his dream job since high school, but it was a competitive field, especially in a large state such as Treelight. Many times when newspaper fliers and commercials would pop up with Rx Industries seeking new employees, Alfred would rush to apply, but others with even more determination than him would be faster. It was a good thing Alfred already had plenty of money to spare without having a current job. Today though was different. After finally applying once again early that week, with the expectation that he would not receive a response, he was greeted by an unexpected phone call just shy of a few hours later. Then soon enough, he would be dashing to the interview, and by a miracle, he landed the job within just minutes. He recalled the exact moment in his memory.

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

“You sure are persistent, Mr Brown, but I assume you already are aware of this.” spoke the CEO of Rx Industries, known as Liam Moore, PhD. His calculating blue eyes stared deeply into Alfred’s unwavering orange ones. Alfred was quick to notice his black fur and white muzzle, the slightly impatient sway of his thin tail and his tux, that was embedded by a bold, gold name tag. Despite this, Alfred tried to look as relaxed as possible. He couldn’t have the CEO thinking he was a coward after all. Bosses never hired cowards.

The interview took place within the office of the CEO, the only real office here. He remembered walking through the large front entrance and suddenly being hit with awe at the sheer amount of workers manufacturing the precious prescription medicines in real time, with real integrity and brilliance Alfred could only strive to have.

The office where he currently sat had been more intimidating than he had initially expected, The sounds of work were all muted, and the room was all but decorated, although Alfred tried to take that as the biggest sign of a strong, capable leader. If he had to be honest though, out of all the things he had least expected to happen was him being personally interviewed by the boss of all people. If it had just been a standard interview with the usual professional asking him questions, he wouldn’t be as nervous, but with it being his actual, future potential boss, it really heightened the stakes for him. This in turn caused a little bit more anxiety than he was comfortable with, but he didn’t dare mention that to him though.

“I just want to take part in something important and worthwhile.” Alfred replied in response, brushing a lock of his hair out of his eyes.

“I can tell.” Liam then scribbled something down on a piece of paper. He then glanced back to Alfred’s sizable resume that was given to him just at the start of the interview. This was when Alfred started to fidget a little, unable to help the nervousness jumping out of his skin. Thankfully Mr. Moore was more focused on his resume rather than the canine’s body language.

“I noticed you have acquired a lot of degrees over the years, a bachelor's degree in marketing, a certificate of passing all three levels of first aid training, a bachelors in business administration, a bachelors in biochemistry and a masters of public health.” Liam’s blue eyes shifted back to Alfred’s once more, with skepticism, as if he couldn’t possibly believe what he was reading. “You are aware you are highly overqualified for the position you are asking for right? Not even half of my representatives in this company have these many degrees or even first aid training. You’d be better off sharing your intelligence with those who actually manufacture the drugs we sell.” 

“I do understand that, but I'm dead set on being a representative. I simply cannot see myself being a part of the whole… creating process of this company.” Alfred explained.

“Hm, I suppose that is understandable. Considering what I've seen so far, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.” Liam sat back with a lighter expression. “What do you say about coming in on friday?”

“Does that mean i get the job?” Alfred asked with more enthusiasm than he had intended to show, luckily an amused grin was all he got in response to his exclamation. 

“I’d say you do. But before you go, if I may ask, what about being a pharmaceutical representative called you here?” He asked with genuine curiosity. Unbeknownst to him, the question unlocked quite a few negative childhood memories within Alfred’s mind. Ones that made him shutter.

“Well, someone I once knew wasn’t in the right mental state and I wasn't able to help them in time… and I guess I just wanted to help people feel… better, I suppose… give them the chance that they never got.” Alfred shrugged nonchalantly, while mentally he just wanted to shut out those pesky, unpleasant memories. It had been nearly thirty years ago since that event happened, there was no need to dwell on the past.

“I see.” Liam nodded knowingly, of course he would have an idea of what happened, he worked at a pharmaceutical company of goodness sake, it's common knowledge that a good percentage of medicine was for those with mental issues. Alfred, though, more often than not always kept forgetting that. He was more used to seeing pages on newspapers showcasing meds for those with diabetes or chronic pain issues.

“Before you head out, you do need to be aware that we have a separate facility for those who work as representatives here.” he said, handing Alfred a white and blue business card, embedded with an address, the company logo and the picture of the building. The only thing that eluded Alfred was the name on the card did not match the person who sat in the room with him.

“Who’s this?” he dared to ask.

“My second in command, Vincent Armani, but he prefers being addressed by his first name. Anyways, I cannot operate in both settings given the size of our growing organization, so I have him being the one to help manage everything there. He will be the one to give you a proper introduction in this field.” Liam replied. 

“I understand.” Alfred nodded, clutching the card tightly in the palm of his hand. 

“Now be on your way, your uniform will be mailed to you and such. I expect good things from you.” Liam flashed a professional smile, only given to those worth the respect, which Alfred was more than welcome to receive, But just as he was about to go out the door, he recalled a promise he made to his close friend.

“Er, do you have any other positions open here? I'm just asking for a friend.”

“A friend, huh? Well, we do have an opening for a janitor for the facility you will be working at, if your friend wants that, tell them to call me.” Liam answered. It was only then that Alfred opted to leave, he certainly didn’t want to irritate him any further.

And before he knew it. He had snagged one of the best paying jobs in treelight, and potentially another for his dear friend. His entire life's goal had finally come to pass. All in the matter of hours. 

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

Back to the present, Alfred swiftly pulled out a white box containing his uniform out of his wardrobe closet. With shaking hands, he lifted the cover and unfolded his new outfit. The white lab coat, freshly sown, looked just as professional and wonderful as it did when it first had arrived. The light from the morning sun gave the uniform an almost mythical shine when held up.

Alfred wasted no time getting dressed, Feeling as if he barely had time to get ready despite having at least two hours before his first shift. (His current schedule thankfully started later in the morning and ended later in the night.) in the midst of his apprehension he nearly forgot to put on his glasses. (which he technically didn’t need. Even the eye specialist told him that his eyes weren't nearly that bad to require glasses, yet he had insisted on buying them regardless.)

He took one brief look in the mirror, feeling pride surge through him. He looked like an important person and he even felt like one. After adjusting his gray undershirt, he speed walked to the kitchen where he would now find his wife busily zipping around. The kitchen was consumed by the gentle scent of chamomile tea, the sound of eggs and bacon sizzling and the sound of classical music playing through the radio in the living room. Being genuinely surprised by this, Alfred hardly noticed he had been gawking.

“Good morning dear! You're just in time, have a seat.” Yuki said in her usual cheery voice as she spotted him staring. Yuki was an absolute beauty in Alfred’s eyes. She had long brown hair that swayed in the air as she moved around all but a single strand of blue hair matched the look of her small but striking horns. But that simply wasn’t all he loved about her, she was just so responsible and caring and oh so smart. Goodness, he was lucky to have her.

“Is it our anniversary already?” Alfred chuckled lightly, as he took a seat at one of the tall stools by the kitchen island counter.

“No silly! It's your first day at your new job, remember? I wanted to make you something before you left.” Yuki replied, setting down a steaming mug of tea in front of Alfred.

“T-Thanks, but you really didn’t need to do this.” He sighed, feeling just a touch bashful.

“Yes I do, you’ve been working so hard to get this job for a long time, This is a big deal.” Yuki pecked Alfred on the cheek before heading over to the stove to tend to the bacon and eggs.

“I'm assuming those are for the kids.”

“You assume correct.” Yuki smiled. “I didn’t expect you to have an appetite this morning.”

“Yeah…” Alfred hummed as he took sips of the tea Yuki had so generously prepared for him, his glasses fogged up due to the stream wafting off the beverage. “Thanks again for this.”

“Not a problem at all! Just relax while I get everything ready okay? I don’t want you getting overworked right before you head out, do we?” She responded soon after, as she then settled down two plates of Bacon and eggs on the counter, all prepared meticulously. Alfred of course rolled his eyes in a playful manner. He knew her well enough to know that her wanting him to ‘relax’ this morning was just another excuse for her to spend her free time cleaning around the house before she herself went out for work. For some reason she really liked to keep herself occupied with numerous lengthy tasks, especially deep cleaning, but of course Alfred couldn’t possibly imagine how she could end up enjoying that, at least at her level. 

Eventually Yuki crept upstairs where their kiddo’s rooms were located. While she was gone, Alfred tried to enjoy what little time he had before he would have to inevitably leave. During his college years, he hadn’t needed a job, the college he attended would simply pay him for taking classes due to his exceptional grades during his time in high school, that was all he simply needed. Now things were going to be different, he would likely be traveling all sorts of places, and marketing all sorts of prescriptions to clinics all over, this would mean he would likely not be able to spend as much time as he’d like with his family. Alfred shook his negative thoughts away before they could fully bloom. Things will work out. They always did. He wasn’t going to let his work cause strain with his family.

Soon the sound of Yuki waking up their two children, Shai and Shia, echoed through the hallways, prompting Alfred to finish up his beverage. Before he knew it he heard the scuttling of feet down the stairway.

“Hiya dada!” Exclaimed the excited voice of his son, Shia, As he raced down the stairs with vigor with Yuki following in behind him.

“Good morning, kiddo!” Alfred chuckled lightly as he watched his son race up to the counter, probably dying to dig into his breakfast. Shia’s looks obviously came from Alfred, His bouncy curls were nearly identical to Alfred in his youth and his orange eyes seemed to pass down as well. The only main difference was that he had pale orange (that borderlined on pale yellow) colored hair rather than deep copper like his father. Alfred watched as Shia didn’t wait this time for his sister to join the table before digging into his breakfast which was evidence enough that he was starving.  Usually he would remind him to be patient, but today he was willing to be more easygoing on the rules.  Besides, knowing Shai, she would take more than a few minutes to join them downstairs.

When Shai eventually did come down for breakfast, she looked just as disgruntled as he imagined, but he really couldn’t blame her. Two weeks ago, Shai had been invited to celebrate her seventeenth birthday with her close friend Jessy. Alfred and Yuki both respectively trusted their daughter being out on her own but due to the serial killer that had been hanging around treelight for decades being reportedly moving closer to the Muir region, they both knew it wouldn’t be safe for her to go out. Shai had been furious when they broke the news to her, and even now was still quite upset about it. Surprisingly, the anger was more directed towards him rather than her mother. He wasn’t sure why that was the case, but Alfred hoped that eventually she would forgive him.

The mental reminder of the serial killer began to send shivers down Alfred’s spine. He had been aware of this freak’s existence for a long while, but Alfred was mostly unbothered by them, the missing cases never occured around his home, nor where he went to college so felt like there was no need for him to worry. From what he observed by the news alone, the killer seemed to roam all over Treelight, mostly targeting the main part of the city where the population was the highest. His hometown was unscathed for so long, but eventually things had begun to change once the news started reporting more missing bodies. That was the moment he started to worry. With the growing danger out on the streets, Alfred’s mind had been made up. He wasn’t putting his daughter at risk. It’s a miracle that this monster doesn’t break into buildings…

“Good morning, Shai, Did you sleep well?” Yuki inquired with the same amount of cheery enthusiasm she had been giving to her husband just moments ago.

“I guess.” Shai shrugged with a tired sigh, her blue eyes remained averted to the side. Shai was almost the mirror image of Yuki, of course with the exception of her hair which remained brown, untouched with blue dye as well as that she wore heavy black eyeliner. Even then, people mixed the two up.

“Hello!” Shia called out to his older sister, his voice muffled by his breakfast. Shai didn’t respond, merely just sitting down and staring at her plate with a mildly conflicted expression. Alfred couldn’t get himself to say anything, knowing full well Shai would either ignore or get hostile, neither of which would be good. Yuki seemed to notice the awkwardness and tension and intervened.

“How does it feel knowing you'll be able to be home alone more often?” 

“It's cool I guess.” It was then Shai cracked a smile and looked up from her plate. “What makes you think I won't burn the house down while you're gone?” She joked with a smirk.

“I sure hope you don't,” Yuki laughed. Alfred let out a quiet sigh of relief, glad that the mood lightened up. Yuki was always great at alleviating tension. Just as Alfred went to stand up to complete getting ready for work, Shia let out a loud gasp.

“What's wrong?” Alfred exclaimed with fright.

“I gotta get something!” Shia then lunged out of the chair, nearly tripping and proceeded to scurry upstairs quicker than Alfred could get a word out.

“I’d bet two dollars that he’s getting out one of his dumb superhero drawings.” Shai whispered just a little too loudly.

“Don’t speak about your brother that way, eat your breakfast.” Yuki scolded her. Shai obeyed wordlessly. Alfred patiently waited as he heard distant fumbling. Before long Shia ran back to his father, in his small hands was a white sheet of paper and a childlike drawing of Alfred standing beside the silver car he owned. Alfred smiled and took the drawing gingerly into his own hands, admiring the handiwork.

“It looks wonderful, thank you.” 

“Yeah! Can you- can you take it with you? Pretty please?” Shia said, slurring some of his words enthusiastically.

“Of course kiddo, I'll make sure to keep it with me at all times.” Alfred ruffled his hair which earned a happy squeal from Shia as he zoomed away, clearly forgetting his task of eating.

“I'll take care of your cup, dear, you go get ready.” Yuki gathered the empty mug in her hands, waving off Alfred.

“Alright, love you.”

“Love you too.” Alfred then started moving to the restroom to start with the laborious task of taking care of his hair, unfortunately having curly hair could result in nasty tangles. He stopped to look behind him though.

“I hope you have a good day, Shai.”

“Kay.” Shai replied. Alfred felt guilty as he walked away. If only he hadn’t stopped her from going to that party, then she would have been happy, but why risk her safety though? He would be happier with Shai alive and angry at him then dead on the street.

After brushing away Shai’s dismissal, Alfred then resumed his morning preparation. Over the course of ten minutes, the canine managed to brush his hair, and pack his handbag which contained the essentials including a pencil, a lighter, the business card containing the location of the facility, his flip phone, his car keys, the picture Shia had drawn for him folded carefully in his bag and finally one secret, hidden cigarette roll. He had a feeling he would need it. First days were always stressful. (but of course he knew he would get a stern talking-to by Yuki once she found out.) Before long he was ready.

“Good luck dear!” Yuki told Alfred, giving him an earnest kiss as he reached the front door to exit.

“Thank you, I wish you luck at work as well.” Alfred grinned lightly. Just then, Shia dashed up to him, giving his dad a big hug.

“Bye dada!” He cheered, before pushing past him and running off outside, he chucked at Shia’s antics, He simply had too much energy to handle. It was just then that Alfred realized just how much his love for his entire family was. He really couldn’t imagine being without them. Thinking about his wonderful family on this wonderful day was enough to make his eyes all watery. Of course, after one last glance at the clock on the wall, Alfred opted to get going. It was best to be early for work.

Now out by his car, he felt the warmth of the sun as it shined down on him, a light breeze went past, blowing against his lab coat. Everything is perfect. He reflected within his mind. His home, his life, everything, it was like a perfect dream, and this was a dream that he would never wake up from.

Shaking himself back to the present he hopped into his car. He felt odd about how it was already unlocked. Had he already unlocked it in the midst of his thoughts? In a sudden burst of panic he quickly dug in his bag and found that his keys were missing from the rest of his gathered belongings. 

“What the-”

“BOO!” “AGHH!” Alfred screamed as a tiny figure from the backseat popped up menacingly. It was only until the figure began to laugh that Alfred relaxed. It was just Shia.

“Darn you, little miscreant!” Alfred chortled. “Come on, give me back my keys.” 

“You looked so silly!” Shia with uncoordinated hands tossed the keys back to Alfred, although a bit reluctantly.

“Yeah, well you could have given me a heart attack.” Alfred replied. He then realized how sad Shia began to look. “What's wrong, Shia?” he asked softly, turning his body to face his child.

“Ima miss you.” he said softly, sniffling just a little.

“Aww kiddo, i’ll be back home tonight, and besides your sister will be with you.”

“But- But you’ve always been with me…”

Alfred’s heart ached at seeing his precious child so saddened. Until now, he hadn’t quite realized how much time he had spent at home. No wonder Shia was feeling unhappy.

“And I always will be, it will just be from a distance, okay? I'll always come back home.”

“Okay… ” Shia sniffled a little more, before suddenly seeming to perk up after a few moments of sad silence. “Okay! Bye bye dada!”

“Goodbye!” Alfred waved before facing frontwards again. He heard the telling slam of the car door, prompting that Shia had left. He didn’t check, but he trusted him.

With his keys now in hand he turned the ignition and heard the telltale noise of the engine starting up, Alfred always liked that noise, for whatever reason. He looked at the small digital clock and let out a sigh. Even after talking with his loved ones, he still had an hour to spare, perhaps he could give his close friend, Kao, a call? Yeah, that would be okay. Alfred knew that he was mostly just stalling, but right then he really didn’t care. He took out his phone, and within a few seconds dialed the number to his friend.

He waited… then Kao finally picked up.

“Heya Al! I was just about to head off to work, ya alright?” Kao spoke from the other side of the phone, a noticeable hint of southern etched into his voice that translated surprisingly well into the speaker of the phone.

“I'm good, just… I had some time left to spare so I thought I'd call you before I left, that's all.” Alfred replied.

“If you say so!” You could practically hear Kao shrugging nonchalantly from the other side of the screen. “I don’t think I'd thanked you for getting me this job, it was real kind of ya!” He said, changing the subject with a grateful and cheery voice.

“It's no problem, I made a promise to you, and it was a promise I wanted to keep.” Alfred remembered the look on Kao’s face when he told him that he had a chance to snag a job as the janitor at his section of Rx Industries. He knew how much Kao wanted to stick around with him, after all, they were best friends. With luck on his side, Kao managed to get the gig with ease. He had never seen Kao happier.

“Are ya excited?” Kao asked.

“Yeah I think so.”

“You sure don’t sound excited, are you sure everything is fine?” Kao asked with concern.

“Everythings fine, really! I guess I'm just nervous or something.”

“Aw hey, don’t overthink this, you will do great! Besides, I'll be there with you, and if anyone gives you crap I'll whack them with my broom!”

“N- No, I don't think that will be necessary! but thanks… you really are too kind…” Alfred leaned back, letting the sun shine directly onto his face. “I know I'll be fine, it's just… I feel like I don't deserve this, but I don't know why.”

“I think it's just nerves, Al. You worked so many years to get this job, and you put so much effort into everything you've ever done. I know that you deserve this.” Kao reassured him.

“Yeah, I suppose you're right. Well, anyways, uh, how is your brother, Hawaito? Is he doing alright?” Alfred changed the subject swiftly, feeling as if he was being too negative in front of his friend. He knew that negativity never did a person good, besides, it had been a while since he had gotten an update on the younger ram’s older brother.

“Oh yeah! He’s doing well, did I tell ya that he’s trying to get into college again?”

“No you haven’t.”

“Well he’s tryin’ to be a lawyer, he says that being a lawyer pays well, but i dunno anything about lawyer stuff so I guess he knows best, but I kinda think he underestimates- Ah sorry, i'm getting ahead of myself there.” 

“That's alright, no worries.” Alfred replied seamlessly. “It's nice hearing he is doing something different for a change.” Alfred sighed gently. “Well, I think I should get going now, I'll see you there.”

“Yep! Ya remember where to go?” Kao inquired.

“Yeah.” Alfred replied, pulling out the business card given to him by Liam a while before. “Good luck.”

“You too!” Kao said before hanging up. Alfred found himself sighing. The call didn’t necessarily ease any tension he had, but it was worth it for the most part. At the very least he got to speak with his friend.

He then shifted into the driving gear and began his journey to his new working facility. The state of Treelight, the state of which was his home, was separated into three major counties. Muir, Haines and Lumiere. Alfred happened to live in Muir county, known for its appreciation and respect for wildlife. As far as the eye could see were trees, ponds, little forests and of course, houses. These houses were built to appear like just like any other home, in a way that hid the uniqueness of the county's style, Alfred’s home in fact, was among the cluster of houses of a typical looking neighborhood, white painted, modern and even had a garage (not like he actually used the garage for anything really, it was mainly there for decoration). Yet as he drove on, the true atmosphere of Muir showed through. Deeper into the county, Kiddo’s played in the ponds that lined the gravel roads, Small businesses opened up in the cover of the trees, forests and flowered over grasslands covered the landscape, and so much more. it was everyone's safe haven… Well, until recently that is…

As he drove on, Alfred found that he had calmed down significantly. He earned this, he had no reason to worry about a thing. Everything was going to be alright. Besides, Vincent was supposed to be leading him along for the first time, getting him settled. He also wouldn’t be alone. His best friend Kao would be there, giving him support no matter what. Plus in the long run, the money he would earn from work would help him and his family continue to live comfortably. Maybe he would have enough money to help save for Shia’s future college plans. Shai’s was already prepared, but a little bit more bucks wouldn’t be bad either. Alfred smiled with a fresh sense of enthusiasm at the idea. 

Soon enough, he came to the surprisingly big parking lot of the facility. Alfred was surprised by the size of it, it looked more like the parking lot to a supermarket or mall than a pharmaceutical building, but then again, it wasn’t any bigger than the actual facility he had been to during the interview period. Alfred took the spot closest to the building, he didn’t have many competitors for the spot, mainly because there was literally nobody there. Odd… Alfred thought in his head, his eyebrows furrowed as he scanned the area around him. He checked the time. 8:00 am. Somebody should be here already. The fact that the area was deserted sent a shiver of fear down his spine.  No, calm down, there is got to be a logical explanation for this, just stay calm. Alfred tried to reason with himself as he carefully stepped out into the outdoors. The weather told nothing of what was to come.

He headed towards the entrance slowly, glancing around him in an effort to try and locate anybody besides him just wandering along. Much to his chagrin though, he couldn’t spot anybody. As he got closer, the more the air around him seemed to secrete a perpetual sense of danger and unease even despite the bright sky and warm, breezy air. After a few moments, he found himself standing by the entryway. There was a dark sense of foreboding as he stood there, enough to make him shiver. His hands refused to open the doors, afraid someone would jump out and maul him. It was a crazy idea, nobody was here, or it at least seemed that way. Nobody could hurt him if nobody was present. Yet, that didn’t stop him from continuing to feel the overwhelming anxiety thrumming though his body.

“Al!” A voice sounded from behind him. Alfred jolted in panic, but realized it was just Kao finally arriving.

“Geez! Don’t jump up behind me!” Alfred snapped unintentionally.

“Ah Jeez, Sorry!” Kao apologized as he got closer, Alfred saw that Kao was just as prepared as he was, he wore his uniform which was strangely similar to Alfred’s current attire. Alfred watched as his friend's wings fluttered behind him, he levitated just above his eye level. Ah, another time he forgot something important. Kao was technically an immortal. Not that it was a rare thing around Treelight, if anything it was a common sight and pretty normal. Immortal beings were just entities who simply couldn’t be killed unless another immortal being was the cause. Kao and his other family members apparently had angel and demon blood. That alone manifested itself through Kao’s small but capable wings. (Capable enough to fly him all the way out here apparently)

“It's fine, I should have been paying attention.” Alfred rubbed his temples anxiously.

“Alright… I just happened to notice that nobody is here…” Kao spoke softly, turning back to look at the empty parking lot, a look of concern etched onto his expression.

“Yeah, me too. I guess I'm not the only one who sees a problem with that.” Alfred replied, fidgeting with his handbag. “Maybe I should call Vincent…” Alfred zipped open his bag and pulled out his business card, surprisingly there was no phone number located anywhere on it.

“Gosh darn it!” Alfred exclaimed irritatedly. What kind of employer didn’t have a form of contact on his own card?! He was glad he had packed that lone cigarette, he was supposed to be quitting as advised by the love of his life, Yuki, but right this second that didn’t matter. Something was wrong and the only thing that could give him a temporary moment of relief was smoking. He was sure he could make up for it in the future. Alfred quickly dug through his bag, before pulling out his lighter and cigarette, and instantly lit it up without hesitation.

“I dunno if yer supposed to be doing that…” Kao muttered nervously. “I thought you told me that you’d be trying to quit.”

Alfred did not immediately respond, adminant to inhale the toxic fumes into his lungs.

“L-Look, I know I shouldn’t be doing this right now… but I'm just really stressed out right now… May I please have a moment?” Alfred pulled the cigarette bud away from his lips, taking a good few steps away from those dreaded doors, closer to the blue wastebasket seemingly waiting for him by the edge of the concrete, all the while focusing on the light wave of relief he received from those first initial huffs.

“Of course, Al.” Kao replied softly- almost inaudibly, taking a couple steps back, seemingly trying to hide his concern. The first thing that crept into the ram’s mind was whether the door was unlocked. Kao then quietly turned away and approached the doors.

Meanwhile, Alfred was slowly recovering from his bout of anxiety. Everything was fine. Perhaps they were at the wrong place. Maybe the card had the wrong image. Yeah! That was it! Everything had a logical explanation, this was no exception. But even so, Alfred couldn’t shake the worry. What were the odds of this happening? For a business to make such a large mistake was impossible… After a few more minutes of smoking, Alfred snuffed out the flame and discarded it in the waste bin. He supposed that panicking wasn’t the solution, it was best to just remain calm and try to solve the situation with a clear head. Alfred sighed and turned back to where his friend originally stood by, only to find that he was nowhere to be found. Alfred’s eyes widened as he immediately went dashing to look for him.

“Kao?! Where are you?!” Alfred shouted out, his eyes darting wildly around.

“Over here!” Kao shouted farther in the distance. Alfred dashed over, nearly tripping over his own lab coat in the process. He found himself back at those doors, which were now swung right open.

“It's unlocked, Al… you know what that means right?”

“That we’re gonna die?”

“What? No! Someone must have broken in and trashed the place, The others must have relocated to another facility in the meantime.” Kao stated.

“I guess that makes sense…” Alfred focused on the pitch black darkness within the building, still feeling that persistent, undying uneasy feeling. 

“I'm going to take a look at the damage.” Kao said, stepping in the facility.

“WAIT!” Alfred grabbed a hold of Kao’s wrist, stopping him from making any further advances. “I’d say we should call Mr. Moore and get out of here, I don’t think it's safe going in there!”

“Come on, Al! I’m immortal, I can handle myself just fine. If you're so worried ya can stick out there and keep watch for any employees coming through, Okay?”

“I'm not letting you go in there alone!”

There was a string of silence.

“Al… nothing bad will happen if I go in here. Don’t be so scared. it's not like I'm gonna stay here long, just long enough so we can report what's been broken or stolen.”

“If anything has been stolen…” Alfred sighed. “You don’t have to do this. you don’t have to help everyone and everything that crosses your path.”

“But you see, Al, I do. It’s the right thing to do.” Kao pulled his wrist away from Alfred, flashing one reassuring glance at him before fully entering the dark entryway. Alfred stood alone, contemplating what to do. He knew he couldn’t just let his friend venture into the unknown, Immortal or not. He also knew with full certainty that Kao underestimated the danger in that building. Whatever was happening, he wasn’t going to let Kao handle it alone. Taking a deep breath (and coughing like the smoker he was), finally walked through, following Kao uncertainly.

The stench of bleach, rot and other jumbled up scents assaulted Alfred’s nose. This was not the kind of smell any facility would want to have. The lights were all off or just barely lit- flickering weakly, the only source of light came from the doors entrance. Oddly enough, Chairs, posters, and other assorted things were scattered all over the tile floor. The aforementioned tile floor was stained with red. Blood?! That can’t be blood! Kao also seemed to notice and shuttered.

“Well, this doesn’t look pretty… are you sure this is the right place?” Kao asked with a shaky voice.

“I'm sure! You got the same card as I do. This is apparently the building.” I wish it wasn’t…

They kept looking around, as they did, they uncovered more stains of blood, and signs of struggle. Each time, Alfred grew more uncomfortable. Kao appeared to be feeling the same way. There was no way that a simple break in could result in this, could it? Alfred then spotted a room, labeled with a red cross. He quietly turned the doorknob and peeked in, The room was untouched. The room was full of prescription medicines, first aid kits and sheets of paper. It was oddly tranquil for a room. Alfred closed the door and retreated back near Kao’s safe presence.

“Okay, can we go now? We have seen plenty!”

“Y-yeah, let’s go…” Kao finally agreed, eyes wide with fresh concern and fear.  “I’m sorry for dragging you into this, I didn't think it would be this bad.” Kao apologized, his accent seeming more heavy than usual.

“N-No, don’t apologize, I understand why you wanted to do this.”

“Right… Well, let's get outta here.” Kao gestured to Alfred to follow, which he did graciously. Soon enough they reached the entrance, not yet leaving the building. Alfred stopped, his feet nearly tripping over a thick colored poster. He warily picked it up and let out a sigh. The poster was  about a new formula for medication. Alfred cared not to read it any further, it was bad enough that it was dark. He didn’t want to strain his eyes.

“You alright?” Kao asked, pausing to glance back at his friend.

“Let's just go.” Alfred tossed the poster away, hearing the common sounds of paper wacking the floor, but Alfred’s eyes immediately landed on a silhouette standing right in front of the open entrance. The figure was tall and lean, but obscured enough so that Alfred simply couldn’t tell who the person was.

“Look, that might be one of them employees!” Kao whispered excitedly to Alfred, who had glanced back to see the figure at the same time as the canine. Kao seemed desperate to find something good within the eeriness and horror of their circumstance. It was clear by the slightly illuminated expression upon his face. Alfred didn't have the time to think to stop him- to be fast enough to keep him from running right up to the person.

“Heya! Do you happen to know what- AAACK!” Kao screamed abruptly as he was drop kicked into the wall just behind where Alfred stood, it all happened so suddenly that he hadn’t seen it coming.

“KAO!!!” Alfred screeched, now running towards his injured friend. “OH MY GOD!” Alfred knelt over, and instinctively waving his hand in front of Kao’s dazed but awake face, there was blood dripping from behind the ram's head into a small but growing puddle on the floor.

“H-hey… don’t worry ‘bout me, ‘m fine…” Kao whispered with a voice that matched the dizziness etched onto his expression. Alfred stood up, hands now shaking in rage.

“WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!” Alfred growled, stomping closer to the silhouette. All fear evaporated in light of what had just occurred. Nobody hurt his friend, especially not some lowlife that happened to show up. If that happened to be the miracle employee; he was ready to beat the everything shit out of that bastard. The silhouette didn’t even flinch. As the canine ventured closer, he then noticed that the figure wore a mask, an oddly familiar mask and an annoyingly similar outfit to his. What was with people wearing lab coats all of a sudden?! Not every job needs one, right?!

“Alfred?”

Alfred paused right then, the blood draining from his face at the sound of his name that uttered from the creature that stood before him. The voice, low and dark, had spoken his name. Not anyone else's, but his.

“How- How do you-” The figure stepped forward, catching Alfred completely off guard, which he in return quickly jumped back.

“STAY AWAY FROM ME! HOW THE HECK DO YOU KNOW MY NAME!?” Alfred yelled, quickly looking behind him to see that Kao had weakly stood up, holding himself up against the wall, his eyes wide with horrid fear.

“A-Al, h-how do T-They know yer n-name?”

Alfred wished he knew, he had just asked the same question… Alfred abruptly jerked his head back as Kao gasped and hollered as the masked figure within an instant ended up just a foot away from him. From this distance, Alfred could see the figure in a different quality, the mask now especially stood out. As if the world just slowed down, he immediately knew who it was. The Masked Killer. The infamous serial killer who everyone in Treelight had feared for years, the serial killer that children told spooky stories about, and the killer that left hundreds dead and/or missing in their wake.

“Oh… my god…” Alfred whispered in terror. He found himself stuck in place just staring at the freak in front of him. “You're- you're T-The Masked K-Killer…” He stuttered.

“Oh? Is that what they're calling me now, hmm?~” The Masked Killer replied with a sickly sweet tone of voice. Alfred then quickly jumped back for the second time, darting another glance at Kao who still looked completely out of it.

“S-stay away from us! I-I have a-” Alfred frantically dug through his bag and pulled out his lighter, red and glorious. “I have a lighter! I-I will use it!” He held his lighter if it was the strongest sword in the universe, pointing it aggressively at the perpetrator. The only response he got was a mocking laugh that echoed and boomed throughout the building. Alfred was only left to keep walking backwards until his back met the wall. The murderer hadn’t moved from their spot yet, but the movement seemed inevitable with the way they stood. By then, Kao had fully regained his strength, the blood flow having completely stopped by then.

“I dunno exactly what is happening, B-But I advise you to let us pass and… uhh leave right now!” Kao spoke as intimidatingly as possible. Alfred admired his effort, but he knew fully well that some demand wasn’t going to work.

They had to get through by force. 

Alfred’s gaze darted all over, trying to find anything to distract them. His hands tightened against his lighter, which gave him an epiphany.

“THINK FAST!” Alfred chucked his lighter off to the side, successfully diverting the killer's attention. Alfred grabbed a hold of Kao’s hand and made a dash towards the door, Heart pounding frightfully and almost painfully in his chest as he did so. Some sort of anticipation built up within Alfred, knowing once he ran out of that building he would nearly be free. Up until the entranceway slammed shut abruptly. The two crashed onto the door clumsily with shouts of pain and surprise.

“What!?” Alfred gasped. What had just happened was impossible, nobody was there! Nobody could have slammed the door! Alfred shook and yanked at the doorknob frantically, desperately trying to open the entrance. He only stopped when he heard slow, threatening footsteps approaching from behind him. Flipping around, he watched as they approached and finally stopped, staring directly at them. There was no way out. Alfred saw that there was a hallway that he and Kao had explored just earlier, maybe there was some miraculous exit somewhere over there. Alfred was aware that he was grasping for straws, but he knew that in emergencies every building was required to have more than one exit, if this building was as prosperous as it once was, there had to be another exit.

“Kao… trust me on this… when i say so, run and I mean run. Try to find an exit, I'll distract them.”  Alfred whispered precariously to Kao, who looked Alfred in the eyes, and nodded very slowly. Alfred was flipping between bravery and pure unadulterated cowardness. Every inch of his body told him to flee, but he couldn’t. One wrong move could end it all and Alfred refused to believe that they didn’t have a chance.

“Don’t bother.” The masked one spoke abruptly, voice dark. Alfred drew in a heavy breath. “I'm not stupid.” With a flick of the killer’s wrist, Alfred and his friend were sent crashing back unto the wall right where they had started at. Another impossible feat. 

All the air in Alfred’s lungs was pushed painfully out of him as he let out a strangled gasp. His glasses promptly fell onto the tile floor with a clatter at the strong amount of force. He didn't exactly compute that he was no longer standing until seconds later. Kao was knocked out as evidenced by Kao's shut eyes and a new puddle of blood oozing from his mouth. Alfred croaked weakly at seeing this, he slowly turned his eyes back to the monster who did this. Surprised by the almost silent chuckles from underneath the mask.

 Alfred scrambled to his feet, grabbing his glasses clumsily, slowly and painfully. He wasn’t going down without a fight and he most certainly wanted to protect Kao’s unconscious body. Kao would do the same for him.

“G-Get away, Now!” Alfred demanded feebly. He knew very well that his words were meaningless, but he wanted to try.

“Ah, even after all this time you're still a fighter.~” The killer said, once again taking casual strides towards him, in a way that radiated apathy and confidence. Alfred tensed. After all these years?... What the heck is that supposed to mean?!

This time for real, there was no way out. The front door was shut tightly and there was no safe way to get to the hallways. Alfred felt so much dread that he didn’t know how to deal with, all because he walked into an empty building.

“P-please don’t kill us…” Alfred pleaded. A chuckle erupted from the figure, who whooshed just an inch away from Alfred’s quivering form.

“Why on earth would I kill you?” They suddenly with force tilted Alfred’s head up. “We're best friends after all.” With their other gloved hand, pulled the mask up, revealing the horrid face of his captor.

No.

No no no no no!

Alfred nearly vomited just then at the sight of what liad under that white mask.

Jeremy?! 

“Did you miss me?” Jeremy asked with deceiving amounts of softness. Alfred pulled away, shaking his head furiously. 

“No no no no no! You're s-supposed to be dead! You're dead! I know you are! Y-You can’t be alive! I thought I- you cannot possibly-” Alfred struggled for words as every painful memory he had strategically repressed were flooding back to him in waves. “WHY AREN'T YOU DEAD?!” Alfred yelled so loud he was sure someone would have heard him from outside.

“Shhh,” Jeremy hushed him, tossing the mask onto the tile floor. Jeremy, along with his oddly familiar lab coat, and red tie, wore glasses that complimented his heterochromatic eyes, blue and green respectively. He had ridiculously long, gradient purple hair that nearly reached down to the ground. “Don’t waste your time screaming, dear.”

“I’m NOT your dear! Don’t you ever call me that! Never!”

Jeremy did not respond, his eyes simply narrowed dangerously. He slid out a knife from one of the coat pockets, fidgeting with the blade and handle carelessly.

“I missed you dearly, Alfred. It's disappointing that you choose to react this way…”

Alfred couldn’t find a response, the man had a knife and was fiddling with it like some stress toy, he knew if he said truthfully what was on his mind (“GO TO HELL, JEREMY!”) that he would be a goner. Instead he asked the one question that popped up in his fear riddled mind.

“You're the Masked killer?!”

“Ah, that dumb name again, I would have thought you people would have come up with something clever, but no, you chose a pathetic alias like that. Typical.” Jeremy scoffed. 

“No, I am no Masked Killer. I think I’d prefer if you called me, Mystery~”

Mystery?!

Chapter Text

Chapter Two

-

Mystery!? That’s what the freak is calling himself now?! Alfred scoffed in his mind. Who could have possibly known that the person who had been terrorizing Treelight for years now was the monster from his own childhood, just wonderful.

“You actually gotta be kidding me!?” Alfred wheezed in hysterics, tossing and turning his head furiously. He had so many questions racing inside his mind: Why are you here? How did you do this? What are you going to do with us? And most importantly, why won’t you let us leave? But he couldn’t find the words to ask, not when he was at the brink of a panic attack if he hadn’t been having one already. This couldn’t be happening, Right?

“Why do you seem so surprised?” Mystery hummed with disapproval. “You don’t seriously think I enjoyed such a name, did you?”

“It's not about that, you rat!” Alfred screamed angrily, his eyes then quickly darted nearly by mistake to the silver name tag fastened onto the coat Mystery wore, It caught him off guard as he read it.

Vincent Armani.

“Where did you get that coat from?...” Alfred asked, voice dry, he already knew the answer. It only added to his knowing when Mystery smirked. No…

“I borrowed it.” Mystery responded coolly. Alfred ducked his head, his heart in pain as he came to terms with the implications of what was said. Vincent… he’s dead. His boss, his future colleague… his life extinguished like a flame. so suddenly… 

Alfred only then realized that he and Kao were now stuck in a literal hell. His close friend was knocked out, his dream job was in shambles and worst of all, His childhood ‘ friend’ turned out to be the Masked Killer. He was the man who ruined so many people's dreams, the one who caused an entire state to be in a near perpetual state of fear for so long.

“How did you find me?...” Alfred whispered pathetically, he didn’t really expect a response.

“You’d be surprised how easy it is to find someone, you weren't all that secretive~” Mystery sneered. When Alfred didn’t reply, Mystery continued, “I just happened to find where you worked and found your resume after taking care of that Liam guy.”

Alfred jerked his head up.

“I didn’t really want to get rid of him! I only wanted answers, some help, but he insisted on asking questions. I went along with it, but he proved quite useless… and fucking annoying.” Mystery rolled his eyes, seemingly reliving those moments before directing his attention back on Alfred. “You see, I've been looking for you for many years, and now… I'm finally here, standing in front of my friend after all this time… you have no idea how dearly I missed you.”

“Tch, You said it was easy to find me, yet you took twenty seven years to get here.” Alfred said bitterly, he swiftly clamped his mouth shut before he could say anything else he could possibly regret. He unfortunately had a bad habit of having a running mouth, that little quirk was what often got him into trouble, trouble such as this.

“Hm, that may be true, but that doesn’t matter anymore, right? I'm here now. ” Mystery hummed darkly. “Now enough with this pointless prattle, we have better things to discuss.” Mystery slid his knife back into his coat pocket before looking Alfred up and down. His gaze sent shivers down the canine’s spine.

“Why did you abandon me?” Mystery inquired with unhidden malice. Alfred couldn’t stop his teeth from grinding and clenching at such a question. Why? Why!?

“What do you mean why?! You killed my parents for god’s sake! Why in the world would I want to be anywhere near you after that!?” Alfred snapped, ah yes, he remembered the moment clearly, Returning home back from school just to see Mystery Standing by the dead corpses of his parents, grinning just slightly if he had been caught in the act of eating a cookie, but what had occurred in that house had been much worse.

Alfred had truly hoped not to ever visit this particular memory ever again, yet there he was. He had loved his parents deeply, they had guided him through the toughest times of his life, and treated him kindly. They were truly the best family he could ever hope for. It was because of Mystery’s foolishness- his selfishness, that got them killed. He hadn’t realized he had been crying until he felt hot, wet tears slide down his cheek. 

“Oh, Alfred don’t cry, I’m here now, everything will be jus-” “oh don’t you dare try to comfort me you freak of nature!” Alfred shouted and attempted to punch Mystery square in the face, but was intercepted by Mystery’s hand, catching his fist perfectly and swiftly without much effort.

“Friends don’t hit each other, Freddy.” Mystery tutted with disappointment.

“WE ARE NOT FRIENDS!” Alfred hissed between his teeth. Mystery’s expression suddenly went livid, any ounce of gentleness was sapped out of his face.

“ You don’t know what you're saying. ”

“I know exactly what I’m saying.” Alfred snarled. He didn’t so much have a chance to blink before his breath was then ripped away with strong, sudden force when Mystery's free hand punched him in the gut. Alfred let out a sharp cry of pain and would have fallen to the floor if his clenched fist wasn’t still held up in the air.

“I know everything about you, Freddy.” Mystery whispered in his ear. “stop being so stubborn for once.”

“N-Not gonna happen.” Alfred croaked. “It’s been about thirty years, dipshit. I’m pretty sure there is a lot your stupid ass has to catch up on.” He knew he was testing his chances here, he knew that his back talking was gonna get him killed, but he didn’t care. He wasn’t gonna just sit down and let Mystery do whatever he wanted. “Why don’t You tell me this, Mystery? How did you manage to kill everyone here, huh? And Liam, how did you find him?!” Alfred yanked his hand away from Mystery’s, proceeding to rub his aching knuckles.

Mystery seemed caught off guard by the questions, but quickly composed himself, a twisted grin appeared on his face.

“Oh you see, I happened to come across your little workplace merely by accident, like I said before, I just wanted answers, I didn’t want to kill anybody. Unfortunately, he got too close to figuring out my agenda, too close to calling for help, so I was forced to take care of him with my special little gadget~ ” Mystery said, appearing disgustingly wistful. “It was riveting hearing his screams, his pleads for help. Nobody came to help him, I ensured that. Eventually when my fun was done, I started rummaging through the files lying around and low and behold… I found your little resume, slipped out before anyone could notice and came here.”

“I just happened to see your boss on the way and stopped him, I thought that he would know better than to cross little old me, but alas… he didn't want to talk either and I supposed… his outfit would fit better on me than on some trash boy.” Mystery growled. “When I arrived everyone started freaking out, I suppose I couldn’t blame them, I was covered in blood after all. But after some digging, I found that you weren't there, not yet anyway, and I knew if they managed to leave and rat me out, that you’d find out, disappear again and I would be put out of commission.”

“So~ I took care of them all as well.” Mystery finished. Alfred listened with wide eyes as he pictured these events as vividly as he had explained them happening. All this took place while he had been just getting ready. if he had arrived earlier than usual he would probably be dead now or worse, but still… he simply couldn’t figure out how one guy could have gotten rid of so many people so fast without attracting any attention, it reminded him of the strange things that had happened just earlier, the door just slamming out of nowhere, Mystery chucking him and Kao against the wall without even a single touch, his inhuman amounts of strength… all these things were not normal. How is any of this possible unless… he was immortal.

“You're immortal aren't you?” Alfred whispered in shock.

“Took you long enough to find out, I'd say.”  Mystery chuckled. “I thought it was obvious, you really think a mortal could have done all of this, really?”

“I-...” Alfred choked on his own breath, his fear he had been trying to keep control of was overwhelming him. There was no way that he was immortal. It couldn’t be so! No immortal he had ever known had been this crazy powerful. “Y-you- you-- why?- how-” Alfred stammered. Mystery seemed to enjoy his stammering, and allowed it to continue before interrupting.

“You want to see something cool, Freddy?”

Alfred couldn’t and didn't respond.

“I'll show you.” Mystery flicked his wrist once again in a different pattern, prompting something to fizzle in existence in the palm of his hand, it was long and had a sharp, curved end. It was a scythe. Only Shinigami’s had scythes. Alfred stared wide eyed at the contraction, was this the gadget Mystery had been talking about? It had to be.

“Do you like it? Some unlucky guy lost it a loooong while ago and I've been taking good care of it since.” Mystery said braggingly, Mystery threw his gaze over his weapon lovingly, trailing one of his gloved fingers over the sharp, glistening tip. Alfred resisted the urge to run, what in the world was Mystery doing with a scythe of all things!? Alfred couldn’t remember a time when Mystery had such a contraption, after all, he was a mortal back then, right? 

Mystery then tossed his scythe to the ground carelessly as he stared expectantly at Alfred. What do you expect me to say?! Congratulations on murder? I don’t think so!

Alfred then suddenly heard a low groan from behind him and turned to stare at Kao suddenly waking, a chunk of his left horn had snapped off and was caked in blood, the chunk was left beside him, turning so red that it could be mistaken for a large blood clot.

“A-Al?” Kao groaned again in pain.

“Kao!” Alfred had tried to run over to his friend, desperate to help him, but he was then grabbed violently by the hair, Alfred yelped, jerking at the painful sensation.

“ Don’t .” Mystery hissed, suddenly mad. Alfred trembled against his own volition. “So this must be my replacement, right?”

“W-What?!”

“Don’t act dumb, you replaced me! You replaced me with this freak!! You did, didn’t you?!” Mystery snarled aggressively, as he shook Alfred around roughly. He felt sharp pricks of pain all through him, all these repeated beatings were beginning to take a toll on him.

“Get your h-hands off him!” Kao shouted as he tried to steady himself to walk, but was unable to. Being smashed against the wall ought to have been painful, considering his stature he had to handle the brutality of it much worse than Alfred did, moving could only aggravate his injuries.

“Don’t move Kao! You could re-open any-” “SHUT UP!” Mystery yowled furiously, Alfred flinched as he saw the pure hatred in his gaze as it rested on Kao, He then witnessed Mystery doing another one of his dangerous gestures and before Alfred or Kao could anticipate it, Kao was once more being slammed across the walls violently.

“No stop please!” Alfred screamed in place of his now silent friend. What he was witnessing was horrific, truly terrifying. He struggled against Mystery’s grip, tufts of hair being ripped away from his scalp, the pain of that didn’t matter though, his friend was being killed right in front of his eyes. “STOP HURTING HIM!” Alfred pleaded once more. It was only seconds after that Mystery finally stopped, seemingly cooled off.

“Ah, much better.” Mystery hummed. “Now where were we?”

“KAO!?” Alfred ignored Mystery, as he was stuck staring at his best friend who was injured beyond any proper first aid kit could repair. If one crash was enough, ten or more could be fatal, fortunately (or unfortunately in other people's eyes) Kao was immortal and something as simple as that wouldn’t do much but cause extreme pain and injuries.

“Kao? P-please answer me!” Alfred begged weakly, Kao was once again knocked out and for sure wouldn’t wake up for some time, if Mystery allowed that.

“Why are you doing this?!” Alfred turned to Mystery.

“Doing what?” Mystery inquired, acting innocent.

“You know exactly what! By god! What is wrong with you?! Why couldn't you just leave me the hell alone?!”

“I-”

“SHUT UP! GET AWAY FROM ME!” Alfred screeched, trying to tear himself away from the monster holding onto him. He didn’t have to wait for Mystery to do anything before the front door that had been slammed shut on him was slowly creaking open. Light flooded the room for the first time in however long and Alfred winced away as his eyes painfully adjusted to the lighting.

“Dada?” spoke a tiny voice suddenly. Alfred’s eyes flashed open as he stared at the bright silhouette standing by the door. He didn’t need any details to know who it was by the door.

“Shia?!” Alfred exclaimed in shock and sudden fear. How did you get here?! He thought panickedly.

“Hm? What's this?” Mystery hummed confused.

“NO! SHIA GET OUT OF HERE!” Alfred’s scream was cut off as Mystery slammed his gloved hand over Alfred’s mouth, silencing him. Alfred struggled as twisted in his grip but once more couldn’t get free, Mystery had within seconds pressed his entire body against Alfred to restrain him, Alfred’s wide eyed gaze watched as Shia started to back away slowly.

“Relax kiddo! Nothing to be afraid of~. My friend and I are just playing a game! Cops and robbers! You heard of that before, right?” Mystery spoke in a sweet voice that sent shivers down Alfred’s spine. His tone was completely different from the one he had used on him moments before. Alfred willed his son to run back home, to do anything but be here, he couldn’t imagine the pain he would feel if Shia where harmed…

“Cops and robbers?” Shia repeated softly. “Why is dad-” “He’s acting, you see, your… dad Is a robber! Robbers are mean, bad people, and I'm the cop, making sure he doesn’t escape! But the game cannot be played without another player…. I need another robber to capture, Would you like to play too?” Mystery asked, tilting his head in phony innocence, appearing to imitate the voice of a younger kid.

“Yeah yeah yeah! I would!”  Shia came bounding forward, his beginning apprehension forgotten. NO NO NO NO NO NO! SHIA DON’T LISTEN TO HIM! Alfred wailed silently in his mind, his literal nightmare was becoming true. He desperately wanted to protect Shia but he couldn’t and he knew it.

“Hm? What's Kao doin’ over there?” Shia poked his head to stare at Kao’s unconscious, bloody body. His eyes were wide yet curious as he gazed.

“Playing! We’re all playing!~”

“Oh, okay!” Shia darted his eyes back towards the lean figure of Mystery. “I wanna play!”

“Wonderful! Now let's see…” Mystery swayed gently as he thought. “I'll give you a three second head start, start running.” Mystery finished off with a threatening tone to his voice. Shia, unaware of the danger, took off, his giggles echoing throughout the vacant building. Alfred shook as his eyes wandered to his captor’s.

“Now Alfred, I want you to watch this very closely. Let this be an example to you, kay?~” Mystery whispered to Alfred’s trembling form. 

E-Example of what?! 

In less than a second, Mystery threw him onto the floor with such force that it flung his glasses off his face, shattering the lenses in the process. It was then Mystery swiped the scythe he had tossed on the floor just minutes before, and took off in the direction of Alfred’s son.

“NO!” Alfred scrambled to catch up with Mystery. His feet sliding and skittering in the hard tile floors. Adrenaline pulsed through his muscles as he ran into the hallway Kao and he had narrowly averted heading deep into, the white, blood stained walls and broken glass windows whizzed past him as he dashed along.

Alfred could hear his heart beating erratically, the crunching of glass and debris under his shoes, He could hear Shia giggling, and Mystery’s manic laughter, and he could hear the inhumanly fast paces of Mystery approaching his kid from behind. He could hear all of this in the midst of his panic.

“SHIA!” Alfred called out, his breath stinging the back of his throat. quickly losing his breath. It was only then that he wished that he never gained the habit of smoking. Alfred then took a sharp turn, cracking his shoulder roughly onto the wall, he hissed out in pain as he stumbled. It was then he heard a wail of pain. “SHIA I'M COMING!” Alfred started his pursuit again, this time though, he didn’t have to go far before he came across the scene from the very depths of his nightmares. He saw the blood, and then saw the body. Shia was still whimpering and gasping weakly, trying to move. Mystery stood over him, letting out low cackles.

“You lost.~” Mystery sing-songed with a pleased expression. He turned his head, fixing his stare at Alfred.

“Oopsy.” He smirked, shrugging, finally stepping over Shia’s body carelessly. Alfred dashed over to Shia, tears welling up in his eyes. Shia had a fatal wound in the chest. it was obvious to Alfred. Fresh red blood pooled on the ground beneath him, Shia was gasping, eyes wide and red as he bled.

“S-S-Shia! N-No! Stay awake please!” Alfred almost instinctively began putting pressure onto his wound. His gloved hands quickly got stained with the red liquid. Alfred repeated the steps he learned through his training in his mind. Direct pressure, call 911, Direct pressure, call 911. Yet, calling 911 was not an option, not when Mystery could intervene, so Alfred just kept pressing down hard on Shia’s fragile body, hoping that somehow he would live. Alfred trembled as he thought about how he had trusted his gut that his son had left his car that morning, but he hadn’t. Shia went along with him and now he was going to die . 

Alfred watched as Shia reached out a tiny hand to his father, agony flashing in his eyes. The expression broke Alfred’s heart. 

“I don’t feel so good…” Shia croaked.

“H-hey, You’ll be okay! I love y-you, you’ll be alright!” Alfred’s hands started to shake wildly as Shia’s eyes finally flickered shut and his breathing finally ceased.

Alfred kneeled there, silently, still applying pressure to his corpse. Tears slid down Alfred’s cheek as he stared with hazy eyes at his son, His baby boy…

He was dead.

“Did you learn something?” Mystery piped up. Alfred looked at Mystery with a blank expression, still not letting his son out of his grasp.

“How could you?... ” Alfred murmured. He felt no rage, not like he should. He just felt numb. So fucking numb. First it was his parents, now his son. All taken away from him.

“This should teach you what happens if you try to cross me.” Mystery stated, but Alfred couldn’t hear him. His head swam and all he could really do was watch his tears fall into his son’s blood. That bastard had just killed a member of his family and was acting if it was the most normal thing on the planet, he didn’t even care. He didn’t even fucking care.

“ You killed him… ”

“So?”

“SO?!” Alfred stood up abruptly, his fists all balled up and trembling. “YOU KILLED MY SON, YOU FUCKING BASTARD!” Alfred lunged aggressively at Mystery. He could discern sharp stabs of pain as he attempted to brutally assault his enemy, but he hardly recognized what he was even doing, his thoughts were so jumbled he wouldn’t even be able to explain how he felt during all of this- actually he could, he was furious, he wanted Mystery dead . He never imagined feeling so much anger, he was always the rational, civilized person. The one who watched everything happen around him, not really intervening. Now though, he felt like the opposite of that. The light of his life was extinguished in such an unholy, brutal way. Shia could have lived longer, could have lived to become a bright adult, his future… he had a future just hours ago, now it was over- gone. There was nothing in this world that could EVER bring him back. No amount of praying to the gods could change anything.

He didn’t realize how truly outmatched he was until his face was slammed onto the floor, the cold tiles adding to the sudden sting.

“ How dare you…” Mystery hissed. “You must be a slow learner, huh? Fine. I'll help you remember.”

Within seconds Alfred was being dragged by his copper hair down the hallway, Alfred writhed and scratched desperately against the ground, his body ached so badly, and all his movements did was add more to his pain. Broken glass slided against Alfred’s lab coat sleeves, nearly tearing them in the process. At this point he was certain that he was bleeding.

“I'm tired of your cruelty, Alfred.” Mystery huffed. “Things didn’t have to be this way, but unfortunately you have given me no choice.”

Alfred stiffened.

“No! Stop! let me go please! Kao! HELP!” Alfred pleaded panickedly. Whatever was going to happen now wasn’t going to be good, if this monster had no qualms killing his son, then he was sure that whatever was going to happen to him wasn’t going to be pretty.

Before long, Mystery stopped by a closed, wooden door. He pulled out a shining silver key and unlocked it, creaking eerily. It was then he walked into the pitch black darkness and slammed the door behind him. Alfred’s heartbeat pulsed erratically in his chest at the lack of light, truthfully he wasn’t afraid of the dark, but it was what Mystery was and would do in the darkness that scared him.

A small light flickered on just a few seconds later due to the ceiling sensors. Mystery then slammed Alfred onto the wall in front of him. Alfred involuntarily shrieked at the action.

“What did I tell you before, Alfie?” Mystery inquired in a low dark voice.

“I-I-” “wrong answer.” Mystery tore out his knife and placed it squarely at the bottom of the scared shiba inu’s jaw. Alfred gasped at the sudden cold sensation. Mystery then freed his hair, sure that he wouldn't dare to move.

“You seem to be having issues with listening, hm? Perhaps I should give you some replacements, huh? Then maybe you’d start listening.” Mystery spoke thoughtfully. “Yes, I think that is what I'll do.” The purple feline pulled his knife just a few inches away and made a gesture Alfred didn’t recognize. Alfred attempted to move away but found that he was paralyzed against the wall, his legs refused to move, it was as if there was some invisible force holding him down.

“WAIT! STOP!” Alfred screamed, the realization dawning him.

“No.” Mystery spoke monotonously. His eyes leaking total disappointment. “I'm truly sorry Alfred, I have to teach you, and if this is the way to get you to learn, then so be it.” Mystery sighed before lining his weapon up to the base of Alfred’s furry brown ears.

“N-NO!” Alfred gasped, pure horror raged through him, feeling his captor’s breath on his face, feeling the cold knife at the sensitive flesh of his ears and the darkness all combined for a horror movie worthy experience. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Please don’t do this! Please!”

“Too late.”

It was then Mystery with no hesitation using his brute strength ripped though Alfred’s flesh, fresh warm blood poured from the new wound. Alfred screamed probably the loudest he had ever heard or even imagined, his voice cracking and trembling as he screamed. He never thought pain could get this bad, he was horribly wrong. Meanwhile, Mystery worked silently and mercilessly. He merely listened to his best friend's screams. It was like listening to music, one that energized him, invigorated him even. It was like a drug, sweet and addictive. Soon, with one little cut, the appendage was removed, the sound of the massive chunk of flesh flumping on the tiles and Alfred’s weakening pleas were the only noises occupying the small room.

Alfred’s eyes flitted around weakly, his vision now tinted red from his own bodily fluid. He was in so much pain. Alfred foolishly thought that his torture  was over, until it wasn’t. Mystery got started on the other ear, just as furiously as before. Alfred saw stars flashing his gaze, felt ungodly pressure building in his head as he teetered towards unconsciousness with every cut. It was only then that he imagined his wife. Would he ever see her again? Would he ever see Shai go to college? Or get a partner? Would he survive long enough to be there? Would they even notice his absence? Would they look for him? Yuki… What would Yuki do? At this point, he no longer screamed, the very last ounce of strength he had was now saved was to keep himself from falling into the void of unconsciousness, even that was proving to be difficult.

“There we go. How does that feel, Freddy?” the footsteps of his enemy seemed to grow farther, he dared to open his eyes. The painful sting of the blood oozing into his vision hurt. He struggled to keep them open as he watched Mystery go farther away from him.

“Well, regardless of how you feel, I'll let you think about what you’ve done for just a bit longer. I'll come back for you with the enhancements when I'm not so annoyed.” Mystery seemed to grin before shutting the door behind him, not as much as a look of remorse. As the strange energy hooking Alfred into place dissipated, he slunk to the ground. Every part of his body hurt, especially the shoulder he had stupidly slammed into the wall just earlier.

With great effort, Alfred used his good arm to prop himself up, his aching eyes widened at the sight of blood pooling on the ground. Ah yes, he was bleeding. He was bleeding very badly. I need gauze. Alfred thought almost immediately. His experience in first aid was going to be handy right then.

Alfred pulled himself up to stand, nausea and dizziness swept over him, threatening to throw him back to the cold, unforgiving floor. But he steeled himself and looked around frantically for something like a first aid kit. His red-tinted eyes finally snagged a short row of cabinets and he quickly stumbled over to them. Bloodied, gloved fingers pried the cabinet doors open and scavended through the items. The room itself was oddly placed, unlike other rooms he had seen here, it had no windows and looked more like an office you’d see at a doctor's visit. Something about that was off… but right now it wasn’t important.

Alfred’s hands eventually grazed past a large red box, endorsed with a cross. He didn’t take any time to pull it out. His movements were weak and sluggish, he wanted to just pass out and sleep, but he knew if he did he would bleed out and die. He wasn’t going to die. He refused to die.

Unhooking the latch and popping the lid up, he immediately spotted a white roll of gauze neatly wrapped up. Alfred carefully applied the dressing on the top of his open wounds. He hadn’t yet received the shock of not having ears quite yet, he was more worried about going anemic. Right then everything seemed fuzzy, not just his sense of hearing, it was as if everything was one weird fever dream, and once he opened his eyes it would be over. Shia would be still alive, He would still be home, and Mystery wouldn’t exist. But the longer he thought about it, the more it seemed unlikely.

As he tended to his wounds he noticed his labored breathing and fast heart rate, he desperately hoped that he wouldn’t go into shock, he knew if that were to happen that nobody would be around to save him. As Alfred worked on applying the gauze to the wounds on his head he couldn’t yet assess his hearing state, so far all he could really sense was a loud ringing echoing in his mind, but perhaps there was a good chance he could still retain his hearing if he kept infection at bay, at least that is what he hoped. He worked quickly, ignoring the blinding pain, until he was certain his wounds were covered up. 

Alfred then just stood there, by the cabinets, still unable to really wrap his head around what had just happened to him. Did his former childhood friend actually cut his ears off? Is he really stuck in the ruined building of his dream job? Is all of this actually real? Surely not, right? 

Alfred then let out a strangled gasp, coughing up blood. It took a good minute to get a grip on himself, but that little moment was what truly reminded him of the ramifications of what Mystery had done. He was bloody, bruised and likely disfigured for life. If he ever got out of there alive, He would have to deal with the aftermath of this event, Maybe even more. Yes, this was all real no doubt. No dream could accurately depict such grotesque amounts of pain and no dream could possibly recreate Mystery who used to be buried in the depths of his mind, oh no. This was real and it was all Mystery’s fault. Mystery… The name sent sudden and quick waves of hatred towards the feline who he once called a friend. He was the one who did this. The one who ruined his life then and now and If it was the last thing he’d do, he would finish what he started with or without a crowbar .

He foolishly tried to wipe his aching eyes with his sleeve, which only smeared more of the disgusting red liquid on his face. His clothing was thoroughly ruined and caked with blood, and no amount of cleaning could remove the inevitable stain. He recoiled at the sight, he felt so nasty, but there wasn’t much he could do about his apparent filthiness right then. 

With all his energy worn out, he took a few steps back, and slumped back onto the hard floor, the coldness was unexpected yet welcome. It was better than the sticky, wet sensation of his own blood clinging to his fur. He tried to be as careful as he could be to not to jostle his injuries, of course you could do only so much.

His eyes were soon grateful to be closed. Despite how much of a horrible idea it was to allow himself to fall asleep, He didn’t try to stop himself. The gentle lure of darkness offered a reprieve from the hellish world he now found himself in. As his eyes gradually fluttered shut, he quite Stupidly, hoped that once he woke back up that he would be safe. But somehow, even he knew that was not going to happen.

This was only the beginning…

Chapter Text

Chapter Three

-

The dull throbbing of a headache was all that Kao felt when he first awoke. That was odd… he couldn’t remember getting hurt recently. Kao opened his eyes groggily, expecting the dim, but pleasing glow of lights, entering his room. Strangely enough, what he awoke to was far worse. A dark foreboding room littered with blood, paper and who knows what.

Kao jerked up, yelping in pain in the process. His head swirled with confusion and pain, it took him a hot minute to get a hold of himself.

“Al?!”

An eerie silence was the only response he received. Hesitantly, he stood up, his legs screamed in discomfort but he pushed on, wandering around aimlessly and feeling quite helpless. He had never been in a situation like this before, why would he? 

He recalled the Masked Murderer waltzing in the torn up building and beginning to harass his best friend, Alfred. He remembered trying to do something to help Alfred in his desperate situation but… he couldn’t really remember anything else afterwards, that was worrying.

“Al!? Are ya alright!?” Kao called out again. Once more there was only silence. Kao winced as he walked towards the closed door leading to the outside world. Even after some through tugging, it wouldn’t budge. A stab of pain went through his arms at the action, he really was battered up. But that was way besides the point, there was obviously no way that Alfred would be able to exit from that door, So he walked to the dark entrance of the hallway, which was the only pathway available. With no lighting, the hallway looked very dangerous, no building should look so scary. Kao wondered, Did Alfred manage to find an exit and get out of there? Somehow Kao thought not. He knew that Alfred was too loyal for his own good to just leave, he also knew that there was a high chance that this murderer was still around- What if Alfred was dead? Kao shook his head in a hopeless attempt to repress those thoughts. Alfred is fine, I just gotta find him that's all… I'll find him and we will find a way out of here!

With new resolve, he began his trek through the hall. It was rough, considering he wasn’t used to feeling like a giant bruise. He supposed it could be worse.

The farther he got, the more uncertain he became. Nothing about this made much sense and he wasn’t yet sure why that monster hadn’t yet finished them off. He was told for years that the masked Killer loved to take out their victims quickly. But thinking about it more, it made less sense. Was there any real evidence that proved that? How many more victims were alive when people expected them to be dead?

He eventually took a turn along the walls, it was an odd placement but he wasn’t the one to judge. He took notice of office windows with shattered glass. The shards were littered all over the floors, making the ram have to pay close attention to where he stepped. It was hard when his head pulsed and ached every second. He could imagine Alfred telling him he had some kind of concussion, (After all he had always been keen about those things due to his extensive training in first aid.) He could imagine his friend shaking his head disappointedly at him.

Kao, you know better than to wander around with a concussion like that!

Sure, he did know better, but he also couldn’t handle the suspense of not knowing where the hell his best friend was.

Kao had been walking for a while, almost unsure of himself. Was doing this even safe?  Should he be hiding right now or something? He really couldn’t know for sure until he came across a body. Not just any body, the body of Alfred’s son, Shia.

“O-Oh my gosh!” Kao ran over in a rush. There was so much blood. Shia had a visible chest wound, his eyes were open yet dull and lifeless. The blood that pooled the ground had turned a darker shade hinting that it had been some time since that dreaded event had happened, how long was he knocked out? 

Kao wheezed as he struggled to keep it together. When he visited Alfred at home, the kiddo was always running up to him with some new topic to talk about, whether it being about insects, or whatnot. He was always smiling and was an all around bright kid for his age. Shia even looked up to him and even saw him as some kind of role model, a term he couldn’t imagine being labeled. Now he was dead. He would never get to grow up. Never… Tears welled up in Kao’s eyes, his mouth covered to hide the sounds of his despair.  How did he get there? He knew that Shia had a tendency to hide in small places just to scare and prank somebody. That was the only way Shia could have ended up there. I-If I had just been awake I-i might’ve been able to save him… Kao made an effort to ignore his self pitying thoughts, he couldn’t imagine how Alfred would feel seeing this, Alfred’s pain was more important than his right then.

“Y-you poor, poor angel…” Kao whimpered amid the silence. His heart ached as he remembered the sweet memories he had spending time with him. He ended up just standing there, staring down at Shia. He wanted oh so much to give the kid a proper burial, but there wasn’t anything around that would be good enough, after all he was in a nasty, torn up hallway. It was then that Kao began to ask himself more questions. How did this building end up in this state? He recalled his earlier theory about the place being robbed, but at this point there was no way a robbery would cause an entire facility to atrophy so badly. Another, where is Alfred? What did that monster do to him? His earlier fear of his friend's death popped up in his mind, more terrifying than the last. He’s not dead. He referred to himself once more, squinching his eyes shut in frustration and grief.

Suddenly Kao’s ears pricked up as he heard shuffling footsteps from afar, getting closer gradually.

“Al? Is that you?” Kao called out hopefully. He immediately regretted it as he heard the low chuckle, one that belonged not to Alfred. The clacking footsteps suddenly quickened, leaving Kao to run the other direction from whence he came. In each step, he kept stumbling as his lab coat got caught by his desperate, running feet. Shards of glass slid and cut at Kao’s shoes, practically stripping them of its protective armor. But Kao couldn’t stop to be cautious. He wasn’t going to slow down for nothing. Adrenaline flooded his system quick and fast and his heart raced to keep up with the incredible speed he had to maintain. He knew he couldn’t keep running forever, at this rate he would end up back to the dead end at the entrance. So with a flash of impulse, he slammed himself into a room, thankfully unlocked for convenience. He then speedily closed the door behind him before darting under the cover of the broken windows. Glass sliced his coat and legs mercilessly, Kao having to cover his mouth to hide his wail of pain.

Everything was silent, the sound of the air conditioner was the only sound permeating the dark building. He flinched as he heard the fumble of footsteps nearing his location. Kao held his breath and shut his eyes, hoping by fate that he couldn’t be seen.

“Come out, Come out wherever you are!~ you cannot hide from me, little brat.” Spoke the murderer with a low, dark voice. (Kao could only figure that they were a male, but it would still be rude to assume.)

Kao kept silent as the shuffle of shoes came to a stop by the outdoor side of the window. He could hear the raspy breath of his captor just moments away from him.

“I know you can hear me. Don’t play me a fool….” they hissed, a quick slashing sound followed, prompting kao to shutter violently. O-oh gosh! That was a knife, wasn’t it?

Seconds drew by and everything was overbearingly silent. Kao knew better than to think that they were gone, he knew if he moved from his spot that that murderer would be waiting for him. Kao tried to think of some way to escape without alerting attention, but the stress of everything was messing with his concussion riddled head. He didn’t have any time to anticipate a knife slamming furiously into the wall beside him, digging deep into the drywall and erupting a horrid noise. Kao let out a high-pitched, erratic scream as he struggled to sprint away from the window. His eyes eventually landed on the unmasked figure, a wild, twisted look was upon the killer’s face. He looked twice as terrifying without the casing that covered his expression,

“Found you!~” He hummed. He then pulled himself over the window, the glass not so much as tearing a hole in his lab coat or skin. His black shoes made contact with the floor with a loud clatter and a sharp knife covered in blood was gripped tightly in his palm.

“So this is my replacement?” He inquired, twirling around his weapon recklessly.

“A-a-ah my name is K-Kao a-actually.” Kao muttered fearfully.

“I don’t really give a shit!” The feline growled, getting closer to Kao’s trembling form. “You look absolutely pathetic. I cannot imagine why he would want to replace me with you.” He said, rolling his eyes.

“W-where is Alfred!?” Kao shouted out suddenly and desperately.

“Alfred? I'm taking good care of him… and you? I think I'd like you to stay far away from him.”

“You better not be hurting him y-you hear me, y-you masked freak!” Kao stumbled to his feet, hoping to feel more courageous and less pathetic as he was just told.

“It's Mystery, and I don't appreciate your tone, Short stack.” Mystery snarled. Kao cowarded away frightfully. “I have a proposition for you, and if you decide to agree to it I will spare your meager life and maybe Freddy’s existence will be more… comfortable. That sounds nice, doesn’t it?” Mystery suddenly switched to speaking in a deceivingly relaxed tone, his penetrating heterochromatic eyes locked dangerously onto Kao.

“W-what proposition?...”

“Glad you asked. You're immortal, aren't you?”

“How do you know that!?” Kao gasped. It couldn’t be that obvious, unlike other immortals he didn’t have any clear defining features to distinguish him as such. He often found that as a strong point, considering some people weren't all that friendly towards him and his kind. This was what made the situation more confusing, how did Mystery know?

“Immortals can sense things,” Mystery grinned, showing off his impressive set of sharp teeth. “Also you act as if i can't see your wings…” Mystery finished with a disappointed sigh.

“You’re an immortal!?” Kao felt dumb for not realizing it sooner, Mystery had already shown the signs. Strength, speed and who knows what.

“You really are an idiot.” Mystery remarked, rubbing his temples, his bushy tail lashing in irritation. “But that is besides the point. I don’t like being replaced by those inferior to me. I would just kill you but… you see, you are quite an asset to me.”

Kao, while still terrified under his skin, felt mild curiosity over his vague words. An asset? He wondered silently to himself.

“I need someone to clean up my messes and I feel you’d be perfect for the job.” Mystery tilted his head menacingly.

“W-why would I ever work f-for you?” Kao dared to ask, honestly feeling quite disgusted at the thought of helping a violent serial killer. Especially one who had hurt his friend.

“Weren’t you listening?” Mystery took a few slow strides closer to Kao, his voice flush with aggression. “You don’t have much of a choice unless you want to die. But I won't judge if you do… I would want to if I were you.”

This prompted Kao to think long and hard. He was given an ultimatum. Serve under Mystery or die. Mystery was immortal, granting him the complete power to do so, and after seeing Shia… he knew Mystery meant business. More importantly, Mystery mentioned Alfred in this dark demand. Kao knew that Alfred would be put in more danger if he tried to decline. Kao could care less about his own mortality, Alfred was much more important, he still had a family. Kao… he only had his brother, Hawaito. Even then, his brother didn’t exactly like him much. If this was the only way to protect his friend, then so be it.

“F-fine…” Kao eventually agreed, attempting to ignore the guilt that coursed through his veins.

“Perfect! I’d know you’d agree. Why don’t you take care of that kid’s body for me, will you? You can just toss the remains in an empty room.” Mystery turned around, flipping his hand dismissively in the air. Kao hesitated. There ain't any way i'm throwing Shia’s body in a dirty room, is he crazy!?

“And another thing,” Mystery paused, his scowl replacing his originally pleased features. “If I catch you around my best friend you're dead .” And just like that, he was gone. Once Mystery was out of sight, Kao let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Despite his menial efforts to not feel guilty, he still was. Mystery was right, he was pathetic. He had to remind himself multiple times that there was no other option and more importantly, he could use this as an advantage. If he technically had free range over the building, perhaps he could find secret exits out. Once he found that out he could find where Alfred was being kept, free him and get out of this hellhole.

Kao knew he owed Alfred for everything. He was the one who helped him and his brother out when they had nowhere to go. He was the one who financially supported him until he could provide for himself and lastly, Alfred was the one who got him his job- or well his old job. He really didn’t think that he had a real working position anymore considering the entire state of the pharmaceutical representative branch.

Don’t worry Al, you helped me many times before n’ i'll do the same for you. I'm not gonna let you down!

Chapter Text

Chapter Four

Some incalculable hours later…

-

Alfred awoke to sharp tugging on his head, although he couldn’t feel much if any pain at the action, he could feel the sharp, numb prickles at the base of his head growing more and more intense by the second. As Alfred slowly regained his consciousness, he found that opening his eyes was a struggle and that his body simply wouldn’t move, not even an inch. His limbs were aching and tired, throbbing just slightly and he could feel the bruises blooming all throughout his entire being, he wondered if he was even alive. 

The memories of the previous hours were blurred and obscured; it felt as if his mind was petroleum jelly. All he knew was that something bad had happened and that he wasn’t where he should be. Other than that, he was left to imagine the rest of what occurred in those rough moments. It was only until he heard low grumbles above him that he snapped his sore eyes open.

Overhead was Mystery, straddling him with a grim expression, fully unaware of Alfred’s consciousness returning. Alfred would have screamed he could, but right then his voice could only make a weak, frightened croak as he frantically began to thrash around in a desperate attempt to escape from the purple feline. It was only then that the memories resurfaced, only aiding for him to struggle even harder, unfortunately his writhing only made his aching muscles scream in pain, Mystery huffed as he tried to hold the panicking canine down, his fingers pressing uncomfortably deep into his clothed chest, hissing curses that shot spit on his face, but Alfred couldn’t and didn’t stop, he wanted- no, he needed to get away from that disgusting feline. Alfred trashed and kicked, trying to wring his arms free from underneign Mystery’s strong legs up until his throat was grabbed tightly, choking him and stopping him in his tracks.

“Stop moving! You’ll ruin my work.” Mystery snapped, his eyes narrowed disapprovingly. What work!?  Was the only thing Alfred wondered in his mind. Mystery lingered, keeping his grip on Alfred’s neck just a bit longer, as if waiting for more retaliation. When he received none, he slowly retracted his arm before continuing whatever the fuck he was doing. Alfred willed his breathing to ease, for his limbs to stop trembling and for his mind to clear up so he could think rationally, to plan and scheme some way out. But his heart refused, his heartbeat pounding deep in his skull sending blooming bursts of pain that made him wince. Alfred quickly came to the conclusion that any escaping he would do would wait, only until Mystery’s back was turned. Therefore, Alfred was forced to stare at Mystery while the aforementioned worked. The only thing he could do was glare uselessly at Mystery, wishing that the willpower of his mind would blow up the monster on top of him. As he did this, he tried to understand exactly what mystery was doing. Alfred focused his eyes on Mystery’s lean arms, moving around out of his eyesight. He focused on the sensations on his head, he could still feel the prickling, numbness, but the feeling had now transitioned, the tingling now replaced with a mild yet growing pain, the touches against his head now easier to sense and place, allowing him to feel Mystery’s fingers roving around a specific area, wait a minute… Gradually, Alfred began to compute what Mystery was doing to him.

“You seem to be having issues with listening, hm? Perhaps I should give you some replacements, huh? Then maybe you’d start listening.”

Alfred recalled those words spoken by his captor, Mystery. That was what that freak meant by getting him replacements. Despite the sudden realization of Mystery’s intent when he had spoken those threatening words, He couldn’t mentally wrap his head around it. That bastard was making him new ears? That sounded stupid in his own mind. Really?! The guy who ripped his ears off was going out of his way to make new ones and for what?!  How stupid…

“There! All done, Alfie!” Mystery arose from his unconventional spot of which he'd worked at and allowed himself to take a few steps back, admiring his creation in front of him. A loose but very proud grin stretched on the feline’s face and arms crossed in gratification. Alfred shivered at Mystery’s expression, It only made him wonder more what Mystery had done to him. Alfred slowly propped himself up with his less sore arm, snatching an anxious look at Mystery's tall frame gazing back at him, eagerly. He then hesitantly reached up with his free hand to the top of his head, shaking in the process. He froze with a muted gasp once his gloved fingers touched the hard, new appendage on his scalp, through his surprisingly intact gloves, he could feel the piercing coldness, the… numbness of the area.

“ W-What?... ” Alfred muttered in shock.

“It took me a bit to find the right type of metal, but don’t worry, I’d do just about anything to help a good friend in need.”  Mystery chirped on, unaware of Alfred’s growing panic attack.

No… no no no no! What- what did he do to me? M-My ears!? This- this is bad! Very bad!

Alfred then realized how bad this situation had become. Mystery hadn’t just cut his ears off and replace them. No , he cut his ears off and shoved some chunk of metal onto his injured head, likely permanently, depending how Mystery even attached them in the first place. It was honestly a miracle that he wasn’t deaf already.

“What the fuck did you do to me?!” Alfred shouted in pure terror. His heart was caught in his throat at what he was feeling, or perhaps the lack of what he was feeling. Mystery tilted his head in confusion, clearly oblivious to Alfred’s panic.

“You don’t like it?” Mystery hummed in disappointment. Alfred opened his mouth for a sharp retort but found he couldn’t find one. He truly didn’t know what to say. His mind scrambled to find some way to reassure himself that everything would be fine, that somehow, things would line up and make sense, but it wouldn’t, it couldn’t , because nothing about what Mystery had done so far was logical or right in any sense. What Mystery had done to him was unforgivable. Everything that damned feline did was his fault. It was his fault for the pain Alfred had felt when he sawed off his ears, It was his fault for the anguish of watching his best friend being tossed around like a worthless ragdoll, it was his fault that he had to witness the agonizing death of his own child and, It was Mystery’s fault that Alfred was struggling to contain the paralyzing thought that he would never see his wife or daughter ever again, even as he desperately tried to keep up hope. All of this misery while feeling the stinging pain radiating in his battered head, the aftermath of a forced procedure he never wanted to begin with. 

All caused by Mystery.

Recalling the sharp reminders of everything he had gone through sent him reeling for air. His distress could be only compared to being compressed in an airtight container, asphyxiating, almost choking for air. And Mystery only watched, perplexed, before grunting.

“No need to be dramatic, Freddy! I can always fix it!” Mystery rolled his eyes, flipping one of his hands around in dismissal. Alfred in response could only whimper pathetically as he rolled his fingers repeatedly over his new metal appendages. It was one thing feeling pain, it was another to feel nothing while touching a part of his own body, even if it was new. It was wrong. Everything about this was so wrong. Nothing in his first aid training had prepared him for something as devastating as this.

“Why are you doing this to me..?” Alfred whispered, his eyes now lowered to the dirty floor below him, squeezing his eyes shut as he began to feel a familiar stinging sensation accompanied by salty, wet tears slipping down his furry cheeks and onto the cold, uncaring floor beneath him. He wholeheartedly attempted to will away his tears before his sobbing could truly get out of hand, but even now, the canine knew it was far too late to get himself in control of his raging emotions. He never really was able to do that, even before all this. 

“Because I love you.” Mystery responded softly. “And when best friends love each other, they would do anything for them. You know that.” Mystery kneeled down, using his bloody, gloved hands to wrench Alfred’s chin up to face him. “I’d do anything for you, Alfred. Even if it means keeping you here, safe forever.” Mystery’s gaze held the childish look of affection, one Alfred recoiled visibly from.

“You don’t love me! ” Alfred snarled, only afterwards did he cringe away, hoping that he wouldn’t get pummeled to the ground for such an accusation. “If y-you loved me, you would have never came back.”

Mystery went silent, expression full of hurt. His hand didn’t leave Alfred’s face, only tightening in its grip, increasing the Shiba Inu’s anxiety. After seemingly forever, The feline's gaze narrowed before immediately relaxing.

“Oh Alfred… I cannot blame you for believing that, I have been gone for… quite some time. But don’t worry, I'll make everything up to you.” Mystery retracted his hand gently. “Just leave it all to me,~” He then stood and walked towards the closed entrance that led out to the hall. Alfred’s eyes followed Mystery’s frame gliding towards the door that led to his freedom. A pang of longing went through his body, he wished he was back home. Home… Alfred glanced back to his arms wanting to reach into his bag of personal items and find his flip phone or something to help him, before gasping in shock. Where's my bag?! His precious bag had everything he needed, more importantly it had the last drawing his son had ever made for him, it was gone and he could have sworn that he had it on hours before. He had to find it.

Alfred, too exhausted to stand up and walk, he instead inched his stiff body towards the door, hoping desperately that if he was fast enough he could make a break for it. Mystery obviously heard his futile attempts to sneak up to him, his purple fluffy ear only flicking in response.

“Oh Alfie… you don’t really want to go out already?” Mystery sighed. Alfred flinched, as he turned back towards him, a tremor shook his body as he stared up at Mystery’s tall, towering figure.

“W-Where's my bag!?”

“Your bag?... oh, I'm keeping that safe for you. I don’t want you losing it, that would be really sad.”

“I want it back!” Alfred pleaded. Mystery didn’t respond, instead he just turned and went out the door, not even bothering to close it. Alfred sat stunned, honestly he didn’t think that this would have happened, was Mystery really that foolish as to leave the door open so blatantly? 

“Come on Alfred~ i want to talk to you.”  Mystery’s voice echoed from outside. Alfred in response tilted his head hesitantly, thinking things over. He stole my bag… where on earth did he put it? It has to be somewhere in this dump- and my ears, oh gods… what am i going to do about my ears? “Don’t keep me waiting.” Mystery’s booming voice snapped from outside. Alfred quickly darted his eyes around the room, memorizing it before him. He didn’t know why, but he did it regardless, feeling as if this simple act could help him in the future. At the same time, his eyebrows furrowed as he contemplated getting anywhere near that monster. He couldn’t be entirely sure what Mystery planned to do, considering how vile and violent he had shown himself to be, but the idea of getting maybe more information about his awful place was alluring enough for Alfred to stumble to his feet. 

Carefully on his stiff legs he pushed himself out the door, ignoring his shaking legs and turned to the left, finding himself staring at the incredibly tall frame belonging to Mystery, looking back at him. He couldn’t suppress a shiver that traveled up his spine when he looked into those dark blue and green eyes, only promising nightmare after nightmare. In a spurt of fearful impulse, Alfred attempted to dash off in the direction he supposed the front of the building was located. He didn’t really have a plan to escape the confines of the building, he was really only concerned with finding Kao and finding some clever hiding place for them to hide in until another plan could be formulated. He realized too late how stupid he was being. He knew fully well that Mystery could intercept him at any second, punishing him mercilessly in the process. Alfred though, wanted to try… he wanted to try one last time. He couldn’t stand the thought of being here any longer, because of this, he was ready to accept his title as a fool, even if it meant the slightest chance of escape. The canine felt the stinging of exhaustion seeping deep into his legs, his lungs angrily protesting, and his head… oh his head was pounding. Alfred couldn’t tell in the light whether he was going in the right direction or if he was going deeper into the mess of his building. Amidst his distracted mind, he wasn’t prepared for two arms to come wrapping around his chest, pushing the air out of his chest rapidly, leaving him sputtering and gagging for oxygen.

“Now where did you think you were going, silly? That's the wrong way.” Mystery chortled with a dangerous grin, his arms squeezing just a little harder from behind.

“I-I Ca-an’t Br-e-ath!” Alfred wheezed painfully, he was frozen as his lungs used what little energy his fragile body had into keeping him from passing out. The sharp movement from being jerked into a loveless embrace had jostled his unhealed head injuries, causing him to let out a choked cry of pain.

“Shhh,” The killer hummed, eyes closed as if enjoying Alfred’s painful coughs and wheezes. After what seemed like ages of agony, He loosened his grip, enough for Alfred to finally get enough air but not quite enough for Alfred to wriggle away.

“Now now, you know better than to try to upset me. After all, isn’t that what I told you before not too long ago? Did you forget? Or do you need more reminding? ” Mystery hissed in a low voice, his hot breath slamming into Alfred’s face.

“N-no! I R-Remember!” Alfred responded quickly, his eyes squeezed shut in petrifying fear. Oh, he did remember. Nothing could erase the torture he went though as Mystery sawed off his ears, absolutely nothing.

“Good! Now, let us have a nice discussion shall we? I'm sure you’d want some fresh air after being taken care of.” Mystery shoved Alfred off of him, ignoring the clunk of his body flumping against the wall just a few feet away. Alfred sucked in deep breaths of the precious air, greatly appreciating the oxygen more than ever. He should have expected that to happen, he had been foolish. Foolish as to believe that running again would get him anywhere, especially since doing so with Kao had only resulted in pain. The only thing the canine had gotten out of the experience was being choked from behind. Foolish he was… and he made sure to remind himself of that fact as he forced his feet to follow, wincing at every step.

As he begrudgingly walked, Alfred’s mind drifted away from Mystery’s gaze flickering back towards him every few seconds, just to make sure he didn't try to pull another stunt. Alfred didn’t particularly want to try what he did again, at least not without a better plan. Alfred also really hated having to be anywhere near his enemy, it felt like he was being reduced to nothing, he had no free will and he was now forced to follow after his captor like a willing henchman… if that was the best way to describe it as. Alfred wanted more than anything to give him a piece of his mind, but the fact that he couldn't, stung him. He was helpless in this situation and he just wanted out .

“The dwelling you were in seems like a perfect place for your own room to be, don’t you think? It already reeks of your stench anyway.” Mystery spoke, trying to start a conversation.

Alfred remained quiet.

“Ignoring me, are you? Fine, be that way.” Mystery huffed.

Alfred still didn’t respond to Mystery, he didn’t want to, he just wanted to absorb as much info about this place as possible. He had a feeling it would be a good idea, considering the numerous exits littered around. 

Much to Alfred’s displeasure, he saw many bodies littered around the building, ones that belonged to his former coworkers. It only brought up the memory of his dead son, so he shook it off and tried to ignore them and the associated stench as much as possible.

It began to seem like he was walking forever, which he probably was. Although he assumed that this was sort of his fault, since Mystery made a big deal just earlier about talking to him and he refused to cooperate. Mystery was likely just trying to stretch things out, maybe to coax- no, demand some sort of answer? Alfred couldn't know for sure and tried not to think about it too much.

Soon enough, Mystery paused by a staircase to the upper floor. Compared to the rest of the building he had seen, it was much cleaner and had retained some of its elegance from before the devastating event. The canine blinked, gazing at the area before him. He was compelled to enter that area, to see what could be up there. More bodies? Very likely, but what else? 

Alfred then fully zoned back in, and quickly felt unnerved by the stillness of Mystery’s form. The silence was deafening, the only sounds that could be heard were the whirring sounds of the air conditioner, and Alfred’s hitched breaths. He looked back and forth and he fought the compulsion to creep away from Mystery. His thoughts proceeded to bring on the shifting of his new metal ears, folding back. Alfred bit back a yelp of pain and surprise as his new appendages seemed to react to his negative emotions. Bile rose in his throat as he thought of the immense impossibility of this to be occurring. Apparently the feline freak decided to connect his prosthetic appendages to his actual muscles and nerves. That knowledge alone was enough to make him dizzy.

“You’ve been very uncooperative you know?” Mystery finally spoke, his voice a gravely whisper amongst the silent atmosphere. “I’ve been nothing but kind, but you insist on ignoring me, running from me and being rude. Tsk.”

Alfred wasn’t sure what the proper response was, and once again kept silent, merely shuffling his shoes on the floor. His footgear… his shoes were brand new before all this, meant to be used graciously and respectfully. They were now just a bloody mess that would for sure, not come out clean.

“Alfred~ when i'm speaking to you, you should respond, r iii ght?~”

“R-Right…” Alfred gulped, sweat beginning to run down his face and overly hot, concealed arms.

“That's what i thought.” Mystery turned to him. “Let's go through a few rules, shall we?”

Alfred nodded, not knowing what else to do.

“Good boy.” Mystery nodded in return, pleased with himself. “You already know what happens when you try to deceive me… so let's talk about some other rules.”

Mystery continued, counting off the numbers with his gloved fingers.

“You are to listen and obey whatever I tell you, no questions asked. You are to ask permission to do anything, and I mean anything. And you are to respond to me when I speak to you, got it?” Mystery’s voice carried an edge at the last demand.

Alfred nodded again with his eyes narrowed in scrutiny at Mystery and his quite apparent stupidity. You gotta be kidding me!? I'm not following any goddamn rules like some toddler! “Ask permission to do anything,” my ass, what are you, like twelve?! Obsessive little  prick! Alfred nearly growled. It was one thing to be held hostage by a crazy feline, but it was another to be forced to behave a certain way against his will, to act weak and obedient. Not a chance. Yet still, Alfred didn’t voice his anger.

“Good, I'm glad you understand!” Mystery beamed. “This was how everything was meant to be.”

This is how everything was meant to be…

Before Alfred could fully comprehend his words he was thrusted into an embrace, filled with the inviting yet phony warmth and comfort that only someone close to another would give to a person.

this force itself almost choked him. Although the shock of it kept him still. Once released, his blank expression turned into a deep scowl of hatred.

“Oh Alfred, I had always wanted to do that.” Mystery fawned, he looked as if he was the happiest man in the universe, nothing could possibly ruin Mystery’s precious moment, Until quite suddenly the feline let out a yowl of pain, clutching his face once Alfred’s free fists collided the side of his head. Alfred was done with this bullshit.

“Don’t you dare touch me!” he yelled, spittle now all over his enraged mouth, and without a second thought he ran. Damn my stupidity… he knew what would result in doing this, he knew that he would be punished, but he didn’t care. This was all out of spite now, he didn’t care how far he got, he just wanted to piss him off, to show Mystery that he wasn’t going to back down, to show that he wasn’t going to let Mystery take control of his life. It was dumb, he knew Kao would think so, to go out of his way to upset the person who could easily take away his life and others. That was true and undisputed. But to Alfred, it felt as if he was the one in control by doing this and He would keep resisting, keep fighting until the very end, even til death.

“Kao! where are you?!” He called out, hoping that his friend would be able to hear his calls, hoping that he was alright. Of course, he heard no response.

Just as he expected, at mid run he was quickly restrained once more, his arms were pulled behind him so quickly he was sure his legs were airborne for a second. Just as quickly his hair was grabbed and twisted until his sore, aching face was slammed onto the hallway wall.

He couldn’t see the look on Mystery’s face, but he guessed he looked livid. Some part of him was terrified which came about in a form of trembling, but on the other hand, he felt triumph. He couldn’t help but enjoy the thought that he was being an inconvenience to someone who hurt so many people. A part of him wanted to continue being a pest.

“How. Dare. You.” Mystery’s voice boomed from behind him. His grip on Alfred’s arm grew deathly intense, he was sure he was losing blood circulation from that action already. “Why, why, why do you have to keep doing this to me?! Im just doing what is fucking best for you, yet you choose to run EVERY. FUCKING. TIME!” Mystery's voice shook as if he was about to burst out in tears, if Alfred's arms weren't being restrained the way they were he would think it was funny, but right then it wasn't funny. because of how his thoughts were focused on the fact that if Mystery kept applying pressure to his arms they would explode or something far worse, and he was already suffering enough with his missing ears. He didn't need to lose any other important appendages. Alfred obviously needed to do some damage control or he would be a goner.

“I-I’m so-” “YOU'RE NOT SORRY!” Mystery hissed loudly. “You keep on hurting me, talking back to me even! Im just trying to fucking help you, and you insist on being a stubborn brat!”

“I-I’ll speak to you however I fucking want!” Alfred lashed back, feeling enraged that Mystery felt like some victim after everything he had just done. Was he that oblivious to his own actions that he couldn’t see that he was in the wrong?! Alfred was then thrown onto the floor with a flunk, he screamed at the pain that followed at the sudden impact. It wasn’t just that though, he had been thrown on top of small but very sharp pieces of glass leftover from the previous event involving his now dead coworkers.

“THEY WILL NEVER FIND YOU! THEY HAVE ALL FORGOTTEN YOU, DON’T YOU UNDERTSTAND THAT?!” Mystery shreeked with venom as he began rapidly kicking Alfred’s already battered body. Alfred wailed as he tried to keep his head away from the hard shoes belonging to his captor, but the aforementioned saw this and took that as his advantage.

“What’s wrong? Your head hurts? Well it cannot hurt that much if your spitting out lies!” Mystery howled in pure rage. Alfred tried his hardest to get away, dragging himself along the floor, but that only aided for the glass to shove inside him deeper.

“PLEASE STOP IM SORRY IM SORRY!” Alfred had begun to wail at Mystery, eyes brimming with tears, But Mystery didn’t stop. He kicked and stomped until blood could be seen everywhere. 

Alfred fought to stay conscious, forcing himself to do whatever he could to survive his assault. He coughed and gasped until blood trickled out his mouth and into his throat and into his struggling lungs. That inevitably led to the worst. He felt the odd feeling of his mouth watering, much like when one were to eat, but that wasn’t it. It only took one last sharp kick in the stomach to send him retching and vomiting all over himself and the floor below him. Mystery stopped to look at this event, remorseless. Alfred remained painfully dazed, staring confused at his own nasty bodily fluids. Any sensible person would get up and clean up their mess, but he wasn’t in a sensible state nor could he even move. His vision warped and blood once more clouded his vision sending familiar stings of pain all throughout his eyes. He turned almost instinctively to Mystery from above, before promptly letting his weary head slap down onto his barfed up contents. Alfred watched from the remnants of his vision to see Mystery move closer to his catatonic body.

“How disgusting… you should have more decency than that, i suppose….”

Alfred didn’t get the last part as his hearing made way for the loud, constant ringing in his mind. Somehow, right then, he knew that he would not get out of there. Not anytime soon. Especially not in his current condition.

Before he knew it, he was being dragged again, he didn’t care where. Not anymore. His mind pounded and pulsed angrily, his limbs were numb, and the glass shards in his skin only dug deeper, all the while he could only let his eyes flutter weakly.

I’m such a fool… Alfred reminded himself once more as his vision went black. Alfred, consciously or not, knew now that his life was only going to get worse, very soon.

Oh Gods, please help me…

Chapter Text

Shai’s Account (part 1)

One week later…

-

Something very wrong had happened. What she thought would be boring, ordinary day was anything but. The worst thing about that was it was her fault.

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

It had been a week ago, in the morning, when her father had left for his new job at Rx Industries. She didn’t say goodbye, she didn’t feel the need to. He had been the one who ruined her birthday after all. She had been the one responsible for watching over her little five year old brother, Shia, while her parents were off at work that fateful day. It had been an agreement the family had made since last year. During the summer when school was out, she’d stay at home, babysitting Shia, and in return she could do whatever she pleases at home, whether it be listening to the radio, watching tv or whatever teenagers like her would do during the schoolless day. Shai wasn’t thrilled about this at first, but grew to appreciate it. At least she’d get to do what she wanted without her father looming around every corner (which he often did when he was home.)

Besides all that, once Alfred had driven away, silver car and all. She went to wish her mother, Yuki, luck at her own job. She worked at a small café out in Muir as the waitress, and from what she was told, it was a decent paying job.

“Cya later mom!” Shai had called out to her mother before she went out the door. Her nose stuck in the television.

“Same to you, dear! Make sure Shia eats plenty during lunch, he didn’t eat much this morning, alright?”

“Of course!” Shai replied casually. Her mother, accepting that response, left. Shai only knew Yuki was gone by the telltale sound of her revving engine and the gradual sound of rumbles getting farther away.

Shai was pretty much unbothered then, simply watching one of the television sitcoms that all the kids at her school were raving about. She didn’t see the appeal, but she watched it anyway, merely to have something to talk about with her peers.

An hour through, she felt a little confused as to why her brother hadn’t yet begun to bother her yet. He always had something to talk about. He would constantly pester her with questions or try to get her to play some game. Sometimes his constant wonderings annoyed her, sometimes it even intrigued her. So now, not hearing a peep from him was odd. She then stood up from her comfy seat and looked around. Something was wrong then, she couldn’t find words to explain it but she just knew…

“Shia?” Shai called out, hearing her voice echo as the television was clicked off. There was no response as there should’ve been. A sharp spurt of anxiety coursed through her body as she raced up the stairs. He hoped that he was there, simply snoozing away or staring at his minicher train collection. She treaded along the hallway, to her brother’s room. She knocked rapidly, hoping for a response.

“Hey Shia, are you alright?”

No response.

“Bro, this isn’t funny.” she growled at the door, not really because she was particularly angry, more because she was worried sick. Sure, she often thought her little brother was annoying and clingy, but she really did care about him. Who wouldn’t care for their own sibling?

Still, there was silence, and it stretched for a good minute before Shai really began to panic. She knew better than to barge into rooms without permission, but it was an emergency. Gripping the doorknob with a good amount of force, she swung it open, half expecting the best outcome, which was shattered once she laid eyes on the untouched room.

Blue was everywhere, posters promoting the most popular superheroes were scattered along the walls, comic books lay askew on the floor, a shelf bolted to the wall contained the small, tiny trains that Shia had loved the most. And by the corner, on the very left, was a small bed with a fuzzy superhero blanket unmade as most children’s beds remain. Shai stared blankly at the room in front of her, her brown eyes shifting ever so slightly.

“Shia?...”

Almost automatically she went out the door and frantically looked around the house with vigor she never expected to have.

“Shia!? Where are you!?”

She kept repeating those words for over ten minutes, circling around the house, looking in closets, even running around outside, even going as far as asking the neighbors if they had seen him. No matter where she looked, Shia wasn't there.

“Oh my god…” Shai slowed down, now leaning against the wall that was just meters away from the kitchen and the stairs upward. Some of her eyeliner had been smeared around her face, and she was sweating very hard. Any other time she would be disgusted and try to clean herself up, but no, that wasn’t important right then.

She was imagining having to call her mother, telling her that her oldest daughter had lost her baby brother. She could imagine seeing the look on her fathers face as he would come home, expecting all to be fine and dandy, but finding that it wasn’t. Imagining the police getting involved, and even getting questioned. She was in some deep shit and she knew it.

She procrastinated for an hour, thinking of the right words to say, hoping that Shia was safe, but she knew better. She went around the house for the fourth time in a row, still insistent to keep searching for him.

“Shia! This isn’t the time for pranks, I'm serious!” She called out desperately. But she never heard a response. With the tv off, she was left with the devastating sound of silence.

She then found herself creeping upstairs to her room, her eyes wide and heart pounding as she fought the deep sense of dread going through her.  He really can’t be missing? Can he?

There in her room, by a small dresser, she picked up her flip phone. She couldn’t seem to press those crucial buttons to contact her mother. Her skin crawled uncomfortably and everything felt so claustrophobic. Taking a long, deep breath, she dialed the number and waited. She felt as if she was going to start crying, but she bit them back, she still wanted to keep her dignity.

Finally, Yuki picked up.

“Hey honey, What's wrong?” her voice, sounding so casual, yet with a slight tinge of worry, she probably thought Shai had fallen ill or something of the like, little did she know that what had actually happened was far worse, far worse indeed.

“H-hey… uh, Shia’s gone missing.”

“WHAT?!”

-

And here was Shai now, sitting on the sofa, hardly watching anything, the channel was flipped to a news station, muted. She just stared anxiously at the tv as she listened to her frantic mother’s desperate voice as she spoke to the police on the phone. 

Originally Shia disappearing was the only issue, Yuki had driven with her blue car, along with Shai looking everywhere for him. She had then tried to contact Alfred, Shai’s father, but found that he never responded and the police were contacted, but that was only the beginning. 

The first few days were horrific, Shai had been interrogated for over an hour. Being badgered repeatedly, but she stood her ground, she knew better than to let some donut eating cops intimidate her.  As this went on, She went on to wonder if her mother actually thought she was a monster (which she didn’t), But thankfully she was released and was deemed ‘no longer a suspect’. Regardless of the outcome, that experience frightened her. A few more days went on, soon even Kao, a close family friend, had been reported missing, only adding more pressure to the situation… and it showed. Yuki’s once perfectly combed hair was now much more unkempt, the same could be said about Shai, her hair was quite unruly, but she grew to not notice. Her eyeliner was long gone and she didn’t have the heart in it to reapply it. She had as well given up changing her clothes, just opting to wear her gray hoodie as some weak form of comfort. She didn’t have school anyway, so nobody would give a shit.

The once loose atmosphere was also now riddled with anxious tension. Shai never knew her mother to be aggressive, her mother was always the kind, gentle figure everyone adored but as he listened to her mother’s voice raise from the kitchen, she couldn’t see her any differently. Not that she blamed her or anything.

She soon took her attention off her thoughts as she looked to the left of her where the kitchen was located, she stared at her mother as her hooves tapped impatiently on the hard island counter. Her eyebrows were furrowed uncharacteristically as she held her phone up to her ear. Shai paid close attention to what was being said now.

“I'm getting fed up waiting for you people to do something! You keep saying you are all trying your hardest but I don't see any helicopters all over the place do I?!”

Slight mumbles could be heard from the confines of the phone. 

“Haven't you gone into the possibility that the Masked killer is responsible for this?”

The caller seemed to laugh at that.

“What's so funny?! It's the only thing that makes sense.”

Some mutters occur.

“Yes, my husband went missing at the same time.”

More mumbling.

“No?”

Shai Suddenly leaned back at the enraged look in her mothers eyes that had flickered on her expression so quickly.

“Don’t you dare say that about him! I’ve known him for twenty years and I know he would NEVER do something as horrible as that!”

Were they just insinuating that he had up and left and taken Shia with him?! Are they mad?! Shai thought to her herself. While she was inferencing, she was pretty sure that was what the caller on the other side of the phone had meant. At the same time, Reflecting on her own father’s behavior, she knew that he wasn’t the kind of person to do such a thing. Even as angry as she had been about him after he refused to let her go out and enjoy her birthday with her friend, she still understood how much he cared about her and her family. He would never do anything to hurt them, and that was a fact.

Yuki then rubbed her temples, her eyes showing utter pain.

“I don’t care what you have to do, just find them, please!” With that, she ended the call and closed her phone back into a small, clam sized object. She tossed the phone on the counter and looked down, taking deep breaths to steady herself.

“They're still looking for them, honey…” Her mom finally spoke. Once she lifted her head, Shai could tell she was trying to look positive. “It's just a matter of time before they find them, just you wait.”

Shai nodded in response while Yuki made her approach to the sofa. After plopping down, clearly exhausted, she turned to look at her daughter.

“You know it's not your fault for what happened, right?” Yuki murmured softly. Shai turned to her, exasperated.

“How is it not my fault? I'm the one who was supposed to be watching over Shia…”

Yuki then wrapped her arms around Shai in a comforting gesture.

“You know him, he wanders off often, before you know it he will be safe and sound… same as your father.”

“But what about Kao?”

Yuki paused, contemplating something, Shai went on.

“Kao is gone… and dad and Shia… what if they never come back? What if they are dead?” Shai muttered hopelessly.

“Don’t think like that, I know Kao and your dad, they wouldn’t give up without a fight. The police will find them. They will find him. ” Yuki’s voice seemed determined and hopeful. Shai though didn’t feel either. Sure, it might not be entirely her fault, but she couldn’t help but feel guilty.

Shai then turned the volume up on the tv, and was shocked to see the headline. She could feel her mother tense up as well as they stared at the television in confusion and worry.

“...Over one hundred people have gone missing over the past week unexpectedly, families all over treelight and cities beyond are outraged at the lack of action being taken. To make matters worse, take a look at the helicopter footage of the Rx Industries building…” The reporter then gestured to the live footage as it entered the screen. Shai’s jaw dropped at what she saw.

“As you can see the building has been entirely displaced, the only reminder of such a monumental building is shown by the faint but distinct lines that marked the concrete’s entirety. Law enforcement is stumped as to how something like this could happen. But most people have an idea.”

The screen flipped to an pre-recorded interview of a young avian likely recorded just before the initial report.

“Ever since I was young I was told to not stay outside much because of the serial killer. A-and I-it just seems weird that all this has been happening and nobody has been looking into that person anymore. Doesn't anyone think that the Masked Killer and the new missing cases are related?”

One more, the screen was flipped back to the reporter.

“They sure are connected, as all these individuals were employees of the esteemed pharmaceutical company. We tried to reach out to the CEO, Liam Moore for commentary, but as luck would have it, he was found dead in his office just a week ago. While neither of the three county’s representatives will voice their opinions. It is now clear that the serial killer has reached untold levels of destruction. Will anything be done or will things get worse? Tune in later tonight to hear-” The tv clicked off. Yuki had taken a hold of the remote and was looking pale with fear. Shai too was horrified by this new information. How could they have anyone predicted such an event to happen? Well ma, you got the helicopters you asked for… Shai thought darkly in her mind. At the same time she thought some more…

There was no way any sort of mortal could do something so crazy like that. Could this monster be immortal? No… that can’t be.

Shai recalled a time in her history class how she learned that immortals had given up their supernatural powers to remain in the land of the living as a part of the century’s long treaty. So that couldn’t be it… could it?

“What do we do now?” Shai asked uncertainty.

“There's… nothing much we can do. We just need to let the professionals do their job and… things will get better!” Yuki replied enthusiastically. Shia felt pity for her mother, she really was trying to think on the bright side.

“But what if it doesn’t?”

“Then we might just need to think about going somewhere safer.”

Shai sighed. She knew what that meant. Moving away. She wasn’t even going to mention her father or brother anymore. She knew that both of them had lost hope for them to return. They were both obviously dead . The fact just hadn’t sunk in yet.

“I understand.”

Yuki and Shai exchanged a hug. Both in an attempt to comfort the other, mother like daughter.

“He would be proud of you… for being so strong.”

“I know…”

It was then they watched tv, mindlessly for the rest of the day, maybe it was because they had nothing better to do? Or perhaps it was to dull the anxiety they both faced? Or maybe the fact that Alfred and his son were dead? 

Who would ever know?

Chapter Text

Chapter six

Back to the facility…

-

It had been days since Alfred had eaten, but despite that, he had other things on his mind. Like how much he missed his family. He knew that a good amount of time had passed since he had first arrived, only due to the abundance of clocks within the building and his frequent lapses of sleep. Perhaps a week had gone by? There was a good chance. If so, then his family must be looking everywhere for him.

He was also worried about Kao. Alfred hadn’t seen his best friend in forever, and he didn’t know if he was okay. Last time he saw him, he was bashed and beaten into an unconscious state. What has happened to him since then?

The last thing on his mind was Mystery, the one who now was forcibly keeping him here in this dingy, broken facility. A facility that used to be beautiful and functional. A place that was a part of dreams for decades. Now because of Mystery, his life was ruined. He was disfigured for certain and if he ever got out he would never be able to return to his peaceful life. He knew that this experience would mess him up permanently. 

Alfred leaned back on the unfamiliar wall. Instead of being in the old room of which was labeled as ‘his’, he had been tossed in a new room as a ‘punishment’. He hadn’t seen the freak in a while, but that didn’t mean much. The room itself was weird, it looked vaguely similar to the other place he had been in, but there was hardly anything to go through. The cabinets were revealed to be empty, there was no faucet (ripped out quite violently as the evidence showed) and there was no doorknob in the inside. That alone was disturbing.

Over the days he grew to realize what kind of trouble he was in. There was no way to contact the outside world. His phone was being held by Mystery and the entrance was locked tight. Alfred hadn’t even  managed to get anywhere around the building to find an exit door. That, combined with the harsh treatment he was receiving here was quite debilitating as evidenced by the smell of the vomit he had gotten all over himself just days before and the pulsing heat at the base of his prosthetic ears. It wouldn’t be long before infection would set in.

His thoughts were soon distracted by his stomach rumbling again, alerting him once more to his hunger. God… when is he ever going to let me eat something… Alfred wondered to himself. His wary eyes looked around, looking for anything to divert him from his thoughts, but really there was nothing to curb his need for distraction. If Alfred had to be honest, one of the most prevalent thoughts that swirled through his mind against his will was how Mystery managed to become a monster in the first place. What had he done to deserve such treatment?

Almost as if Mystery heard him, the door clicked open, fresh light hit his eyes, but not as much considering that the good body of the building had no power. The tall feline's foreboding presence filled the room, Alfred couldn’t help but tremble if just a little. The door cluttered shut behind Mystery as he came forward. He watched as Mystery slowly walked over to his slumped body. The clacks of his shoes echoed seamlessly through the empty room.

“Hello Alfred.” There was no kindness in his low voice.

“H-Hello.” Alfred responded hesitantly. He didn’t like the way Mystery looked at him, so he felt it was in his best interests to reply. Just then, he noticed that Mystery was holding something, but due to the dim light obscuring Mystery’s figure, he couldn’t tell what it was. Mystery himself caught his gaze.

“Have you decided to behave?”

“U-uh… yes?”

Mystery remained quiet for a moment, before a smile crawled over his face, he then knelt forward and dropped a small bag on the floor in front of Alfred. Alfred’s eyes darted from the bag to Mystery for a few moments, uncertain what to do.

“I got you something to eat, I assume you're hungry.” Mystery tilted his head slightly. Alfred slowly reached his hand towards the brown, crumpled bag only to be grabbed roughly by the wrist. “Did I hear a ‘thank you’?” Mystery hissed.

“T-Thank you!” Alfred blurted quickly, and with that, Mystery released him.

“That's better.”

Alfred then resumed his task in grabbing the item and peering inside the opening. He was apprised to see a sandwich with fresh bits of tomato and lettuce peeking out from the confines of the bread. It looked fresh and clean. Much cleaner compared to the garbage dump he was in now. Alfred pulled the small food item out and examined it. It was real all right and didn’t look tampered with, even if it was he wasn’t going to waste what food he received. He didn’t really think before ripping a chunk of the delicious goodness into his drooling maw. He didn’t care enough about his dignity to stop.

He was beyond surprised when he tasted such goodness. Was it just him or was the sandwich a blessing from heaven itself? While Alfred hadn’t been the most religious as of recent years, he couldn’t really stop himself from muttering almost incoherent praises towards the invisible god up in the stars. If there was no god, then why was this sandwich the best thing he has ever eaten in weeks?

Alfred was midway through his meal before he had remembered that Mystery was still there, knelt over and staring at him.

“Do you like it? I ordered it from your favorite restaurant.”

Alfred narrowed his eyes in confusion. Favorite restaurant? He had no favorite restaurant, he hadn’t even eaten takeout in years. What was this wretch on about? Despite his confusion, he spoke as to not infuriate Mystery any more than he already had.

“U-Uhm… yes, i d-do like it.”

Mystery smiled a little wider at that. “I knew you would!”

Alfred then left it at that, and went on to finish his meal, averting his eyes away from his captor. While the food was delicious, he couldn’t ignore the wave of nausea that overtook him. He had forgotten the rules about eating food after such a long period without. it was just a singular sandwich though, right? If luck went his way he might be able to endure it without an issue. That's what he hoped.

“I didn’t think being a pharmaceutical’s rep was what your life would lead to.” Mystery said abruptly, this prompted Alfred to jolt his head and look back at Mystery’s distant expression. “I thought you said you wanted to be a teacher… but you're not are you?”

How much does this creep think he knows about me?! I never said a word about being a teacher. Alfred wondered silently as he fiddled with the crumbs remaining of his beloved sandwich. Mystery turned back to him with a desperate look, eyes glazed over in an almost frightening way.

“Why aren't you a teacher, freddy? I thought that's what you wanted to be!”

Alfred crushed his body closer to the wall, uncomfortable with how crazy Mystery was appearing. He was genuinely worried that the feline would start bawling in tears or start thrashing him around again, neither would be fun to experience.

“I-I-... uh, I just didn’t want to.” Alfred responded tentatively, careful not to step on whatever nerve Mystery may have had.

“But you told me back in the meadow…”

Wait... is he talking about thirty years ago?! You gotta be kidding me. I'm actually talking to a crazy person right now! Alfred stared back at Mystery’s face exasperatedly. Did he actually think that they were still kids? What kind of reality was he in right now?

Alfred opened his mouth to speak but couldn’t find the words. What was he supposed to say? But there was nothing to say, so Mystery went silent and Alfred did the same. He was still shocked how quickly things escalated. If Alfred thought hard enough he could remember a very distant time when he had interest in the teaching field. That though, was long ago.

Alfred didn't catch Mystery sneaking closer to him, he only came out of his thoughts when Mystery’s greasy, gloved hand touched Alfred’s own. He couldn’t stop himself from jerking his wrist away from the feline’s. He wasn’t going to touch that bastard’s   hand willingly even if it killed him. He could catch Mystery’s angry gaze through his copper bangs as he did so, but he hardly cared.

“Why are you so mad at me?” Mystery growled, a hint of anguish bleeding out his voice.

Alfred forced his voice to be level, he knew screaming would do nothing, but he sure was struggling to restrain himself from doing so.

“Why? You're asking me why?” Alfred started, his body tensing up almost immediately. “Can’t you remember, Mystery? Don’t you remember killing my parents? Remember killing innocent people under some disgusting disguise? Remember hurting my best friend, hurting me ?! Don’t you remember any of that?!”

Mystery couldn’t get a word out before Alfred continued.

“You’ve treated me like shit this entire time and yet you still think I'm going to act chummy with you just like that! If you were my friend you would have never done the things you have done to me or others. I can’t believe I even have to keep saying this to you, we are NOT friends!” Alfred had to admit that his voice raised near the end, he also hated seeing Mystery’s expression wilt at his scaving remarks. Was that an attempt to guilt trip him into feeling bad?! Well It wasn’t working.

“You just don’t understand do you? Best friends do what is best for each other. You just don’t know that because you spent all this time hanging out with those who manipulate you,” Mystery stated as if it was the truth. “And If you’d just let me help you, I would be able to fix everything.” Alfred looked away, he was ashamed at himself for letting this happen to him.

“ I thought you wanted your parents dead. ” Mystery whispered. “ I just did what you wanted me to do. So why are you blaming me? ” Mystery’s intense gaze did not leave Alfred’s. My fault? You think that this is my fault?! Alfred didn’t dare to look back at Mystery’s expression, fearing the worst.

“I just want to go home, Mystery. Just let me go…” Alfred pleaded. Somehow he hoped Mystery would listen, maybe things could get back to normal.

“You're not going home, Alfred. You know that.” Mystery scooted closer, much to Alfred’s chagrin. “I'm keeping you safe now, eventually you will understand that.” Mystery then, Grabbed a hold of Alfred’s wrist and forced his hand to encompass his. Alfred felt sick to his stomach right then, not just because of the food, but because Mystery was making him hold his hand against his own volition.

“Don’t hope to be rescued. I'd already made sure that wouldn't happen…”

“W-What?” Alfred muttered in shock. What did he do exactly? It took him a few seconds for it to click. That was why nobody had come looking for him yet, Mystery had done something… he had done something very bad and Alfred knew it. “W-What did you do?” Alfred asked, leaning away from Mystery. He then saw Mystery's remorseless grin as a grim shadow seemed to be cast over his face.

“How could anybody find a building that doesn’t exist, Alfie?”

He was choked in shock. That phrase sent dark shivers up his spine, the room felt almost cold and he immediately began to feel dizzy.

“What do you mean?... What did you do!?” Alfred growled more in fear than anger. Mystery then chuckled.

“I don’t have time to explain now~, I must get going. I have errands to run. Don’t worry though, I'll be back soon.” Mystery stood up, his rough grip on Alfred’s hand vanished as his tall, thin frame walked towards the exit. Alfred wasn’t sure how it was possible but his adrenaline started right up. He had been left in a dark room, all alone for a week and the goddamn person who had put him here and talked to him was now leaving. He didn’t want to be left alone again. Something in his mind told him that if he was isolated again he would die. All those inhibitions towards Mystery had vanished almost as quickly as his dread began, replacing it with the need for some beings' presence. 

He couldn’t be left alone again.

“W-Wait! Don’t leave me alone here please!” Alfred begged, his voice shaking and his weak arms reaching out. Mystery had paused walking and seemed to hesitate. His head tilted just so much as Alfred could see the almost bioluminescent gleam of Mystery’s green eye.

“You seemed to be alright without me for thirty years… i'm sure you'll be just fine without me for a little while longer.~” Mystery chucked before swiftly taking off and closing the door behind him, a sharp click sounded just after, signaling the door being locked tightly. Alfred was left begging uselessly, knowing full well that he wouldn’t come back. He was all alone again.

Alfred tried to keep his composure but he couldn’t. Tears filled his eyes and his fists were now curled tight in a ball. His heart ached painfully. What sin had he committed to deserve this kind of treatment? His silent tears turned to broken sobs as he curled his shaking body into a ball, hiding his face in his nasty, dirty hands. As he cried his thoughts turned towards Shia. he thought about his dead son often after the incident just days before. Now, he felt the grief all over again. Shia was all alone now. Would Mystery be decent enough to provide him a burial? Or would he just leave him here to rot?

Eventually his weeping subsided, he didn’t have any more tears left to cry out. All the noise that was left in the room was the raspy sound of his labored breathing. His mind drifted back to what Mystery said,

“How could anybody find a building that doesn’t exist, Alfie?”

What had he meant by that? Alfred knew he hadn’t changed location, he was sure that everything was the same. Though, he couldn’t be sure. What he knew for certain was that whatever Mystery did had kept the authorities from finding him here. Would they ever find him? Alfred thought not.

His hopes of being rescued and reuniting with his family had seemed possible before, but now though, that dream felt very distant. I’m going to die in here, aren't i? Alfred wondered dully in his mind. He wished he had the answer.

Alfred then propped himself up on his one arm, his shoulder that had been sore after crashing into an hallway wall not too far from his current room was still aching, but much less than before. Eventually he was back laying against the wall, listening to the clock's now audible clicks. Wait… that didn’t sound like the clock. Alfred listened closer and recognised the sound of a broom sweeping the floor and the slow paced clacks of shoes, gradually approaching. Something deep in Alfred’s soul bursted as he pushed himself onto his feet, he could feel the remains of his dried tears as the stuffy air pushed past him. Alfred felt the first bloom of joy expanding warmly throughout his body. Could that be him ?!

He slammed into the door and proceeded to pound at the entrance, ignoring everything around him.

“KAO?!” He had called out, sweat dripped down his face as he tried to get Kao’s attention. There was only one person who would be sweeping with a broom, and that would be Kao. it had to be him.

The sweeping abruptly stopped, a muffled gasp could be heard from the other side of the door.

“A-Al?” Kao replied almost bewildered, almost as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “AL!? Is that really you!?”

Alfred heard the clatter of the broom hitting the floor and the screech of shoes stopping directly by his locked door. Alfred let out a tearless sob at hearing his friend's voice again. Kao was alright!

“Oh my gosh A-Al, I t-thought you were- I can’t believe this! Are y-ya alright!?” Kao sputtered, his voice sounded as though he was trying to hide his own tears of joy as well. Yet as Kao asked about his wellbeing he couldn’t get himself to answer. He wasn’t alright, was he?

“What did Mystery do to you?” Alfred quickly changed the subject, his heart aching for his friend.

“W-well, it's complicated, i dunno how to explain…” Kao wavered, before continuing with a stronger voice. “M-Mystery kinda made me his personal janitor…”

“He what!?” Alfred gasped.

“Y-you see, he was gonna kill me unless i promised to do his dirty work ‘n- he threatened to hurt you if I didn’t!” Kao struggled with his words, trying to find some way to not seem like some traitor.

“I’m so so sorry you got dragged into this Kao! This is my fault if I-” “Your fault!? I was the one who decided to go in h-here in the first place! Al, this ain't your fault!” Kao interrupted swiftly.

Alfred didn’t believe that.

“That doesn’t matter… the only reason this all happened is because i made the mistake of running away…” Alfred sighed in defeat, as he let his tangled mess of hair flow in front of his face.

“W-what do you mean by that?” Kao asked, confused.

“Me and that- that freak, a long time ago we used to know each other and something… he did something horrible and i tried to get away, i tried to restart my life without him but… you see where that got us.” Alfred started. “He doesn’t want you, Kao. He wants me . And if you ever want to see your brother again, you would have to leave without me.”

“No!” Kao protested firmly, this in which caught Alfred off guard. “I'm not leaving ya! We're getting out of this together.”

“But how!? Can’t you see? Mystery has this place locked up! He is so much more powerful than us, I tried so many times already to get out of this dump, but I've gotten nowhere. Besides, I'm stuck in this stupid room…”

“That doesn’t mean ya should give up.” Kao exclaimed. “Listen, Mystery has left the facility, which means we have time to make up a plan to get you out of there!”

“Wait… he has?” Alfred wondered almost inaudibly. Kao heard him though. 

“Yeah! He seems to leave every now and then for a good amount of time, he just left not too long ago.” Kao explained. “But that's besides the point, Al. im going to find a way to get you out, ‘n i think i already have an idea…”

“Well… let's hear it…”

Chapter Text

Chapter seven

-

“Well… Let's hear it…” Alfred Sighed. He didn’t exactly feel hopeful after listening to Mystery’s vague phrases just earlier.

“Don’t hope to be rescued. I'd already made sure that wouldn't happen…”

“How could anybody find a building that doesn’t exist, Alfie?”

Regardless of that, he knew that Kao was a clever ram and if he was optimistic, then he would try to be as well.

“This door is locked, right? So, If it's locked then it needs a key, ‘n as far as i know lottsa places make duplicates of the exact same keys. If I look around some, I'm sure I'll find that duplicate somewhere ‘round here.” Kao explained fervently. Alfred was surprised to find that Kao’s idea seemed reasonable. He knew it was customary for businesses to keep duplicates of keys for special cases. Of course that meant this place had to have copies somewhere. Wait!...

“Kao! I may have an idea where these extra keys are! You know the original CEO, Vincent? He was in charge of this branch of Rx Industries, which means he would be the one who would keep all those keys. There is a good chance that if you look in his office you will find them!” Alfred replied quickly as the epiphany struck him.

“Well, only one way to find out! I'll be right back, okay? Hang in there!” Kao said, his voice renewed with confidence. Before Alfred could respond to him though, He could hear his friends' wings fluttering as he rapidly took off. Alfred let out a sigh of relief, knowing that his chances of leaving weren't so far away as he had previously imagined. He could only hope that Kao could find that key before Mystery returned.

————————————

Kao took off with great enthusiasm, he hadn’t felt this happy in forever and that was definitely something.

The past week had been horrible with Kao having to put Shia, Alfred’s now dead son into an empty room to rot. He had felt horrible doing so, but he had no choice. It was only afterwards that he received a new cluster of tasks, each more rancid than the last. 

Kao first had to deal with the remaining bodies left astray in the building. By the time Kao got to them, bugs had begun to inhabit the corpses, some of the deceased had no eyeballs or barely attached ones, the remaining blood oozing out deliriously slowly. Some were cut in half, some even kept the last look of terror on their faces. That alone had taken its toll on Kao’s mind. 

Not long after, he was told to wash the floors, to clean them up of the dried blood and glass that scoured the tiles. During that process he had ended up getting cuts all over his arms and legs as he scrubbed, those cuts of which still stung.

He even had to wash whatever clothes Mystery wanted him to clean, which was beyond nasty, especially with the water that had oddly begun to come up brown. Which was a bad sign. Kao was most frustrated with this activity, mainly because didn’t see the purpose of even doing it. Mystery never changed his attire, at least… not that he could notice… not in the facility. but he did as he was told, he didn’t want to risk anything.

Of course, This was only the beginning of the list. 

Mystery had seemed to make sure Kao was kept busy as if to prevent him from planning an escape or the like, but despite everything, Kao was just grateful that things hadn’t been worse. Even if Mystery refused to refer to him by his name, even when Mystery gave him strange, almost hungry looks through the corner of his eyes, or even when Mystery was scolding him or simply staring- no, scowling at him if he were to make a mistake. At least he wasn’t being beaten. Others had it much worse than him.

Besides that, Kao was ecstatic to know that soon his nightmare would be over. His wings flapped tirelessly (even a bit clumsily due to the lack of use) and endlessly as his eyes darted room to room. It was sombering as he read each of the name tags. Those people… those people wouldn’t ever go home again. They simply went to work one day expecting everything to be normal only to find that it would be the last morning they would ever experience. How did they feel when everything happened? He wished he knew.

Eventually he came across a stairwell, it was clean and held high promise. This was a place he was not tasked to clean, so he had no clue what would be up there. Kao took the liberty and great care to not dirty the steps, somehow to Kao, he felt he needed to preserve its purity.

As he met the next floor he was surprised to find that it looked even worse than expected. If it was bad below, it sure was more gruesome up above. Blood was splattered up the ceiling and the floor… Oh, the floor was nasty. Kao tried to ignore the sight in front of him, so he kept his wings fluttering by as he traversed the building with precision.

Soon enough he came to a halt by a large wooden-looking door, the name tag read Vincent Armani. Yes! 

Kao turned the doorknob, feeling immediately thankful for it being unlocked. The inside was unscathed. The glass windows were the only fatalities. Kao looked around in awe, this Vincent guy was a rather decorative person. Inside, the walls were painted coffee brown, records of famous classical and rock ‘n roll musicians were mounted on a wall alongside the numerous degrees. A big desk matching the wall sat in the far center back of the room, giving it a strange inviting feel. One of the most noticeable things about the room itself was just behind the aforementioned desk. Higher than any of the other mounted items was a rather large facial portrait of Vincent, sporting a professional yet warm grin on his face. Kao wondered if this guy was even alive. Perhaps Mystery had already gotten to him already. He knew his captor wore a lab coat incredibly similar to the one he was wearing now, yet he didn’t exactly think about the implications much. All of that was out of his mind, what mattered was finding that key.

Kao, tongue stuck out in concentration, circled around the desk until he was able to locate the desk drawers. Unsurprisingly those were locked. This caused Kao to pause. Am I really gonna break into this drawer? Kao shook his head. Well, of course I am, who else is gonna get Al out? Once he shook off his initial hesitation, he began to look over the desk. Perhaps there was a stray hairpin laying around. He had heard those were good for lockpicking. All he managed to find though was a closed carriage of ink by a dip pen, some photos showcasing Vincent along with his family, and lastly a small Newton's Cradle. While pretty to look at, it was useless. Nothing here would be good enough to unlock those drawers.

Kao then wandered around the room, there were two tall drawers with labels, they were reserved for files. Kao didn’t look at those long. Then, his eyes were directed to the broken shards of glass littered near the entrance. Wait… could those possibly…? Kao didn’t finish his thought, he just gingerly picked up a small shard of glass, careful as to not damage his gloves. He held it up and looked at it intently. The tip was certainly sharp, it was thin as well. If he was careful he could unlock the desk drawers easily. He then retraced his steps back to the neat desk. Once there, he took the shard and began to fiddle the sharp tip in the keyhole. Kao unknowingly closed an eye for extra concentration. The longer he tried to unlatch the drawer, the more antsy he had begun to feel. How long had he been there already? Is Alfred alright? Those thoughts began to distract him, until he couldn’t focus anymore. In frustration Kao chucked the shard far away from him. This isn’t workin’! What else can I do?! Kao knew his emotions were getting out of hand, so he took a few moments to calm himself, this including deep, revitalizing breaths. Okay… try to think outta the box, what in the world can unlock an unlockable drawer… think! WAIT!

Kao shot up and immediately grabbed the dip pen, it had a sharp tip much sharper and thinner than the glass he had used. In the midst of his excitement he jabbed the pen into the keyhole and jerked it around furiously. Kao then heard the telltale click of the locks unlatching. Tossing the writing utensil out of the way, he grabbed a hold of the drawer handle and tugged. Inside was just as good as it got. A set of keys for each individual room all connected by a circular wire.

“Yes!” Kao yelped out loud, he snatched the keys with a chokehold and without closing the drawer, he dashed off. He hadn’t realized that anything was wrong until his wings suddenly cramped up, allowing Kao to lose momentum until he crashed onto the glassy, blood covered floor.

“YEOWCH!” Kao once again cried out, the sound of his voice echoed through the long hallway, causing Kao to shiver fearfully. The ram slowly stood up, dusting the pieces of glass of his clothing. He had been lucky that they were small and hadn’t completely breached the fabric. His face only suffered a single cut. Letting out a breath of relief he began trekking back downstairs, just with his feet instead of his wings. Kao reflected that during his stay he hadn’t eaten much and he definitely hadn’t been allowed to use his wings very freely. It shouldn't have been a surprise that his sudden burst of cardio would have caused such a reaction. Kao supposed he would have to rest his wings for some time before trying them out again.

Eventually he made his way down from the stairs and back to Alfred’s assigned room, keys in hand.

“Al! I'm back!” Kao called out once he reached the door, he jingled the keys to let ALfred know his blossoming results. He was pleased to hear Alfred’s excited gasp.

“Seriously?!” Alfred seemed to jump up, perhaps Kao hadn’t stayed away too long after all!

“Yes! There are many keys here, so give me a few minutes to find the right one.” Kao replied speedily. He took no time to start trying to fit each of the numerous keys in the keyhole. 

————————————

Seconds soon turned to minutes, and at some point, Alfred grew anxious. What was their plan after getting him out of this room? That part was tricky. Apparently Mystery knew this building as well as if he actually worked there. Alfred let out a sigh.

Eventually the silence between the two had become deafening.

“S-So… what's your plan once we get out of here?” Alfred asked hesitantly. Kao was silent for a moment before he spoke.

“I honestly have no idea… maybe therapy? That's the only thing that makes sense right now.” Kao responded sadly.

“Please tell me Mystery hasn’t hurt you!” Alfred pleaded, his anxiety leeching out his voice.

“N-no! He hasn’t… just manual labor i suppose, But there are far worse fates.” 

“You promise?”

“I promise, Al.” Kao’s words were as genuine as it could get, Alfred could tell.

“Good…”

A few beats of silence mixed with the jingling, clicking sounds of Kao going through the keys where all that could be heard.

“Al?...”

“Yes?”

“What has Mystery done to ya in there?”

Silence.

“Oh Al!... he has been hurting you hasn’t he?!” Kao’s voice went shrill as he seemingly dropped the keys, making a clattering noise.

“C-calm down, Kao! It's fine! I m-mean… it's not fine! But-” Alfred struggled to find the words to keep Kao from freaking out further.

“What did he do to you?” Kao asked with a waver in his voice. Alfred knew that he couldn’t lie to his friend, he just hoped that the truth wouldn’t crush him.

“Kao… before I tell you this, you must promise not to freak out okay?”

“O-Okay…” Kao seemed uncertain.

“A week ago… not long before we got here, i-i pissed Mystery off and he uh… uhm… he kinda cut my ears off…”

A much longer period of silence occurred. Alfred began to worry.

“Kao?...”

More silence.

“He…. he cut your ears off?...” Kao whispered.

“Yes… I kinda have a replacement now. B-but i don’t think you’d like the look of them. It's bad.” Alfred winced as he remembered his metal ears.

“I’m so sorry…” Kao sighed, his heart had absolutely shattered after hearing that. “Is that really all?”

Alfred bit his bottom lip, complicating whether to go into detail about the harsh brutality Mystery put him through, but after hearing Kao’s pained voice, the thought about lying seemed much better than ever.

“Y-yeah! That's the jist of it…” Alfred forced out a chuckle, hoping that his friend's spirits would rise.

“Well, don’t worry! Once I get you out of here, things can get back to normal!” Kao said, resuming his task. Alfred thought was getting a bad feeling.

“What's taking so long? There cannot be that many keys to try!” Alfred spoke exasperatedly.

“I'm trying! And for yer information there is a lot of keys here. Just chill out, alright?”

Alfred did his best to do that, while he waited he recalled what Mystery said about the building a long while ago.

“Hey Kao, Mystery told me something that you should probably hear.”

“Really?”

“He told me that he made sure we wouldn’t escape. He also hinted that he did something that is preventing the others from finding us.” Alfred explained. “Did he say anything like that to you?”

“No… not really.” Kao pondered to himself for a moment. “But… that is weird, how is that possible? That… that doesn’t make sense.”

“You’re telling me…” Alfred grumbled.

For the rest of the time, the two were silent. Neither wanting to discuss Mystery anymore. Neither wanting to go into detail about how rough their lives have gotten. Both were simply content on fantasizing about their freedoms.

Alfred noticed he had dozed off, he popped his eyes open in confusion, just before Kao let out a frustrated cry.

“WHAT IN TARNATION!?”

“W-what? What's wrong?!” Alfred jolted upwards, making his sore body protest.

“None of the keys fit the locks! I don’t understand, it should be here!” Kao replied frustratedly. The keys jingled rather aggressively as Kao looked through each one over again.

“How long have y-you been at this?” Alfred asked, shaking his last bit of drowsiness from his mind.

“I dunno, maybe an hour?”

“A-are you sure you didn't drop a key somewhere and forgot about it?”

“I'm sure, Al! I would’ve noticed it for sure!”

Alfred sat there for a good second. For the first time since reaching the door, he noticed how his knees were aching and protesting from the hard tiles and how his ears appeared to be stinging with pain he was sure wasn’t present before. This was bad.

“W-what do we do now?! How are you supposed to get me out now?!” Alfred’s voice hitched in anxiety.

“Give me a second. I’ll- i'll think of somethin’ I promise!” 

Alfred hardly heard him, his heavy breath was taking most of his attention, but he forced his body to compose himself, panicking wasn’t going to help.

“Wait!...” Kao let out a gasp before sighing hard. Whatever he thought of wasn’t going to be pretty. “Okay… We cannot unlock this door, but there is another thing we can do.” Kao started.

“What is it?” Alfred lifted his head just a bit higher.

“You might not like this… but it's the only way we can do this, so you gotta trust me, Al.” Kao’s voice went hard, worrying Alfred.

“I trust you.” Alfred spoke.

“Then… We wait for Mystery to come back, I'll be pretending not to be suspicious and you-” “What!?” Alfred interrupted with a shocked gasp.

“Hear me out, okay?” Kao started again nervously. “Mystery apparently is the only one who can unlock this door. So, to get ya out of this room you will have to get on this good side.”

Alfred nodded, but Kao obviously couldn’t see him.

“If we are on our ‘best behavior’ then Mystery will begin to trust us, if we do that then you will be able to get more freedom, once you are able to roam around here freely we can find an exit and leave.”

“Do you think that will actually work?” Alfred inquired.

“Yes! This has to work, I know it will work. Although it may be… time consuming.” Kao sighed, as he finally dropped the keys onto the ground.

“Well, as long as we can get out of this hellhole, we’ll be fine.” Alfred went on to reassure him.

“So it's agreed?”

“A-Agreed.” Alfred replied. “Does this mean we won’t see each other for a while?” He asked anxiously.

“Only for a little bit, just keep yer head up and- and just-” Kao’s voice choked up. “Everything will be just fine!”

Alfred smiled at Kao’s determination, it was no wonder he became best friends with him. He always had an idea what to do, he simply couldn’t be beaten down. Their personalities complimented each other. Alfred knew that during his rockyest days that he would be able to rely on him and vice versa. He trusted Kao.

“Stay safe for me, Kao. promise me you will stay safe. I don’t care what you have to do just… don’t get killed, okay?”

“You shouldn’t worry so much, it takes a heck of a lot to kill me, the only danger i have to face is some raging cat man!” Kao broke out into a laugh, Alfred did the same.

“Raging cat man?!” Alfred wheezed. “That's your nickname for him?! That's hilarious!”

“Well, do you have a better one?” Kao challenged him.

“For starters you can call him an edgy eggplant!”

“No! That's stupid!”

Their laughs turned into sighs as they returned to reality.

“Well… i don't like this but, i got to leave now. I dunno what else i can do. If possible, I'll come every now and then to talk to you, Al.”

“Just do what you have to do, Kao. I can handle it.” Alfred exhaled softly, now quickly realizing that once Kao left he would be alone again until Mystery returned. This time though would be different. He would do everything to make sure Mystery thought he was being more cooperative, it would be degrading but it would be worth it.

“Before you go… are you sure you don’t want to escape without me?”

“I ain't leaving and that's final.” Kao replied firmly.

“Heh… I thought so. I'll miss you… goodluck.” Alfred said his final goodbyes, his heart aching at the thought of saying goodbye, not knowing surly if Kao would be able to handle everything.

“See ya soon, Alfred.” Kao whispered before standing up, supposedly taking the keys with him and leaving. Alfred jolted as he heard his full name. He was so used to Kao’s special little nickname that hearing his regular name in Kao’s voice was particularly jarring. He supposed it was due to the ram's nervousness. Perhaps it was his way of a heartfelt goodbye. Regardless, he appreciated every word.

Alfred stood up painfully, his knees bitter at him for staying in such a pose. Alfred, though, smiled. Everything will be okay.

Alfred winced as a particular pinch of pain cascaded through this head. Alfred instinctively felt around his ears and was immediately met with pain and a strange wet liquid oozing from the unhealed sight. Despite the darkness, Alfred would clearly see that there was yellow pus oozing out of his wound. Fuck!  It's infected now. Alfred thought bitterly, there wasn’t anything he could use to tend the wounds, he honestly doubted that Mystery would care enough to sanitize the wound for him, he supposed he would just have to deal with it.

Don’t worry about it. We can do this, I know we can.

I know we can.

Chapter Text

Chapter eight

-

Alfred gazed lazily upon the sky, the sun was shining with large, white puffy clouds blowing along with the breeze. Content with being carried and guided to their new location. Alfred’s body lay on top of lush green grass, shining with morning dew. The dew had already begun to make the Shiba’s white shirt dampen. Robins flew up ahead, yet there were no trees in sight, these wild birds flew freely, uncaring of their perchless location.

Alfred finally opened his eyes completely, blissful relief was all that he felt. Was everything he had experienced a dream?

Seconds later, his peace was interrupted by a cheerful shout up ahead. Lifting his head, Alfred’s drowsy eyes met the figure of his son, Shia, waving at him enthusiastically. Ah yes, they were in a meadow. A meadow full of purple hyacinths. Alfred took his time to gaze around, now confused. Where are Yuki and Shai? Did they go off somewhere? Alfred slowly stood up, immersed in the lightweight feel his entire body seemed to radiate. He was then oddly convinced that his missing loved ones were safe and sound, that they were simply taking a scenic route somewhere. Alfred walked through the vibrant flowers. The stems seemed to move away from him, letting his pass freely without restraint. Shia had seen his father approaching and began to beam excitedly. Alfred couldn't suppress a smile of his own. Shia… Shia was growing up so fast wasn’t he?

He then found himself standing next to the tiny figure of his son, looking down at his joyful expression. His boy was now wearing a striped blue shirt, stained with the dirt and grass, along with his shorts. Atop his head was a flower crown. Shia seemed to speak to him, yet oddly Alfred couldn’t hear him. What he could hear though was buzzing… Lots of buzzing, akin to radio waves slowly increasing with volume.

“Shia?...” Alfred’s voice was almost inaudible, wavering from the confusion he was now feeling. Something was wrong. Almost as quickly as he had that realization, he couldn’t see Shia anymore, all that was left was a dry, rotted patch of earth slowly expanding its reach towards Alfred’s surroundings. The static was now followed by frantic whispers. The sky went dark, the sun was gone and was left with the heavy clog of clouds.

“Shia?!” Alfred backed away from the rot, fear gripping his heart. The sky then began to rain red. Alfred then turned and ran. Words alluded him as he ran through the meadow deliriously. He was scared for his life. His head began to hurt so much and his breath soon became heavy with exhaustion. Dreams don't do this to him? Why was he feeling all this pain?! 

The whispers now overshadowed the static, piercing his ears painfully. He then took a sharp stop as he saw another figure, just as small as his son’s. Yet, it wasn’t him. This figure's hair was copper, like- Wait… that's him!

His younger self turned, yet his face was shadowed over with thick black smoke. Alfred did a double take as his young clone took unnervingly slow steps towards him; he didn't have any time to anticipate a shrill scream of pain erupted from his clone's maw. Alfred turned to run only to see the younger, bloody figure of another, one he recognized all too well, holding the handle of a knife. He wore a ponytail and fancy, now stained clothing. A unsure yet enthused grin was plastered on his face. Alfred didn’t think it was any possible to scream any louder than he did right then. He ran off, away from those horrible creatures he saw, his body was saturated with adrenaline as he ran from the invisible force. Suddenly, he let out a yelp as he fell.

He kept falling.

He fell into a wide expanse of black ink, choking and drowning his breaths. Alfred tried to claw his way back to the surface but he just kept sinking lower.

More of the putrid liquid poured deep into his burning lungs as sharp claws then grasped onto his legs, arms and waist dragging him down. He heard a twisted laugh next to his face before darkness consumed him.

Alfred awoke with a jolt. His heart beat uncomfortably fast in his chest as he tried to calm himself. He choked back another scream as he saw Mystery leaning over his face, studying him. Sweat coated his fur as he stared back at the feline that had kept him captive.

“Good morning!~” Mystery chirped loudly. Alfred couldn’t speak as he was wracked with nausea. “Mmmm, you don’t look so good, come with me.”

Alfred didn’t have the chance to protest as his right arm was promptly yanked up and tugged out the room's door. Alfred whined in pain at the jarring action. Mystery ignored him and with ease dragged him through the halls.

When Mystery stopped, he recognized the location. The medicine storage room. Mystery swung the door open and pulled Alfred into the room before dropping him.

“You're the pharma’ rep, what medicine do you take?” Mystery snapped as Alfred’s head lifted up to look at the room dazed.

“What?” Alfred groaned. No matter how hard he tried he simply couldn’t remember what the prescription for infections was. Not to mention he was now incredibly confused by Mystery’s urgency. It was likely whatever infection he had was already taking its toll on him.

Alfred was then jerked up by the chin as Mystery now appeared to be kneeling down. His expression impatient.

“You're sick.” Mystery huffed. “You need medicine. Just tell me what to get and I'll get it for you.”

Alfred was honestly shocked that he even cared, but he didn’t dawdle much longer as he forced his fatigued head to function. 

“A-A-Amoxicillin… try Amoxicillin.” Alfred stuttered. He watched as Mystery rummaged through the boxes and bottles, tossing the ones that did not serve his purpose. Eventually his once calm movements grew erratic. Alfred observed Mystery adjusting his glasses with an almost frantic expression as he looked through everything, ripping open anything he could get his hands on, oblivious of Alfred watching him. It was then, An airborne box slapped against Alfred’s sensitive, infected ears, causing him to yelp in pain. Mystery paused to look at him. The look he gave Alfred scared him. It was the look of a frightened man, if Alfred wasn’t dizzy and sick, he would be pissed. Why is he the one scared?! How pathetic !

Just as fast, Mystery resumed his task until he let out a grunt and tossed a bottle on the floor in front of Alfred. The aforementioned flinched, eyes slamming shut before quickly taking a hold of the bottle. His shaky hands made it hard to open the tight cap, but he managed it nonetheless. Once tearing open the protective seal, he popped a tablet in his mouth and swallowed quickly. Alfred was now sure that this alone wasn’t going to fix his condition. At the very least it would take care of the brunt of it.

“There.” Mystery sighed, almost sounding relieved. “Let's go.”

“Wait!” Alfred scrambled to stop Mystery from gripping his arm with his natural death grip, but that was in vain as Mystery began his long trek back towards Alfred’s living quarters. He had lost track of the precious medicine. He simply couldn’t just take one and be done, yet he had no choice in the matter. With everything that just happened over such a short period of time, Alfred didn’t feel any better than he did before.

“P-please stop!” Alfred pleaded to deaf ears, Mystery just trudged on until he hit his destination.

Once he was placed back onto the ground he watched as Mystery began to backtrack out of the room, not until Alfred recalled vaguely of his plan with Kao.

Get on his good side.

“Wait!” Alfred called out, wincing when his voice ached in pain. The feline turned and looked at him blankly. “P-please don’t leave!”

“Why?”

Alfred was now speechless. Why? He didn’t know how to answer.

“I thought you hated me, so why should I stay? Hmm?”

Alfred scrambled for an excuse. But the feline wasn’t wrong. He did hate Mystery, bar none.

“B-because I don't… uhm, I don’t want to be alone.” Alfred had used this excuse before and he was met with harsh mocking soon after. Now, he didn’t expect anything different. He had to change his tactic. Oh god, I'm going to hate this. “I-I also… er… want to.. spend time with you…” Alfred was beyond surprised when Mystery’s expression brightened, his eyes even seemed to sparkle.

“Really?!”

“Uhh… yes?”

Mystery ran with lightning fast speed over to Alfred’s weak body, suddenly levitating him til he was standing, just to force a hug upon him. “Oh Alfie!~ i knew you’d come around!”

Alfred bit back a hiss of pain as Mystery bear hugged him. Mystery’s long purple gradient hair was quite literally smothering him along with his long bushy tail wrapped tightly around his paralyzed, sore legs. While Mystery couldn’t see. He scowled like nothing before, right up into a wave of nausea and fatigue hit him like a bucket of rocks.

“I'm so so sorry for leaving my best friend all alone! I just had to teach you a lesson!~” Mystery spoke in baby talk. Alfred winced as his grip tightened. “You have been so uncooperative lately, but I've missed you so much! And I see you're ready to do better now.”

Alfred gagged silently, unsure if it was his nausea or actual disgust.

“We have so much to catch up on, Freddy! So much has happened since you’ve been away… I've been really busy. I can only imagine what you’ve been up to.” Mystery let out a noise that could only be deciphered by Alfred as a purr. Yuck. 

“How wonderful .” Alfred managed to groan, sarcasm dripping from his voice. Mystery failed to notice, luckily. It was then Mystery dropped him onto his feet, letting Alfred breath normally again. Now Alfred was unsure what to do next. He had successfully done… something. But that wasn’t enough now that Mystery was fully convinced that they were about to have some heartfelt conversation. Alfred didn’t think he had the mental capacity, sick or not to conversate with a murderer. Nonetheless, he wasn’t going to let Kao down, so he quickly came up with something.

“Er… your hair is… kinda long.” Wow. That was the stupidest thing I have ever said. Alfred groaned in his mind. Thankfully, Mystery was oblivious to his internal turmoil.

“Why thank you, Alfie. It's too bad your hair isn’t as long as mine… you sure would look lovely like that.” Mystery replied, a tone of wistfulness leaking out of his voice. Alfred ignored that, at least nothing bad was happening.

“Yeahhhhh…” Alfred replied, stringing out the ‘h’, wincing in the process. Moments stretched on and Alfred wasn’t sure what to say or do. After a long minute, Alfred realized there was still one question he hadn’t gotten the answer to, one that he dared to ask. One question that he had a feeling would provoke the feline beyond his limits. He knew it would go against his goal of keeping Mystery docile. But he had to know…

“What did you do to the building?”

Mystery’s eager expression dropped.

“Pardon me?”

Alfred didn’t back down.

“W-What did you do to the building that… that now nobody can find us?” Alfred reiterated more firmly. Mystery tilted his head, a single gloved finger beginning to tap absently at his chin.

“You want to know what I did? Do you really?” Mystery hummed darkly. Alfred slowly grew to regret his question, but he still nodded.

“Well… if you insist on knowing the truth… then here it is.” Mystery paused, his eyes now closed as if trying to come up with the words to speak. “Let's see… Are you familiar with the story of the Wizard Of Oz?”

What? What kind of question is that?!

“I do.”

“Good. Then you should know that when Dorothy gets swept away in the tornado that her house came along with her, correct?~”

“Correct…” Alfred wasn’t sure what Mystery was getting at. What did a children’s novel have anything to do with his situation?

“Then you should also remember that Dorothy ends up in MunchkinLand; in a new world?”

No…

“You mean-” “Mhmmm!~” Mystery interrupted with a savage smile. He was clearly proud of what he had done and revealed. “You no longer Treelight anymore, Alfred… well, perhaps you are, but I assure you… nobody is going to think to look here.”

Alfred took a step back from Mystery, feeling a dark pit of dread filling in his stomach. He… relocated the building?! But how?! He’s immortal but- but he can’t be that powerful! Immortals aren’t supposed to be like this!! 

“You look a little scared. Do you need another hug?” Mystery took a few paces forward, opening up his arms in an inviting gesture. Mystery almost seemed unaware of the true horror Alfred was facing. The bile seemed to rise up his esophagus for the third time.

How could this happen?! Even if Kao and I escape, how will we ever get back home!? 

Mystery stared blankly at Alfred. Something was wrong.

“Alfie?”

Alfred felt the full force of his nightmare, remembering what he had faced while unconscious. The dream seemed to be a dark omen of the future. He knew now who it was who dragged him until the dark abyss to his death. It was Mystery. Mystery was going to kill him. Mystery wasn’t going to let him leave. 

“Alfred~ you're supposed to respond when I am talking to youuu ~ remember rule number three?”

Alfred couldn’t hear him. Mystery was right. Nobody would find them. Even if they did, Mystery had some way to stop them, and he knew it. Dread upon dread collided against him. Kao’s plan wasn’t going to work… Even if they got out. What next? They were lambs to the slaughter.

“ I don’t feel so- ” Alfred suddenly was reminded of the pain in his head, the sudden feeling of the dizzy, nausea taking over his senses. The faint sight of artificial colors filling his eyesight. Mystery’s figure was now distorted, almost taking a terrorizing look. He was stumbling. He was falling again. 

“Alfred?!”

Chapter Text

Chapter Nine

???

-

He was awake again. Though in the midst of everything, Alfred knew his condition was worsening. Alfred knew fear in his time while  being held captive, but what he was now experiencing was far different. He felt so vulnerable and weak. Before he had been able to oppose whatever Mystery threw at him, rather it being meaningless words, physical gestures or whatever future bashings would include. Now though he didn’t think any of that was possible. Not when he was in a state like his. He couldn’t even keep consciousness for ten minutes, so who would think that he would be able to put up a fight either?

One thing Alfred could remember, just after his initial passing out, was waking up to a pure rush of adrenaline, laced with pain and confusion. He almost thought he was dead until he saw the sight in front of him, his sudden awakening was apparently caused by Mystery using an adrenaline shot on him. Although despite this memory being so recent, he could hardly remember what anything around him looked like. So much so that he couldn’t even be sure if he was in the same room. Who knows, maybe Mystery hadn’t given him a shot at all? Perhaps he used rat poison? Maybe another restless nightmare? Heck, he wouldn’t know even if he had been awake beforehand. Regardless, the shot had long worn off as evidenced by the now continuous losses of consciousness he was currently experiencing. This is such… horrible timing… Alfred thought amid his half-conscious rambles. Mystery could easily do anything he wanted to him and he wouldn’t be able to breathe a word, not even move. That was now one of his greatest fears.

Alfred cracked open his eyes, surprised how hard it seemed to be. He tried to focus on anything besides his pain. He needn't turn his head as he heard rough clacks of shoes pacing around the room, anxious sounding whispers being the only occupying noises. His ears stung with each clutter of footwear making contact with the hard tile floors. Luckily for him, the noises came to a sudden halt. 

Only for a moment…

“Oh Alfred!” Shouted Mystery as he suddenly fumbled over to Alfred’s body. Alfred jerked away, only slightly. He tried to keep his eyes focused on the anxious appearing feline. He didn't have the strength to even flinch when Mystery's hand brushed against Alfred’s forehead. All he could do was deal with it.

“My poor poor Alfred…” Mystery murmured softly. “You simply couldn’t handle the procedure could you? Perhaps I pushed you too hard… so soon…” Mystery spoke to himself out loud. “Poor thing…”

Alfred groaned as he felt a fresh wave of pain erupt from his head. His eyes then fluttered shut as he then lost consciousness once more. Mystery, who had watched, decided that was the final straw. He stood up silently and stormed out of the room.

————————————

Kao was busy sweeping the floor around the entrance, again, for likely the fifth time in a row. His arms were thoroughly tired, but considering the nature of his location, stopping wasn’t an option.

For the past day Mystery had been absent, which was odd. Usually the freaky feline would be roaming around the building or antagonizing Kao at the very least. The ram came to the conclusion, just an hour ago, that Mystery had decided to stay close to Alfred. Kao couldn’t help but feel sick when he thought of what could be happening in that room. He had only recently found out about what had happened to Alfred’s ears. When he had told him, he had thought he was hallucinating. Mystery… he did that? he was capable of such heinousness then what else would he try to do? Oh Al… I hope yer alright in there… Thought Kao to himself anxiously.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he recalled his earlier promise to Alfred. To find a way out of this mess. Kao had time to search through the rooms during his cleaning tasks, and had found that there were exits, but just like the entrance they were already tampered with, often blocked by a blockade of sorts, with long desks covering the doorways, leaving the exit doors useless. Kao knew him and Alfred wouldn’t be able to move them safely. Especially considering that they were not particularly athletic.

Kao did though figure out more about how Mystery operated and other things he was capable of. On one hand, He remembered the strange state of his eyes. Most would consider that pointless. What info could you get from looking into someone's eyes? Well, it was Mystery’s eyes that clued Kao in about the nature of Mystery’s powers.

Mystery had a blue and a singular green eye. Yet, that green eye was marked by a clear X. Only Shinigami’s had those markings in their eyes. It was an honorary symbol that separated them from all the other immortal beings. X-marked eyes were almost an indicator of someone's importance and status in life or what qualifies as a life. This, in which was what made Kao suspicious. He as an immortal knew more about Shinigami's than most morals were even aware of. So, Mystery simply only having one green Shinigmi eye hinted at something dangerous. That eye was not Mystery’s. Yet, Mystery seemed to have Shinigami powers. So how was all of this possible? Kao was still pondering deeply about that.

He also grew to figure out that Mystery would leave the building once every couple days. Only returning near midnight. He always came back more happier than when he left. The following day would be just like right then, of course, with more of Mystery’s presence around.

Suddenly, Kao heard a large crash coming from down the dark, unilluminated hallway. Kao felt a feeling of dread consumed him and he couldn’t keep from curling around himself protectively. What had he done now?! Or was it Alfred? Was Alfred alright?!

Kao watched tentatively as Mystery entered the entrance area. His dark multicolored gaze landed upon him sharply. Kao suppressed a squeak of terror. The way Mystery held himself was nerve wracking. He balled his hands into fists, his walk, that usually took on a gentle sway, now where rigid and urgent. Even his own breathing seemed out of whack.

“ You.” Mystery spoke roughly, teeth now bared in a threatening way. “ Do. Not. Move. From. This. Spot. ” Mystery growled as he jerked his finger towards the shivering figure in front of him. “ I will know if you do. Stay. Put. ”

Kao nodded frantically, clenching onto his broom for dear life. He hadn’t seen Mystery behave like this, he wasn’t going to take any chances. Mystery, however, did not respond and proceeded to storm out of the building, slamming the door loudly behind him. Kao took a few moments to catch his breath. W-What just happened?... 

It took a few moments to register the eerie meaning of Mystery’s behavior. Mystery never just left without a reason, never in such a hurry. Was something wrong with Alfred? Despite Mystery’s warnings he crept up to the door entrance, giving it a hardy tug. Nothing. Yeah… doors definitely do not shut up this tight normally. Shinigami magic must be the culprit.

Once sure that the door was truly locked shut, Kao went down to the hallway, in search of Alfred’s room. Surely Mystery hadn’t moved him, right? He retraced his steps and found the room where Alfred was once before and began knocking profusely.

“Hey Al? Are you okay in there?”

Silence .

“A-Alfred?”

Still deathening silence. Kao began to worry. No wonder Mystery left in such a hurry, if Alfred was unconscious and sick, then it would be a medical emergency, especially after getting his ears cut off so violently. Kao shuttered, he still couldn't understand how anyone could do such a thing to an innocent person… Kao had been told to stay put, to not move but No… He refused to wait for Mystery to return, he had to do something ! He couldn’t leave Alfred to fend for himself. It was then that Kao's thoughts drifted towards Alfred’s bag. It held everything the canine needed for work, including a flip phone . If he could just get that phone before that dreaded monster came back, he would be able to get help. All he needed to do was find. that. phone… but he then realized that Mystery had taken and hid Alfred’s belongings. It wasn’t long ago when Mystery had appeared to him, carrying a full bag that looked suspiciously like Alfred’s. Kao knew better than to speak out, so he just watched silently as Mystery took those vital items off somewhere in the building. He felt guilty for not doing something right then, but he knew that his open defiance would cause more trouble than it was worth.

Taking a deep breath, Kao swung towards the rest of the hallway, determined to find that precious bag before it was too late. He then used what strength he had to zoom through, darting from room to room, well… the unlocked rooms that is. Regardless, he kept speeding through, opening file cabinets, looking behind desks, behind doors, anywhere and everywhere. He took no time to put things the way they were, he had a feeling Mystery wouldn’t be able tell the difference. Though, one important thing he had forgotten about was that Shia’s body was also placed in one of those rooms, once the door was slammed open, he was met with the putrid stench of rotting corpse. The smell stung his nose and made his eyes water painfully. Of course, not all those tears were smell-caused as Kao caught a glimpse of Shia’s half rotted body, laying off to the side. Kao, when he was told to toss the kid's body in some room, he had at least given time to cover the youngster partially with torn paper from unknown files that had been trashed around the room, there wasn’t enough to cover the child’s rotted face though. His eyes were gone now, likely some hungry bugs came by and thought that Shia was a tasty meal. Kao bit back a whimper of guilt and agony and walked right past him, he had partially covered his mouth and nose to help muffle the stink that permeated through the dark room. The immortal ram was slowly growing tired, either from the sight he had just seen or the lack of strength left in his body from all the erratic running. Either way, both had taken a toll on him. Am… Am I really this out of shape?

Kao searched the room, he honestly didn’t think he would find anything other than nasty insects or random papers, but instead what he found was way more surprising than he thought. It felt too easy for this to happen. There in a half-opened drawer was a black handbag. The same one that Alfred wore on the day they got captured. Kao inhaled a sharp gasp, only to start choking from the revolting air around him. Once his composure was gained, he snatched the bag, unzipped the silver zipper with a pleasing, sharp hiss. From within was exactly what he needed, a phone. Before Kao could even graze his hand upon the textile purse, he caught sight of a drawing, All neatly folded with care and grace that only Alfred could provide. He opened it to find a goofy drawn version of his friend, Alfred, standing next to his silver car. Ah yes, he remembered his car clearly, it was an older model from a few years before, despite being older, Alfred’s knowing care towards his vehicle made it last a lifetime. Alfred was drawn with careful precision, much unlike the usual quality of kids drawings. (It wasn’t to say it was Mona Lisa or anything, but it still was wonderful for someone who had drawn it as young as Shia was.) Kao felt a rush of sentimental emotions. Thinking about how much love went into this artwork and how much Alfred loved Shia, all of it. Kao also knew that this was quite literally the last thing Shia had ever made, the last thing that he had creativity come up with before his untimely death.

Gently, he folded the drawing back up and placed it back carefully in the bag, rummaging through the rest of his belongings he found Alfred’s flip phone at the very bottom. It was black, just like his handbag, plain. Yet Kao knew that was the way Alfred wanted it. He held the small phone close to him before popping the lid up and quickly navigating along until he could clearly see the dial in front of him. 9. 1. 1. Kao typed as fast as he could, putting down the most important digits in his numeral existence. Type, Type, Type. and there it was… it was ringing. Kao teared up as a light, fluffy feeling coursed through his veins. He and Alfred were going to be saved. It would take time of course but- things were only going to get better from here. Kao shuttered as the emergency dispatcher finally took the call, of course the first thing Kao heard was garbled static before natural words took their place.

“911, what's your emergency?”

Oh, those were such wonderful words,  Kao could hardly get his words out without stuttering, within moments someone would be out here looking for them.

“H-Hello! My name is Kao- Kao Ushi and- me and my friend, A-Alfred have been kidnapped by the masked kille-”

“Okay ma'am i'm going to have to stop you right there.” The female voice from the other side interrupted, a clear tone of slight skepticism leaked from her voice. “I’m going to need you to try and slow down for me, where is your location?” 

Kao winced at the feminine form of address, he supposed it was due to his higher pitched voice, yet he didn’t care right then.

“R-Right! Were l-located at-” Kao yanked out the business card Alfred kept in his bag. “Where in Treelight Rx Industries, Branch two, on Mayberry road, T-That's where I am!” Kao immediately took notice of the distorted coughing on the other end as well as mutters from the other end. Kao gulped nervously as nobody seemed to respond for a good second.

“Okay, so let me get this straight, Kao… You've been kidnapped by the Masked Killer at Rx Industries?” The female seemed to scoff, Kao practically crumbled at the tone of her voice. She doesn’t believe me….

“Yes! We-” Kao stopped when he heard a familiar low tone erupting from the phone itself, a low power signal popped up on the screen only for a split second and it was then Kao knew that time was running out. Gosh darn you, Alfred! Why couldn’t you just charge your phone like a regular person!?

“Listen here, I don’t know what kind of twisted fantasy you're living in where it's okay to waste our time with pranks and jokes when there are actual people in need of help, when there are actual people missing from Rx Industries.”

“No no no! I’m not lyin’! I-im not! just please-”

“Do not call us again unless you are in an actual emergency, good day ma'am.” Within seconds, The call closed, leaving Kao shaking, an icy shiver went up his spine as the realization set in. Nobody was coming for them. No! 

Kao’s grip tightened on the phone, almost to a bone crushing degree. It was a cold reminder that he was fully capable of being as strong and as dangerous as Mystery if provoked… if he practiced enough. It's not over yet! Kao typed in 911 again, hoping this time for a different dispatcher. Maybe they would listen. The phone rang and he waited, the chills of anxiety gripping onto him like an anchor. As Kao waited, he shook out his wings, paced around and took deep breaths. This time he wasn’t going to fail. He still had four percent left.

“This is 911, What is your emergency?” A new voice came from the phone, sounding younger, more feminine. Somehow Kao thought he would make progress with her than the previous dispatcher.

“H-hello, I’m Kao Ushi! Me and my friend were workers at b-branch two of Rx Industries a-and we got kidnapped by The Masked Killer and we need help immediately!” Kao was out of breath as soon as he finished. He heard a gasp from the other line, and Kao’s hopes lit up.

“Okay, listen to me Kao, I'm going to need you to follow my instructions and not hang up, everything I'm about to say is very important.”

Kao’s heart now thrummed for a different reason.

“Y-Yes! I'll do anything!” Kao blurted.

“First i need you to-”

The phone died.

It died right then, ending the call.

Kao’s hopes died too.

“W-What?!” Kao weakly muttered, his wide eyed gaze frozen on the dead phone screen. He had been so close to finding help. Someone had actually listened to him and now all hope was lost. Without that phone he had nothing. Heck, if he hadn’t been so foolish as to leave all his important items at home, he would have still had another phone to use to call for help. What had he done!? His stomach was at his throat now, and he forced himself not to hurl. The rotting smell in the room mixed with his own despair was a perfect mixture of sick horror that Kao had never thought he would even experience. The phone dropped to the floor, the clatter echoing through the room. Kao didn’t have the heart in it to cry, he didn’t want to waste his tears.

Kao slowly turned towards the door, not bothering to pick up after himself, somehow he wasn’t worried about what Mystery would do when he found out about his disobedience. Slowly, he walked back to the door’s entrance. He gave one last glance at Shia’s body before he left.

“Rest well, kiddo…” Kao gently closed the door behind him. Yet as he reached the hallway, he couldn’t take another step, he instead slunk onto the ground, shaking. He hated feeling helpless, he hadn’t felt this out of control since he was out on the street with Hawaito. It was only then had he felt scared for his life, not sure if he’d wake up in the morning. Yet here he was now.

There were no safe exits to escape nor was anybody going to be able to find him. Two of his most vital options were no longer valid. Now he was stuck with his first plan, one that he truly felt uncomfortable going with. Get on Mystery’s good side. Just wonderful…

Simply thinking about Mystery made him shiver. He was a horrible man and he hoped he would get what he deserved. Kao closed his eyes, thinking.

Even though I hate him for what he has done to me and my friend… I do hope he saves Alfred. If he can’t do it, I don't know who will…

Chapter Text

Chapter ten

With Mystery…

-

Quick, Unyielding, with Haste. Mystery trudged through the dense wood unflinchingly, with immortal speed of which nobody corporal could copy. The purple feline had just moments before discarded his more formal attire for something plain and ordinary to conceal his true identity. Although, while he did have the urge to just use the clothes he previously had on, he knew that it would throw off his entire facade. People would ask too many questions for his liking, nobody would wear such an odd outfit in broad daylight. Plus… Mystery was sure people wouldn’t take well to someone covered in dried blood. Therefore, Mystery had opted to wear a vibrant pink sweater and long black pants (that he had stolen from a thrift store a couple years before), and finally proceeded to toss the bloody lab coat off into a nearby bush. It was then that Mystery began his journey towards the nearest pharmacy. Ironic, since he had just a week before he had taken over and practically demolished one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in Treelight, Rx Industries. That wasn’t the point though, Mystery wasn’t off on some joyride, not today at least. Alfred, his only true friend, was critically ill and he knew that Alfred's only chance for survival was located in a nearby pharmacy. (since he doubted that the little medicine storage closet in the building had any of the good shit anyway. If that was true, Alfred would be healthy by now.) That was how Mystery began his long trudge out.

The purple immortal feline went by many names, some of which were not self imposed; The Masked Killer,Whorish Bastard, Jeremy, etc… These names carried rather unpleasant memories, with the minor exception for his serial killer alias, that was a slight annoyance if any. But still, All the same, these names held no importance or connection to him. He didn’t identify with those titles, not even if he had used them for years. But Mystery … that was a name he connected to, it felt right, like a perfect veil that molded to him at will, not stiff but elastic. 

To Mystery, Each name carried a facade, a mask, a truly pretty mask to hide behind while he did his business, Whether it being slaughter, bedding females or simply just chatting up strangers. All of which were fun enough in the least, it was one of the things he did during his near thirty year search for his friend. But Nowadays he didn’t require those wasteful outings as much, not after he had found his best friend! Especially now that he could spend all his time with him as much as he pleased. If he lived through his infection… No, he was going to live, he was going to live. Mystery refused to think of a future without his only friend beside him.

The green, lush trees blurred around him as he went along at a constant pace, twigs and sharp, thorny vines tore and gripped at him almost in a pathetic attempt to push him back, but it took no effort to tear the plant limbs apart. The path Mystery went swirled through the wooded area, the only indication that there was even a path was the gray gravel road in front of him, guiding him along the way. Mystery though, hadn’t been fond of the scenery, it was overkill, but even he knew the woods were a perfect place to hide things, or people for that matter.

Alfred. Mystery’s thoughts drifted towards his only true friend. They had met each other so long ago, atop a grassy hill. Alfred was the only one who had approached him then, offering words of kindness, but now…

Mystery’s trek led him outside the wooded area at last and pointed him right to a larger, abandoned gravel road. Weeds poked out from where the rocks settled, indicating the lack of maintenance and care. Just how Mystery wanted it. He followed the new path, using his memory as a guide. Turn right, keep true, turn left, keep true, yada yada. He knew the route already by memory. He had enough experience roaming around Treelight to know where the best routes were, so he kept moving.

Miles and miles went on as he sped through the area, a part of him cursed himself for choosing such a barren area for Alfred’s new home. Even his own immortal speed couldn’t really dampen the distance to his destination. 

Thankfully, It hadn’t been a full hour before he managed to make it to Muir county’s shopping district, wonderful timing. Mystery scanned the area, cars whizzed past, groups of people went in and out of shops and his target was located. Mystery smoothed back his hair, double checked he wasn’t covered in any leaves, slipped on a facaded mask and dove right into the nearby cluster of people. Nobody noticed him as he drifted towards the small pharmacy, all he had to do was smile and stay silent. It worked quite marvelously. 

Once he had wormed his way inside the clear, tall doors, he stood in a bright, white expanse. The tile floors practically reflected his reflection perfectly. A perfect sign it was, But Mystery didn’t bother marveling and strode up along the numerous Over-The-Counter medicine shelves, drawing his fingers over the boxed materials. What he needed was something to clear out a major infection, the feline through, knew nothing about medication apart from the purchasing of illegal “ingredients” for his victims. Alfred appeared to be the only one who could tell him what he desperately needed, but as luck would have it, he was too incapacitated to even lift his head. So he came to the conclusion that the pharmacist, currently looking over a newspaper over the counter, would know what his dear friend required. Mystery nibbled his bottom lip in contemplation. Damn it… there is a good fucking chance this bitch will ask questions… Mystery sighed, readying his next mask switch. Whatever, I’ll handle it. Mystery pushed his glasses back to their proper place on his face and swiftly turned around and slowly, but with a confidant gait, walked over to the pristine, white counter.

“Good day, mr! What can I help you with?” The young woman chirped happily, she quickly attempted to adjust her white uniform, putting clear emphasis on straightening her nametag. Amanda was what she was called. What a stupid name. She appeared to be a silver bat-like being with long white hair pulled up into a messy bun and shining bright, gray eyes.

“Good day to you as well, darling. Do you happen to have anything to clear up an infection around here? Non-prescription of course.” Mystery drawled, leaning one arm on the tall counter. Somehow, he assumed the height was to keep unruly customers from attacking the staff. Too bad they didn't make precautions for immortals. Meanwhile, The pharmacist, Amanda, Blinked slowly for a couple seconds, seemingly trying to compute his request. 

“You want non-prescription medicine for an infection?” Amanda reiterated, her voice wary. “I'm sorry, but- why exactly do you want something like that?”

Mystery grinded his teeth together with mounting impatience.

“Why yes, dearie!” Mystery replied, forcing himself to appear as causal and calm as possible. “A dear friend of mine has a minor skin infection and you see… he doesn’t like doctors.”

Amanda nodded slowly, still appearing cautious.

“W-Well, we have Neosporin if your friend has an infection, But I still recommend him getting an actual prescription for-”

“Why thank you, Love! And how much would that cost?” Mystery interrupted before she could finish. Shooting a beaming, bright smile at her. Amanda only appeared slightly irritated as she replied.

“It's $5 dollars, sir, wait here while I ring you up.” Amanda huffed in exasperation, as she turned away into the vast storage area containing diverse catalogs of medication, from bootlegs to the real deals. Mystery had no doubt that she would find the Neosporin she had mentioned. As he waited, he thought deeply about the events that led him here. How Alfred’s little treatment had caused him such a major infection. Mystery knew by now that he had pushed Alfred’s mortal body too hard too quickly. Despite knowing that, he strictly believed that Alfred deserved it. Mystery knew that fact from the bottom of his immortal heart. Alfred was too difiant, too feisty, too manipulated to see the truth. Alfred needed to be taught, to be reminded who his real friend was, Not some dumb effeminate ram or whoever the fuck.. Alfred needed to be fixed, cared for and so much more and be didn’t care what he had to do to get what he wanted, even if it means permanently disfiguring him. This way, Mystery could ensure that Alfred loved and would remain his friend and companion till Alfred’s corpse finally cooled in death.

Mystery’s grim but ambitious thoughts were then interrupted by the white, paper bag that was set on the counter, making a gentle thunk in the almost silent building. He was quiet as he fished for some leftover money in one of his coat pockets. Most of what he gathered in his gloved palm were just a little more than five simple dollars, but he didn’t care, this money wasn’t his. He merely collected these coins and wadded up paper bills out in the street months ago, saving them up for a moment such as this. Anything else that required money came from a wealthy, pitying person’s wallet. Masks in that case came quite in handy.

Amanda glanced over the coins and bills he tossed onto the counter, recoiling at the state of the cash, stained and stinking. Mystery wondered if that stench was really from the street alleyways or more rather his own escapades, regardless The pharmacist collected the currency, counted it properly and nodded curtly towards Mystery. Within moments he had purchased the precious antibiotic and was just about to head out and back to his beloved friend, up until he caught the sudden fearful look in Amanda’s eyes… those gray eyes looking directly into his own-  FUCK!    His facade now shattered, Mystery snatched the bag before Amanda could comment and began to stroll out as fast as possible. The noise of his shoes only seemed to be amplified by his sudden paces. Once he left the confines of those painfully clear doors, did Mystery began to realize the reality of his mistake. His truly stupid mistake.

Mystery silently cursed at himself as he sped towards the safety of the woods. The wandering groups of people paid him no heed as he passed, it wasn’t unordinary for someone to be rushing to and from places.

Meanwhile, Mystery felt as if he was scorching under the summers’ heat, practically suffocating him as he attempted to get as far away from the pharmacy as possible. He had made such a foolish mistake, foolish enough that it could quite literally unravel everything he had worked so fucking hard to gain and mantain after all these years. If he hadn’t been rushing as he did coming here, He would have remembered to put his special contacts in. Blue, the color of his remaining original eye. It had been stupid to leave without them. It was common knowledge that the Shinigami population only ventured down to the mortal realm to take another soul to the afterlife, not just to have a quick chat or run an errand. So clearly, this pharmacist caught sight of his one defining trait and thought that she was a goner. Mystery though could care less if some mortal got frightened of his looks, It was only the fact that anybody could easily trace him if they saw the color and markings on his single green eye that worried him. The fact that one person had seen it. Mystery shuttered, but quickly afterwards forced his body to cooperate and remain calm and steady. He couldn’t afford to mess up any more than he already had.

Mystery didn’t count how long it took to find himself back into the cool cover of the trees but he knew it hadn’t been long as the sun was still in the sky. That was enough to ease Mystery’s worries. He quickly retraced his steps along the gravel road, pushing past the bushes, farther and farther away from the abandoned road. The walk back seemed to take an eternity, but thankfully, he caught the sight of the large white building through the cracks in the trees. Mystery sighed in relief as he dashed the final way to the front doors.

He was greeted with the pleasant sight of Kao still sweeping the exact same patch of ground as he was when he left.  It was pathetic but it would do. Besides, it was far better than that tiny freak hanging around his friend.

Bag in hand, he paid Kao no heed as he quickly sped in the halls, locating the lovely door of his special friend. The purple feline pulled out the silver key to unlock the doors and swept in, he didn’t care that he nearly destroyed the wooden door as he slammed it, he didn’t care that he was practically stomping when he made his way to Alfred. All he cared about was making his friend better.

He ripped the white paper apart to receive the precious medicine, the covering of the box inside was just as he would have expected. A white rectangular box with fancy lettering. Oh… that pharmacist better have not given him a fluke or he swore to the starry gods above he would make her death very painful…

————————————

Alfred was sitting. Where? He didn’t know. Or maybe he did… It was so hard to remember. The sun was the first thing to be noted. Large, red as it finally set below the horizon. The grass… it was green and shimmering as the sun rays reflected off the delicate stems. Wait, this was a hill! Alfred smiled as he remembered the grassy plains from his childhood. Oh! He and Jeremy would play here all day, catching butterflies, telling stories and just being together. Such fond memories… Alfred finally looked down on himself, seeing that he was wearing a dark gray hoodie… it looked nearly just like the one his uncle had gotten him when he saved him that fateful night, but why? Why was he wearing it now? Hadn’t he discarded it with all the other-

“ Alfred…”

Alfred jolted and turned around, the wise feminine voice sent a wave of bizarre confusion echoing through his mind. Behind them were a pair, a couple. A man and a woman. The woman, shorter than the male, had long curly blue hair that ran down to the small of her back, and a long pastel green dress to match. Her fur, peachy just like Alfred’s… but her eyes, her face. He couldn't see it. Why couldn’t he see her face? 

Beside her, the taller male, with short mocha brown hair, dark peachy fur and a rather ruffled white tux shirt and long black pants, stood silent and still beside her. He too, had no discernible face.

Both stood, hair blowing the wind before him, it seemed that somehow… they were beckoning to him. No… it cannot be! Alfred’s eyes widened in sudden shock.

“Mom? Dad!?” Alfred shot up, his eyes watering at the sight now in front of him. They were truly alive after all! Could everything have been just a dream? Were his parents really alive!? Alfred simply couldn’t contain his unbridled joy as he ran up to his parents. His arms outstretched, hoping desperately to embrace his lost loved ones, but before he was even at arms length… they vanished, leaving Alfred to sputter to a stop, nearly tripping over his feet doing so.

Alfred gazed around, joy now replaced by fear as the world began to warp underneath him. A inky black substance stained the world dark, leaving Alfred to spin around frantically, looking for a way out, but Within a blink, he was then standing in a house… no… his house. His old home back in the small town he lived in so long ago. Everything from the furniture to the wood floors are dusty, untouched for decades as if something happened that prevented the owners from returning. That something he knew all too well.

“Wait W-What?” Alfred exhaled, feeling his heart rate increasing by the second, impossible… he couldn’t actually be here! Right? Alfred made the mistake of looking down in front of him, to see blood, dried brown liquid with a now nauseating stench. On top of it were two bodies, hardly recognizable. Alfred screeched in pure terror, stumbling back until he nearly fell. He was speechless, words evaded him as he then turned to make a break for it, only for a smaller body to intercept him.

“Aren’t you happy? I did this all for you!”

Alfred found himself backing towards the mangled bodies as he saw the younger form of his dreaded enemy, beaming with joy in his eyes, blood somehow still wet staining his black and white sweater.

“How could you?!” Alfred found himself shrieking at the small figure who still smiled regardless, unfazed by Alfred’s sudden anger. “You… killed them!” Alfred shouted, feeling wet hot tears cascade down his cheek, somehow he thought he had said those words long before, but… he couldn’t remember when.

The younger being merely began laughing, innocent at first until the world started to warp again, fading into the same black, frightening place. Alfred wailed as his feet slipped out from under him into the deep black void… just like before.

Alfred kicked and punched the air in a desperate attempt to return to the surface as he freefalled towards certain death. The only sounds besides his screams were the now menacing, mocking laughter of him … of Mystery. And then-

————————————

Alfred awoke, slowly at first. The remaining note of his dream quickly faded away at the sudden realization that his head hardly hurt at all. Well, there was a headache, but it was manageable, and it was nothing like before. The room around him slowly became focused and clear. With that, he sat up, very carefully so as to not aggravate his injuries.

How long had he been out? What time was it? Alfred stained to see through the darkness, trying to locate a clock that could possibly hint at the time. He instead caught eyes with a figure in the shadows, those telltale multicolored eyes said it all. Gods damn it, it seems as if I can never have a moment of peace! Alfred mentally hissed. Though, the simple action in itself was strange enough. His mind was clear, clearer than it had ever been in days.

“You're finally awake!” Mystery hummed ever so happily, as he sped over to Alfed’s sitting form, even still, the noise of Mystery’s clacking shoes where still ever so painful to his hearing. That, though, became less of his concerns when Mystery tackle-hugged him and practically buried his face into the Shiba’s neck. Alfred resisted the urge to slap the shit out of him. “I thought that y-you where gonna dieeeee !” Mystery suddenly began to sputter into tears. His body shaking aggressively.

Alfred only cringed as he felt the feline's tears soaking into his fur. Disgusting… yet despite his silent insult… he was shocked, truly. It was one thing to see Mystery get all pissy over reminiscing on old times, but it was different when Mystery was crying the way he was. Especially so suddenly. Alfred wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

“You were sooo sick!  I thought you where gonna die on meeee!” Mystery whined miserably- okay now his grip was getting uncomfortable. “But now you're okay!” Mystery finished, pulling away, snot dripping nastily out of his nostrils. Oh god, that wasn’t tears on my neck, god damn it…

Mystery at this time finally seemed to calm down and proceeded to wipe his hands over a portion of Alfred’s overhanging orange hair that hung over his eyes, an attempt to be friendly Alfred supposed, yet, Alfred was quite done with his bullshitting, he wanted answers.

“What happened to me!?” Alfred demanded abruptly, stopping the snarl that threatened to explode out his throat. With Mystery finally seeming to be back together he responded.

“You got a little infection, dats all!” Mystery booped his nose with a finger, causing Alfred to jerk away angrily. Mystery wasn’t pleased with that, his free hand grabbing the back of Alfred’s hair and dragging his face closer. “You really did make me worry, you know? It’s no good to worry your friends like that.” Mystery tutted. Alfred just winced painfully in response. He sure did know he had an infection, he wasn’t that stupid.

“You see, you made me have to wander around to find the proper medicine for you… you where very lucky that I didn’t decide to leave you to rot.” Mystery shook his head in disappointment, before standing up to his full height. “But thankfully Alfie~, I’m not a monster, I would never leave my best friend to die. It just proves that I’m a real friend, unlike some people. ” The feline glared towards the doorway before snapping back to Alfred. “I didn’t hear a thank you, Freddy~”

“T-Thank you…” Alfred erupted out quickly.

“Much better! Now Alfred, how about we get you better accustomed to your new living area, hmm?”

“What?”

Chapter Text

Chapter eleven

Three Days later…

-

Alfred gagged and struggled to breathe as Mystery shoved his face into a rusty bucket full of freezing cold water. His lungs burned desperately for air as he was held down with immortal strength. Only for a mere few seconds he could draw in air, as the feline's harsh, cold grip forced his head up. There was no mercy in Mystery’s heterochromatic gaze, only lividness with a hint of sadistic joy at the sight before him.

Alfred could only plead as his head was then forced back into the cold depths, could only writhe and flail his arms in desperation as he drowned. He could only do so much to minimize the pain he was enduring.

“What’s wrong? Too much water?” Mystery mocked him with a sneer, to Alfred, his voice was muffled as his still healing ears were engulfed in freezing liquid, thankfully the temperature was enough to keep the canine from experiencing worse agony from where his ears were unfairly cut. “Too bad, you practically begged for this.” Mystery finished off with a hiss.

Alfred sobbed loudly as his head was once more pulled away from the water, he couldn’t tell if it was his tears or just running water that was dripping from under his eyelids. The sound of his screams and pleas echoed throughout the nearly vacant building, the silence besides his own noises and Mystery's was excruciating to tolerate.

He couldn’t possibly understand why he deserved this, he hadn’t done a thing wrong for god’s sake!

“Stop wasting your precious water and DRINK it!” Mystery snarled, slamming Alfred’s face once more deep into the water, Alfred didn’t even get a chance to breathe before he was dunked back in.

Just days before, Mystery had practically dragged him out of the self proclaimed ‘punishment room’ (Which clearly had became his new living quarters at this point.) to give him a ‘proper tour’, showing him places he didn’t even know existed, he saw a place that looked so much like a breakroom for his former colleagues, a place a-like a cafeteria, multiple bathrooms and one ‘private’ bathroom fit with a small shower. Alfred had a feeling that the private bathroom was meant for the higher ups like Vincent. Besides that point, this tour Mystery gave him involved many threats and way too much hand holding for his liking, perhaps Alfred would have enjoyed walking with his stiff, underworked legs if it had not been for Mystery’s passive-aggressive behavior.

One of those days, he finally was given a chance to use a restroom, a proper one. The relief was unexplainable, mainly due to his unfortunate circumstances during his times alone. His room had to be… adapted of sorts to serve his necessary bodily needs. It was degrading to say the least and left his room smelling like literal garbage. So when Alfred was given the chance to use a real restroom of his own, he didn’t dare waste his opportunity. The only thing he could gripe about was the fact that Mystery felt the need to watch him as he did his business. Alfred had made a good ruckus about it, but he soon came to the conclusion that Mystery could care less about his feelings and would stare at him anyway without a care in the world. At least… at least Mystery hadn’t tried anything while he was in such a compromising condition, just stared like the nasty man he was.

Another good portion of those days were spent being lectured as if he was a child, specifically about those ‘rules’ Mystery had mentioned long before, of course now outlined in overbearing detail. Every little conversation was fixed in a way that ensured a chance for Mystery to drill his commands and regulations into Alfred’s head, at this point it was becoming quite infuriating, but he didn’t dare voice his opinions, knowing damn right that Mystery would careen him into a wall for his ‘rude behavior’ or whatever. Instead, whenever he had a chance He would often mull over ways to keep Mystery in a less-lethal mood, plan over escape and ways to make sure that Kao would remain safe through all of this, knowing exactly how dangerous of a situation his dear friend was in. Of course, much of his thinking provided nothing new or mind blowing.

It wasn’t to say that things had gotten better, it hadn’t. When Mystery got bored in between lectures, he would make a good show of elbowing Alfred in the gut for practically no reason. He was gosh darn lucky that he was on a fixed source of food, if not he would be puking from the repeated impacts near constantly. Sometimes he was punched and sometimes he was purposely tripped, but thankfully his beatings were less brutal. Nonetheless, it didn’t stop the canine from wondering what he had done to deserve it.

It was this particular afternoon with Mystery escorting him around the building again, this time specifically for ‘bonding purposes’. Alfred hated that word. Bonding. It was tainted with Mystery’s influence with him repeatedly shoving the dreaded word in nearly every sentence lately, besides the point, it was another day of trying not to bash his head in the wall. This time, Mystery was chattering about his body count as if the topic itself was completely normal, maybe it was considering the state of location he was in, from what Alfred bothered to pay attention to, Mystery was worse than he thought. ninety-six kills… Mystery had killed ninety-six people in the past couple decades (Not including the overwhelming amount of his colleagues he had slaughtered) and enjoyed it. Shia was the latest addition to the list… no, he wasn’t going to think about that, Shia was in a better place now. Alfred felt Mystery brush up against him as he got to rambling about a particular bloody kill, his eyes glazed over as if reliving the exact moment in time, his toothy grin stretched upon his furry face with violent joy. At some point, His voice eventually grew to become a long agonizing drone as Alfred’s attention drifted towards the now growing sound of dripping, echoing around the halls. Cringing just slightly at his ears’ movement, he turned his head and was surprised to see a partially big ceiling leak dripping vital water onto the floors below. Alfred couldn’t remember the last time he had drank water, it must have been a while for him now to be practically drooling. His footsteps paused as he stared down the glistening liquid. He knew that Mystery had said to ask for his permission before he could be allowed to drink. But to hell with his rules!

Alfred made a mad dash towards the water, the floor making a high pitched squeal as his shoes slided violently on the floor. Within moments his muzzle was drenched with cold liquid. It was tangy, the water leaving a slight aftertaste, but the sheer delight and need to quench the longing thirst in his aching, weak body overthrew it all. His long gasps were sharp and quick as he desperately tried to balance his need for air and water. He didn’t remember when, but at some point during his feral rampage of sorts, he had torn off his dirty gloves and discarded them a good few feet away, all just so he could feel the fresh, cold sensation on his furry hands. Alfred didn’t know or care what Mystery was doing, he needed this. He hadn’t anticipated Mystery and his ungodly powers throwing him against the wall moments afterward, starting up a new pounding headache within his battered skull. He remembered Mystery’s face being cold and uncaring then, but it was only a matter of time before all hell would break loose. The last thing he recalled before shoved in freezing water was Mystery leaving him paralyzed against the wall as he ‘fetched supplies’. He had been left there dreading the worst. Mystery had spoken of all the weapons and tools he had used on his victims, specifically for the victims he liked. If he had a fondness for them, he would ensure that their pain was more than long. Considering how truly enraptured the freaky feline was towards him, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to think that Mystery had some horrendous plans made just for him. Alfred had tried his hardest to un-wrench himself from the wall to no avail, all the while trying not to whimper in fear. He had seen and experienced what Mystery could do, he wasn’t stupid enough to think that Mystery would take it easy on him this time around, the only thing he could hope for was a speedy punishment, one that would knock him out and save him from the immense pain he knew he was going to experience. Even so, that was unlikely to happen. Within minutes, Mystery returned, with his so called ‘supplies’ in tow, The next thing he knew, he couldn’t breathe.

This, to say, was the reason that he was currently being drowned. A rather pathetic reason if he had been honest. Nonetheless, there was nothing more he could do other than surviving the onslaught of it all. Weeping and gasping away like a frightened animal. He scratched at the ground, hoping the friction would help him out, but all he managed to do was chip his once flawless nails and make horrific squealing noises as his nails contacted the tiles.

He was then pulled back to the surface, letting him gasp in air rapidly, his body automatically bracing to be pulled back under. Thankfully it seemed as if Mystery had other plans.

“Do you now see what happens when you disobey me?” Mystery spoke, a lower tone entering his voice. Alfred only looked back at Mystery, a pitiful sob threatening to break out his throat. “Alfred, I’m speaking to you.” Mystery then bared his teeth, showing off his sharp canines and his one shining golden tooth. Those sharp fangs could easily rip into his throat without any effort, Mystery had said as much not too long before. Still, Alfred couldn’t muster a sound, his throat seemed to tighten around his words, keeping them from being spoken. His lungs forced him to breathe in faster and shallower as pure fear and panic settled into him.

“I-I-I” Alfred stammered panickedly. His mouth and throat felt raw, his ears stung venomously and his body ached so much, it seemed to always feel this way now, even if he had gotten a day to rest. It took everything to not just scream and cower away. “I- Y-You-“

“What? Speak up now, mutt.” Mystery hissed.

“A-A- I-“ Alfred found that he couldn’t find his breath, hysterically he hiccupped and wheezed as he spiraled onto a fresh panic attack, he tried to keep himself together, tried so hard to not make his situation any worse, but he couldn’t. “I-I’m S-Sorry-“ Alfred finally forced out, teeth now chattering loudly in his head. He was shaking uncontrollably, fear burning deep and true in his veins, he hadn’t felt this out of control in all his years, what was happening to him!?

Mystery stared back into Alfred’s orange pin-pricked eyes silently. It was the silence alone that drove Alfred deeper in his hyperventilating state. Alfred’s thoughts spiraled out of control, images of horrifying events, memories and scenarios flashed through his mind in hyperspeed, drawing out all logic and awareness. What is he going to do to me now?!-Cut my eyes out?!-Tear my arms off?!-Rip my still-beating heart out of his chest?! What what what?! “P-P-Ple-ease-“ Alfred choked out, before coughing roughly, his lungs, repeatedly damaged from the years of smoking, was now aggravated from the stress he was putting into just simply breathing and in turn struggling to maintain the speed and volume of his shallow breaths. 

Mystery then quietly looped a finger into Alfred’s mess of curls, the action shot a pulse of adrenaline into his being, almost as if he had a feeling of what would come next. He had no time to stop the instant jerk his right arm produced, the tin bucket in response to the sharp movement tipped over releasing a small torrent of water all over the flooring. He swore that he heard Mystery snarl as a result. No no no no- I’m going to die- no- I- 

The feline then shoved him off. The action was so sudden and rough that Alfred didn’t have a moment to regain his balance. Alfred’s head slammed onto the wet floor. It took a few moments for the pain to finally register, but when it did, it hurt like hellfire. Alfred didn’t want to wail like a little child, but after everything today, he couldn’t help it. Snot covered his trembling maw, still steadily dripping from his now clogged nose. there was a noticeable ringing in his ears as he trembled feebly on the cold floor beneath him, wracked over and over again with sobs. Mystery during this time said nothing, did nothing. Alfred could only expect the worst. Nothing good came from a psychopath being quiet.

“You should’ve known better by now.” The silence lifted after a few moments, Mystery’s head was now angled downward to where Alfred now lay shaking. “Haven't I shown you what happens when you go against me? Must you be so stubborn?” The feline’s tone softened, and if Alfred could see, Mystery would have been shaking his head with disappointment. Alfred whimpered in response, hoping that Mystery would somehow qualify that as a proper reply. “Insufferable.” Mystery tutted, the sound of stretching rubber on his side filled Alfred’s ears.

Alfred tensed up, unable to regain his precious composure, and bit his lip until it bled. Every part of his body screamed to run, but he knew where that got him. It was only a matter of time before- Mystery’s ungloved, furry hand intertwined itself with Alfred’s. The abrupt action stunned him, silencing Alfred’s cries. The warmth was so different compared to the slippery, cool feeling he had grown accustomed to during his time here. Mystery’s hand was soft. Softer than the beatings and abuse Mystery had dealt him. Alfred lifted his head just a fraction just as the purple feline’s thumb began to rub in circles around the top of Alfred’s hand. He noticed how Mystery’s furried hand had a slightly different texture near the center of his palm, almost like a district pattern. The rest seemed to be rough and calloused in a way, likely due to the frequent usage of weapons over time. He was also quite surprised that his hand wasn’t sticky or dirty beyond compare, he couldn’t exactly see much, but he was sure of his instincts. He truly expected this harbinger of evil to have nasty, blood covered hands, even while covered by a thin layer of rubber or latex. it would make sense considering the kind of feline he was.

Regardless of this all, He truly wasn’t sure what exactly was happening, he was utterly confused as what had started this sudden change in mood, but all he knew was that this simple, un-requested action felt much better than what occurred just moments before, and despite his efforts to remind himself how dangerous and horrible Mystery was, the tenderness that the feline was showing him was far too overpowering for him to just simply ignore.

“You're so misguided…” Mystery hummed softly, not stopping his ministrations. “Life here would be much better for you if you’d cooperate with me, you know?”

Alfred slowly nodded, feeling far too tired and weak to protest. The fear had yet to subside and he didn’t have any illusions to know what disagreeing would do. Mystery appeared to see his silent nod and continued on.

“Don’t cry, it’s no good to see my best friend cry.” Mystery hushed him, a note of a more paternal tone entered his voice. It reminded the canine of when he was younger and everything had made sense. Reminded him of the times when his father would be by his side, soothing him after a particularly rough day at school. He cherished those moments, no matter how small. A quiet part of Alfred hated himself for feeling cared for at these moments. because deep down, he knew that Mystery was a monster. The same monster who had murdered his parents and child right before his eyes. All the same, he just wanted this pain to be over, to feel safe… and this… this was the safest he felt in so long. He would gladly take this over assault. He despised himself greatly for that. Even more-so, when he squeezed his hand back. 

“Now what do you say to me?” Mystery spoke once more, his multicolored eyes flickering to Alfred’s hidden ones. Alfred didn’t know what to say other than to sniffle and try not to cry again. “You say, ‘thank you’.”

“T-T-Thank y-y-you…” Alfred sputtered out weakly.

“Very good.” Mystery nodded. “You handled it well.”

“W-” “You handled your punishment very well, indeed.” Mystery interrupted swiftly before Alfred had the chance to even wonder.

The small and quite honestly insulting praise made him feel weak and pathetic as he realized how much it meant to him to hear something like that. There was no reason to feel this way, he had almost drowned just minutes ago by a deranged freak, there was no reason to feel even a shred of gratitude for such an uncharacteristic comment. Yet… he did. He didn’t know why he did, and he hated it. Why must he be so fucking useless? Why must he be so worthless to defend himself and keep his head on straight? Is he really that pathetic?...

“Have you learned your lesson, Alfie?”

“Y-Y-Yes…”

“I hope you did, because next time you pull a stunt like that you will regret it.” Mystery replied, his voice lowering to a whisper. “But I know you’ll do better from now on.” The purple feline hummed in affirmation, and slowly began to draw his hand away from Alfred’s, only to get a meek protest in response. Mystery grinned at this reaction and immediately resumed his firm grip on the canine’s adjoining hand, leaving Alfred continuing to weep and shake.

Alfred was disoriented, at the very least he could breathe again. The aches and pains from earlier still persisted, and he felt ungodly feeble. Every shift of movement was an effort, he didn’t think he could get up even if he wanted to. He was fully at the mercy of Mystery’s whims. Alfred didn’t like that, as evidenced by the still evergrowing pit of dread in his stomach. The hand holding though… it had been enough to ease whatever hyperventilating state he was in prior, he shouldn’t be enjoying the scrap of care he was receiving from that pathetic waste of space… he kept repeating that simple fact to himself this entire time, but those simple mental affirmations weren't enough. Not enough to keep him from feeling loved, if even a little.

He detested himself for that.

So there he layed, Mystery’s hand interlaced with his own, being gently soothed as he quietly sobbed. Crying out of fear and confusion. Of not knowing why he was receiving this kind of contact and why he enjoyed and hated it simultaneously. He truly at this moment didn’t know what he wanted anymore. Tearfully and with a snot covered face he curled into himself.

He felt so alone…

-

(EDIT: 12/8/24: All references here are minorly or majorly outdated, do not rely on these references anymore)

All character references for your viewing pleasure!! 

feel free to skip this section if needed; this part takes up a lot of room so you gotta scroll a bit.

Chapter Text

In The Past (Part 1)

March 15 1996

-

The sun was bright and orange and shining eternally shining against the emerald green grass, repeatedly whiplashed by the lukewarm wind that blew over the dirt-covered gravel road. The breeze carried a fresh scent of dew-covered grass from the rains from last night. There were sounds of non-domesticated birds fluttering up overhead, primarily robins it appeared to be. Amongst the peace of nature, the dull crunching of shoes echoed lightly in the distance. Just barely up a smallish hill came a young canine boy with bright peachy orange fur rustling against the gentle tug of the wind before him, near glowing from the sun’s everlasting light, highlighting the orange hue in his eyes. The light also illuminated the pastel green shirt decorated with a light colored yellow stripe in the middle, along with his blue shorts that appeared purple underneath the light.

The young canine hummed as he brisked along the gravel road, along his back, a backpack softly thumbed behind him in a rather delightful rhythm as he moved. The boy gazed around warmly, not really appearing to be looking for anything in particular, merely enjoying the view this small flowerless meadow provided him.

This young boy’s name was Alfred; Alfred Brown, and he wasn't in a particular hurry to be returning home from his usual weekly activities at AutumnLake Middle, a small yet disciplined middle school with a rather good reputation. It had been a particularly good day for school to be let out, mostly because it happened to be a friday, and friday’s usually entailed a fun filled weekend ahead, at least for Alfred. This was the primary reason that he was in such a cheery mood today.

As the boy raised to the top of the hill, he paused to look behind him to admire the small landscape of his hometown. It was far unlike other traditional towns with its spaced out buildings surrounded by grasslands and small blossoming trees. In the distance you could make out the brown painted schoolhouse of AutumnLake, highlighting the entire land he lived in.

AutumnLake was only a blip in the map, just a few miles away from the growing state of Treelight, Alfred’s parents hailed from there and abruptly moved here before he had been born, the young kid somewhat understood why they had stayed for so long. The community was warm and welcoming, it was a small town which made friendships quite easy to bloom and more importantly, the school was in easy reach of his home, making it only a short mile away to reach by foot. Alfred let out a long relaxed sigh as he quickly turned around to continue his route back home. His ears twitched in apprehension as he recalled his mother thinking about some delicious apple pie for him when he returned. He knew very well that this generous gift was all due to his continuous good grades and well adjusted attitude. That simply was indeed the only reason for his lovely mother to make something as expensive as that. Alfred licked his wind-blown lips and sped up his steps. He was walking a good deal until he caught something moving in the edge of his vision.

Alfred would have missed it if it weren't for him turning his head just a fraction to see a sitting figure up atop an adjacent yet smaller hill. The sun’s light caused a shadow to cover the figure in question, yet Alfred knew by their size that they were most certainly not an adult. Alfred paused in his steps, he wondered if his parents would worry if he arrived home later than usual, but they shouldn’t mind all that much, right? He’d return home before dark. Besides, his father was always pestering him to hang out with other kids his age anyway. So Alfred lingered, staring at the person on that hill, wondering who it was and why they just sat there all alone. Caution told him to keep moving, but kindness pushed him towards the unknown stranger. So with hesitant movements, he gradually walked over to the hill until he was within six feet to the person before him.

“Uhm… Hello!” Alfred spoke, his prepubescent tween voice not yet transitioned onto the manly tone most males were expected to have before adulthood, most would tease him for it, but Alfred didn’t really mind all that much. The kid jolted and snapped his neck over to Alfred’s standing form, there was deep panic in their blue eyes. Alfred slowly knelt down, as to ease the other’s anxiety as he quietly eyed him from head to toe. They were a purple feline for sure, sporting a black and white sweater, long gray pants, some torn up, old shoes and long purple hair tied messily with a hair tie. As noticed before, they had bright sapphire blue eyes that sparkled either due to the sunlight behind them or due to growing tears. It was odd… Alfred hadn't seen this kid at his school, not even in elementary. Were they new here?

The kid didn’t respond, only stared in shock at what stood there. Alfred wasn’t sure what to do or to say.

“Heya…” Alfred lifted his hand and waved. The kid picked up his hand and waved back, although much more slowly. They seemed to calm down just a fraction at least, so that was good enough for him. Alfred beamed at the small response. “My name is Alfred! It's nice to meet you!”

“Oh.” The kid finally spoke. Alfred was caught off guard, They- or He to be exact had a much deeper voice than him, of course nothing abnormal… just older sounding. “H-Hello.”

“Do you mind if I sit next to you? You seem kinda lonely.”

“I… You can.” He replied softly, laying his furry white chin on his raised knees, head angled away from Alfred’s curious stare. The canine  nodded brightly before gently plopping himself down to the anxious boy. Things were silent for a good long moment, Alfred, not knowing what else to do, hummed a little tune, tapping his fingers against the grass in a rhythm. Within a few moments, Alfred turned his head back to the kid eagerly.

“What’s your name?”

The feline lifted his head and looked at Alfred with surprise, seeming shocked that someone had bothered to ask his name.

“It’s Jeremy.”

“That’s a neat name.” Alfred grinned. Jeremy seemed to smile at that.

“Thanks…”

Another beat of silence.

“Are you new here?” Alfred turned his body to face Jeremy’s with curiosity.

“No I'm not. I’ve been here since I was born.” Jeremy turned his gaze away.

“Really? I haven’t seen you at school, though.”

“I’m homeschooled actually…”

Alfred blinked at that. He had heard of kids being homeschooled before, but had not yet met one in person. He couldn’t help but be intrigued by that.

“Really?!”

“Mhm.” Jeremy nodded. “I assume you're not homeschooled then, right?”

“Nope, I go to AutumnLake middle!”

“That’s neat.”

Alfred truly wanted to continue talking, to perhaps get Jeremy out of his shell, but he quickly realized that the sun was rapidly setting, leaving tall shadows along the green - now orange tinted grass. He definitely shouldn’t be out much longer.

“Ah crap!” Alfred cursed standing up. Jeremy’s eyes seemed to pop out at both the sudden movement and at the mild profanity Alfred brilliantly blurted. Alfred winced as he noticed Jeremy’s expression. “Sorry! I gotta go- my folks are waiting for me at home! I hope I'll see you soon! Bye!” Alfred then spun over to the direction of his house and began to speed away on fast feet. He didn’t check if Jeremy was still watching him depart, he was more worried about getting home before the sun completely set. As he ran, his breaths remained quick and light, and his legs continued to dash forward despite their shorter and leaner size. For someone his stature, he was rather quick and full of stamina, for this he could thank his healthy lungs and body.

Seemingly, After what seemed like hours, but rather only a few minutes, just before the last edge of the sun fell over the horizon, Alfred was at the doorstep of his home. The house was quite modest, painted cream white, and rather small. Alfred recalled how someone had spoken of the house’s construction being dated in the 1800’s, which Alfred himself had trouble believing due to the building’s stable appearance and structure. Then again, he was just a kid.

Alfred breezed up the white stairs leading to the patio in front of him. Just on his right side was a couple of chairs and a single coffee table, white in color but very worn from use and natural elements. On both sides were two grand windows with a decorative green lining to them. Just inside, Alfred could spot the white, almost transparent curtains flowing around inside. He didn’t hesitate to knock on the door eagerly. The door made an everpleasing tap as he rapped on the entrance. Waiting, He shuffled his feet, letting the sounds of the rickety patio flooring creak beneath him.

Eventually the door opened, revealing a woman in her early thirties on the other side, displaying a rather concerned expression.

“Heya mom!” Alfred grinned, popping himself into the house before his dear mother could even get a word out. Once the door had shut, Alfred’s mother was then on her knees, examining her son with scrutinizing detail.

“Where on earth have you been?” She spoke at last, her voice while soft and feminine, with just a hint of a southern accent, was also firm and full of concern. “You never usually arrive home this late, what happened?!”

Alfred wriggled out of her grip, feeling just a bit irked at his mother’s protective behavior, but quickly bounced back into his cheery nature once he remembered the events of earlier.

“I was talking to a kid just by the hill, mom! H-He was just sitting there, so I kept him company!” Alfred explained, his voice full of childlike joy, at that, his mother’s expression loosened up.

“Well thank goodness for that.” She sighed. “You really scared me now, I was just about to send your father out to look for you.” She now tutted, standing up at full height. Alfred’s mother had peachy fur, much lighter than his own. She wore her favorite dress, a pastel green one with white polka dots decorating it. With this she had long baby blue hair that ran down to the small of her back and brilliant lavender eyes. She in essence was considered very beautiful.

“Sorry, Ma. I didn’t think I'd be out there for long.”

“Oh, It's alright. Now get washed up for supper, I already have your dinner and dessert ready for you- oh, don’t forget to greet your father either, dear!” She called out just as Alfred skittered away to the restroom. The pathway to the restroom was quite an enigma of itself, created in a fashion that would greatly confuse any guests if any were to enter this labyrinth.

The front entrance from which Alfred entered was also the entrance to the house's kitchen, colored in light yellow and green hues, furnished just right with a dining table and sturdy chairs just a few feet away. Following that was the living room, endorned with a gray sofa, a couch and television stand, all amongst other miniscule souvenirs and other individual items most families in AutumnLake had, truthfully nothing too extraordinary here. As Alfred crossed this area, he spotted his father in his usual spot on the sunken-in couch, reading a lengthy newspaper. The canine bounded forward to his father, (after placing his backpack neatly over in its designated corner) who most certainly appeared to be deeply immersed in the local rousings around town. Soon enough, Square rimmed glasses, gleaming with reflected light lifted upward, and dark brown eyes now fixed upon him.

“Ah, hello Alfred. How was school?”

“Pretty good!” Alfred chirped. “Didya wanna hear what happened today?”

His father, folded his newspaper with good care, courteous as to not wrinkle any pages out of shape, and placed it gently on the rim of the sofa next to him. His father, unlike his mother, was far less decorated in appearance, merely sporting a white undershirt with a red tie, along with black pants. His fur was peachy just like Alfred, but his hair was a much darker hue.

“I would love to, but I believe you can share the story with all three of us when we are having supper, I'm quite sure you have lots to tell us.”

Alfred took the hint and made his way up the stairs to the long tiled hallway occupying mostly bedrooms and one single bathroom at the very end. Honestly Alfred thought his father would be just as worried as his mother had been when he returned, but maybe perhaps the lack of response was natural considering how his dad trusted him.

After a few minutes, Alfred skipped back down the stairs with vigor. Each and every step was counted until his feet were placed on the brown wood floors of the living room. By now, Alfred’s father had joined his mom in the kitchen, likely only waiting for Alfred to finish up. He then brisked over to his chair at the dining table, grunting with the effort it took. The chair was a bit tall for him as a late bloomer, but he managed.

On the table now was an assortment of dishes, Alfred spotted one of his favorites, Cauliflower Fried Rice and Chopped-up Sweet Potatoes. After getting a good serving of both, he began to chow down. He did this rapidly so as to be able to yabber about the potential new friend he had just made and as to receive his dessert much quicker.

“So, why don’t you tell us what kept you out so late?” His father inquired abruptly, wiping his mouth clean with a light green napkin.

“Oh! well- I met this really lonely kid up on the hill! His name was Jeremy and he looked really sad- and- well, He was super mysterious!” Alfred said, rambling on with his fork flipping around in excitement.

“Dear! Careful now. Hold your fork correctly.” His mother gently scolded him, before continuing on. “Anyhow, i'm very glad you were able to make a new friend, did he say which school he is going to?”

“He’s homeschooled!” Alfred chirped.

Alfred’s father seemed to pause, his eyes narrowing in contemplation.

“Homeschooled?”

“Mhm!”

“Well now, that’s odd. Most kids usually go to AutumnLake middle or some other school around the area, it sounds rather expensive…” mused his mother softly.

“Too expensive if you ask me.” His father replied back. “That kid’s parents must be incredibly wealthy to be taking on such a task.”

“Yes, it's even stranger that we haven't met these people before, perhaps they just moved recently.”

Alfred curiously listened to his parents converse, inwardly he remembered what Jeremy had said earlier, and they were most certainly not new here, yet Alfred knew better than to interrupt and continued eating.

“Well Alfred, just be careful around that kid. Rich folk are no joke.” His father said, directing his attention to his son. Alfred nodded hesitantly. He knew that his dad had experience working with rich people. He worked at an office, mulling over pages and pages of boring adult nonsense. From what his father had said, his boss apparently as a rich man who didn’t treat his workers well, Alfred honestly didn’t know why his father hadn’t left if it was so bad there and more so, He didn’t quite understand his father’s apprehension towards Jeremy, He had seemed nice enough, even if he hadn’t talked much.

“Well, moving on from that bit, how was school today?”

Alfred swallowed.

“It was real great, Mom!”

“Well I'm so glad! You remember what I said earlier this morning, dear?”

Alfred knew exactly where this was going, and he salivated at the memory.

“Yeah yeah!”

Alfred’s father smirked as he looked upon his wife.

“Since you’ve been doing so well in school lately, I baked you an apple pie, and once you're done with your meal, you can have it.” Her eyes sparkled with admiration, feeling so much pride at what her son had been able to accomplish. The canine boy could only beam happily.

“Thank you, Mom!”

“Of course, Sweetie.”

The night eventually came with Alfred stuffed with warm food and a wonderful apple-filled dessert, He couldn’t have been happier. Of course, the only real downside to his late arrival was having to deal with the homework he hadn’t done during the afternoon for the next day. Though he couldn’t complain, everything else had gone splendidly anyway.

Once his teeth were thoroughly brushed, had he had taken his daily shower, he headed off to bed. His room was the most unique and altered of the other rooms. The walls were painted in two brilliant hues, green at the bottom and blue on the top, representing the grass and the sky, all as a result of when he was born. Somehow he had a feeling that this was his mother’s idea. The rest of the room was tidied up, a large pale brown storage cabinet concealed his outfits and numerous toys. A pleasant surprise could be found once the lights were turned off, revealing glowing painted stars. The small lights were soothing and usually brought about quick sleep, but tonight wasn’t one of those nights, especially given the excitement that followed after school.

Jeremy… He was an interesting kid. He hardly knew anything about the kid, yet somehow he felt very drawn to him. Whatever it was, he really wanted to get to know him, maybe really become friends! Oh how that would be amazing. Alfred never really managed to keep any of his past friends, mostly due to his own lack of interest admittedly. This time of course could be different. He just knew it. To silence his thoughts once and for all, he made a vow. He was gonna see that kid again, and if Jeremy permitted it-

He would become his friend.

Chapter Text

Chapter Thirteen

-

Kao couldn’t bear this anymore, Couldn’t bear hearing Alfred’s screams any longer. He had been simply told earlier by Mystery to scrub down the upstairs area, since it had not been cleaned since he arrived here. He hadn’t argued, hadn’t dared to, and quickly got to work. Kao already knew why he was sent away farther than usual. Mystery had clearly let Alfred out from his confines and he simply didn’t want him anywhere nearby to discover that. Of course, Kao was anything but naive, even if his appearance said otherwise. Speaking of such appearance, Kao soon found himself eventually looking in a mirror at one point doing his duties. Expectedly, he looked like a mess. His short pale brown hair was disheveled, full of dirt, grime and bits of dried blood and was at least an inch longer now. His right horn had been chipped off completely, leaving only half of what remained- a stump. He had notable eyebags and his body… oh dear god his body… His outfit was beyond repair, it was torn in many places, the sleeves were in tatters, it would honestly be better if he tore them off for better mobility.  Moreso, he looked sickly, he was skinnier than he had been when he was on the streets all those years ago. His wings were the only part of his body that hadn’t visibly atrophied, yet still he was sure from the lack of flight wasn’t exactly good for them either, it was only a matter of time before they would change too. This and everything else was absolutely horrifying. He couldn’t begin to imagine how Alfred fared in all of this…

Now here he was, kneeling alongside a chunk of the floor he was scrubbing, listening uncomfortably to Alfred’s pleads, his gargling breaths and Mystery’s hissing and snarling. Kao desperately wanted to run downstairs to do something to protect him, but fear and terror rooted him in place. He forced himself not to cry or let out any hint of a noise, he knew it wouldn't end well, for Alfred nor him. All he could do was stand there as unimaginable horrors happened just below, Kao felt so useless to stop it. Eventually the screaming ceased and was quickly replaced by the sound of sobbing and murmuring. He hardly let out a breath as he continued scrubbing as tasked. Alfred had lied for his sake, he’d eventually realized. He had said that Mystery hadn’t hurt him with the exception of his forced ear amputations, but now it was evidently clear to him that more had been happening than what had been said, and that sickened him. Mystery was a horrible abomination… He just hoped that his friend wouldn’t have to feel any more pain anytime soon…

As he worked, his mind drifted towards the oddity of the last few days, Kao was starting to wonder what his purpose for being kept alive was for. What did Mystery really want with him that he decided to spare him of the brutality Alfred now faced? He wasn’t certain, but it surely wasn’t good. All he knew for fact was that Mystery viewed him as some sort of asset. It was quite baffling. What could someone like him be useful for? 

The next hour afterward ended up being just as nerve wracking with silence and his troubled thoughts being his only company. By now a good half of the upstairs section was thoroughly cleaned. Every nook and cranny was sanitized vigorously with simply a sponge and a small pail of water he gathered from a bathroom faucet. His cleaning wasn’t perfect, but it left the rooms looking far more decent than it was before. At least he could be proud of that.

Clacking on the floor soon began to become audible, and getting louder by the second. Kao paused, feeling his limbs tense up and his pulse race, knowing that it wasn’t Alfred walking over to him. He tore his gaze from where the imposing footsteps came from and forced his eyes to stare at the ground below him. Don’t move…

“Still scrubbing I see~” Mystery’s low and intimidating voice suddenly spoke from above. Kao clenched his eyes shut, willing his breath to ease simultaneously.

“Y-Yes, M-Mystery… I am.” Kao replied, unable to keep his voice from quivering.

“Wonderful!~ i’d hate to be seeing you slack off, I wouldn't want to harm your pretty face, now would I? It would be a shame.”

Kao bit his lip, clutching the sponge he was using tightly in his hands.

“R-Right…”

Kao was taken off guard when Mystery yanked up his hair, letting out a squeak of pain.

“You should look at me when I’m speaking, you know?” Mystery growled.

“I'm sorry! I will!”

“You better.” Mystery bared his teeth before dropping Kao back on the cold hard floor and stepping past him. Kao took a couple moments to regain his composure before turning to where Mystery now stood, turned away from him, arms clasped behind his back.

“Looks like you're nearly done over here.”

Kao gulped nervously.

“I’m going to have to put you into better use soon, don’t you think?”

Kao blinked. Mystery only chuckled darkly, now turning his head enough for him to see his eyes.

“W-What do ya mean?” Kao whispered worriedly.

“I’m surprised that you don’t already know.” Mystery chuckled, and began making his way over to Kao steadily, the ram immediately stumbled to his feet quickly, feeling an impending sense of doom overwhelm him. 

“I-”

Mystery had already reached him and slammed his forearm against his chest, the impact squeezing all the air from Kao's delicate lungs. Mystery smirked and slid his arm up, just enough so he was suspended from the ground.

“Did you really think that manual labor was the only thing you were use for?!” Mystery sneered, pushing his face just inches away from Kao’s.  His breath was nasty and hot against his face, he had to restrain himself from gagging at the stench. “I’m not letting you off the hook so soon, darling~” The purple feline’s multicolored eyes looked hungry, as if he was a predator who had captured his prey, and funny enough, Kao very much felt like prey right that second.

Kao’s eyes suddenly widened as Mystery began to lean forward.

“W-Wait!- What are ya d-”

Kao was suddenly silenced painfully by Mystery's mouth capturing his. Kao let out a muffled scream of pure, unbridled terror and began to thrash around. His heartbeat was loud and fast in his ears and his body felt like it was burning alive. What was going on?! Why was Mystery doing this?! This shouldn’t be happening!! Kao tried to use his dangling legs to push Mystery away from him, but no matter how much effort he put into hitting the dreaded feline's body, it simply made no effect. It was like hitting a brick wall…

His mind swam with uncertainty and terror, wishing desperately for this nightmare to end. The air in his lungs was rapidly depleting with all the screaming and forced lack of air, it was quite literally indirect asphyxiation. Mystery tried to force his tongue in his mouth with aggressive force, but Kao wouldn’t allow it, he couldn’t, he’d rather die than let that happen. The feline didn’t seem to care about any of that and pushed his slimy appendage in anyway. A sick concoction of soured blood and other foul tastes overwhelmed him as he struggled to survive, activating his clear gag reflex, causing him to retch through the whole ordeal. STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT Kao mentally pleaded, but it was all in vain, his writhing and muffled screams did nothing, the feline remained content to continue with his actions, uncaring of the torment he was putting against him, unfeeling as he violated him.  Mystery eventually began to let out ravenous growls, pushing his forearm harder against his aching, struggling chest, and using his free arm to brutally hook onto the wall next to Kao, practically shredding it with his strength. Kao had a feeling that things would only get worse if this was left to continue, but he knew that compared to that monster, he was powerless. Desperately, he began to pray to the god above to save him, for anybody to do something to help him. It was almost as if they had heard his prayers when Mystery finally pulled away. His expression a look of pure smug mirth all accompanied with a vicious smirk. His eyes seemed to glow with intent, with anticipation. Kao knew exactly what he was thinking about and it was horrible.

“How exhilarating. I should have done this sooner.” Mystery mused, childishly tilting his head to the side. Kao remained silent, just staring back at him with terror. He was horrified by all of this, he never saw it coming, he never really wanted to think that all of this was going to happen. He felt like he was going to cry, he felt so fucking disgusted.

“I think I'm going to enjoy this for a while~” Mystery hummed devilishly before forcing himself onto him again. NO NO NO NOT AGAIN!- STOP STOP! Amid this, Kao felt the shock of electricity scorching through him, but oddly enough he didn’t feel any exact pain… not quite, it was something far different. Was this Mystery’s doing? He didn’t know until Mystery let out a sharp grunt of pain and stepped away abruptly, letting Kao collapse to the ground. The ram’s head swam, his vision blurring from the sudden drop. Once he regained his self-control, he saw that Mystery was holding his mouth with a pained expression, completely unaware of Kao’s frightened staring. W-what did i just do?

Mystery’s gaze slid onto Kao’s, something of shocked confusion and anger in his gaze, but Mystery didn’t lunge at him as he expected, he just simply removed his hand from his mouth which was now bleeding just barely, sneered, and spoke.

“Get back to work. Do let me know when you're done.” he began to walk back from whence he came, but paused in his footsteps by the edge of the stairs and looked back, his smirk returning just a bit. “I’m still not quite done playing with you~” Mystery then left, the clacking of his shoes being the only indicator that he had actually left.

Kao shook and quaked from where he now sat. the images flashed in his mind of what had just occurred. He should be crying, but all he felt was numbness. Numb in his brain and body. His entire being felt like it was just static, painless and emotionless static. Reality felt just a little bit fuzzy to him. Steadily, he looked at his hands. What did I do? He had no clue as to what he had done to stop Mystery from assaulting him, but he, himself, caused it.

“N-No way…” Kao’s voice was raspy, trembling as he spoke. Had he just done… magic? No, That had to be impossible. Magic had been outlawed so long ago, any immortal descendants wouldn’t be able to access it even if they wanted to. That was just how it was! Until now it seems. He turned his hands back and forth, trying to understand what he had actually done. He had felt as if he was burning hot and tingly all through his body, he had felt it move up his body just moments before Mystery had stopped, he had felt it very vividly, it felt like pure electricity in his veins, he had assumed it came from the sheer shock of adrenaline in his body or as another incredible feat of Mystery's unpredictable powers up until he heard and saw the feline’s reaction.  I hurt him… I… I actually hurt him. Kao lifted himself up, stumbling in the process. I hurt him… and he stopped… I hurt him and then he stopped hurting me… It suddenly dawned on him so quickly he had no chance of calming himself down.

“That’s it!” Kao yelped excitedly, feeling joy in the midst of what had happened just minutes before. Kao, of course, immediately slammed his mouth shut and darted his eyes around, hoping that Mystery hadn’t heard his shout. Thankfully after a few moments of silence, he came to the conclusion that he was safe… as safe as he could be right now.

Magic! That was their solution, the solution to all their problems was magic. Of course, the whole idea seemed rather ridiculous. Who in their right mind would genuinely still believe in magic? Nobody did after the peace treaty between mortals and immortals came into place. Sorcery had been banned when mortals felt threatened by the immortals’ abilities, feeling as if their lives were in danger if one mere immortal went rogue. The fear was justified and the result of this newfound treaty was plentiful, many could now wander the streets without worrying about a psychotic freak killing them. This left only Shinigami’s access to magic, but only the basic forms, merely used to take souls to the afterlife when it is their time to leave the mortal plane. Nowadays, immortals couldn’t perform magic if they wanted to, without places to train or to research about the delicate topic, simply learning it would be impossible, even genetics had changed so deeply that magic learning would be considered unachievable. There were so many cards against magic use, so many that Kao hesitated even going through with his new, bizarre idea, but he decided to go with it. Only because it was the only thing that could stop Mystery. The same Mystery who had bypassed everything that held Immortals back, the one who had such strong abilities that nobody under such a short amount of time could achieve. Mystery had done that. So maybe could he.

Kao was going to learn magic. He had used it just minutes ago unknowingly and had saved himself in the process. If he could have done it then, he sure could do it now with proper training. Or could he?

Kao felt his heart slow as the excitement gradually wore off, replacing it with dread and hopelessness. No… There was no way he was powerful enough, no way he could use it against somebody, like Mystery. He had only caught him off guard. Sure, he had made him bleed, but just barely. Besides… how in the heavens was he going to learn how to use these (apparently inherited) powers of his? Kao truthfully didn’t know and most certainly didn’t have any of the resources to find out.

Kao shuffled around, his body felt weak and shaky, a clear reminder of what went down. His mouth also felt particularly filthy, and shame was slowly becoming his more dominant emotion. If only he had been able to stop Mystery… if only if he had stopped it from happening to begin with… The ram looked back to where he was kneeling before, to where he had been scrubbing the floor. He knew that Mystery wasn’t done. He had been clear about that. Once he was done deep cleaning this building… things would get worse, much worse than it had been earlier and this time, Kao wasn’t sure that these powers would protect him for what was to come. The least he could do now was to prolong his work for as long as it was possible. Afterwards… he really didn’t want to think about what would happen afterwards… 

But despite his severe doubts about everything right then, magic was the only thing that made a difference. He was going to try. He was going to do what he could for Alfred. For his best friend. His friend needed him, and if learning magic and dealing with whatever Mystery threw at him was the price.

He’d pay it.

Chapter Text

Howaito’s Account

-

It had been a month since Kao had disappeared, an entire month. But it felt like it had been much longer. Howaito was currently pacing, finger to chin, deep in thought, eyebrows scrunched tightly and displaying a clear-cut grimace. Howaito, just like his brother, was a ram demon-angel hybrid. He had large wings displaying that fact neatly, one for his demonic side, the other for his angelic side. This would have put him on the higher side of the immortal hierarchy, Of course, nowadays his immortal status held no significance. Most wouldn’t care what type of immortal he was. Even if they did, they would just shrug it off. Now with the banning and cleansing of all magic, All immortals were all now on the same level in terms of powers and other associated abilities. Only Shinigami’s had any sort of powers, only their kind had some sort of powerful status over others. That was just a fact of nature, not one he would be willing to protest against.

He had medium-short, well groomed white hair that neatly covered his left eye. His remaining uncovered eye was jet black with only a white pupil remaining visible. He had gray speckled fur that complimented his usual outfit nicely. Typically his usual outfit would concist of his iconic black and white tuxedo and midnight black shoes, but today he was fashioning an oversized gray shirt and torn up, stretchy cream white pants all bought from a local thrift shop. He simply wasn’t up to wearing his stiff attire this time. Not during such a tense moment.

Howaito hadn’t paid any mind that very night when Kao hadn’t returned home after his first day at work. He had assumed that he was hanging out with Alfred or something weird of the like. Howaito wasn’t blind to Kao's silent but obvious admiration towards the canine, so the possibility of him being out with him didn’t seem too far-fetched. Even after a full day of him being missing he had just played it off. Maybe Kao had stayed over at Alfred and Yuki’s house? Well, that was a possibility, but a very small one, Kao would have said something right? Or called home?

Howaito found Kao's phone in his bedroom another day afterward, but still, he refused to believe that anything could be wrong. Kao was immortal, he could fend for himself just fine. Or could he?

Eventually the wait became too much. He had called him in as missing. He was told to just “be patient” and that they would find him in no time.

It wasn’t much longer before the news about Rx-Industries came out to the public. The building was gone, Hundreds slaughtered out of plain sight and It was obvious to nearly everyone that The Masked Killer was responsible for this. The Masked Killer… Howaito had known about this fiend for years now, but he had never really taken them seriously. To him, it was just some prolonged hoax or caused by some oddly coincidental deaths that occurred over time. He had simply thought that fear had taken over everyone's mind, and that The Masked Killer was just the embodiment of everyone's worst nightmares, That the real killers were just a bunch of lowly criminals looking for attention and fame, But now though, it was hard to deny the facts. There was nobody alive who had the ability to relocate a building. It had to be The Masked Killer, only because they were the only criminal to ever stump the police force and the only one that anybody could really place the blame on. Who else could it be? 

The Masked Killer was an enigma, their behavior and abilities surpassed everything that had been established for years, it was too likely for them to be responsible for Kao’s disappearance. They had never been seen without their signature mask, never been caught and never been heard. No victims ever came out alive, it was only those who cared enough about these unfortunate people that reported them missing and only far off bystanders were ever able to capture a glimpse of the masked figure before they would vanish into the unknown. Only one photo was ever taken of the being, mask and all. It was grainy and blurry, so even the best analyzers couldn’t figure out who this monster was. This monster… This was the person responsible for taking his brother away from him, he had nothing else to prove otherwise…

And now back to the present day, It was evident to Howaito that the police weren't still out looking for his brother. They had given up and practically told him such. This was exactly why he was now pacing back and forth anxiously. His thoughts were weaving together the puzzle pieces left behind that fateful day, trying to connect the dots, trying to figure out where his brother had been taken to, but absolutely nothing popped up in his muddled brain. He was at a loss. The Masked Killer was real and he had no idea what he could possibly do to stop them.

Howaito finally stopped his pacing and made his way down to the old, sunken gray couch and just collapsed atop it. He was helpless. He had been helpless since the very day his brother was taken away from him. Everyone he had spoken to had said it all too clearly.

Kao was gone- dead, and he was never coming back.

But no, Howaito refused to believe that. Kao was strong and clever. He would fight till the very end. He had to. He couldn’t afford to lose another family member. Howaito felt the stirrings of tears form in his eyes, a burning feeling he despised above all others and he quickly extinguished it. Crying was for the weak and he was not weak. Kao was alive out there and he would return safe and sound. He just… He just had to be patient. Yes, he could do that. He will be patient for his brother. He will come back. He was not dead.

Howaito turned his heavy-eyed gaze towards his surroundings, remembering the day they moved here. How long has it been since then? He remembered the day when Alfred had helped him and Kao when they couldn’t help themselves, he helped them get to where they were now. Kao had been so eager to trust the canine while Howaito admittedly felt skeptical about Alfred’s true motives. He was honestly glad that his doubts hadn’t been true.

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

Howaito ran his finger along the hot concrete sidewalk, allowing the piercing burning sensation to keep his mind and body awake. Beside him was his younger brother, Kao, who was quietly watching people walk by. They both were worse for wear. Their outfits were dirty, dusty and torn up from the prolonged period of being outdoors and their hair… oh their hair was horrible. Howaito couldn’t remember the last time he had a proper shower, couldn’t remember the last time they had a home to themselves. The memory was distant, just like the memories of their beloved parents…

“Hey, Ito?” Kao’s soft voice croaked.

“Yes?”

“Do ya think we will ever have a home of our own?”

Howaito started, not expecting such a question. He was predisposed to always have a response at the ready. This time though, he was caught off guard. He had never truly asked himself that question and because of that… he didn’t know how to respond.

“Well… Well of course we will!”

“How do ya know that for certain?” Kao sighed, curling deeper onto himself, this only making his brother seem smaller than he already was.

“Now don’t get into those pathetic self-pitying thoughts.” Howaito scolded him fiercely. “You know just as well as I do that we can get through this and once I get a job we can finally get a place of our own, but until then, you just gotta keep your head up.”

Kao only sniffled in response.

“Ya act as if that is easy…”

Howaito looked away, his stomach clenched with a mixture of raw, painful hunger and guilt for his brother, and all he could do was ignore it. emotions and feelings like that was what gets people killed.

“Look… I know how hard this is, especially without our Ma or Pa around with us anymore, but you know that they’d want us to keep pushing forward. They didn’t die for us to give up.”

Those words seemed to do the trick with the younger ram lifting his head up, now displaying a more determined look.

“Yer right… We can do this! I just… Wish that things were easier, ya’know?”

“I know.”

The day eventually drew to a close, finally easing the intolerable temperature of that afternoon. The two pressed close to one another as they waited for sleep to take them. It was easier said than done. There was always the fear of being attacked or robbed at night. Although being robbed wasn’t quite a concern, the only items they even had were a couple newspapers and a small hat used for collecting any money pitying people left behind for them.

“Night, Ito…”

“Night, Kao.”

They both expected the following day to be the same. With the two relocating, wandering around, looking for jobs, begging for food, water or even money. But things went differently… and it all started with a peachy-furred canine.

Howaito slid his eyes open gradually, his half-asleep mind was fuzzy with confusion as the sound of a car's rumbles grew louder in front of him. He narrowed his eyes on the now stopped silver car. The light of the rising sun made the automobile sparkle greatly as if it was the pure embodiment of glistening spring water.

“Kao- Kao wake up. Now.” Howaito nudged his younger brother fiercely, whispering loudly.

“Whaaa?” Kao lifted his head with a dazed expression.

“We have to move-”

The car's engine stopped and a figure pulled himself out of the car, the light obscuring the beings face. Howaito tensed and stood up in a defensive stand, albeit staggeringly. What did this person want? He didn’t know, but his nerves- his instinct told him that something was about to go terribly wrong.

The being stopped, the blinding light now passed him enough for Howaito and Kao to see the person’s face. It appeared to be a canine with copper hair, pale peachy fur and bright orange eyes. They wore a simple white button-down shirt and some black pants and simple dark gray shoes. From the closer look, he could tell that this stranger was a male. His appearance and confident but gentle gait was enough to make Howaito hesitate punching him.

“Hey, are you guys alright?” The guy spoke for the first time, his voice was low and soft, much different than what Howaito expected. Howaito didn’t respond. He only stared back at this person blankly. The canine’s eyes darted back and forth, seeming just a bit awkward and uncertain up until he heard another voice pipe up from below.

“H-Hello?” Kao looked up at the newcomer with interest and unhidden nervousness, his small hands were curled up tightly, shaking just enough to be noticeable. Howaito jerked his head around to stare warningly at his younger brother.

“Hello there, My name is Alfred, I couldn't help but notice that you both seem to be…” the canine now known as Alfred hesitated, seeming to search for the words. “Wandering around, I'm just wondering if you need any help.” he finished off.

Howaito couldn’t help but to feel irritated. He couldn’t pin-point the reason as to his sudden aggression but he knew it had everything to do with what Alfred had just said.

“No. We're fine.” Howaito replied curtly.

“No, we're not!” Kao quipped back quickly, trying to stand up, before Howaito could move, Alfred swept over.

“Here, let me help you up.” he stretched out his arm to Kao, who had now paused and looked at the canine with surprise. Howaito watched as Kao allowed Alfred to pull him onto his feet. He clenched his teeth with anger. Kao hadn’t just allowed some stranger to touch him, had he!?

“T-Thank you, sir. I-” Kao stopped, looked back at Howaito’s unhidden expression of aggravation and finally back to Alfred’s. “Who are ya exactly?” He asked, stepping back a few inches. Howaito quickly moved over to his brother's side before anything else could be said.

“It doesn’t matter who he is, let's just make a run for it.” Howaito loudly whispered as he craned his neck down to his short brother. Kao only made an exasperated expression.

“Stop bein’ so paranoid!” Kao said, pushing his brother away gently.

During this time, Alfred shuffled around hesitantly. Feeling the wave of awkwardness overtake the situation. But once Alfred caught the ram’s now expectant expression, he began to speak.

“I’m just some college student really, I'm nothing special. I just want to make sure you guys are alright before I moved on.”

Kao’s eyes widened.

“Ya really want to help us?”

“Well of course I do. I would hate to see anybody suffering.” Alfred replied.

Howaito watched silently. Kao had made it apparent that his protection wasn’t needed, yet still. His older brother urges were incredibly hard to shake off just like that. He knew better than to trust strangers, many were just looking to steal and hurt those who couldn’t defend themselves. So how could Alfred not be the same?

“W-Well, me n’ my brother are kinda without a home right now, I dunno what ya can do to help with that,” Kao admitted. Alfred blinked.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Alfred said. “If you both would like, you could stay at my home until your situation gets better, free of charge of course.”

Howaito was just about to snap a sharp retort before another head popped out of the car's now open rear door window.

“Dad?! Can you hurry up already?”

Howaito flinched at the sound of a young female's voice. Alfred was a father?!

“Of course! I'll be right there, Shai!” Alfred shouted back a reply. Immediately after the female slid her head back into the safety of the car, seemingly satisfied by his answer. 

“You’d really do all that for us?” Kao was in disbelief, it was clear on the young ram’s expression.

“Yes, I've seen too many people struggling out on the streets and I honestly cannot go by without offering some help, it's the least I could do.”

Howaito couldn’t believe his ears. No, this had to be some ruse. Nobody could care that much about homeless folks like him and his brother, especially not those who look as sophisticated as Alfred.

“Wow! I- I dunno what to say!” Kao spoke with a renewed sense of joy. Joy of which Howaito was surprised to see so soon. It had been forever since Kao spoke so cheerfully. “Thank you so much!”

Alfred smiled and motioned towards his car.

“I know how this may sound but the safest way to my home is by car, I hope you won’t mind too much.” Alfred spoke hesitantly. Howaito was glad for that. Alfred should feel awkward. There was no way he was going into that strangers car-

“It's not a problem at all! Come on, Ito!” Kao beamed.

Howaito balked  and marched over to Kao before he made another step.

“Hell no! You cannot just go wandering into some strangers' car without a simple ounce of thought! I know your hopeful and everything but that's no excuse for-”

“I know! Ya don’t need to keep remindin’ me about safety! Now listen to yourself, do ya really think that he is out to harm us?”

Howaito opened his mouth to speak but was swiftly interrupted.

“I have a good feelin’ about him. He has a kid for goodness sake. Nobody would be stupid enough to risk their kid’s life to harm someone like us.”

“Assuming that is actually his kid. For all we know it could be an actor pretending to be a child.”

“Nobody around treelight is that desperate to kidnap someone with that kind of thought put into it. If that were true, we’d already be lambs to the slaughter.” Kao shot back. This time Howaito couldn’t argue further. He supposed that what his brother was saying was true, but still… he had his worries.

“Fine. Let's go.” He sighed.

Kao’s eyes began to sparkle brightly as he turned away and resumed his way forward, only for his shoulder to be firmly grabbed.

“But if we get killed because of this, I will never speak to you again.”

“Right~ sure ya will.” Kao smirked and wiggled away from his brother's grip and walked over to Alfred’s silver car. Howaito followed begrudgingly. Alfred led Kao over to the other side of the car and Howaito quickly called shotgun, not wanting his brother anywhere close to the smiling canine. If kao was upset by this, he didn’t show it and skittered over to sit next to Alfred’s daughter he now knew to be Shai.

Howaito slid into the passenger's seat and resisted the urge to glare at Alfred. He knew that kao wouldn’t appreciate it and besides… if Alfred’s intentions were truly good, he wouldn’t want to squander any chance he and his brother could get at a better life. Begrudgingly, he put his doubts aside.

“Ehhh… Dad, why the heck are hobo’s in our car?” Shai questioned, her nose crinkling up with disdain. Howaito couldn’t help but turn his head towards the direction of Alfred’s daughter, trying not to show the seething emotions that were threatening to leak. How dare she?! 

“Now-now, don’t be rude. These people just need a place to stay for a while.” Alfred replied firmly, looking up at her disgruntled face up though the rear-view mirror. “Not everyone has what we have, sweetie.”

“Fine, whatever.” Shai huffed with annoyance, turning her gaze to her car window. Howaito caught Kao wincing from the corner of his vision and caught Alfred’s exasperated expression before he focused his efforts on driving. Howaito faced forward again reluctantly. That kid was going to be an annoyance for a while, so it was for the best to ignore her snooty comments and not let it get to him.

“My name’s Kao by the way…”

Howaito flinched.

“Hmm? That's a nice name. I like it.” Alfred smiled. “And what would your name be?”

Howaito didn’t realize that Alfred was talking to him until he saw the canine’s expectant expression.

“I’m Howaito.”

“Howaito?”

“It means white in Japanese.” He sighed.

“That's pretty cool, I don't usually hear names like that often.” Alfred hummed. “It's unique.”

Howaito wasn’t sure whether to take that as a compliment or an insult, regardless, he said nothing about it.

“Thanks.”

There were a few moments of silence, allowing Howaito to observe his surroundings, inside and outside. He never realized how beautiful the world looked. As the car whizzed by, he could see the planted trees and shrubs by the moving street. He could see the glowing shops, the people walking by, all of it. Howaito never cared about this place until he could see it from a completely new angle.

Inside, it was clean and professional. The air smelt of peppermint, it was subtle and didn’t assault his senses. Everything was clean. There weren't even any decorations along the dashboard. While for others it might seem plain, it was perfect for Howaito. So perfect that he couldn’t help but allow himself to snooze.

After being woken up by Alfred, he and kao were escorted into the canine’s home. Shai, of course, stayed her distance. The household looked wonderful and much more decorated than what Alfred’s car had been like. There were trinkets all along the various shelves and little framed photos around every corner. He watched as Kao wandered alongside him with an awed expression.

“Howaito… this is… so beautiful!”

“I know.” Howaito replied softly.

During the first few hours of their stay, they ended up meeting Alfred’s wife, Yuki. She was just as welcoming and friendly as her husband and very cheery. Then there was Alfred’s other child. Shia. He was much younger than Shai and very rambunctious. He appeared to be three or so years old.

Howaito and Kao ended up sleeping on the couch for the first few days. Of course, neither could complain. It was the first time in a long while since they’d have slept in such a nice place. And slowly things got better. Alfred located an rather affordable home up in the cloud district and had helped pay for it. Within months they had their own clothes and personal belongings, and Shai even got over her prissy attitude and started interacting positively with them. There was nothing better than that. Howaito of course still had his doubts about Alfred for a while, But over time he learned to trust the canine. He had saved their lives and most importantly cared about Kao. And to Howaito, that was the most important thing to him.

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

Howaito tried to keep himself together as he recalled those moments. Seeing how joyful Kao was, watching as he became a stronger person. Kao had made his parents proud. Howaito shoved his hands through his hair, tugging the white strands as if it would steel him and keep him from breaking down. Flashes of memories flooded his mind, all of them featured Kao. Featuring the times they had argued, the times they had played those dumb video games until daybreak, the time when kao needed a shoulder to cry on. He remembered them all.

He also remembered the day Kao had made a fuss about his feelings for Alfred. It was a sad memory to visit, a reminder of how fragile his brother really was.

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

Kao made another grumbling noise as he wandered around in an erratic circle. Howaito tore his eyes from the particularly interesting story he was reading and fixed his annoyed glare at his younger brother.

“Will you please quiet down, I'm trying to focus over here.”

“Like reading manga correlates to focusing!” Kao snapped back.

Howaito rolled his eyes and slapped his manga shut, sliding it away from him.

“What is your deal today?! I can’t do anything without you mumbling to yourself and spinning in circles like a madman!”

“It's none of your business!”

Howaito was shocked by Kao’s aggression, and chose to lower his voice.

“Does this have anything to do with Alfred?” He questioned, leaning forward.

“What!? No!”

Howaito narrowed his eyes as his now stationary brother avoided his eyes. He could read him like a book. It was the one things siblings like them were able to do, So lying wasn’t quite effective.

“Don’t bother trying to lie about it, I know you better than you think.” Howaito sighed.

“I’m just thinkin’ that's all…” Kao replied softly.

Howaito could only roll his eyes again and motion towards the sofa.

“Alright, enough wallowing, come here.”

Kao complied and sat down next to Howaito. With this brother now closer he could clearly see how bad his mental state actually was. He had dark circles under his eyes, his hair looked rather tangled and he appeared incredibly tense. Howaito felt a sharp pang of pity for Kao and carefully wrapped an arm around the smaller body next to him. Clearly today was one of those rough days, it was time to step up as the older brother.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“I dunno… You’d just laugh at me.”

“I’d never.”

“Ya laughed at me the last time I was upset.” Kao huffed.

“That was because you were whining about losing that silly video game.”

“It was still important to me…”

Howatio frowned.

“I’m sorry. I won’t laugh about that kind of stuff again, alright?”

“Ya promise?”

“Yes, I promise.”

Howaito relaxed once he saw Kao smile just a bit.

“It… It kinda is about Alfred…” Kao started, a slight waver took over his voice. “It's just that lately… Things have changed and I don't know what to do about it.”

“What's changed exactly?” Howaito inquired.

“How I feel…” Kao shuttered. “I’m an absolute mess around him…”

Howaito wasn’t surprised. He had seen the look in Kao’s eyes when he talked to the canine, and had seen how happy he was around him. To him, it was obvious that Kao had some sort of crush going on, even if he wouldn’t admit it.

“I-I know it's wrong and stupid, but I cannot stop thinking about how… cool he is…” Kao went on to say. “He does so much for me a-and he is so kind and…” he then let his face fall into his hands. “I hate this…”

Howaito watched as his brother began to weep. He didn’t know what the right words to say were and he wasn’t sure if anything he said would even have an impact on him while he was in such a state, but perhaps being blunt was the way to go.

“You have a crush on Alfred.”

Kao lifted his hands from his face quickly.

“I don’t.”

“You do and there is nothing to be ashamed of.”

Kao was speechless for a few moments.

“I don’t want to have a crush on him.”

“I know you don’t, but you can’t control how your brain functions.”

Kao sniffled.

“It's so wrong…”

“What’s wrong?” Howaito tilted his head questioningly.

“I shouldn’t like him like that! He- He has a wife and kids for god's sake! And I’m just some stupid ram!” Kao began to shout angrily. Howaito knew it wasn’t directed towards him in the slightest. 

“You aren't stupid.”

“Yes I am!”

“No you're not. You are just experiencing feelings against your own control. You cannot help how you feel, what matters is what you do with those feelings.”

“What can I do?...”

“For starters… you could go back to getting some sleep and exercising proper hygiene.” Howaito stated.

“Har Har, very funny.”

“I’m serious. You’ll feel much better once you start taking care of yourself again.”

“If ya say so…”

“I know it's hard, but you can get through this. you're very resilient, I believe in you.”

Kao smiled, wiping the tears off his face.

“Thank you, Ito…”

“You're welcome.”

“Ya… Ya won’t say anything to Alfred about this, will you?” Kao asked hesitantly.

“Of course not.” Howaito shook his head. “What you say here, stays here.”

“Alright… Well, I'll be off then…” Enjoy your story.” Kao then stood up, waved and made his way towards the front door. Likely about to take a walk or… Fly more likely since their home was quite literally made of clouds. He watched as the door swung open as Kao took flight and closed the door behind him. Howaito let out a sigh. Kao was clearly going through some things and there wasn’t much he could do to help him, especially since he hadn’t been in his situation before. The only thing he could do was hope that his brother could figure everything out. Until then… Howaito was going to read and nobody was going to stop him.

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

Howaito grinded his teeth together, trying to force the tears away as he recalled memory after memory of his beloved brother. His heart hurt so bad and no amount of wishing it away would change it. He missed Kao so much and he wished that he had said a proper goodbye before he left. But he didn’t… and he would never forget that.

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

“Ito! I’m about to leave, stop reading your damn porn and get over here!” Kao shouted as he flew to the front entrance. Howaito rolled his eyes.

“You are acting as if this is a big occasion.”

“Because it is! It's my first real job in forever! I’m not going to work at those lame old places anymore. I actually have a job worth something.” Kao gushed.

“Right, so it's not because you get to spend more time with Alfred then.” The black and white ram smirked mischievously as Kao blushed in embarrassment.

“Oh come on! Ya know that I moved on already. Now come say goodbye already, I'm gonna be late.”

“Not a chance. I'm busy.” Howaito locked his gaze on his manga once more.

Kao sighed.

“Fine… have a good day.”

“Mhm.”

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

Howaito sobbed and he hated it. It was pathetic to weep, Kao was going to come back. He was alive. He’s alive! Howaito tugged angrily at his hair, messing up his long, hard work of brushing prior. S-s-stop w-wailing like a c-child! K-Kao is alive! No matter how much he protested against his mind, he couldn’t stop himself from sobbing loudly.  He missed Kao so much. He just wanted him home safe and sound.

Howaito tore his head up, his face drenched in his hot, salty tears. I-I’ll just read. Y-yeah, I'll just read and everything will b-be alright. Kao is coming home.

He’s coming home.

Chapter Text

Chapter Fifteen

-

Alfred was perplexed. He should be fucking terrifed if anything, but really he wasn’t. Once again Mystery was making absolutely no sense. Just that morning, Mystery had waltzed in his room and made a ruckus about going out for the day and returning home with a ‘surprise’. Alfred knew better than to think that it was a good kind of surprise. It definitely was not going to be a get-well card or a cupcake. Knowing Mystery, it would be something terrible and disgusting. That thought should have sent him right into a panic attack, but… lately, his soul felt drained. He just couldn’t bother to feel anything but mild perplexion and bitter curiosity. Especially after the event that occurred days ago. Alfred would never forget the feeling of being asphyxiated, never forget losing control of his emotions as much as he did then. He would never forget the way Mystery had soothed him. It had made no sense then and it certainly didn’t make sense now. Why did Mystery even bother? Did he actually… care? No. Alfred shook his head as the simple thought waded through his mind like a hungry little worm. If Mystery cared so much about him, he would have let him and his best friend go, he would have never pursued him and most importantly, he wouldn’t have killed all those people.

Besides that, afterwards that afternoon - or evening really- (Alfred could hear the crickets chirping loud and clear even through the walls of his vile living area.) Mystery had returned with… way too many weapons for this liking. Many looked like they came from a hardware store. Alfred didn’t dare ask how he hadn’t been caught with his outfit and other identifying features. Somehow he had a feeling that Mystery had his stupid ways of pulling the strings, heck, it was likely Mystery had stashes of clothes everywhere out of sight just for these trips. Probably outside even. Regardless, Mystery had poured the copious amounts of weapons on the tile flooring in front of Alfred with a clatter and clang and proceeded to plop down across from him with an eerie smile he had grown to recognize.

“Pick your poison, Alfie.” Mystery had hummed, eyes glued to the sharp hacksaw he was now rubbing his gloved fingers all over.

“You want me to do what now?” Alfred questioned him, his voice tightening.

Mystery gave him a sharp look.

“I want to taste your blood.”

Alfred started, not expecting this kind of answer. He wanted to… taste his blood? What on earth? He wasn’t serious right? Mystery, seeing the canine's shocked look, continued.

“I’ve been dying to taste it ever since you got here, Freddy, and I have been kind enough to wait until you were better settled in. You know you owe me this, right?~”

Alfred nodded shakily.

“R-Right…” He croaked.

Mystery smiled, tracing a finger over the base of a shiny butcher knife.

“I’ve also been sweet enough to give you five whole options to choose from. I want your first bloodletting to be special, you know? It's a two person effort after all.” The feline’s voice softened into a sweeter, quieter tone. Alfred gulped and looked down at all the supplies. Thinking about how each one of them could inflict so much pain on his already pain stricken body, it was only natural to want the least horrible option. Yet… each option presented to him were all equally horrible. how in the world was he supposed to make any sort of decision when every choice promised him pain!?  “I’ll give you a moment to think, it is such a difficult decision after all.” Mystery tipped his head back in a playful motion, which Alfred ignored to the best of his abilities. There was in total, a Butcher knife, a Hacksaw, a… Chainsaw, a pair of Sheers and an Ice pick. Alfred felt the first real stirrings of anxiety pool in his stomach for the first time that day, honestly it was a relief, he didn’t want to think he was accepting his place here, he’d rather die than let something as horrible as that happen. 

Amid his thoughts, he really got to thinking about everything that Mystery had just revealed. The feline was asking him to choose the way he’d suffer for that night. Not even just that, he was going to drink his blood. Good god, was Mystery some sort of closeted vampire?! That would explain quite a lot if that was true. The canine had to close his eyes, willing himself to calm down, to think everything through before making his next move. He needed to be as calm as possible here, he couldn’t have another episode of tears and crying again. it was bad enough that he had been vulnerable in front of Mystery, he really didn't want a repeat of said situation.

“If I may suggest, I’ve never used an ice pick on any of my victims before, and it would be good practice for me if you’d let me try out some techniques on you.” Mystery grinned, eyes shining darkly. “Although any choice you make is good enough for me~”

Alfred gulped. He knew that there was no item here that was even remotely good in any sort of way, so he knew he shouldn’t waste his time weighing his choices. Just go for the kill.

“The I-Ice pick.”

Mystery’s purple ears perked up at the response, and the previously devilish grin was replaced with something far more brighter and honestly childish.

“Awww Alfie! This is going to be so much fun!” Mystery picked up the smallish item, encased by wood. “I cannot wait to get started.”

Alfred took a sharp breath, awaiting what his captor would do next.

Next thing he knew, He was strapped down onto a strange medical bed. The room was nearly pitch black. Even his own room had some sort of lighting, but here, he could hardly see a thing. He could only hear his and Mystery’s footsteps when they had walked in here. Alfred tried to wrack his mind about this new area. He hadn’t recalled Mystery showing him any room that had a bed in it. Were there more rooms he had not seen yet? That was the least of his concerns right then, after all, he was quite literally restrained to a bed for goodness sake. He expected a lot of things but not being strapped down, especially when Mystery was fully capable of using his powers for that exact purpose. Somehow, feeling the tight leather against his body was worse than feeling Mystery’s malevolent paralyzing energy surrounding him. It was an effort not to hyperventilate.

“Now, now, Alfred, try not to freak out.” Mystery’s voice echoed throughout the room. With Alfred’s lack of sight, he couldn’t pinpoint the feline's location. He could be anywhere around the room. “Just lay back and relax for me~”

Alfred felt like he didn’t have much choice in his position but to obey.

“Very good! Now be patient as I get everything all set up for you.” Mystery said. Alfred could almost imagine the feline's head nodding in approvement. Alfred bit his lip. How was this going to go? It was going to be painful, he was going to scream, but how was Mystery drinking his lifeforce going to feel like? He hated how curious he was. Clearly being here was messing up his moral code.

Suddenly he felt Mystery’s fingers brush against his torso, Alfred gasped and instinctively tried to move away. He then yelped as Mystery’s free hand collided with the side of his face.

“Don’t you dare start acting up now!” Mystery snarled. “I’ve waited long enough for this!”

Alfred whimpered, trying his hardest not to wail in pain. Mystery took that to his advantage, lowering his face closer towards Alfred.

“You had it coming now. You knew what would happen if you misbehaved.” Mystery tutted. “Now be good for me.”

Alfred nodded weakly. Mystery finally returned his attention back to Alfred’s clothed abdomen, and slowly began to peel the white top of his lab coat off, while swiftly navigating the neat leather straps that held him in place and finally tossing the stained, stinky fabric on the ground below him. Alfred kept his eyes closed the entire time, trying to keep silent, trying to avoid feeling, so far his attempts weren’t working. Seconds later Mystery rolled his gray undershirt up, until it made a sizable lump on top of his chest. At least the feline had enough respect not to actually unclothe him, it was bad enough that he watched him take a piss anyway. 

The air felt cold on his stomach and he tried not to shiver from the sudden chill. As he felt the cool air caused by the still active air conditioner, he couldn’t help but to savor it as well. It felt fresh and clean compared to the hell he now lived in. He allowed himself to breathe it in deeply, enjoying the last bit of serenity he could muster up. 

Alfred then let out a shutter as he heard the resounding noise of a sharp object slicing through the air. Oh why did he choose the ice pick!?

He then felt the sharp, cold tip press against his sensitive flesh, just above his belly button. He could feel his pulse begin to race as he felt the tip press onto him in a way that seemed as if the psychotic feline was teasing him. Maybe it was because Mystery knew that Alfred knew that once he added just a little bit of pressure then his delicate skin would split open, releasing all his precious, vital fluids out into the filthy world. With this, Alfred held his breath and steeled himself, knowing that in just a few seconds he’d be subjected to immense and unbearable pain.

Mystery then let out a breathy sigh as he pressed the chunk of metal into the canine's tender peachy-furred flesh, forcing the item to slide up and slice through his furry skin at a very steady pace, the feline narrowed his gaze as he examined what his cuts did and continued on, using different techniques as he went along. He then grinned ferociously as Alfred let out a caterwaul and began to desperately attempt to thrash, but the tight restraints were doing its job, not allowing the canine to move even an inch. Finally Mystery pushed the ice pick just at the right depth into the delicious meat, as a result deep red blood began to ooze at a very rapid speed. The feline’s purple bushy tail began to sway at the wondrous sight that captured his gaze. Fresh, warm crimson liquid spilled out over Alfred’s peachy fur, staining the natural colors a red tint. The metallic, iron smell wafted up Mystery’s nose, making him salivate in anticipation. He had tasted many shades and types of blood, from A+ to O-. Alfred’s blood though, He hadn’t tasted it since that one bittersweet moment in his childhood, he remembered how sweet and sharp his best friend's life essence tasted like, it had been so many years since then, and he was dying to experience that sweet moment again. Even as Mystery reminisced and mulled everything over, he didn’t stop moving the ice pick around. He aimed to mark the delicate tissues with long lasting patterns, ones he could look back on with satisfaction. Ones that Alfred would always see and remember. Mystery couldn’t help but smile fondly of that thought. Maybe one day they could both stare at those beautiful marks, remembering the days they placed them there in the beginning. Maybe Alfred would be kind enough to make his own marks on him too? That would be wonderful… that way they could always remember each other, to be with each other. The feline smiled down at his bleeding flesh. Soon it would be time to feast- but not yet. He wasn’t done, there was more he had to do.

Meanwhile, Alfred was struggling to catch his breath. The feeling only resurfacing memories of that dreaded water related incident from before. Could it be possible that he was drowning from the very air around him?! He slammed his eyes open, his pupils darted around frantically as he gasped and screeched pathetically in anguish. The only thing he could do in this present moment was to envision his beloved wife, Yuki, beside him. Yes - it was almost as if the real Yuki was standing right by him, looking down at him with a gentle expression. It felt so real at that moment… She was there, had to be… She was right there, reminding him that she was still around, that she still loved and believed in him. There was so much pain lashing itself on his body, so much trauma he had already faced, but still, seeing her there, It helped. It really helped- until it didn’t. Mystery pulled out the ice pick abruptly with such force that Alfred let out a pained, choking gasp, his body jerking up against the straps securing his body down. The pain right then became otherworldly, it had become so potent that even screaming was nearly impossible. It remained this way for a good moment before the agony subsided to a barely tolerable level.

Seconds later Alfred lifted his head weakly, seeing from his hazy, lightheaded vision that only the tip and a few centimeters of that dreaded ice pick had actually punctured his skin and yet still, he was bleeding quite heavily. The purple feline caught his wide eyed gaze and smirked, before plunging the weapon deeper than he thought ever possible into his meaty skin. Whatever pleasant image of his wife he had was gone in a flash, replaced by the unrelenting force of Mystery’s jabbing and stabbing motions.

“Hmmm, let's try this…” Mystery suddenly mumbled and then began twisting his wrist. Alfred gasped pathetically once more, feeling nothing but the unbearable feeling of suffering and misery. At some point he began to cry. His tears ran down his face and onto the bed below. He just wanted Mystery to stop, he didn’t want to be hurting anymore. But as always, it never stopped. Mystery then flung the icepick out of Alfred’s bleeding body once more and looked it over. The metal and wooden base were thoroughly covered in his blood and guts, he quite enjoyed the sight and nodded before tossing the weapon on the floor with a clang.

Alfred then went limp, his head was dizzy and his throat was raw, as it usually was after most of these episodes. His body was left feeling unbearably hot and weak. He didn’t think he could move even if he wasn’t restrained. 

Just as Alfred was about to pass out, he felt a sandpaper texture sweeping across his burning body. Each swipe caused a deep sting to take form, forcing his body to automatically tense up. Was this his life now? Unrelenting pain and suffering?

Mystery lifted his head, maw coated in the sacred liquid as he sensed Alfred’s impending lapse of unconsciousness. He stood straight, ignoring the blood dripping from his chin as he strode over to the head of the bed where his beloved friend was.

“You did great for me, Alfie.” Mystery hummed. Alfred’s pinprick eyes shot towards the felines. There was an odd sense of haze in his gaze, as if he wasn’t completely there. The feline smiled as he petted the top of the canine’s hair, smearing the red liquid into the delicate auburn strands. Alfred opened his mouth but nothing came out. Mystery ignored the lack of response and leaned close to him. “You tasted just as wonderful as I imagined…”

Alfred just looked back at him, desiring to say something, anything to avoid Mystery’s wrath. He couldn’t bear being beaten again so soon, so he tried to speak, but not a single word came out of his dry mouth. Speak speak speak do something- just say something for god's sake! He pleaded to himself mentally, but nothing happened. Mystery tilted his head, eyes narrowing just enough for Alfred to know that he was becoming agitated, but his eyes softened once more.

“Don’t worry~ I know you're exhausted, so I’ll let you get some rest… and when you wake up, I’ll have a nice little reward for you~” Mystery purred, before he moved away to examine his masterpiece. Alfred didn’t know why, but he then gave Mystery a broken little smile, a stupid one at that before the lightheaded daze took over him once more. The last real coherent part of his mind knew very well that he was likely going anemic, but unfortunately for him, there wasn’t much he could do to remedy the situation. So he laid there, not really having much of a choice but to do so.

“Ah, now to my least favorite part.” Mystery then huffed with a pouty tone, pulling out a needle and thread from his left coat pocket. With that, Alfred’s eyes fluttered shut, unknowing and unable to care about how the next part was going to play out for him. He hoped that he’d manage to pass out before another round of agony began. Unfortunately for him, the darkness didn’t come soon enough. The sharp point of the needle punctured the outer edges of his marred skin, the thread attached slowly connecting the red, bleeding tissues together, preventing any more blood loss to occur. It was painful, but oddly not as much as the events that led up to it. One thing Alfred took note of was how decent Mystery was at sewing things together, especially given his manner of his lifestyle. Even with his eyes closed he could detect each stitch he made as the needle contacted his skin, it was oddly graceful, which was a very uncharacteristic term to describe Mystery. Truthfully, He was expecting bad stitches, but was given the opposite and he had no idea what to think about that, besides the fact that he’d likely avoid another severe infection thanks to Mystery taking early action to close his wound. Very much unlike what had occurred when he chopped off his ears. Then, he had quite literally left him for dead. As the purple feline worked, Alfred could hear his muffled self monologue, something he had heard many times before when he got worked up. Eventually the mindless droning the cat produced was enough to distract himself from everything around him. The world soon became a loud, unimportant roar. Upon opening his eyes, he found that his vision had warped until everything was unintelligible, leaving his mind and body a dissociated mess. But throughout this ordeal, Alfred tried to keep calm. Tried to gain control of his senses. But there was only so much one could do before it became impossible.

At some point, Mystery had left, seemingly having finished with his stitching. Alfred tried to lift his head once more to observe the damage laid upon his tender flesh, but found that his body would not respond. He was left alone again. But he could get through this, he just had to survive.

He had to survive…

Chapter Text

Chapter Sixteen

-

The procedure had been unbearably painful, so much so that he could hardly remember the moments leading up to it. He simply couldn’t believe that a single Ice pick had been the source of all his misery. He really did underestimate how much damage a simple object like that could do… not anymore.

It had been a few hours since the initial cut against his skin, which meant that he was now wide awake in the dead of night. Alfred had dozed off for a little while, but given the state of his injury, he was forced to emerge from his slumber when the throbbing pain in his messed up abdomen started to become intolerable. All he could try to do was ignore the remaining whispers of his torment pulsing through his marred skin, but even that was hard. 

Alfred was still promptly tied up to the now red-stained medical bed and left to his lonesome as Mystery had left hours ago to do whatever he liked to do whenever someone was out suffering. Funny enough he didn’t know what he actually did when he went off, but he could bet it was something wildly stupid and terrible.

Alfred rolled his eyes towards the head of his bed where a large file cabinet lay in the corner. He hadn’t seen it there before he got in this room. From the extremely dark lighting it looked light brown with smaller darker brown stains near the bottom. Alfred shivered. He wondered how it was possible for a cabinet to be close to a medical bed in some kind of medical room. The canine narrowed his eyes, furrowing his eyebrows as he recalled the many other similar coincidences around this building. Too many things looked like they belonged in a hospital or some other establishment. Too many things were altered. It was beyond comprehension.

Alfred then turned his attention towards his restrained body. He lifted his weary head and gazed down at the straps holding him against the bed. They appeared to be in good condition, not at all affected by his jerking motions from earlier. His gaze wandered towards his marred torso. Alfred gagged, feeling bitter bile rise up his throat at the sight of his torn body. Where Mystery had cut him open was fully inflamed and red. His blood had dried a brownish color and was crusting away and a throbbing, burning feeling was left in its wake. Alfred mustered up the courage to not to vomit and quietly began to wiggle around, feeling if there were any weak spots in the elaborate leather confines. He clenched his fists as bursts of stinging pain coursed through him. He soon came to the conclusion that there was no safe way to remove himself from the restraints without tearing open his wound and opted to just wait til that dreaded feline returned for him. Alfred let his head flop back, his eyes once more flipping back towards the file cabinet. Was it stupid to wonder if any files were left behind? Would he ever get a chance to read them? He could imagine they would contain meeting notes and long descriptions of the multitudinous amounts of prescription medicines that they used to create. The thought created a bitter feeling within Alfred as he recalled his former dream job's legacy. 

It started from simple, humble pharmacy, from a young man’s yearning to be a part of the greater world to a powerful business that helped improve lives. Alfred himself had stepped within those doors, walked in the path of many great people and had met the very CEO there, the man he had seen through many commercials and news interviews. Alfred had always aspired to be like him, to one day be a part of the place that had changed so many lives for the better. Now… It was all gone. Mystery had killed his dream just when he had finally achieved it… what kind of person did something like that? Why couldn’t Mystery love someone else?

Alfred huffed, looking away. Hopelessly wishing that things to be the way they used to be wasn’t going to change a thing. What mattered was what he chose to do now that would have an effect. Unfortunately for him and his best friend, Kao, their choices weren't so simple. Kao… he wondered where he was and if he was alright. He hadn’t seen him in almost a month. Was Mystery feeding him? Did Mystery have any sort of compassion to keep him safe in his own twisted way? Oh, it was stupid to think about it. Kao was alive, if he wasn’t Mystery would have said something or at least alluded to otherwise. So as of now, his close friend was going to be alright. Even if some niggling part of his mind thought otherwise… He just hoped he would hear from him again soon, he didn’t think he could go on without hearing the sound of his voice any longer.

The sounds of brisk footsteps caught Alfred’s attention. He tensed, automatically fearing the worst. Should he pretend to be asleep? No, Mystery would see right through that. The best option was to stay calm. Just stay calm- it’s going to be okay- just fine… just breathe- Alfred knew he was failing at maintaining his inner peace. It was hard to when every interaction with that beast ended up badly for him. In and out went his breathing as he listened to the footsteps getting nearer. He just hoped that this time he wouldn’t have to deal with any more pain so soon. 

Within a few seconds, Mystery popped open the door and strolled casually over towards where Alfred lay. There was an odd pip to his step as he reached him. It was something the canine rarely saw. The feline was also grinning brightly, showing off his sharp teeth, wide enough that his single golden tooth was visible. His expression was calm. Alfred was used to seeing Mystery in a good mood, but this was new. Something was off and he knew better than to fully relax. For all he knew, he could be planning some activity meant to injure him. 

As Mystery grew nearer, it was clear that he was wearing something completely different from the norm, which admittedly made Alfred’s eyeballs widen in surprise. The feline wore something alike a worn out gray sweater, riddled with stains that Alfred knew to be grease and sweat. His pants were a darker shade of gray and were impossibly baggy. Clearly his attire was two sizes too big for him. Why was Mystery wearing such strange clothing?

“Hello~” Mystery spoke, his voice full of the same amount of arrogance as usual. At least that hadn’t changed.

“Hi.” Alfred forced out. He couldn’t help the way his eyes drifted away from Mystery’s figure and towards the almost indistinguishable wall behind.

“Come now, let me get you untied.” The feline hummed as he leaned over the side of the bed. His hands expertly unlocked and unhooked the sturdy leather with ease. It irritated Alfred to see how easy Mystery had freed him. It made him feel weaker than he would like to admit.

Eventually the leather straps fell over the sides of the bed with large clunking sounds. At last, Alfred could breathe comfortably again, Although, the phantom touches of the restraints lingered on his skin, tingly and numblike. Alfred held back a grimace as the feline’s hand, now covered with a glove, gripped onto his and pulled him into a sitting position with his gift of strength. Alfred bit his lip painfully as he attempted to contain a hiss of pain. Thankfully, his body was merciful enough and didn’t continue sending the sharp nicks of discomfort through him. Without much thought, he pulled his gray undershirt down over his torso, not feeling comfortable having his tender, raw skin exposed to the open air any longer. 

Now fully upright, he could thoroughly examine his space around him. Before, his eyes hadn’t been able to adjust to the painstakingly dark room, far darker then the rest of the building that had at least lamps or functional lights on the ceiling. Alfred though, knew that even if he could see, he would have not been able to focus on his surroundings. How could he when he was just about to be cut open? Now with that ordeal over with, he could see just how odd this room was. In the far left corner, away from his bed, was a rolling white table. On top, was a large silver tray holding multiple items that could be easily spotted in a hospital, Items such as scalpels, a syringe, a couple rolls of gauze and a needle and thread. The needle of which appeared to be stained with blood. The Ice Pick although was nowhere to be seen. Mystery had likely put it away along with all the other things he stashed in this building. Alfred chose not to think about it too deeply and turned his focus on the feline who was now eagerly smiling at him, arms held behind his back in a childlike display of innocence. Alfred found that with his new upright position he could see the feline’s messy hair was tied in an unruly ponytail, with a dull blue scrunchie holding the purple strands halfway down the length of his hair. The sight aroused a fuzzy memory. Mystery had once styled his hair like that. back when they were kids. Alfred remembered the young figure of his former childhood friend sporting the exact hair style, down to the very same scrunchie. Alfred though, forced himself out of the memory to stare back into Mystery’s multicolored eyes with unease.

“How do you feel, Alfie?” Mystery finally spoke, his voice honeyed up and low. Alfred narrowed his eyes almost instinctively at the tone of his voice. What the hell is that man planning to do now?! 

“I feel fine.” He replied curtly. His arms automatically wrapped around himself tensely with the familiar feeling of fear and uncertainty slowly creeping through his veins. Mystery seemed to notice this and took a few steps forward until there was hardly a few inches separating them.

“Why are you shaking?”

Was he shaking? He didn’t realize it. He also didn’t realize that his eyes threatened to let tears slip onto his furry cheeks. Why am I so fucking emotional!? Crying does absolutely nothing! His mental words though did nothing to curb the internal waves of emotion pulsating through him.

“Now now, no need to cry. come here.”

Alfred had no chance to protest before Mystery’s arms wrapped around him, locking him into an embrace. Alfred learned by now that trying to fight out of his grip was impossible, but it never really stopped him from trying in the past. Now though, he just sat there. As Mystery hugged him, Alfred could only daze off into the distance, letting the roar of silence ring in his metallic ears. The force of Mystery’s tight grip was enough to make Alfred wonder what the point of trying to escape this pathetic building even was. Mystery had proven to be smarter than he and his friend had initially thought. Their “plan” or whatever they wanted to call it was worthless. Getting on Mystery’s good side could only do so much. Mystery was no fool. How could he be when he could relocate buildings, throw living people against the wall as if they were nothing but a sack of potatoes and lock buildings with his own powers? How was it possible to run away when Alfred could hardly keep contact with his own friend? No fool indeed. Mystery knew what he was doing and there was no way that Alfred could just outsmart him. The only safe option for him now was just to rest his weary head on Mystery’s shoulder, embracing what little warmth he could get. Mystery then abruptly pulled away.

“Now I'm sure you’ve been wondering where I was all this time…” Mystery spoke softly, not waiting for an answer he continued on. “I went out and got you a reward just as promised! I left it outside your room here just in case you weren’t up for eating so soon.”

Alfred's ears perked up. Eating? It seemed to have been ages since he last ate something. 

“I’m up for it!” he found himself blurting out. Mystery seemed unfazed by his sudden interruption and instead just laughed, not quite in his usual mocking way, It was more… mirthful. He then made his way out the door and then quickly returned with an unwrapped burger of sorts and a bottle of water. A closer look revealed that this burger was not an ordinary one, in fact it appeared to be a Sloppy Joe. Alfred grimaced. He never really liked those. They were too… messy…. Although given his current living situation, he couldn’t really complain nor refuse. Once given these items by the feline, he immediately dug in, carefully though as to avoid any unnecessary mess, even if it was quite inevitable. Alfred was barely halfway through his food when he caught sight of Mystery’s imploring gaze. Alfred automatically winced.

“Uh.. T-Thank you.”

Mystery grinned.

“Your welcome, Alfie!”

Alfred continued eating, ignoring the feline’s gaze. He instead focused on the delightful taste of his Sloppy Joe, it was quite good. He wondered where Mystery bought it from. In fact… where did he get any of the things he brought here?

“You did great earlier.” Mystery piped up. Alfred lifted his head up to stare at the purple feline. “You did a lot less fighting with me than I expected. I thought I'd have to be much harsher on you! But thankfully you behaved nicely.”

Alfred didn’t know what to say in response and just merely nodded.

“You're not talking very much are you?”

Alfred tensed up. Ah fuck! What should I say now?!

Mystery crept closer.

“Are you scared of me?” The feline’s voice seemed to quiver.

“No.”

“Liar.” Mystery hissed, pushing his face just inches away from Alfred’s. He moved away with a solemn, sad expression. “I only discipline you because you need it, Alfie… not just to merely hurt you.”

Alfred narrowed his eyes. Really now?! Mystery caught his look, and almost seemed to read the canine’s mind.

“I’m really not.” Mystery sighed and shook his head before abruptly plopping down next to Alfred on the medical bed. The canine watched as Mystery deliberately avoided the leather straps that once held him down as he moved. Alfred resisted the urge to scoot away. More for the reason that the bed was too small to bother moving away. What good would falling on the floor do him? “I’ve been doing you a favor.” Mystery continued on.

Doing ME a favor!? Now you gotta be kidding me.

“Don’t you see that? I’ve been doing what was best for you this entire time! And sometimes dear Alfred… what I have to do to help you can hurt.” The feline’s voice rose to a babyish tone. Alfred quickly gulped down the last of his sloppy burger, forcing himself to be silent. “I only ever hurt you because you need to be taught a lesson. If you’d been nice to me, all of this pain would simply not exist!~”

“Then what about all the other times then!?” Alfred growled out bitterly. “What about the times when I’ve done absolutely nothing wrong and yet you still toss me around?!”

Mystery blinked back at him with a blank expression. Alfred immediately started to regret blurting out. After some agonizingly long moments, The feline began to chuckle. The canine glanced around, feeling the air tense around him. Idiot! Why did I have to do that? His legs twitched with the uncomfortable urge to flee, almost sensing that he was in danger.

“Oh, Alfie!~”

Alfred’s gaze jolted back towards his captor’s, willing his heartbeat to calm.

“You see, when I get upset or… restless, I get mean. I simply can’t help that and let’s be honest, dear, you deserve it.” Mystery grinned. Alfred shifted uncomfortably at the pet name all the while trying not to feel beat down… that of which was hardly possible as Mystery continued. “You constantly back-talk me, insult me and even have gone as far to hit me. Do you really think that friends behave that way?”

Alfred ground his teeth together.

“Well, do you?” Mystery implored, voice taking a darker tone.

“No…”

“Exactly!~ and that’s why it is my duty to help you be better! And if ‘tossing you around’ is what I have to do to help you, then I’ll do it.”

Alfred hung his head.

“But this doesn’t have to be forever, Alfred…”

The canine begrudgingly lifted his head to look at the feline. A wave of disbelief echoing through his mind and body.

“If you’d stop being so cruel and stubborn, we could all be happy! We could go back to what it was like before that sad little incident happened. Wouldn’t you like that? Isn’t that what you want?”

Alfred couldn’t believe what Mystery was saying. He had been given a lecture like this before, about his ‘cruelty and stubbornness’, but not like this… he didn’t like how he hesitated and felt… bad. Why was he the one feeling bad!? He wasn’t the one responsible for ruining his life, it was Mystery’s! But… was all this pain really his own fault? It… would make sense wouldn’t it? He was the one that kept fighting him… Kao made it blatantly clear that he was to get on his good side, and he so far had only done the opposite. In fact… maybe all of this was his fault. Was what happened all those years ago his fault too? Did he cause this?

“Well?” Mystery pressed.

“Yes…”

“I thought so, now why don’t you just stop being so silly and let things be the way they are supposed to be.” Mystery hummed, taking Alfred’s hands into his. “We can be friends if you’d just let us… I didn’t come all this way for nothing, you know?”

Alfred’s heart sank.

“You should drink some of your water. I’d hate for you to get dehydrated.” Mystery tutted, releasing his grip on the canine. Alfred knew that this was the feline’s way of ordering him to do something without actually saying it. Alfred spotted the bottle of water next to him and gently grasped it, finding the drops of condensation on the outer plastic to be soothing. He didn’t dare look at Mystery as he tore the lid off and began to down the cold liquid, hoping that the freezing temperature would distract him from the dread and guilt that pooled into his stomach. Was anything Mystery was saying even true? It was getting hard to tell. By the time Alfred felt the need for air, the bottle was half empty. The water though did nothing to curb the waves of anguish he now felt. Is everything my fault? 

“Why the sad look? Come here, let your friend take care of you!~”

Alfred felt his body being pulled into another embrace, he didn’t bother fighting it. He didn’t see the point in doing so anymore. As this was happening he couldn’t help but realize that Mystery was holding himself back. His usual hugs were bone-crushing, but he found that this time around, Mystery was being gentler. That means nothing though. Anyone can behave like that whenever they’d like. Alfred then perked his ears as he heard the faint rumble coming from in front of him. Great god, he’s purring too? It couldn’t be mistaken for anything else as the canine felt the soft but noticeable tremor that was now gently shaking against his body. It was… comforting enough. He found himself hugging Mystery back. It felt wrong to be doing this, but he couldn’t really see the point of trying to do anything else, not when this felt better than being kicked and punched, Not when this kind of affection he was starved for.

“Oh Al… you're the best…” Mystery mumbled softly while practically burying himself in the messy locks of Alfred’s hair. The canine himself winced but said nothing in return. What could he possibly say? He didn’t know… As Mystery made himself comfortable in his self-induced embrace, Alfred let his chin rest on Mystery’s shoulder, feeling the everlasting sense of despair swarm over him. When did he become so weak?…

As time ticked by, Alfred came to realize that for the first time in his life…

He didn’t know what to do…

Chapter Text

Shai’s Account (Part 2)

-

Summer was coming at full blast with the growing presence of fans accumulating throughout the house. It was the same as every year. Mid August always brought the scorching heat for just about a month before its gentle transition to the cooler months ahead. Soon enough the new school year will be on its way. Shai unfortunately… wasn’t looking forward to that. This wasn’t due to her hatred of school- oh no, it wasn’t that. Shai just couldn’t bother to feel excited for the new year, why should she when everything had gone to hell for her?

Shai sighed as she fanned herself with her own hand, feeling the slick feeling of sweat bead on her forehead. Grimacing, she picked up her bottle of water covered with a thin layer of condensation and without much thought took a deep swig of it. The coolness eased her insides nicely. Afterwards she dragged her attention back to the TV. On screen was a cartoon, it was a series her younger brother had watched before. Previously she had never felt any interest in watching those kiddy animations, but given the unfortunate state of things, this cartoon… It was like a piece of her brother that was left behind for her.

In the background she heard her mother walk through the front door before abruptly slamming it shut. Shai knew that today had to have been a bad day for her mother to be acting this way. She let out a small sigh at that. She never used to do that…

“Good afternoon, Shai.” Yuki turned her attention to her daughter. Her eyes tired looking, enough so that there were noticeable dark circles under her eyes. It also looked as if she had cried recently. Her hair too was messy and gave the impression that she had rushed around thoroughly that day.

“Hey mom,” Shai waved back with her free hand. “Are you alright?” She asked hesitantly.

“Today’s just been rough, that’s all. I do appreciate the concern though.” Yuki nodded gracefully as she brisked deeper into the household. Shai said nothing further. She learned recently that after a particularly rough shift at work that her mother preferred silence and time to herself to recover. She took another guzzle of her water before leaning her head back on the couch she was currently sitting on.

Before all this happened her mother had been doing great at work. She’d never needed to take long breaks afterwards to recuperate, but things had changed now, not just with her own mom. Eventually after some time, Shai clicked the TV off and along with her water, she wandered to her room.

The one thing that hadn’t changed was her room. It remained the embodiment of teenage clutter, full of concert posters and scattered photos along the walls each including her and close friends from school. In her room was a dresser, a desk and a decently sized closet more useful for putting her unused gifts or useless trinkets in rather than using it for her own clothes- hence why she had a dresser to begin with. 

Shai plopped down on her bed, her gaze drifted around, remembering the moments she once took for granted. The walls that were painted a brilliant dark purple were made responsible by her parents, especially her own father who had convinced Yuki prior. She had remembered watching as her parents put together her room with all the love in their hearts, willing to take the time and energy for her. Alfred had been there right then… Alfred had also been around when she had bad days at school, when bullies would ruthlessly bully her. It was her father that had been there to support her- to help her ignore the harsh words that those kids would spit.

Shai wiped a tear from her cheek bitterly as she stood up and walked over to her desk by the door. On top was a small pile of papers mostly covered in small doodles and scribble marks, a few #2 pencils, some colored pencils, her pink flip phone, and a few drawings made by her dear brother that she managed to scrape from his abandoned room. The art pieces mostly included various superheroes he was fond of and drawings of mom, dad or even her on occasion. Shia was just so… creative. 

With a sigh Shai sat down on the chair in front of her desk, the chair in response let out a loud creak which Shai ignored. She then flipped open her phone, being greeted by a lovely high-pitched tune. I better hope that Jessy’s available. Shai thought to herself as she opened her contacts, scrolling her finger down until she reached her close friend's name. Another tone sounded from her phone as she was swiftly redirected to their shared messages.

ShaiButter316: Hey, Jess! Are you still up?

It took a few moments before she received a response.

EdgeCreeperbot66: ya! U good? 

ShaiButter316: I could be better tbh, can you come over tonight?

EdgeCreeperbot66: srry, I can't. My dad’s upset with me again, i’m grounded :[

ShaiButter316: What did you do? What happened?

EdgeCreeperbot66: I was being annoying ig idk

ShaiButter316: How is that any reason to be grounded? Why is your father such a dunce?!

EdgeCreeperbot66: Don’t say that! It’s fine.

ShaiButter316: When will you be ungrounded?

EdgeCreeperbot66: Prob next week, def before school.

ShaiButter316: Good, because I don't think I can handle being alone with my thoughts much longer.

EdgeCreeperbot66: u still missing your lil bro?

ShaiButter316: ig

EdgeCreeperbot66: everything will be fine! Just u wait, things will get better for you! And who knows maybe he’ll return soon!

ShaiButter316: How could you possibly know that?

EdgeCreeperbot66: I don't, but it’s better being optimistic than all depressed.

ShaiButter316: I don't understand you sometimes

EdgeCreeperbot66: me neither :P 

ShaiButter316: thanks for listening.

EdgeCreeperbot66: of course!

ShaiButter66: Anyways, how was your birthday party? I didn’t ask before, things got hectic.

EdgeCreeperbot66: not good. Nobody showed up. My dad went to his bar. It was boring!

ShaiButter316: srsly!? Why is your life such a dump?

EdgeCreeperbot66: Dunno, this just b my life.

ShaiButter316: Well, I'd would have come to your party if things had turned out differently.

EdgeCreeperbot66: it’s fine.

ShaiButter316: Are you okay?

Shai grimaced when she didn’t get a response. Either Jessy’s dad screamed at her to get off her phone or she just lost battery. Somehow she thought it wasn’t either of these options. Nonetheless, She knew better to pester her and promptly flipped her phone shut. At least Jessy still has a dad… 

Shai then heard muffled sobs from downstairs, knowing immediately whom it belonged to. It was gut wrenching to listen to. Her mother was such a happy soul, always looking on the bright side, a lot like Jessy. Things though have changed. Her mother wasn’t ever going to be the same again… and neither was she.

With one glance towards her phone, she knew that things needed to be different. She works so fucking hard all the time, and i have done nothing to help… I gotta get a job. That last thought sent her to an epiphany, one so great that it couldn’t fail. She wasn’t going to let her mother drown. If dad and Shia were really gone, then she had to step up, and stepping up is what she was going to do. Slapping open her flip phone again and promptly pushing herself away from her desk, she began to rapidly scroll through her photos in her camera roll. Each scroll revealed shimmering backgrounds of nature, modern life’s landscapes and simple objects turned into sparkling gold all with the power of perspective manipulation. This was it. The power of imagery that nobody could resist. There was a demographic for photography, and there was sure a need for someone with her expertise for their business. There must be. For the last time, Shai clicked her phone shut. Her face was now full of determination and hope. Jessy was right. Things were gonna get better, she was gonna make sure of it. She sure as hell wasn’t going to let anyone down, especially not her mother.

Without much of a single moment to spare, Shai ripped out a sheet of blindingly white, lineless paper from the depths of her desk’s mini drawer and began sketching out her plan, eyes narrowed and fingers furiously scribbling. She was going to be a photographer, it was her skill, something she had honed of years of boredom. Something that she knew would make a difference. Her mother needed her and she wasn’t going to disappoint her.

No matter what it takes…

Chapter Text

Chapter Eighteen

Days later…

-

The faucet squealed as it was turned rapidly allowing murky, cold water to pour onto the white, stained tiles of a now locked bathroom. Kao thrusted his red-stained lab coat into the freezing torrent below, ignoring all else.

Kao sat kneeling on the floor, tears new and old plastered on his sniffling face. there was a raw ache that coated his entire body alongside the blood and miscellaneous body fluids. His hair was a mess, sticking up in places and his eyes were bloodshot. He was a mess of body tremors and weak weeping. Things had gotten so bad. So fucking bad.

As the water poured, the blood slowly dripped off, leaving red stains on the drain below, the sight itself sent another whimper escaping through the ram's mouth.

He couldn’t stop him.

Kao’s grip tightened on the violated fabric as more tears seeped past his eyelids. There was a supreme feeling of shame and guilt that echoed repeatedly though his mind, never ending… in fact the feeling seemed to grow even as he knelt there. After a few long moments that might as well have been hours, Kao shakingly turned the knob off.

His surroundings were mostly white, given that he had scrubbed every room from hell and back. This bathroom was rather large, fitted with a single shower, toilet, sink and the single faucet fastened into the white, bricked walls, the same one of which he was using. It looked awkward. Kao wasn’t sure what a faucet would be doing around here, but it gave him a headache trying to understand it all so he stopped. Mys-.... He clearly tampered with the building a good deal, and that was all to it. All to it… Kao wringed out the lab coat, not caring if he snapped the delicate fabric’s fibers. Looking at it closer, there was still a clear stain front and back, the cold water seemingly did nothing… 

Why couldn't he stop him?

Kao held back a hiss of anger and pain as he was forced to recall those terrifying memories. Recalling the moment he lost things to clean, the moment when Mystery walked up to him. It was foolish to hope that his promise would go nowhere. He foolishly hoped that Mystery was only trying to intimidate him. He was fucking wrong…

He tried in those quick, paralyzing moments to use that same energy that once held the nasty feline back, but it didn’t work. He remembered that when he failed to summon that sudden gift of power that he had cried. That power was his only lifeline… and he wasn’t strong enough to have wielded it…

He pressed the still wet fabric against his skin, holding onto the last bit of decency he had left. Kao crunched his eyes closed, not wanting to see or hear anything anymore. Moments went on and on, the only sound being a drip of water that echoed through the room every few seconds. Kao’s mind fluttered towards Alfred, wondering if he was still safe or had succumbed to the same fate. The thought of it made his stomach churn. Alfred was one of the nicest people he had ever been blessed to get to know, the idea that his closest friend could possibly be suffering just like him was absolutely gut wrenching. He hoped from the stars above that Alfred was safe. 

Kao then let out a weak sigh as he oriented his tired body to face the door. He knew that he’d have to leave soon. He couldn’t stay there forever and despite the locked door, Mystery could barge in whenever. There was nothing he could do to prevent his suffering. Nonetheless, the locked door gave him some sort of security, a beautiful sense of hope in such a dark reality.

The ram’s arms shook, forcing him to look back at his empty fingers. Why couldn’t he do it? Why hadn’t the magic appeared? Was it possible that it never existed at all? No… it had to have been real. There was no way that what happened wasn’t real, but still, why couldn’t he summon it? Kao shook his head, defeatedly. He couldn’t understand why. He didn’t even know if magic was even worth learning anymore-

Kao then flinched when he heard a clicking noise not too fair from his door. A click that could be only compared to a fancy, modern pen from the depths of the city of Lumiere, it was oddly specific but it made sense in the ram’s racing mind. At this time, He couldn’t help but whimper, knowing that it had to have been the feline. Was he waiting for him?! But the sound didn’t return and the longer he waited the more he realized that Mystery wasn’t actually there. He would have heard his breathing, heard the shuffling of his shoes or perhaps even his voice, but he heard none of that, and He knew the feline well enough to know that Mystery wouldn’t just wait by the door quietly, especially considering how Mystery himself saw him as. 

Kao would have laughed at himself if it hadn’t for the real, true fear he had felt right then. The thought alone made him shutter frightenedly. This is only the beginning… Kao thought to himself. 

Hesitantly, after a few long moments of waiting in vain for the door to be broken off, Kao finally stood up. His weak knees shook and his body protested the action, but nonetheless he pushed through. With his lab coat in hand he carefully wrapped himself with it, until his whole body was covered. The comfort would be immediate if it weren't for the cold, wet water still clinging lifelessly onto the cloth and the stench and sight of the fluids staining his coat. At the very least he wasn’t still exposed to the harsh air. Kao forced his gaze to the articles of clothing laying haphazardly in a pile not too far from the faucet and stained drain. They too were unclean. He made his feet shuffle over to the outfit and tried his utmost hardest to clean out the notable stains, cursing himself for the bathroom not having a single bottle of detergent laying around. Careful as to not drench the entirety of the outfit, he continued on. Kao found it easy to just zone out mindlessly during this menial task. In fact, being zoned out felt much better than having thoughts and memories. Soon enough, as things reached a natural conclusion, so did his task before him. While the water itself did much to nothing to purify the once innocent bunches of fiber, it at least ridded some of the stains. Kao let out a shuddering breath as he held the now damp clothes in his arms. All that was left now as a shower, a long shower… but no matter how long the wash was going to be, he still had to face the world again. Face Mystery. Dread pooled in his gut at the thought, but he simply had no other choice. 

This was what his life had become.

————————————

This was what Alfred’s life had become, a series of repeated antagonization and random ‘heart-filled’ embraces. It had gotten to the point of being rather fucking confusing. One moment the feline could be criticizing him for not responding quickly to a question to then hugging him and praising him for next to nothing. It was hard to keep up. 

Alfred’s next days consisted of recovery, which in other words was just hugging and being force fed the same kind of sandwich every seven hours. Although, he couldn’t exactly complain, at least he was having something to eat, even if it was just a crusty looking sandwich.

As of currently he was at the hugging portion of this recovery period, being hugged on the side by the feline atop the same medical bed the operation had been performed upon. The only major difference about the room itself was the lack of leather restraints prepped and ready for him. The rolling table and tray of medical equipment and that dreaded icepick was also removed from the room, much to Alfred’s pleasure and The lighting remained dark, but at this point, Alfred’s eyes had fully adjusted to it, making things easy to gaze at.

Just a few hours ago, Mystery went out to quote unquote “Take care of something”, before returning back all sluggish and blissful looking. He recalled him smelling and looking a bit off before being thrusted into another forceful embrace. The aforementioned hug had so far lasted too long. If Alfred could guess how long it had lasted at the top of his mind it would at least have been five minutes. Yes, Five minutes was far too long, but he didn’t dare say a word about it. He’d rather have this happening than being cut open again.

His wound that occurred from the past few days was slowly healing, very slowly. At this point it was just a red, angry scab. It would still take quite a while before he’d be able to move normally again. It had now grown sore, making every movement an effort not to curse and yelp. But based upon his careful looks when he was alone, he could easily determine that there were no infections to be worried about, making his mountainous amounts of stresses a little more lighter. Alfred’s only main worry was to keep still as much as possible, he knew how easy it could be to break open a wound, and doing something like that to an already outrageous scab was likely fatal. Thankfully for Alfred, as Mystery’s weird bout of affection came along, so did the lack of walking or any other activity. 

“Hey Alfie?~” Mystery hummed in Alfred’s ears silkily. He wasn’t fond of the hot breath that traveled to his ear canal, the feeling sending a short but powerful shiver all over his body. (he fortunately didn’t have to fear dealing with its sensation against his metal ears, that of which were practically numb now).

“Yes?” Alfred found himself automatically replying, keeping his gaze away from the purple feline.

“Do you remember what you gave me for my sixteenth birthday?”

Alfred cringed as he struggled to recall the memory. He wasn’t even sure he was even with the feline long enough to have celebrated his sixteenth birthday anyway. Of course, there were plenty of things he couldn’t remember from his youth, this just happened to be one of them. Still, he didn’t get why Mystery felt the need to remind him about pointless things about their childhoods, especially given he disliked remembering it.

“Not exactly.”

Mystery hummed softly at this.

“You got me a copy of The Great Gatsby… you told me that I’d love it. There was even a little ribbon wrapped around it.”

“Oh… that’s…. nice?”

Mystery accepted that reaction without another word and promptly nuzzled closer to the canine. Alfred himself just winced uncomfortably. Was this his life now? A cycle of pain and torment mixed with unrelenting hugs? He didn’t think he could survive like that. Especially not when his memories of his family stayed fresh in his mind… not when he knew that only Yuki was supposed to hug him like this… these kinds of thoughts sent guilt pooling in his stomach.

Eventually Mystery pulled away with a yawn, his multicolored eyes fluttering slowly as he let out a short trill from his throat. Alfred narrowed his eyes as Mystery got into his feet, feeling uneasy. The hugging portion was done for today it seemed. Alfred desperately hoped that nothing bad would happen. It felt silly to worry, especially since Mystery hadn’t exactly laid a hand on him for a good few days. Nonetheless, his body seemed to predict its return.

“Why are you looking at me like that, Freddy?” Mystery smiled. It was the kind of threatening smile that Alfred feared the most, it wasn’t genuine or kind.

“Nothing, s-sorry…” Alfred hated how his voice wavered. Hated how pathetic he was acting and feeling. Hated how his mind was starting to question things that were long solidified in stone. He just wanted out. Wanted to stop feeling these conflicted feelings that occupied his mind every second of his days.

“I forgive you~” Mystery’s grin relaxed to a more calm smile, allowing Alfred to relax just a little. “I’m rather exhausted actually, so I'll turn myself in for the night. I’ll be back soon, Alfie!”

Alfred watched as Mystery walked to the door. He couldn’t help but gaze longingly at the door knob, wishing that the hand now grasping it was his own. When Alfred lifted his eyes up, he caught the feline’s impatient look and quickly forced a simple couple words out.

“Goodnight, Mystery!” Alfred choked out, trying to ignore how yucky he felt saying that. Mystery nodded, pleased and promptly left. This left Alfred to stew over his thoughts. It was truly hard to imagine that things had made it to this point. Just a month ago he had been having breakfast with his family… just a month ago his son was alive. How could something like this even happen?...

The canine looked around his sad excuse of a room. This was the third room he had been sentenced to, the only saving grace was the medical bed being comfy enough to sleep upon, but that was the bare minimum. He hated this. He missed home. He just wanted to go back to his safe, warm house in muir county… were his daughter and beloved wife still lived. Did they still remember him?

What would Yuki think of me if she saw me like this?... Alfred wondered wearily. Would she still love me even if I looked like this?... a monster? Alfred caught himself at that thought. A monster? Why would he be a monster? He wasn’t the one who killed hundreds and he most certainly wasn’t ugly… or was he? The canine bared his teeth angrily at himself. He wasn’t unfamiliar with self-loathing thoughts, but he had long outgrew them. At least, he thought he had. Clearly not, as his thoughts continually spiraled towards his insecurities and fears. The only one he could blame it on was that stupid cat, but blaming anyone wasn’t going to change a thing when his mind was fighting him so intently.

There was a time in his childhood after the incident when his mind would scream at him such paralyzing thoughts, drowning him in devastating memories he’d never thought he’d survive from. He remembered his uncle then, coming in and helping him through it. He hadn’t known the man well, but right at that moment he felt seen. It was a shame he hadn't spoken to him in years…

The vision of the memory sparkled in his mind…

————————————

Alfred whined and choked in his bedroom, tears streamed down his cheeks rapidly as his small hands grabbed ferociously onto his blanket as he cried upon it. He was wearing an oversized black hoodie and he had not yet rid himself of his sneakers from earlier. All that his young mind could focus on was the betrayal of his one and possibly only friend he had. Why had Jeremy done this to him? What had he done to deserve it?!

The young canine felt sick to his stomach, he hadn’t even been here for a week and he had already wanted to run away. Everything was horrible and it was all his fault!

It’s because of me that my parents are dead! It’s because of me that Jeremy is dead! How could anybody love someone like me! I ruined everything! I’m so stupid! Alfred wailed internally to himself. Feeling the weight of despair overpower him, so much so that he didn’t realize that someone had entered the room.

“Aw kiddo, what’s with the tears?” a gruff voice appeared from behind, making the canine jump in fear, his eyes not locked onto his uncle who was coincidentally smoking some of his special green at that very moment. Had he also messed up his uncle's special time? Stupid stupid stupid-

“Hey hey hey, it’s alright, bud.” His uncle promptly sat down on his bed, the mattress making an unholy squeal as he did so. Alfred was surprised to feel his uncle firmly pull him up to a sitting position next to him. He was pretty strong for someone of his health. He knew his uncle to be called ‘Mike’ by his parents, constantly speaking about him from closed doors. Alfred never really got to know his relative until very recently. 

From his long eavesdropping moments, he recalled how Uncle Mike never got married and never got a job for himself, he mooched off his father and used the money to buy… special green plants among many other things. Alfred noticed that Uncle Mike frequently wore tattered shirts and distressed looking jeans, not the tight skinny ones, but a lot looser. Alfred didn’t know why, but he assumed it was just fashion taste. But most importantly, he looked a lot like his dad…

“What’s got you down?” Uncle Mike asked, pulling out his blunt from his mouth. Alfred could tell that his uncle was out of it, he was honestly baffled how he could still talk or even think straight right then.

Alfred sniffled, while attempting to wipe his tears only to fail as more streamed past his fingers.

“I just- i just… I mess everything up! Everyone I love is g-g-gone because of me! I’ll never see my momma ever again!” Alfred sobbed hysterically. The older man wrapped his arm around his small shoulders and pulled him closer without much of a word. Alfred just kept crying and crying until slowly and eventually his sobs slowed to a halt. Only His sad sniffles remaining. After a few moments his uncle spoke.

“You feeling a bit better now, pup?”

Alfred shakily nodded his head.

“Now I want you to understand something. It’s not your fault that your parents croaked. Shit happens whether or not you want it to or not.”

Alfred flinched at the sudden curse, he still wasn’t used to the constant, nonchalant profanity his uncle would use.

“I know for a fact that it wasn’t your fault, you're just some kid who happened to get stuck in the center of something far greater than yourself.” His uncle said, continuing on. “You're young, you got your whole life ahead of you. I’d rather not see a chunk of my bloodline brooding over the past. Always look forward. If you always focus on what happened before, you’ll miss out on opportunities in the present. Got that?”

Alfred nodded once more, his sniffles now far and between. Somehow… what Uncle Mike said helped. Maybe it wasn’t his fault after all. Maybe things would get better….

“Okay! enough yibber-yabber! Let’s go fishing!” His uncle suddenly exclaimed, now grabbing Alfred by the hand and rushing out of the room like a wildfire.

“W-W-Wait!”

“No time to lose! Them fishes aren’t gonna fish themselves!”

————————————

Alfred found himself weakly smiling at the memory and oddly enough, as if his uncle was still with him… he began to feel hope again, Hope that things would get better, that the worst was bound to end. Of course, there was that skepticism that lingered as he thought about it more. This wasn’t as simple as grief. He was trapped. But still, he felt a spark to keep going. To prove that he could do it. That he and his friend could survive and get free. In fact, Alfred’s mind fluttered to Mystery. That feline was being awfully nice lately. While it may be caused by his wound, it could also mean that Mystery was beginning to trust him, which meant- Alfred blinked for a good few moments, not caring how stiff his body felt. It meant that Kao’s plan hadn’t gone to waste. Nothing had gone to waste! He could still keep fighting!

Alfred let his legs contact the floor to stand up, he wobbled but he managed to keep his footing. With that, Alfred tried to think. Tried to learn from his past mistakes. Whatever he did next would determine everything. He had to keep going. Mystery wasn’t going to keep controlling him forever.

Alfred paused momentarily, his mind drifted towards what Mystery had done before. The kind moments. He felt bad for even wondering or even considering anything but… he wondered far in the back of his mind… Was Mystery… actually trying to help him? The canine abruptly shook his head, pushing those foolish ideas to the back of his mind. Mystery was bad. He wasn’t a good guy. Reminding himself of these simple facts always did the trick to keep his mind on straight, but this time… it kept him wondering… But Alfred forced his mind away from the trivial. He couldn’t afford to lose sight of what really mattered. His family mattered. His friend mattered. Giving up was not an option. He had to keep going.

And he knew just where to start…

Chapter Text

Chapter Nineteen 

-

Alfred had never dug deeper in his mind than ever before. He tried relentlessly to remember all the things Mystery used to like, tried to remember what made Mystery the happiest, tried his goddamn hardest to be nice. Thankfully for him, he found the ‘being nice’ part wasn’t as hard as it used to be, he supposed it just took dedication to the craft. At least… that was what he hoped it was…

Besides the point, it was the next morning when Mystery came back over to his room. Alfred was full of nerves. A part of him hesitated going with the idea he had formulated, not knowing whether it would work. It could either go very well or very wrong…. The risks were high. Was it too soon to attempt such an outrageous plan? No, he couldn’t just sit here like this forever, Kao was counting on him. He had to at least try. 

Mystery that morning was wearing his usual lab coat, his hair was back to its usual fluffy, poofy complexion. Alfred found that he much preferred it when the feline was wearing tacky clothing. At least then he wouldn’t feel so gosh darn intimidated by him. Maybe that was why he wore that garbage to begin with.

“Good morning, Freddy!!” Mystery chirped as he practically pounced him within another hug. Alfred nearly choked at the force within it. “I missed you!”

“G-Good morning!” Alfred strained out before Mystery loosened up his grip.

“Did you sleep well?~”

Alfred forced himself to nod casually.

“Words, Alfie.” Warned Mystery. Alfred was honestly annoyed that Mystery even cared about that kind of shit right now when he wasn’t that adamant about it before.

“Yes, Mystery.” Alfred replied, suppressing a grumble.

“Yay! That’s so good to hear!” Mystery said, now beginning to nuzzle Alfred’s shoulder. A shiver went down Alfred’s spine in response. Alfred squeezed his eyes shut before letting out a quiet exhale as he prepared to put his plan into action, his chest felt tight and his heart was banging hard inside of his ribcage. He desperately hoped that Mystery couldn’t hear it.

“Uhm… Mystery?” Alfred spoke, turning his head towards the feline, whilst also feeling his throat squeeze uncomfortably as his words were croaked out.

“Mm?” Mystery lifted his head to look at him curiously. Alfred gulped nervously at the feline’s now focused gaze. Was this a big mistake?

“D-do you think we can walk around some?”

Mystery’s eyes immediately narrowed. A dark tension surrounded the air, which led Alfred’s eyes to flicker away uncertainty from the purple feline’s now intense gaze.

“Why?”

“W-well…”

Mystery then promptly slammed his fist directly into Alfred’s fragile stomach, forcing Alfred to gasp painfully and double over protectively over his body. His legs twitched and Alfred’s teeth were bared, holding in a curse and a yelp. Mystery scowled, not saying much, only looking back at his gloved knuckles, disappointedly.

“Do you think I'm stupid?”

“I-”

“Shut up.”

Alfred’s gut pinched and ached horribly. Did Mystery reopen the wound?! He attempted to quickly dart to check before Mystery roughly grabbed his chin.

“What makes you think I'd be foolish enough as to allow you to escape so easily? I know what you are thinking, I know you better than you think.” Mystery whispered darkly. Alfred trembled instinctively, greatly wishing he hadn’t spoken. “You still want to leave after everything we’ve done together!?”

Alfred quickly opened his mouth to interject, only for Mystery to shake him by his chin.

“Don’t you dare lie to me, I know you want to.” Mystery hissed. “You always lie, lie, lie! But I'm no fool! You just want to go out there to run away again!”

Alfred’s jaw was beginning to sting in pain, so much so that he couldn’t help but to jerk away to no avail.

“You’re always running from me! No matter what I do, you just run.” The feline continued on. “I’m your savior! why can't you see that?!”

Savior?!

Mystery hissed loudly before yanking his hand off and turning away angrily, much like a toddler about to burst into a tantrum. Alfred couldn’t see his face but he could only guess that the feline was pouting and glaring angrily.

“I thought you’d finally understand. We went through so much together here, and yet you still don’t. Why can’t you understand?” Mystery started to mutter incoherently with a broken few sniffles in between. Alfred was decently shocked to find that Mystery was crying, or at least was sounding like it. It was even more surprising that Mystery hadn’t yet begun his reign of violence against him for even bothering to ask anything. This led his mind to stray, to start wondering incessantly again.

He had bitterly and quickly shook away his thoughts as he desperately came up with another idea. I.. I just have to try a different approach then! He hesitated in doing so, only for the fear that he might only make things worse by trying again, but the memory of Kao strengthened him. He needed to be brave for him. Nothing was going to change if he didn’t do something about it. Before he did anything though, He speedlily peaked under his shirt, hoping that his scab remained unscathed. He let out a tiny sigh of relief at what he saw, Still an angry wound, but there was no fresh blood. He was safe for now. At this he finally spoke once more, feeling very nervous and awkward as he did so.

“I-I just wanted to walk around with you…” Alfred cringed internally. He wasn’t sure if his choice of words would do anything, but he was promptly surprised when Mystery turned his furry head towards him, still glaring. Alfred took the opportunity to continue. “Uhm… I kinda miss walking… and-”

“Promise me you won’t run.” Mystery interrupted. Alfred didn’t have much of a choice but to agree.

“I promise.” Alfred watched as Mystery’s expression brightened almost instantly. The canine was very much unsurprised as Mystery threw himself into another big hug, this time it was painful.

“Oh Alfie!~ Thank you! Thank you!” Mystery remarked loudly. Alfred suppressed a yelp at the jarring noise rattling his ears. It was a blessing his eardrums hadn’t ruptured already. Mystery then finally released him from his grip and looked back at the canine with a cheery expression, before oddly leaning forward to whisper darkly in the canine’s ear. “If I find out that you are lying, I will break all of your fingers and ensure that you can never hold anything on your own ever again.”

That simple comment was enough to send a shuttering chill down Alfred’s spine. He was definitely checking off running as an opinion. Not like he was going to do that exactly, but still. He nodded very quickly in response, provoking the feline to smile once more brightly.

“Yay! Come on then!” Mystery exclaimed as he ferociously ripped Alfred off the table to his feet. The canine groaned painfully as he stumbled around feebly while Mystery’s death grip remained thoroughly fastened around his hand. He could feel his injury being jostled by the inhuman speed at which he was being yanked. 

Alfred had zero chance to protest as Mystery practically destroyed the door as he opened it. The strength was so intense that The hallway itself seemed to shake in response to the action. Was Mystery that excited? That was mildly concerning, but things were going in the right direction! Right?

I just gotta get through this walk, once that is through Mystery might loosen his restrictions. At least, that was what he hoped. The feline then pushed himself and Alfred abruptly out of the doorway to lead him down a familiar path. He found himself holding his breath and clenching his free fist as he was pulled in this direction. Walking to and from anywhere was nerve wracking, only because he had been punted and beaten constantly here, he wondered if the same would happen again today.

Gradually Mystery slowed down to a more natural speed, barely allowing Alfred to gather his bearings. It left the canine’s breath heavy, and he felt a coughing attack coming on. He really didn't want to cough right then, but of course, his lungs ignored his internal request and forced many sputtering coughs forth from his throat and he stumbled to catch up with the feline. This, Prompting Mystery to pause in his walking, the feline though said nothing and looked into the distance nonchalantly, not seeming to care much at this moment.

After a few long moments Alfred pulled away from his hands in which he coughed into and immediately grimaced at the sight of fresh, crimson blood speckled messily on his fur. It was then he really regretted taking off his gloves, it was also then that he became concerned. Coughing shouldn’t cause bleeding unless…. Another infection? Just great, what perfect timing. Mystery seemed to notice the red colored sputum and raised his eyebrows in a surprised motion.

“What’s wrong with you now?”

Alfred wiped his mouth clean shakily.

“I don’t know.” And that was the truth. Even he knew that first aid training could only go so far. Something internal like this was something only a professional could understand. and he was most certainly not a professional in any right. At least not the right kind. He didn’t have to think too deeply about Mystery. That freakish feline clearly didn’t know how to save anyone if the world depended on it, he had the memory to prove it. Mystery only shrugged in response before tugging Alfred forward once more, And so the walk continued.

Despite Alfred’s momentary shock and concern, he felt hopeful. This walk was going to be he and his friend’s saving grace and all he had to do was get through it.

Of course, what Alfred didn’t prepare for was Mystery to start yapping.

“I’ve been wondering about something for a while, Alfie…”

Alfred turned his gaze hesitantly towards the feline, feeling a sense of anxiety permeating through him.

“Why did you choose this?”

“Choose what?” Alfred asked barely above a whisper.

“This job? Why? What possessed you to change your mind?”

Alfred was about to ask what he meant by ‘changing his mind’ before he took a moment to recall. Oh wait, he thought I was going to be a teacher. With that, he had to sigh. This was mostly out of annoyance and slight nervousness. He really didn’t know how to respond to his question, he honestly didn’t want to, but he had to.

“I wanted to help people.” Alfred replied begrudgingly.

“Why?”

Alfred ground his teeth together and looked away. Why did he have to start asking questions now of all times!?

“Because some people just need help.”

“Not everyone.” Mystery had the audacity to state. Alfred forced himself to hold his tongue, to not say something he would regret.

“Well, the people who did need help could have got help here from within this building.” Alfred countered, feeling bitter at the memory- the legacy that this building used to represent. The feeling of remembering his dream job’s past greatness was a great blow to his soul.

“How so?”

Alfred jerked his gaze towards Mystery angrily, quickly fed up with the annoying questions and was immediately met with an intense stare. Unlike previous looks he had experienced, this one was full of curiosity. This look made his fury wane just a bit. Why is he so damn curious? 

“Rx Industries sold medicine. Some people need medicine to stay alive or manage illnesses of any kind.” Alfred replied curtly. Mystery leaned closer to the canine.

“That sounds super boring, Freddy.”

Alfred raised his eyebrow, feeling his anger get replaced by exasperation.

“I suppose.”

“You'd have been a good teacher.”

Alfred pondered this statement for a good moment. Would he have been a good teacher if he had chosen that path? Perhaps if he had been a teacher none of this bloodshed would have happened. No… Mystery still would have found him regardless, still, it was a thought.

“I guess.” Alfred finally responded.

With that there was a brief moment of silence. During this, the canine began to feel the stirrings of pain throb in his abdomen brought on by the sudden action of walking. He wasn’t pleased with the timing of this and he hoped that he could still get through this walk before the pain began to become too unbearable. As he continued though, the agony seemed to grow more noticeable. The sparks of pain sent fearful tremors though his body, as if his entire being had memorized his previous bouts of pain and was ready- yet horrified for more to inevitably occur.

“You want to know something?” Mystery asked, humming. Alfred hesitantly turned to gaze at the feline, not voicing the now burning curiosity in his mind. “I never knew what I wanted in this world.”

Mystery didn’t continue on, but Alfred knew that this was bait- bait to capture him in a conversation that wouldn't end so easily. He knew this yet… he wanted to know more. In his youth, Mystery hadn’t once said what he desired to put forth in this world, only focusing on the present at all times. At that point Alfred could have called him wise or… clear-sighted… but knowing what he knew now, there was more to it than that, and there was nothing wise about him now for sure. Alfred felt the need to know despite everything.

“How come?”

Mystery seemed to subtly perk up, his multicolored eyes brightening at the sudden question, but then slowly dimming again as he seemed to be pulled into a memory of his own. It was strange… Mystery seemed alive. Not in a way necessarily referring to the feline’s actual living status, but instead it was the fact that Mystery had emotions, that he could feel something other than rage and cold cruelty. It made him seem more living… and that frightened him.

“There were so many jobs… so many opportunities… but you know what, Alfie? None of them suited me. They provided me with nothing, made me feel nothing. I had a career or two in my mind.. But alas, they never came into fruition.”

Alfred blinked surprised as Mystery continued on.

“It’s strange watching the pathetic people in this world live… choosing a single job, making a family… Oh how boring…” Mystery sighed roughly. “They all die in the end. Yet they still choose to live. They choose to waste away, being ignorant to their inevitable fates. I simply don’t get it, Freddy…”

Alfred opened his mouth to let out a simple reply only to get interrupted immediately.

“Was this wasteful mortal life worth it, Alfred?”

“What?”

“Was it worth breaking your promises?” Mystery questioned, his walking slowing to a halt. “Was your life that fulfilling without me?”

Alfred didn’t know how to respond, his own thoughts paused as he attempted to truly wrangle the meaning of his questions. He could have responded immediately with a blatant ‘YES’, but that wouldn’t go very well, at the same time he felt himself thinking genuinely about it. Was it worth it?

“I don’t know…” 

Mystery looked down at Alfred, expression cold, before promptly beginning to walk forward again, forcing the canine to quickly attempt to catch up.

“I just want to understand you.”

Alfred didn’t know what to say in response, in fact everything just now was confusing and worrying.

“Don’t you want to understand me?” Mystery prompted, turning to look back at him, now with a pleading look. Alfred’s words were caught in his throat as he stared back up at this… man. This horrifyingly pathetic man, looking at him as if he was the last thing he had left- he was though, wasn’t he? Mystery wasted almost thirty years of his life chasing after him, and that meant something, at least to Alfred it did…. It was all so confusing… and maybe he did want to understand what had destroyed his former best friend to such a point he’d turn into… this… was it so wrong to wonder?

“Yeah.”

No more words were exchanged as surely enough Mystery went walking towards the route back to his specified room. Alfred looked down, feeling the pain burn through him. Just as I deserve. He thought miserably as he reached his door.

Alfred watched as Mystery pulled a silver key out of his pocket and promptly shoved it in the hole carelessly before popping the door open with a loud snap. With that, Alfred solemnly walked back into his room with Mystery in tow. 

The walk was finished. He survived the pain and he managed to have a relatively casual conversation with the feline freak. Everything was going right. Soon he’d have more freedom- another step to his and his friend’s escape, but despite that true reality. As the door closed with a shutter, leaving Alfred and Mystery alone together once more, he felt as if he had made a grand mistake. He felt the coil of anxiety worm through him as if it was eating him alive. The feeling much worse than what he had felt the day he had nearly drowned or even the day he had been torn open by an outdoor object. No… he truly realized right then that Mystery had successfully manipulated him, because now he was thinking…

I shouldn’t have run…

Chapter Text

In The Past (Part 2)

March 18 1996

-

Alfred didn't know where the kid went. Saturday afternoon after completing his previous day's homework, he had ventured out to the little hilltop in search of Jeremy. He wasn't there. Surely he had just missed him? If so, he’d catch him tomorrow! 

So on Sunday, as soon as he was sent off to play after breakfast he had dashed off into the dew-dropped grass to sit on that same, grassy hilltop in waiting for his new friend. He had sat there for hours, but he never showed up. At this point, young Alfred was beginning to worry he’d never see the feline again… until the dimming afternoon of monday.

That monday morning was rather dull, full of the rambling and droning from the teachers, full of the loud, anxious chatter amongst his same-aged peers, full of the sounds of bustling child-like life, which all in itself wasn’t that bad, but today he just wasn’t feeling it. His thoughts continuously strayed towards Jeremy, wondering where he was and why he hadn’t returned. Was he ever going to come back? What had happened to him? The possibilities were endless and He sure hoped he’d see him again, he really had a good feeling about him after all! But without knowing, he was left uncertain.

Eventually his wonderings eventually got so concentrated within his mind that he decided to ask some of his same-grade peers if they had seen him. The only responses he got were-

“Who’s that?”

“No, sorry!”

“Why do you want to know? Are you a fag or something?”

This left Alfred frustrated and restless. Oh Jeremy… where the heck are you? A feeling of nervousness seemed to arise within him, a sensation he wasn’t keen nor familiar with. Was it a possibility that he’d annoyed him? Was Jeremy avoiding him? All these scary thoughts swirled around his mind until it became unbearable. Alfred was quickly fearing the worst. 

Soon enough the school day finally ended. Usually at this time Alfred would be excited to rush home to finally see his family after the long day, but his joy was muted. He really didn’t want to think of himself as annoying, he couldn’t possibly be that, right? He never thought about it before. Was that the reason people couldn’t connect with him? Was he the reason people didn’t like him? Surely not…

Alfred had honestly expected the rest of the afternoon to be the same as the previous days had been before, but much to his surprise as he walked down his usual gravelly path back home he spotted a familiar silhouette perched atop the grassy meadow. He couldn’t contain his joyous gasp as he dashed full speed at the sitting figure. Even from a distance he could see the kids' flowing purple-gradient hair, which was neatly fashioned into a blue scrunchie, lightly moving along with the noticeable breeze. With each step, he could see the feline’s black and white sweater. Oh my gosh! Could it be?!

“Hiya!”

“AHHHHHH!” Jeremy screamed frightfully as Alfred pounced beside him. The canine had no chance of deflecting the book that was promptly thrown into his face. The strength of the throw was enough to knock Alfred onto his back with a ‘oomph’. (Thankfully his backpack softened the fall.) For a good moment he thought he had been knocked out, only to open his eyes with a now throbbing head.

“Ow!”

Alfred then found himself dazily looking back at the young feline, noticing how he had tensed up, one hand now painfully gripping at the chest of his sweater, another gripping tightly onto the ground. Jeremy’s eyes had shrunk to practical pin pricks that stared frightfully back at him. Alfred, as soon as he regained his knocked around sanity, immediately scooted regretfully away from the frightened boy.

“O-Oh, i’m so sorry! I hadn’t meant to scare you! Are you okay?”

Jeremy just stared at him for a moment, hardly moving before finally relaxing.

“It's… just you.”

Alfred blinked at that.

“Well of course! Who else would it be?” the canine perked up, smiling and shrugging. Jeremy gently tilted his head, eyebrows furrowed just slightly, likely in confusion.

“Why are you here?”

“Because I wanted to see you!”

Jeremy blinked slowly.

“Why?”

“Because you seem cool and I want to be friends! You also seemed lonely again.”

Jeremy didn’t reply.

“Here’s your book.” Alfred gently slid the printed work towards Jeremy, hoping to not to frighten him again. The feline waited til Alfred’s hand retreated before snatching it up and holding it protectively against him.

“What are you reading?” Alfred chirped.

Jeremy blinked slowly, before looking down.

“The Bell Jar.”

“Ooh! Whatzit about?”

The feline avoided his gaze, seeming to wince slightly before responding.

“Just… about some girl…”

“Cool!” Alfred nodded enthusiastically. He wasn’t a big fan of books, only ever opting to read if he was forced to by his teachers. Jeremy must be very smart!

“Do you like reading?”

Jeremy nodded slowly. Wow he really is!

“So, how was your day?” Alfred asked as he carefully scooted closer, gently discarding his pack to the other side of him, promptly forgetting about it. Jeremy didn’t reply for a few moments, merely just fidgeting with the book in his grasp.

“It… it was good. You?”

Alfred couldn't deny how glad he was at getting this simple response.

“It was decent, thanks for asking!”

Jeremy smiled a little. Seeming as if his spirits were lifted even if just slightly. It made Alfred’s heart sour. Maybe he wasn’t annoying after all!

“Why do you want to be my friend?” Jeremy then asked softly, his gaze now focused on the canine’s. Alfred noticed how the purple feline was seeming to tense up the more he spoke. Was he… nervous?

“I think you're really neat, and you seem very nice! I just really wanna get to know you!”

Jeremy narrowed his eyes skeptically.

“It’s true! You're very interesting compared to my other classmates!”

Moments later a strong breeze captured the area and prompted the grass to wave softly in the wind. Alfred found his gaze wandering towards the nature that surrounded him. The sight was simply ethereal.

“I suppose I wouldn't mind being your friend…”

“Really!?” Alfred jolted his head back towards Jeremy in shock. Really!? He wanted to be his friend too!? This ought to have been the best day of his entire life! This possibly couldn’t get any better! Jeremy nodded, his hair shifting just enough to allow the strands of hair, uncaptured by his blue scrunchie, to fall over his eyes. His blue eyes.

“Okay okay! Ummm… what's your favorite color?”

“Pardon?...” Jeremy appeared taken aback by such an abrupt question, but Alfred didn't seem to notice.

“We're friends! And I don't know much about you. I wanna get to know you more.” Alfred smiled. Jeremy seemed to hesitate before speaking.

“I don’t really have one actually…”

What? How could he not have a favorite color?

“Oh.. that’s alright! I’m sure you’ll find your favorite color… one of these days…!” Alfred replied awkwardly. The silence was audible for a split second before Jeremy spoke again.

“What’s yours?” Jeremy hummed.

“Orange!”

“Is that because of your fur color?”

Alfred took a moment to look down at himself. Was that a possibility? Huh… maybe! Alfred shrugged with a smile.

“What’s your favorite food?” Alfred then rushed to ask. Jeremy seemed to ponder the question, finally appearing to loosen up after a while, before shaking his head softly. Alfred furrowed his eyebrows, feeling a pit of confusion grow within him. How could any kid not know these things? Surely Jeremy has experienced something fun at least once in his life. Just before Alfred to inquire any more, Jeremy piped up again.

“My dad doesn't exactly make the coolest food actually…”

“Really? What about your mom? Doesn’t she cook?”

Jeremy flinched suddenly, his nails beginning to dig torturously into the cover of the book he so used to carefully hold. The canine found himself slightly frightened by the look on Jeremy’s face. What had he said wrong?

“She’s gone…”

“O-oh… I'm so sorry… I didn't mean to upset you…”

Jeremy’s haunted look subsided as he shook his head.

“I-it’s fine…”

There was an eerie silence that dragged on even as nature proceeded to work its wonders around them. Alfred didn’t enjoy the silence.

“What’d your dad like?” he asked softly, propping his head on the palm of his hand. Looking at Jeremy, it appeared as if the question uncomfortably wormed in his head. Alfred was about to backtrack until the feline reluctantly replied.

“He’s kinda mean.”

Alfred lifted his head just a bit.

“Really?”

“Mhm… I don't think he likes me all that much…”

Young Alfred didn’t know how to respond further, seeing as the mood had been dampened. He wanted to know what his father had done that had convinced such a smart kid that he wasn’t liked by his own family, it couldn’t be good. Biting his lip in mild unease he quickly changed the subject.

“How old are you?”

“Fifteen.” Jeremy nodded as he spoke.

“What!? You're fifteen!” The canine gasped and jolted onto his knees, zooming just a bit too close for Jeremy’s comfort.

‘Y-yeah?...” Jeremy’s voice squeaked with tension.

“That’s so cool! I’m only eleven! Wait- can you do algebra?!”

Jeremy, thoroughly confused, nodded hesitantly. Alfred only seemed to smile even more brightly. Jeremy really was smart! Oh, if only he could be as cool and smart as him!

“I-... I don't think it’s a big deal though…” Jeremy smiled bashfully. Alfred could only giggle happily. Eventually the two quieted down right along with the rest of nature. The sun was finally setting over the horizon behind them, casting a neat, long shadow in front of the kids. The sky at this point had transformed, taking on an orangey-red hue. The two both simultaneously turned their heads to face the last rays of the day, it was simply beautiful.

“I think you should be going, Alfred…” Jeremy then hummed softly, not taking his eyes off the scene in front of him, the canine slowly turned his head towards Jeremy with unhidden fondness and racing curiosity. He was right. But he wished he wasn’t. Alfred stumbled onto his feet, slinging his backpack against his back. He looked down at the sitting figure of his friend and smiled.

“What about you?”

Jeremy looked up at Alfred, eyes seeming to dull if just slightly.

“Don’t worry about me.”

The canine opened his mouth to protest, but the look in the young feline’s eyes prompted him to hesitate. Something was definitely wrong… what had happened to Jeremy to cause him to act so… aloof?

“Uhm… well, i hope you have a good day. Bye, Jeremy!”

The purple feline gently smiled at him. It was a look of pure appreciation.

“Thank you… you too.” Jeremy nodded before turning his gaze back to the sunset ahead. Alfred waited for a moment before walking towards the direction of his house. There was a slight worry in his mind. He hadn’t yet completed his afternoons homework, plus he was majorly late getting home. Oh jeez, he was getting behind. nonetheless, all of this was worth it! Jeremy is my friend now… That thought did raise up his spirits. This was going to be the start of something amazing,

He just knew it!

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty One

-

He cracked his aching, burning eyes open, a layer of dried tears temporarily inhibited the ram from peering out to the world below him. Something was dreadfully wrong, but he couldn’t figure out what. His mind was so… foggy. His limbs were slack and he couldn’t help but indulge the thought that he might have died an immortal’s death at the hands of Mystery. Although there was a dull, burning sensation wrapped around him that proved otherwise. Fully forcing his eyes to widen at full capacity, he found that the room he was in was pitch black. Opening and closing his eyes provided him with the same visual result, pure unadulterated darkness, just like how his mind felt right at this moment.

He had no memory of what had occurred before all of this, only the knowledge that Mystery had cornered him just a few hours ago and had surprisingly given him a strange meal consisting of soup and a bitter tasting cup of water. He had a slight memory of being shocked of being offered a real meal after so long… and it looked… so real… he had wondered if there was a possibility that Mystery was going to spare him that day, but… evidently, that wasn’t how things turned out.

He could fuzzily recall the sudden moment when he started stumbling around, the feeling of his mind suddenly going dreadfully blank as larger, colder hands grabbed and ripped at him. He still remembered the feeling of grossness and mindless anguish before the plight of beautiful darkness befell him.

He was tied up, he could tell. Below him his feet were elevated. The tight sensation around him must be rope. His mouth, he tried to open, but he found it to be impossible, not just because his body refused to move to his own will, but because of the duct tape that prevented oral movement in the slightest. There was an eternal blessing that he was fully clothed, but for how long? He didn’t know.

His name was quite a blur for a while as he hung there, all he could do was gently sway and listen to the sounds of the ringing in his ears and the persistent creak of the rope tied up above him. What had happened to him? Why was everything so fuzzy?...

Kao… that was his name. His name was Kao… figuring that out was only a chunk of what he desperately tried to recall, but remembering was painful, so he stopped trying to. Kao felt his eyes droop once more and this time he didn’t resist. The realm of dreamless sleep was too alluring to resist.

It was then that Kao picked up the distant clicking of shoes, gradually drawing near. He couldn’t detect the reason why his breathing seemed to speed up without his assent. He found himself shaking by the time the footsteps reached his room’s door. Kao attempted to hold his eyes open as a bright flash of light nearly blinded him. He hadn’t ever seen the building ever look so luminated before. It was simply beautiful. The ram’s gaze then slowly drifted towards the black silhouette by the door. It was tall and reeked of danger. It was Mystery… Steadily, the figure started strolling towards Kao lazily, either not seeing or directly ignoring his frightened victim’s muffled and confused whimpers.

“You're finally awake~” Mystery’s low voice echoed through the room. He felt a shiver run down his spine at the dark tone the feline was using. It was that tone that aroused the rest of his missing, pitiful memories from before. He is Kao. His best friend is Alfred and he is being held against his will at Rx industries. With some of his precious memories returning to him at a steady pace he was able to figure out truly why he was so afraid. It was Mystery…

Mystery eventually reached Kao. his multicolored eyes seemed to bore holes onto his body as he stared. Kao squeezed his eyes shut fearfully in a sad attempt to pretend that this wasn’t happening to him. While his eyes were clamped shut, he had no chance to predict the sensation of the feline's sharp, painful grip on his chin. If he could scream, he would.

“You look absolutely adorable all tied up like this~ you do know that, right?” Mystery smiled dangerously, letting out low and dark giggles that seemed to shake the room itself. “Ahh, you also looked very adorable when drugged up as well~ did you know how much of a whore you are when you're like that?”

Kao’s eyes bulged out at that simple, vile question. What the fuck had Mystery done to him while he was out?! No no no- he simply refused to think about it!

“Don’t act so shocked, darling.” Mystery laughed once more before yanking his hand away. Kao winced and let out a muffled groan of pain that was nearly inaudible. There were a few clicks of shoe heels echoing in the room, away from the ram’s shaking form, but within moments a loud revving sound started up, causing Kao to jump in fear. The noise abruptly quit and was quickly replaced by the dark tone of the feline speaking up. “I’ve decided to have a little more fun with you~ you see, my wonderful best friend isn’t in tip top shape right now and I'm really restless… soooo, I hope you don’t mind losing a few limbs, would you?”

Kao was struck with the absolute horror of not being able to protest. The only thing this poor ram could do was feebly struggle in the ropes grip. Even then, his body wasn’t awake yet, still harboring the effects of the tampered meal. This had to be the worst case scenario. Losing limbs!? There was no way he could live through that.

“Hehe! Thanks so much for agreeing!” The feline’s tone, while seemingly bright, held some sort of depraved malice that even the disoriented ram could detect.

Moments later, the revving of the engine started up once more, whatever this object was, it was sending sparks out into the room, briefly brightening just a small portion of the dreary room he was locked in. For some pathetic reason, the sparks to Kao were beautiful. They seemed to live, shining brightly, overcoming the air it was thrusted in, if only just for a moment, to die inevitably but peacefully as if it knew that it's time was up. To be a spark of light, to not face this agony… oh, it was all Kao could dream for.

————————————

Soon the machine had steadied, now roaring continuously and powerfully. Mystery within the comfort of a weapon, a chainsaw specifically, and had already located the perfect place to marr permanently on the ram’s fragile body. It wasn’t going to be an arm or a leg- no. that was too simple. Far too simple. That thing didn’t deserve a simple bloodletting, oh no no no… it needed to suffer, and the only thing that could make it go through enough pain was to remove one of it’s most important possessions. It’s wings…

Without much thought, he slowly, whilst practically salivating, walked to the back of the squirming form of the ram. It wasn’t long before he found his primary target. With a swift gesture, he grabbed a hold of one of the smallish wings, it appeared to the angelic one. Kao let out a fearful yelp of which Mystery chose to ignore. There was a deep, unshakable anticipation within the feline. The need to rip the life essence from another living being was absolutely overwhelming. The need to feel another's blood smeared on him was oh so tantalizing. He needed this more than he knew. It only made it better when it was a punishment for one of his greatest problems. That ram… it took his best friend away… it replaced him… and now he was going to make it pay. With Alfred he had to be careful, to be his guiding light- every injury now had to be calculated- held back if necessary. After all, he was finally understanding everything! He wasn’t being manipulated anymore. He no longer needed such blunt consequences anymore… at least for now if he continues behaving nicely… the only pain and suffering his best friend should ever experience, should only ever be for his greater good or for special, intimate, bonding moments together. It was only fair for his best friend…

But it? Oh no. It will suffer the worst fate imaginable! With ease and swift speed, Mystery lifted the chainsaw and with perfect, skilled precision slammed the machine through the base of the Ram’s angelic wing. The muffled scream that echoed through the room was simply wretched and held such a different note from the one he typically heard from his favorite canine. It was also different from the screams he heard while violating the creature. It was higher pitched, more persistent and more annoying… 

The ram proceeded to thrash and writhe as his winged ligaments were severed. A fine flying red mist covered the feline and the ram respectively. Mystery was sure to keep his maw open even just a little to attempt to capture the iron-like, metallic taste of the crimson fluid. He watched with pure intensity as Kao desperately wailed and wiggled around pathetically. Typically, he would feel something akin to pure sadistic joy while watching someone’s misery play out in front of him. This though was different. This was a punishment and he found no joy while watching him suffer… only rage and hate. You took him away from me, you filthy whore! Die! Die! DIE!

The sound of chunks of meat thumped through the persistent noises of screaming and roaring of the machine Mystery welded, and eventually both winged targets had been fully removed. As much as the feline wanted to continue applying his unholy wrath upon the ram, he found it was better to keep it alive rather than dead. Otherwise he wouldn’t have much of a plaything anymore, and that would be rather sad. With another click, the chainsaw’s loud roars gradually lead to a stop. Of course, Kao’s horrified, muffled, pain-filled screams continued to persist, how irritating…

From the left over holes in the rams back, leaked precious red liquid into a messy puddle on the floor. Mystery tossed his chainsaw out of his way, eyed the ram one last time, and forced a sharp, toothy grin on his face as he strolled quite leisurely to the front of Kao, who was still panting and letting out whines and sobs of pain. He looked deep into the ram’s pupiless eyes, seeing the numerous tear marks, staining into the fur on his face. He enjoyed seeing it. Pain was what it deserved after all.

“You really aren’t good enough for him… you know that, right?” Mystery found himself humming. Kao only whimpered wearily in response. The feline watched as Kao’s eyes seemed to grow cloudy, in a way not quite seeing the danger in front of him. He wasn’t going to pretend how much he liked that. “Mhm… not good enough at all…”

It was then that Kao’s head began to loll forward, seemingly about to go unconscious. Mystery was not finished with it. Silently seething, Mystery grabbed a hold of Kao’s chin, hard enough that it would leave a noticeable bruise after.

“He’ll never love you. He only loves me.” Mystery whispered darkly as he pulled his face closer to the ram’s. “I hate you.” Mystery yanked himself away, feeling just a bit satisfied at last. This was exactly what he needed to take the edge off. Maybe later he would have some more fun with the ram’s body later. The thought lightened his dark soul just a bit more, and he then turned away to leave. Kao’s only response to Mystery’s verbal assault was a halfhearted groan that seemed to pour out of a slack, unknowing mouth before his head flopped forward to painfully rest midair. Mystery didn’t know why, but that disgusting noise infuriated him. Why did Alfred choose that thing over him?! What was so good about it?! It took everything away from him! It took Alfred away from him! He usually was decently calculated in all his movements, but he couldn’t withhold the sudden rage that caused his fists to clench and shake. He was now stationary, feeling a flight of memories and thoughts powerfully cascade through his mind. Another weak groan was what sent Mystery off the edge. Within a blink of an eye, Mystery turned and swung his hand without hesitation into the side of Kao’s face. He didn’t hold himself back. Kao grunted feebly as his head was snapped so roughly to the side of him, it was quite a miracle that his head hadn’t been torn off of him. Within that instant, the ram was knocked out with blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.

Mystery stared back at the ram wordlessly, not even blinking. Memories continued to flicker in his mind, taunting him of what had been. The feline then turned away from the ram and began to walk away slowly. Leaving him to his fate.

————————————

Alfred jolted awake, heart pumping erratically within his rib cage. Breaths, quick and shallow, erupted out of his throat. He felt like he was suffocating. His eyes flickered about wildly as he had forgotten where he was and had been. But all he knew was that:

He had heard a scream.

He didn’t know where, didn’t know who made it, but he heard it, He knew he did. Was he finally at the stage of hallucination? Was he now hearing voices from within his own cranium? He really didn’t know and he certainly didn’t have the barings to find out.

Alfred choked and gasped for a long while, thoroughly deep into sudden, inconceivable panic. It was only until after a few minutes had passed had he finally reached a state of relative normal. Alfred’s eyes fluttered warily as he looked around. Somehow he had ended up on the floor, he didn’t care to find out why. All he knew was that Mystery was not around. He was glad to feel a sense of relief at that. Any other emotion was replaced by mild irritation at the fact that he was soaked in his own sweat again, once more ruining his lab coat and pants. It was funny. He had been through so much and yet still he cared whether or not he was sweaty. God was he spoiled.

He soon found out that it wasn’t just about his panic that had made him sweat, it was the heat. It was insufferable and more importantly, it was a telltale sign that summer had truly arrived. How long have I been gone…? Alfred then forced himself to his feet, still shaking from the assault of adrenaline that still roared through his blood. A wave of nausea and lightheadedness pulsed through his head and he had to balance himself against the medical bed in hopes of not completely fainting or falling over. After a few moments of blankly standing there, he finally pushed himself over to the front of the door. It was foolish to try… but he needed to. The canine twisted the doorknob and pulled at the door with his remaining strength, but alas, just as he expected, it was still locked. He then proceeded to kick at the door, wincing at the jarring feeling echoing through his legs, still locked. There was nothing he could do to uncage himself from this room and he knew that, but he wanted to try… 

Alfred sighed and moved himself over to the bed to begrudgingly sit on it. He was so utterly lost. Things didn’t make sense anymore. He didn’t know what was real or lie anymore, didn’t know if there was any chance of escaping- or if there was any reason to continue trying to find a way out. It was a miracle he hadn’t already snapped from the pressure of it all alone… or had he?

Alfred then allowed himself to wonder what Mystery was doing. He had finally started to slow down the frequency of cuddles and hugs- which was a relief- and had given him his own space, but now he felt lonely. Acknowledging the thought was humiliating. He was the one being held against his own will, being beaten and bruised to comply with Mystery's whim, yet still he had the nerve to feel lonely. He really was pathetic. What was even more pathetic was the fact he couldn’t do anything to help Kao or even himself. Sure, he went outside his room for the first time in forever, but besides that he was thoroughly screwed. He had no idea how long this escaping progress would take, months? Years? Decades even?! It wouldn’t be fast enough. Someone would end up dead by the end of this. He just knew it.

A thought then bubbled up in his brain. He easily brushed it off as being a simple epiphany for escaping, but simple as it was… it could work. If Mystery was so keen on physical contact, perhaps indicating it would build more trust to him? Would that speed things up? Alfred blinked as more ideas pushed though his mind, each more bountiful than the last. Was the key to their escape easier than he had thought? A flicker of hope echoed through his soul. This might just work. Of course, his only bit of positive emotion was replaced with frustration and guilt as he realized that he genuinely wanted to hug him. It was enough to make the canine angrily slap himself in the face. The sting was nothing compared to the horrors of this palace, so he didn’t as much as twitch in response. I’m a vile piece of shit to be thinking this way! My life depends on getting us out and i’m not going to fucking ruin it for disgusting delusions! Alfred mentally chastised himself. The mental beating did help, if even a little. 

It was then he braced himself for Mystery’s return, knowing fully well that things could either go very well or very bad… He just hoped it was the latter. He let out a long sigh, being cooped up was doing things to him. Alfred wanted OUT, he wanted to feel like he was actually doing something besides just sitting here. Kao would think I was being a worry wart if he heard me like this… I really wish I could at least hear his voice again… it’s been so long. Shaking his head exhaustingly, he resumed in his planning, even despite the bleakness of doubt and uncertainty in his soul. 

He just wished everything was some long, bad dream…

Chapter Text

Ari’s Account

-

Summer was at full blast, while some jobs were finally at their annual summer breaks, allowing many to relax in the comfort of their homes, the dispatchers responsible for taking the emergency calls within Treelight were unfortunately exempt from it. On this steamy, hot day in the dispatching center in Haines was an ongoing lunch break, the second lunch shift to be exact. (even during lunch breaks an emergency could happen, much to many’s displeasure). The room which held those having their daily lunch shift was a mellow beige color which neatly complimented the rest of the building’s brown theme. The room itself had one large, slightly elongated, oval roundtable, accompanied with many black, rolling chairs. The rest of the anterior was surrounded with coffee machines, mini fridges and small, likely cheap microwaves. It was as fancy as a breakroom could get, especially when compared to the rest of the building.

Amidst the blossoming chatter and gossip within the crowded break room, sat Ari Briarwood, who appeared to be deep in thought. Her fur, which is of a fuchsia pink shade, was neatly groomed. Her hair, which was only a shade darker, was combed and brushed neatly. Her bangs were pulled back into a small ponytail, giving her a sense of unique style she strived for. At this time, she wore a snug, pale pink suit with a just as snug skirt to go along with it. She was dignified, just as she should be, of course, the expression on her face was anything but.

In front of where she now sat was her lunch bag, containing nothing but fruits and vegetables, but all of which remained untouched; All for a good reason.

She had no recollection of the rest of that day before, but there was one moment that had changed everything she had ever believed was possible. Someone from Rx Industries was still alive. She had heard the survivor as clear as day, begging for help. Nobody had ever gotten contact from victims of The Masked Killer before. All disappeared never to be seen again, very few mauled bodies would be found afterwards, but this… this was unprecedented. How was this possible?  

This survivor's name was Kao and he was in grave danger. (She could vaguely recall the survivor mentioning there was somebody along with him that had managed to survive too, but she couldn’t be sure. Even her memory wasn’t perfect, it often failed her. regardless, at least one person was alive.)  He had been racing to get his words out, as if on some sort of wicked time crunch. Perhaps that was what it was… one horrible time crunch. Truly during the whole ordeal She had never considered the fact that all of this could have been a hoax. Something deep in her gut told her otherwise. There was this… feeling she got when receiving the call. Might it have been ESP or some divine intervention, she knew it was real, 100%. His tone of voice, the sort of edge laced into it, the pure relief she could palpably hear from him after receiving a response. It was all real. 

She had tried her hardest to help him, tried her best to give him directions, ones that would save his life, but the connection was severed. She didn’t know how, but she knew that mid-sentence she was cut off with a loud, short beep and that was the end of it. Ari had been in pure shock, left alone with only the sound of static to greet her. He was gone…. It was ten minutes before she moved from her spot at her desk.

You would think that after something like this people would immediately consider it a major breakthrough, something to be immediately investigated. Reality proved otherwise. Nobody believed her. Ari had rushed to her colleagues afterwards, desperate to be listened to, but nobody had heard her out. Sure, she hadn’t been on the job for long but… certainly she could be trusted, right? Well perhaps it wasn’t her they didn’t believe and rather that they chose not to believe the implications this call could have made. Nonetheless after protesting for nearly hours, trying to get at least one person on her side, she eventually resigned to give up. Of course, that feeling only lasted a day. Nothing could keep Ari down, even she knew that.

Nonetheless, It had been ages since then and still, Ari couldn’t rid her mind of that single passage of time. Nothing had changed. Everyone had moved on… except for her, and right now, she had no appetite and no tolerance for the loud, senseless noise of the breakroom. So, she opted to pack her lunch away and head back to the main attraction: The dispatching room. It was freakish in appearance. There were no cubicles separating anybody, only being a small wall, for each person, approximately five feet in length for a simple desk to rest against. This can be blamed on the tight salary the dispatching team had on budget. For whatever reason, nobody wanted to spend the good amount of money where it actually mattered and instead opted for this…. Mess. No matter what upper management said, everyone knew that the cheapness was not to “create an open, inclusive environment”... figures… Haines was always superficial like that- trying to compete with the likes of Lumiere county.

The clicking of her black heels on the dirt brown wooden floor seemed to echo just slightly as she entered the next room of the building. It was rather active as phones rang and voices echoed throughout the area. Despite how many people were already here, she wasn’t nearly as bothered with the noise as he had been in the breakroom. She could gladly say it was because everyone had a sense of indoor voices when in this surprisingly special area of the building. as she strolled towards her desk, she could hear a small cluster of voices slowly amplifying in volume as she got closer.

She braced herself as her desk came into view, by it were two individuals, from their content expressions, she could guess that the two were happy. Almost as if it were a dress-code, the two wore identical tuxedo suits, only their ties were different in color. One was yellow while the other was blue. It was an odd choice, but she wasn’t the kind to judge. She allowed herself to smile to herself as she reached the two silently.

“Yeah, and that’s why she freaked when I- oh hi, Ari. you're back here early.” spoke the tabby orange-colored feline with mild surprise permeating through his southern accented voice, he was the one standing the closest to her desk at this time. Ari’s only response was a curt, but nonetheless polite nod as she finally settled into the creaky swivel chair at her desk. The male next to the tabby one, then tilted his head with confusion as his focus was averted away from his fellow colleague, He was a chocolate brown canine.

“What’s got you all uptight?” The canine asked softly in his naturally low voice. It was weird. She never really had friends to depend on, feeling used to helping herself out on her own, but ever since she got here, these two, James and Nash respectively, had changed that. James was the first she had met. From the very first day she had heard quite some interesting rumors about the guy, calling him a temperamental troublemaker amongst other things. She had tried to avoid him, but found that he was quite an aloof, but tender man once she came to know him. Nash on the other hand, he was automatically by her side. In fact, he was one of the people to give her an official tour of the building. He was kindhearted and honestly quite funny. She was grateful to call them her friends.

“Is it about that one emergency hoax we got?” Nash questioned again softly. It was then that all thoughts of gratefulness were stunted by the careless mention of the call. Oh why did he have to bring it up?! She was already in a spoiled mood.

“It wasn’t a hoax, But yeah though, that’s still on my mind.” Ari replied a bit tensely. James seemed to sense this and nodded towards Nash.

“I’ll catch you up about her later.” James then strolled away too calmly, in his usually strut-like fashion. Typical of him, always up to cause a ruckus, but never ready to see someone else do it for a change. That was definitely something that annoyed her. Ari sighed and turned towards her desk, attempting to calm her nerves from Nash's previous statement.

“Was lunch good?” Nash hesitantly changed the subject from above her. Ari turned her chair so she could properly face him. It was hard to stay mad at him when he had such a compassionate, nervous expression upon his face.

“I wasn’t hungry…” She sighed after a moment of thought. “You?”

“Eh, it was fine. I didn’t pack much today, you know how things are now. So expensive…”

Ari nodded sympathetically.

“Yeah, inflation here has gotten real bad since last year, I just hope it goes down eventually.”

“Likewise.” Nash nodded. It was a few more moments before the canine spoke up again. “Ari… can we talk about the h- the call?”

She narrowed her eyes, but gently nodded anyway.

“I know you have heard this from everyone already and even from me a few times but… I just think you need to let it go…” Nash started slowly.

Ari felt her fists clench and she had to keep herself from jumping into a heated argument, she was better than that. She was fully capable of having a civil conversation.

“I know how important this is to you… But it’s just not worth it anymore. I just don’t want you to lose sight of what really matters now.”

“Really?” Ari replied with a cold voice. “‘It’s not worth it anymore’- Do you even hear yourself?”

“Er, well, it’s just-”

“Listen, I don't care what others have been telling me for the past couple months. I know what I heard and I know it was real.” She kept her chin up high. “I can tell real from fake.” she hated the pity she saw in his bright blue eyes as he stared back at her.

“But can you really? I mean- even some experts get mixed up sometimes. There is no shame in being wrong.” he pressed, still keeping up that gentle tone in his voice. It was now honestly starting to make her mad. She was not some child to be consoled.

“But I'm not wrong! How many times do I have to tell everyone that?!” she raised her voice irritably. “Why won’t you guys just trust me?”

Nash’s face then firmed up, as if preparing to let something important out. She never saw him wear that expression often, so it was enough to shut her up temporarily.

“Months and months in a row people have called saying that they were survivors from Rx Industries, when in actuality it is just a bunch of pubescent teens looking to cause some trouble around town. It is not worth our resources to send cops hunting for every individual who claims to be a Masked Killer survivor. All of those real victims are dead.”

Ari was left dumbfounded. Sure, she was fully aware of the hoax calls coming in every now and then, but… it seems as if there was more behind the scenes than she had thought.

“But this time it’s true.” She said a little weaker, feeling her heart drop in her chest. Was Nash right? Was she really fixating on a hoax call all this time? “James believes this too, doesn’t he?”

“Everyone does, Ari.” Nash replied solemnly. “You're still new here, you haven't seen everything we have seen. There are people who will take advantage of this situation for their own self gratification.”

“How would you know?! You weren’t even there!”

“I know because I’ve seen all of this myself. As much as I want to believe that this call of yours was legit… it’s just too good to be true, alright?”

Ari looked away, feeling a bitter feeling settle within her gut. She didn’t want to believe this. He was wrong. They all were wrong.

“Just… think about it okay?” Nash said gently. He then resolved to walk away, seemingly knowing the weight of his words, the weight of what it all meant. Ari had wanted so desperately to help. To make a difference, to finally be entrusted with anything after so long of being pushed down, but once again, she was proven wrong. She wiped away a stray tear from her face and took a deep breath. No. I’m not giving up until I find out the truth. Ari lifted her head up once more, as she quickly thrusted away her negativity. She couldn’t give up. She was going to find and save Kao. she had to, and she had an idea how.

The next day she skipped lunch again to visit her boss’s office. She wasn’t going to bother with formalities, not going to wait till all of the dispatching higher ups were present. One boss of her’s was enough.

The hallway to the office space felt cramped, but that was perhaps due to the fact that this hallway happened to be painted in a darker coat than the rest of the walls here entirely… Perhaps the crampness was intentional.

Ari rarely made herself present here. She never needed to be here, only for the exception of when she first got hired. She also expected this meeting to be less friendly than her last encounter with him. Nonetheless, she wasn’t going to be all meek. She had a job to do.

The end of this hallway finally opened up, giving Ari more of a sense of space than previously before. The first thing she saw and recognized was the rich, almost black colored wooden door that separated her from the one who controlled her fate in the workplace. All the doors here were cheap and showed visible signs of wear and tear from the years here, but this door, it was an exception. It was made to last, just like the CEO who owned it. This door was not guarded by any secretary or receptionist. It was open to anyone who dared come through. Ari could now understand why. Sucking in a breath, she approached the door,

And knocked.

“Enter.” a cold, flat voice arose from behind the confines of the door. Ari wasn’t going to pretend how nervous she felt. She wasn’t sure how this would turn out. A deep part of her wondered if she could lose her job over this. Who cares? Someone needs my help out there and I will not let them down. 

She popped open the door and slid in with a determined look on her face, hoping that her boss wouldn't be able to see her nerves. Within was a quite spacious office, it was furnished neatly and reeked of professionalism. The room itself was sporting a gray theme, unlike the rest of the building. In the center of the room was a large gray desk, covered with papers and one large bulky computer.  and behind that gray desk was a goat with a smoky colored coat scribbling something down on a white sheet of paper. As Ari stepped in she felt her stomach swirl with uncertainty. There was an instant tension in the room. So much so, she hesitated speaking first.

“Well? Out with it.” The goat sighed gruffly, as he turned his cloudy-eyed gaze towards the younger female. On the bridge of his nose, balanced a thin pair of black glasses that looked like they were made another century ago, likely made with his riches in mind. Ari inhaled before making her stand.

“I need all phone records from as early as early july.” Ari rushed out with a firm voice. From behind his desk, the man, Winifred Schuyler, as the large silver nametag on his desk stated, tilted his head lower, a single bushy eyebrow raising just slightly at her tone. His silence instantly made her hesitant, but she couldn’t back down now. She was only getting started. “I need to examine a specific call I received in my station and pinpoint its location to determine its credibility.” She went on. She tried to tune out everything, everything from the loud air conditioner and the very shaking movements from her fingertips. Once more she was met with a very deadpan expression. She really didn’t like being in this room anymore.

“You want phone records?” he finally spoke at last.

“Yes, Sir.” Ari tensely nodded. Winifred only chuckled. Somehow Ari knew that this laugh was not lighthearted in the slightest. It almost made her lose her temper.

“Missy, we don’t keep phone records here in this facility.” He finally replied, still seeming to be cracked up by the notion of such a thing. Ari ignored the insulting form of address and focused on the actual information provided to her. They don’t keep phone records?! 

“What do you mean you don’t keep phone records?” She questioned with an edge to her voice. It was insane. How could a 911 dispatching facility not save their phone coordinates? Wasn’t that important? 

“You heard me, we don’t keep phone records here.” Whinifred lowered his eyes back to the paper in front of him and began to write once more as if she wasn’t there. Okay! Hold your tongue. You cannot let this get to you, it will be just fine!

“Do you even keep track of the locations each call comes from?” she questioned again boldly, still keeping her voice level and firm, hoping she didn't come off as insolent and just as a persistently curious worker.

“Listen, Ariana, I don’t have the time to indulge in your persistent chatter today, just make yourself useful and get back to work already.” He sighed audibly, leaving Ari dumbfounded. She tried to protest once more but was swiftly interrupted by the goat.

“Your paycheck isn’t going to make itself.” this time, his tone had changed into one of mocking and condensation, a mixture that almost made her snap. She was looking back at this… man. Someone who had the power to make things better, the power to make a difference, and all she saw was greed. The greed that had covered Haines County like a dirty, polluted cloud. He could make this all stop, couldn't he? He could easily help solve the masked murder case if he even bothered to, but he wouldn't, would he? After all, it was money he cared for. It was evident through his office. If he really cared about helping others, this misery would be all over. She couldn’t have done any more to make him listen…

“Yes, Sir.” she bit out before forcing her angrily trembling body out of the room. Her steps felt numb as she walked away, only her heels being recognized through her shock-riddled mind. This… this went so wrong… First it was her friends- colleagues, now it was one of her own bosses dismissing her pleas. She couldn’t understand how it was all possible. She thought that maybe Nash would vouch for her, but maybe it was all just wishful thinking. 

As she continued on, Her brain swirled with all sorts of angry thoughts, feelings and curses she couldn’t dare to speak out loud. This was all wrong! She knew her bosses weren’t all that friendly, or negotiative or even patient, but this… this was unheard of. Mr. Schuyler hadn’t even heard her out before sending her away.

And here she was now, walking back from the hallway towards her puny desk. There was no way that no phone records were recorded, she had to find them, and if Winifred wouldn’t listen to her, maybe the others would! She had no choice but to request a board meeting.

Which was denied within hours. It made no sense. Why was everyone determined to push her down and dismiss her? She frustratedly tapped at her desk. She had requested one just after she returned to her work area, only having a few minutes to spare before she started working once more. She had tried her hardest to make a case for herself, but as things progressed, it was clear that nobody was ever going to understand what she had witnessed. Biting her lip, she thought about the one last thing she could do… the last resort. She had to call someone who could actually make a difference. Officer Bloodhound… It was only a miracle that he’d accept her need of aid. She furrowed her brows as she contemplated. Doing this might cost her everything… but it truly didn’t matter. Kao needed help, and she was going to do her best to help him.

She had to at least try…

Chapter Text

Yuki’s Account

-

Day after day went by without him. It felt like a curse. Once there was bubbling laughter echoing through the halls of their spacious home, once was the familiar feeling of being protected, loved, cherished, but those feelings as well as that same laughter were long gone. Everything felt barren and lifeless, the rooms that were flush with color seemed dull and gray in her eyes. Yuki had never felt this lost and alone before, never in all her years had she felt this way.

It had been an ordinary day in july. The sky was clear and blue, the air was lukewarm. The sun was shining down on the county of Muir, as if it was a gentle promise of good things to come. Her beloved husband, Alfred Brown, had been heading off to his first day at his new job. Shai, her lovely daughter, was going to watch over her little brother, Shia; and Yuki herself would head off to her work as a waitress. everything that morning had gone perfectly, and she had expected this sense of perfection to only grow, but it didn’t, did it? All within the same day- Husband and son, dead- gone. 

She recalled it vividly, the moment when her day went south, the second she was told that her son was missing. She had gone pale. The world seemed to fade away around her, leaving her in a state of perpetual shock. Shia!? At that moment of time all she could think about was rushing home to find and rescue her precious baby boy. She didn’t care about her job, or her reputation, or about anybody else. She just wanted Shia back.

Then the worst happened. Alfred disappeared too, leaving no trace of him behind. Not a car, not a phone. Nothing. If losing Shia burned her soul like a fire, then losing Alfred as well was even more agonizing. Her husband… someone she grew to trust and care for was gone. He went off to work and then disappeared… he didn’t even do a thing wrong. Neither of them did. They were just two innocent people ripped away from her. Had she known this would have happened, she would have prepared anything to prevent it long ago.

Yuki was currently pacing around her largely empty home, with her and her daughter being the only occupants around. There was no sound besides her footsteps, giving off an even more depressed sensation to the older building. Today was Yuki’s day off, which meant that she no longer had a distraction from her own torturous thoughts. This proved to be quite rough for the bovine female, as she had nothing to do besides pace, not even the radio or television could keep her interested. This left her with the unfortunate condition of walking aimlessly through her own home, as if at any moment something would become dirty and require her assistance. Of course, that proved to be quite a stupid idea and impossible. She still kept wandering nonetheless.

Yuki turned towards the start of her small but kindly kitchen- her blue dress lifelessly swishing with her movements- The creamy-orange walls of the tiled walls were illuminated by the small hanging lights hooked onto the ceiling. She reminisced the times she used to cook here. After Shia and Alfred’s disappearance, she hadn't had the strength to make anything good, she couldn’t bear being in this room, not when it was so cold and empty. With this, Fast food had quickly become her new best friend.

She then looked over to the kitchen island longingly. That is where Alfred sat… and Shia… he sat there too with his sister… She could still imagine Alfred there, smiling at her with his goofy pair of glasses he never actually needed, the sparkling look in his orange eyes when they would meet her blue ones. She could still remember the beautiful laughs her baby son would produce at the simplest of pleasures, whether it being a simple dropping of a spoon or being able to draw to his heart's content. Those memories felt bitter in her soul. She could never get those moments back, never again see their lively faces. They were both dead… 

And Kao… Alfred’s close friend, what had become of him? He too, went missing and was likely dead as well. She really didn’t know. His older brother, Howaito had stopped communicating with her long ago. He would be of no help in this devastating circumstance. Oh Kao… you were so young…

Yuki felt tears slide against her trembling face, all before she worriedly wiped them away, hands shaking uncontrollably. She then swiftly forced her gaze away from the terrible sight of the kitchen and to the stairs that led up to her kid’s rooms… for one of them at least…  and she thought about Shai. her daughter was suffering too, she knew that even if Shai hadn’t shown it much. Shai was worried, she knew this clearly by the way she was now taking up responsibilities she never used to take interest in, busying herself around whenever she could. She had changed from a young, adventurous teen to something akin to a traumatized woman, but she was one, wasn’t she? Things had changed so drastically over the past few weeks. Nothing felt the same after the ordeal that had occurred on that bright July day. She doubted that anything could go back to what it once was before. Yuki ran her hands over her face and through her hair, attempting to remove any semblance of negativity still lingering within her, Only so she wouldn’t further stress out her remaining loved one. It was clear that she was doing just that.

Yuki let out one large sigh before making her way upstairs to her daughter's room. She could feel the shaking in her hands restart at the sudden reminder that her son’s room was up there… all empty, unused… no, she had to focus. Yuki shook out her hands as she approached the last step and directly walked a few feet forward until the door of her daughter's room was visible. It was closed. The door was always closed nowadays…

“Shai, honey?” Yuki gently spoke as she gingerly knocked on the wooden door. She halfway expected no answer, but she was greeted with the door opening.

“Mom? Is everything okay?” Shai’s visible concern was worrying to Yuki. she noticed that her girl was still wearing the same hoodie as days before, her hair was frizzy at the edges and barely looked combed, her eyes had dark circles underneath. It was very worrying…

“Of course, honey…” Yuki paused, thinking for a moment before forcing her voice to lighten. “I think we both should go out to my car and just drive around for a little- to get away from here, you know?” Yuki brought out a bright smile, of course her daughter being as smart as she was did not buy it, as shown by the fact she had raised an eyebrow in suspicion, Thankfully though, she didn’t protest.

“Sure, just… let me put some stuff away.” Shai mumbled before closing the door. Yuki watched, shaking her head slightly. She wasn’t stepping up enough as a mother, was she? If her kid assumed the worst every time they spoke, then she hadn’t been doing enough. Alright, come on. You have to be strong for her, she cannot go through this on her own. I gotta… Her train of thought was interrupted by the door reopening and her daughter stepping out to greet her mother once more.

“Alright, I'm ready.” Shai seemed to be attempting a genuine smile, but it came off more like she was an anxious wreck. Yuki chose to believe that she was just that. Yuki nodded and slowly began to walk downstairs towards where her car lay outside. Shai said nothing as she followed. It was odd. They used to talk so often, used to speak calmly, freely, but even to her, things just felt awkward, and she had no clue how to bring her daughter out of her gloomy shell. I wonder if I can even do that for myself… she pondered as she reached the front door.

Outside was deceivingly sunny, with the air being dry and hot. Yuki immediately missed her air conditioned home. The two gradually made their way to the black car that sat shiningly in the sunlight. Yuki felt a slight feeling of pride when she gazed upon her automobile. She got it from her parents right from the moment she got a license. She remembered how happy she was, her parents had trusted her so dearly with their older transportation and to this day, this beautiful car… it still was in good condition even after her parents eventually passed. She always worked diligently to keep it clean, well-fueled and undamaged as possible and so far she was doing great. Those reminders did help brighten Yuki’s frayed spirit. With a real, blooming smile, she slid into the driver's seat of her car and started the ignition. Once she saw Shai buckle into the passenger’s seat did she begin to drive out of her driveway.

“Uhm, where exactly are we going?” Shai asked, her voice a bit tentative. Yuki thought for a moment, she hadn’t exactly planned for a destination, but she was steadily coming up with a plan.

“Well, since we are out, we can get some lunch and maybe just hang out by Muir Park. I can take suggestions though.”

Yuki was relieved to see Shai’s expression lighten up with thought.

“Yeah, The park sounds good.” She nodded contently. With the air finally seeming to relax, the car ride ended up being a lot more invigorating than how it initially started, allowing Yuki to let loose some of her deep rooted anxieties, if even for a little while.

The car let out a low purr as it drove on, the noise filled the now silent enclosure as it went along. Yuki took in her surroundings as she drove, willing herself to see the beauty in it all. It was hard. It all reminded her of them both- of Alfred. All he had done was go to work one day… and his body might just be out- no. Yuki shook her head angrily. This was not the time to think about that!

“Mom? Are you okay?” Shai asked seemingly out of the blue, her head turned towards her mother, a worried expression etched onto her features. Yuki felt caught off guard and struggled to answer for a hot moment, it felt as if her brain had stopped for a moment and forgotten where she was and why she was so deathly upset.

“O-Oh yes! Yes I'm fine, just lost in thought.” She replied, trying to hide the shakiness her voice produced. Shai didn’t answer, only turning her head away from her mother’s and seemingly decided to do her own personal train of thought. Yuki mentally sighed. Way to ruin a peaceful moment.

Yuki then caught sight of a store along the road. It was a new one. Cloverway Highway, it was called. She had never gone and tried it before, but she supposed that anything new would be good. Yuki swiftly turned into the restaurant's parking lot and thankfully spotted a drive through and entered it. The store’s motif seemed to be white with green and speckled with images of clovers. The restaurant’s entire structure reeked of wealth and detail. It was a-like something from Lumiere… perhaps it was a Lumiere brand? Whatever, what mattered was that the quality appeared nice. Oddly there weren't many people at this establishment, Yuki supposed it was due to lack of advertising or a lull in the usual traffic.

“This is new…” Shai hummed, seemingly to herself. Yuki nodded  silently as she pulled towards the illuminated menu. The lightened paper on the inside was tinted with green and had many clovers decorated all around. To be honest, it was quite distracting for Yuki. she then jumped when she heard a gargled voice from just beside her.

“Hellloooo!~ what would you like to order today?~”  Sung a female voice from the white speaker Yuki now spotted. She allowed her gaze to skim over the contents before turning to her daughter.

“Hey honey, can you look over this menu and tell me what you’d like?”

Shai looked at her mother before shrugging.

“Just surprise me…”

Yuki nodded slowly, feeling a pang of guilt and worry as he turned back towards the menu. After about a second thought, she finally replied.

“We’ll take two vegetarian one foot clover sandwiches.” Yuki spoke firmly towards the mic. There were a few clicking noises that came right after from the other side before the same voice from before rang out annoyingly.

“Okiee~ next window pleasee!~”

Yuki resisted the urge to roll her eyes and instead moved her car forward. Eventually as a boring ten minutes passed, she received her and Shai’s meal. It was put in a mint green bag and what was inside smelled absolutely delicious. Odd, she hadn’t known how hungry she was before…

Yuki then took off in the direction of Muir Park. As she went, she carefully, without taking her gaze off the road, pulled out a hot, wrapped up sandwich and gently passed it to Shai. Once she was sure that her kid had grabbed a hold of it, she retrieved her own meal. The air in the car was now filled with a pleasant aroma that eased Yuki’s senses wonderfully. It was nice to have a gentle scent in the air as opposed to the harsh scents of the world outside. Yuki listened as her daughter unwrapped her sandwich and let out a pleased hum soon after. She could only assume that the sandwich was good then. She couldn't help feeling herself salivate at the thought of getting to dig in.

Once Yuki had parked her car at the park’s parking area, she pulled out her own sandwich. Now that her eyes weren’t focused on the sparking, black road, she could clearly see the white wrapping decorated with clovers. How many more clovers am I going to see today? She heard herself thinking amusingly in her head as she unwrapped it and took a bite.

The flavor was surprisingly better than she thought it would be. There was a fresh, grassy flavor layered with a slight sweet taste. While mixed with mayo, it added just the perfect amount of savory to the concoction. 

Silently, the two ate. Yuki wanted to say something- anything, but nothing really could come to mind. She was honestly afraid she came all the way to the park for nothing.

“Mom?”

“Yes, sweetie?” Yuki swallowed and looked upon her darling daughter. Shai’s brown hair covered her eyes thoroughly so it was hard for her to identify her expression at this time, but she already knew that she wasn’t particularly happy.

“Why did we actually come here?” Shai murmured.

Yuki hesitated for a moment. In her mind, she knew it was to get them both away from a house full of painful memories- away from their main source of emotional agony, but she also knew it had to do with… themselves… how far apart they had gotten….

“Well… I suppose I just want to be closer with you.” She finally admitted. “I understand that things are different now and you are grieving in your own way, I just… I want to be there for you.”

Shai blinked and slowly nodded her head, but she didn’t speak a word until moments later.

“I see…” Shai nodded uncertainty. “I want to be there for you too.”

Yuki gazed upon her darling daughter, she saw such compassion in her eyes, something she realized she hadn’t really focused on at all. How much had she really missed?

“I've been trying to help us get money. I've been using my phone to take photos around town and trying to see if anyone would buy them.” She looked down to her lap, avoiding her mother’s eyes. “Nobody has yet.”

Yuki opened her mouth, Preparing to reassure her daughter, only to be swiftly silenced.

“But someone will! I… I just have to work harder.” Shai nodded to herself with fierce determination. It was enough to get Yuki choked up.

“So that's what you've been working on all this time? Oh honey, you are already working so hard for me. I don’t need you to get me money.” Yuki unbuckled her seat to turn towards her loved one, she felt a sense of urgency in the action, feeling as if she didn't do this, that she would regret it.

“Shai, you are just a teenager, you shouldn't rest all of this burden on yourself. You should never feel like you have to help me with this.” Yuki then gently pulled Shai into a hug, the warmth from the embrace was a welcome feeling, it had been a while since she had hugged anyone- let alone her daughter. Shai was speechless. Her eyes were wide and her body was stiff, but it only took a couple seconds for her body to calm and for her to eagerly hug her mother back. Truthfully, Yuki had missed this… this closeness with another.

“I love you, Sweetie. I always will, and I'm sorry that I never tell you that enough.”

Shai began to let out a few muffled sniffles while beginning to shake gently against her mother. Yuki hugged her just a bit tighter. The food at this point was promptly forgotten, all that mattered was the quickening wave of comfort the two had brought together.

“I miss dad…” Shai then whimpered into her mother’s shoulder. Yuki couldn’t help but silently agree as she held onto her darling daughter. “I miss everyone…”

Yuki held Shai tighter as her own very real tears began to slip down her cheek.

“I miss them both too… I really do…” she shakedly replied.

“I’m sorry…”

“It’s okay, honey…” Yuki croaked out.

“It’s going to be okay…”

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty Four

-

Kao was unsettled by it all. It all seemed like a fuzzy, hazy dream- all that had happened. Of course, the evidence of what had occurred to him was blindingly obvious. His wings… they were gone. Ripped clean. Just bloody, pathetic stumps left behind. Out of everything Mystery had to do, it was this…

His wings… They were the only thing that proved to others that he was truly immortal and not just some frail, mortal ram. Without them, he felt weak. With those wings, he truly could look at himself and feel like he was powerful- worth something, heck! He would even settle for being seen as a threat of sorts, anything but seen as a common, weak being. Alas, here he was, looking back at the bloody scene on his back, feeling as every second gazing behind made him sicker.

Kao had been holding himself up by the forearm of his right arm at this time. Feeling his thoughts rapidly consumed him as he was left alone with no clue of what to do. At the very least he was blessed to be fully rid of the strange symptoms that had plagued him from the drugging. His body seemed to move to his own accord, and his mind was comfortably clear. Of course, it was the aftermath of what happened that still remained. Despite everything, he was still alive and still bleeding. Of course, it wouldn’t kill him, but it sure wasn’t very good nonetheless. He’d be weaker than a stick bug if this kept up. By God's earth! What would Alfred do?! Oh he knew exactly what he’d do. He’d bandage up the area. Kao looked pitifully across the dark room for anything that could even help him in such a situation, but his eyesight detected nothing of use that could possibly assist him. He was shit out of luck. He would just have to suck it up.

Shakingly, Kao forced his body up into standing position. His body was bare, he knew it was of the doing of Mystery once more. He ignored the telltale aching pain in his body as he gathered his scattered clothing found in a nearby pile next to him and quickly pulled it on him. He didn’t bother worry about cleaning up any mess left behind, fluids or otherwise. His legs trembled- no, his whole body began to tremble. His eyesight started to blur every few moments and he felt on the verge of collapse. He had no idea what was happening to him. He could have sworn that the effects of before had worn off, what else could be causing him to shut down?

His breaths came out as quivering pants and huffs for air as he finally pushed his body to move from it’s stationary spot. Doing so, only made his stomach grow unbearably queasy and made his head ache with lightheadedness. Before he could do much about his predicament, he felt bile rise from his throat and he immediately hurled over to his side. His body quivered and shook uncontrollably as his being spewed green and red onto the floor beneath him. The ram’s eyes watered painfully as his stomach finally freed the last of its contents on the flooring. Kao stumbled around a little as he wiped the remnants onto his sleeve. He stared back at the mess. Somehow he didn’t care enough to clean it up, so he stepped far away from it. Performing this action alone made his legs nearly give away, but by miracle, he was standing by a nearby wall and quickly caught himself with it. It was so cold, or at least it felt like it. The room was all musty and hot so the wall’s chill was quickly welcomed. O-okay… jus’ breathe… Breathing though was rough and he continuously struggled to keep his breath as he desperately tried to not fall. His stomach knotted up as he tried not to vomit again. He was sweating beyond anything reasonable, he felt like he was dying. 

Kao then turned his burning head, not really understanding why until his eyes were quickly blinded by a flickering light shining in his eyes. Jolting away, Kao blinked again and again until he was able to fully comprehend what he was looking at. The door is unlocked. 

Kao took a shaking breath and hesitantly approached the doorway, fearing that Mystery could pop out of nowhere and catch him, but nothing happened as he gazed between the crack of the door. Kao felt his heart race further. Mystery never left the doors unlocked so carelessly, at least… not that he ever knew of… Kao thought back, Mystery had been here after removing his wings agonizingly, perhaps after the last visit he had left in a hurry. He was stretching it for sure, it could easily be a trap. Despite that notion, Kao went closer, carefully hooking his fingers on the doorframe and fearfully pushed it open. He clamped his eyes shut as he stepped an inch closer. Nothing happened. Kao with surprise, opened back up his eyes and nervously looked back and forth. Mystery was not there, but something had changed.

In front of him was a heart monitor. What? Kao pulled himself all the way out, wincing at the door creaking shut behind him. What was a heart monitor doing here? It was never here before. Abruptly his train of thought was shattered when the flickering lights finally died out, now sending the area in total darkness. The ram felt his breath catch in his throat. Being in the dark had now grown to become a new, steady fear for him. Of course, it wasn’t the dark itself he feared. It was what lurked in the dark that worried him. What on earth should I do? What if Mystery is really lurking out here, how am I supposed to not get caught? He didn’t know the answer to that, he really didn’t have the answer for anything now. With this, he shook the rest of his gut wrenching bodily symptoms, and he moved on, now more focused on figuring out what to do next.

Al! Kao quickly realized his opportunity here. If he was lucky, Mystery wouldn’t be near him either. He could check on him. Am I stupid? Mystery never leaves his side… but I, I've gotta try! Kao then, with a goal in his mind, made himself move, using the elaborate map in his memory to guide him through the maze of doors and hallways. He found it harder than usual. Some hallways appeared to be altered or completely removed. Some hallways had more random accessories than he ever recalled. Why on earth was there a mobile bed laying next to a door? (let alone one covered in blood?) there was various equipment that Kao had never seen here before. It was eerie, and worse, it got him off track.

It took a long while before he could finally become confident in his route, but as bold as he felt, he still felt himself gradually slow in speed, feeling more careful as he got closer to his destination. He strained his ears to listen for any noise, nothing though could be heard. So deceiving- he could actually believe it. He soon was just feet away from the door, he stayed to the side, hoping it would give him some sort of protection, no matter how false. Funny enough, he just stood there, not moving, not making any sort of move. He felt frozen in place. What if he’s not here?... what if Mystery is in there?... What if Al was moved again?... What if he’s dead? 

The sound of shuffling caught his attention, feet shuffling. SHIT!, Mystery is here! Kao stumbled away, feeling a sudden pulse of terror shoot up his spine at lightspeed.

“K-Kao?” A voice from within croaked. Kao froze, blinking for a moment. It didn’t click for a good few seconds. “Is that you?”

“A-Al?...” Kao heard his meek, raspy voice reply.

“Oh my goodness-”

Kao threw himself at his best friend's door, pressing his ear close, in an attempt to hear the sound of his friend’s voice closer. His low, comforting voice was like a fresh cold breeze of mist in his mind. He missed it so much. It felt so refreshing to the voice he had grown accustomed to.

“You're okay! I cannot- I-” Kao’s words got choked up within the mix of emotions, this meeting was far more intense than when they first saw each other. It had been a while…

“Kao! Please tell me your alright!” Alfred pleaded from within the door. It was that reminder that brought Kao’s attention to the stumps where his wings once sat, throbbing and painful.

“Y-ya! I’m fine.”

“Thank god…” Alfred blew out a sigh of relief. Kao felt guilty for not being truthful, but Alfred already had too much on his plate anyway, it would only worry him further. “Please… keep talking to me.”

Kao bit his lip as he looked both ways. Mystery wasn’t here, but he had no clue as to if he was even in the building, he didn’t have that privilege of knowing anymore. He just had to take a risk here.

“A-are ya okay? What's happened to you while I was gone?” Kao feared the response, what if Mystery was hurting him even more than before? How long would Alfred last with such harsh treatment? he had no idea…

“It's a long story, But i was able to get out of this room not too long ago… for our plan… I'm… making steady progress, I think.”

Kao’s eyes widened. Mystery let him out? Despite being the one who suggested the idea first, it honestly hadn’t seemed all that likely considering the more he learned about the feline.

“Really?”

“... yes.” Alfred replied, his voice seeming tense as he spoke. Kap couldn’t help but feel a pang of worry. Alfred never sounded so… unsure before. He seemed hesitant… his voice seemed to be shaking… something was wrong.

“Al-”

“I missed you.”

Kao felt a fond smile tug at the corners of his mouth.

“I missed ya too…”

The two then sat in silence. Kao felt guilty for not saying more, but it was as if his own body rejected the idea of casual conversation, acting as if everything was fine and dandy, and it seemed mutual. Nonetheless, he wanted to reassure Alfred, to talk to him. He knew that he wasn’t the only one suffering. Alfred was being hurt just as much as he was, he had to be there for him… he didn’t know when he’d next have the chance.

“Al… I might have another plan.”

“You do?” Alfred’s tone revealed disbelief.

“I think- well, I inherited magic from my ancestors and I can use it.”

The surprise and shock was palpable even from the barrier in front of the ram and canine.

“That’s impossible!” Alfred gasped, his voice seeming to crack from the force of the words he spoke. Kao wondered how much he had screamed for that to happen… 

“I thought so too, but when Mystery-” Kao paused, feeling a lump in his throat accumulate. “...When Mystery got too close, I shocked him with my own body.”

Alfred was silent from behind the door, so Kao continued. 

“I don’t really know how I did it, but it worked and I think that if I really focus on it, I might be able to counter the powers that Mystery possesses… we can get us out faster if I do.” The Ram explained. (Alfred from within couldn’t express how mature Kao seemed right at this moment…)

“I… might also have another plan as well. Or something connected to the original idea we had…” Alfred began. “Mystery… is kinda clingy and I feel that I can take advantage of that, it could- it… could- maybe…. Help?” he finished with an uncertain stutter. He wasn’t even sure that he even understood. Since when does Al stutter like that?... Kao thought subconsciously. More consciously, Kao wondered why all of a sudden he sensed his friend’s apprehension and worry. He seemed more fearful than he last saw him, and Mystery being clingy?... his head drifted towards the worst. No no no, Alfred would say something! Would he? Maybe he was being paranoid…

“H-how will ya do that?” Kao dared to ask, pressing his ear closer against the door. There was a blank moment of silence before he heard a reply.

“I… just got to pretend that I care about him, really…”

Kao got the idea and nodded, not quite remembering that Alfred couldn’t see him. A part of him hated the thought of his friend pretending to be close to that feline scum, mostly due to the fact that he was capable of such horrible things. Alfred had good intentions going through with this, but Mystery wasn’t someone with good intentions, he knew that more than anyone. If anything, Kao feared that Alfred would be the one taken advantage of, not Mystery. He didn’t voice this immediately, somehow not wanting to dash his best friend's hopes.

“Maybe… we can do both?” Alfred spoke again.

Kao bit his lip in contemplation.

“We could…” Kao replied. “I’m just not sure if it's possible- the magic part- to even work. The last time-” Kao stopped again.

“The last time?” Alfred’s voice seemed to rise in pitch, if just slightly.

“The last time,” Kao began again tensely. “The last time Mystery got too close, I wasn't able to really activate these powers of mine, er… it just didn't happen.” Kao looked down at his hands, feeling a low pit of uselessness pool within him, all mixed with the guilt he felt from keeping something so bad hidden from his closest companion.

“I didn’t even know you could even do magic…” Alfred said in a hushed voice. “I thought it was impossible… that only Shinigami’s could access any sort of power. H-how can you-...” Alfred didn't finish, but Kao understood.

“I don’t know…”

More quiet…

“Is Mystery hurting you too?” Alfred asked, his voice seemed to echo, perhaps it was Kao’s perception.

“W-what?”

“You said that Mystery keeps getting too-”

“It’s fine, Al!” Kao swiftly cut in. “I promise. It’s nothing I can't handle.” That wasn’t a lie. He has handled it, and he is still moving. That was all that mattered.

“But-”

“I promise.” The ram repeated, while simultaneously looking back at his aching back.

“Just… stay safe.”

Kao remembered Alfred telling him this before, it made him feel comforted. Like someone actually cared. Hearing it now, it felt more intense for him. Despite the fact that he was not in fact safe, hearing someone care about whether he lived or not felt right. It gave him hope.

“You as well…” Kao whispered softly.

The two basked in the silence, enjoying what moments they got to spend near one another before they were forced away again. A pang of hurt pulsed through Kao’s soul. He didn’t want to leave. He didn’t want to leave Mystery alone with him again… he didn’t want to be alone with Mystery again.

“I can’t wait to get out of here.” Alfred muttered.

“Me neither…” 

And Kao left it at that. There was nothing really to add. That was all that could be said, and that hurt. Couldn’t he say anything more?... 

“Al…”

“Yes?”

“Please don’t get hurt trying out your plan.”

Alfred was silent for a moment.

“I’ll do my best.”

That was all Kao could ask for.

“You too, please be careful.”

“I will.”

“Thank you…” Alfred appeared to let out a sigh of relief.

And that was it. Kao didn’t say a word further and just rested his sore head against the door, just listening to Alfred breathe from the other side. He rested while he could, knowing that it wouldn’t last long and soon enough he’d have to go back to fearing every moment in his existence, but it was all worth it if it meant that they could be both saved in the end. It was with that, that he forced a smile and waited. He’d stay here until he knew he couldn’t anymore. As he rested his eyes, he could have sworn that he heard Alfred mumble.

“I’m glad that you're my friend…”

I’m glad as well…

————————————

Alfred smiled fondly as he handed Kao a small white flower. His firey orange eyes seemed to shimmer with affection as he gazed upon Kao's surprised face. The canine’s copper hair was gently swaying in the cool breeze from where they stood as a red tinge of light cast over them from the setting sun behind. It was an innocent gesture, receiving a flower from a friend, but it felt so much personal coming from him, knowing that he'd never give flowers to Howaito or even to Yuki, his wife, at least… he never thought he did. No, This gift was for Kao. Only him. The thought made his cheeks dust red.

“I hope you like it, I know how much you like your flowers.” Alfred grinned brightly, showing off his pearly white teeth. His grin while bright was also genuine. Kao could tell the difference. Alfred’s smile radiated pure joy and kindness. Kao shyly ducked his head.

“T-Thank you Al…- Alfred! I meant Alfred. Sorry.” Kao yelped suddenly, feeling a pit of worry grow in his stomach. Am I insane?! You don’t just give some guy a nickname without knowing him long enough?! Idiot!

“Heh, it’s fine. Call me Al, I think it’s a cute nickname.” Alfred chuckled softly. Kao hated how mushy that laugh made him. He had been living in the same house as him ever since the canine rescued him a month ago, it was a strange adjustment but a welcome one nonetheless. Alfred had been so understanding towards him and his brother. Gave them shelter, food and a shoulder to lean on. Kao was given proper clothes, a fresh haircut and a space to himself. It was amazing. Howaito had taken a little while before he fully relaxed. He couldn’t blame him. Neither had been in a stable household in ages.

Of course, Kao knew it was perfectly fine to be attached towards his rescuer, he knew it was fine to want to spend time with him, he knew it was okay to feel safe and secure when around him. One thing he did know was that it was wrong to want to hold his hand, to feel his body wrapped around his. It was wrong. It was filthy and it was beyond immoral. Alfred was a married man. A happily married man. It seemed as if the world wanted to screw with him. Still, Kao couldn’t help loving him. He had never met anyone so compassionate before. It almost felt false… but it wasn’t. It was moments like this that proved that.

“O-okay… Al…”

Alfred looked away for a split second, his expression brightened just a bit more as Yuki and all her grace joined them out by the field.

“It’s getting late you two, let’s go home. Shia’s getting fussy.” Yuki’s silky feminine voice spoke.

“Of course, honey. Come on, Kao.”

Kao watched as Alfred followed his wife back to the canine's silver car. Besides Alfred and Yuki, Shia, the young lad, was in the car. Shai hadn’t come along for whatever reason, Teenage stuff likely. They had come to Muir park to stretch out their legs and give Shia time outside from the house. Alfred had taken him to the center of the field to give him the flower, of which he still held in his hand. The moment was over. Kao felt his heart drop as he watched the distance between him and his best friend extended, but instead of crying, he made himself smile.

“Hey! Wait up!”

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty Five + Bloodhound’s Account

Three days later…

-

A static fuzz permeated through the closed room, echoing against the walls in a way that only seemed to only amplify the persistent buzzing within the canine’s head. Alfred had just been about to conk out on the floor from the long period of time he had been sitting next to his captor, Mystery. Knees to his chest, and head drooping just slightly, he listened to the long drone of sizzling voices echoing across his enclosure in a steady stream. Alfred found that he had been sitting on the cold floor for about two hours next to the feline, being forced to listen aimlessly as the grubby, rusty radio continued screeching on and on as it lay untouched on the tile floor. 

The feline had a firm grip on Alfred’s hand, locking their fingers together. Mystery currently wasn’t wearing his gloves as he usually did. This left his hand feeling much warmer and softer to Alfred than what he was typically accustomed to. He was also pressed tightly against the canine, tail fully wrapped around Alfred’s sore body. He was pretty much trapped, but right at this moment, he didn’t have the heart to care, especially when it only aided in his current goal.

This was the first time in months he’d seen a radio. Mystery had brought it in for him as a gift. He didn’t know where he had found it, but what mattered was that it worked. The station the feline put on was typical. It was a news station and it was currently discussing the weather. 83° fahrenheit in Muir. Haines and Lumiere counties were hotter; 87° and 91° respectively. This summer was turning out to be a hot one. Besides the weather forecast, nothing extraordinary was being discussed. In fact, it seemed to be any ordinary day. He wasn’t sure why Mystery wanted to listen to this. The feline seemed to hear his internal wonders.

“They're gonna talk about you soon.” Mystery hummed contently. Alfred dared to look at Mystery with confusion.

“Any second now they will mention your disappearance. They do it every morning.”

Alfred looked back down to the radio.

“Oh.” Alfred dumbly replied. He wasn’t all surprised that people were still talking and looking for him. Before all this, those missing would have months and months of people looking for answers, even now some still persisted. It wasn’t too far-fetched to believe the same was happening for him as well. It was… eerie to think about. Once he heard of the lost, now he was one of them. He wondered how he hadn’t been forgotten by now…

“I love listening to them ramble on about my victims. I get to learn more about them with each passing breath.” Mystery closed his eyes blissfully, ears twitching just slightly as he listened on. “It was as if I knew them personally… like we were friends, if even for just a speck of a second… I wish you’d understand that feeling… we’d get along so much better that way.”

Alfred shivered at the implication.

“Did you hear me, Alfie?”

“Y-Yes! I did.”

Mystery opened his eyes and hummed again, this time with a shorter burst of air rushing out of his lungs.

“They say such sweet things about you.”

“They do?”

“Yes…”

Mystery then abruptly leaned forward, causing Alfred to be pulled forward as well. His knees-to-chest position was quickly thrown off, now putting him in a less comfortable position on his knees. The sudden change caused the canine to yelp.

“SHHH. It's happening.” Mystery glared at Alfred before staring eagerly at the radio. The canine directed his gaze to follow Mystery’s. The radio that was playing jingling tunes over the speaking cheery voice had gone silent. A cracking noise echoed around the room, giving Alfred goosebumps. Within a few minutes a new tune began to play. The sound of a slow paced music box began to fill the room. Alfred hadn’t heard music like that in months… It sounded beautiful.

“Ladies and Gentlemen… throughout the years we have covered the investigation of the Masked Killer. A notorious monster who has slain hundreds and still has not yet been caught. In June, the famous Rx Industries suddenly vanished without a word. This is where we come in…” a low voice spoke from the box, his voice could be compared to the voice heard on nature documentaries. Alfred wondered how much this man was paid…

“While others have gone on to claim that all those missing from the building are long gone, there has been fervent speculation of survivors alive.”

Alfred’s eyes widened.

“This morning we will bring you a live update from the field from our proud associate, take it away!” The man cheered before a moment of static took over, soon being replaced with a new voice, a younger male voice. “A-Ah yes, as of this morning a more notable face has joined the hunt to find any clues to locate missing persons whereabouts, known as Officer Bloodhound. A cop from the edge of Haine’s territory who is known for clearing out the coldest of cases and for his immaculate sense of smell. Many volunteers have taken their time to join him this morning on Rx Industries grounds. Word has it that this might be the turning point that Treelight needs.”

As Alfred listened, he quickly snapped a glance at Mystery who had appeared to be fully immersed in the radio’s snare, his multicolored eyes seemed to sparkle with child-like bliss and he seemed to bounce just slightly from his position. How would anybody derive such fun from this?... Then again, this was Mystery he was talking about. His attention was then snapped back when he heard his name.

“Alfred Brown, a shiba inu canine, is an example of one of the hundreds missing from Rx Industries. Known to the Muir community as a father and a dedicated husband-”

Alfred could have sworn that he heard Mystery growl at that…

“He, not just alone, is the main motivation for this hunt, as many loved ones were lost completely during this tragic Eve- oh! Here we are now with Officer Bloodhound and his proud associate in our midst. Can we ask the two of you some questions?”

The canine then found himself immersed…

————————————

 “Can we ask the two of you some questions?” echoed the reporter with a dashing smile of encouragement. Bloodhound could only hold back a scoff of annoyance. The past few hours of his time were full of analyzing the scene surrounding the facility, re-reading past records of past employees and the building’s history, and speaking to many volunteers. It was a tedious job, yet a fulfilling one and important one.

Just about a week before, he received a call from a young woman, asking- no, pleading for help. She had reached temporary contact with one of the missing victims from the pharmaceutical facility incident, nobody had believed her and she desperately needed someone to investigate Rx Industries and find them. He didn’t care to learn about this victim personally, especially when hundreds besides them were missing, but it was the subject itself that lured him in, of what Ari mentioned…

The Masked Killer. A cop's worst enemy. Never captured. Never truly seen behind the mask. Years had gone by with them on the loose. All that was known about them was the fact that they were immortal, thanks to the impossible feats that his monster seemed to curate and their signature white, black and purple mask. Bloodhound had tried his best to assist with the situation when it started, with him every now and then going out to find bits and clues as to the identity of this beast, after all, in his logic, Identifying the culprit was far faster than catching the culprit. (especially when you don’t know who it is). But eventually, he found that his efforts did not bring anybody closer to finding the killer, So for the longest time he had just focused on breaking cold cases and therefore bringing criminals and crazies to justice. That had done him just fine. Now things are going to be different.

Of course- now of all times he had to be interrupted. Wonderful. From Bloodhound’s spot, kneeling, he pushed himself to his feet, keeping his face cold as stone as he stared back at the shorter man. The radio reporter had slicked back gray hair as well as a surprisingly clean cut outfit, that was speckled with white, gray and black. He couldn’t help but feel disgusted. He hated people who got all glamorous for no occasion or reason. Especially since this man happened to be in the location of a pure tragedy. It was bad enough he had to see people’s blind ignorance to the situation, bad enough he had to deal with police force after police force not giving a damn about the situation, just saying it was all just random killings. Of course, everyone, even a child, knew better than to believe that. Worst of all, they were privileged. They never had to face any pain or loss. They just stood there and watched as everyone suffered beneath them. This… man was one of those demented people. 

Bloodhound stared down the younger man, feeling nothing but annoyance. As he stood, he took time to appreciate his own look, recognizing that unlike the reporter, he was actually doing something. He wore his black and gray uniform proudly, his badge seemed to glimmer brightly like a mesmerizing jewel. Somehow, during his internal thoughts, he hardly noticed that beside him was his colleague, Icey, a red pigmented shark. He had to suppress a shutter of surprise. Icey… She had joined his sector just about four years ago, top of her class in her designated academy. They, as of now, were wearing their corresponding uniform, just like his own.

“We’re not taking questions.” Bloodhound gruffly replied after a few moments of silence, eyes narrowing just enough to be visible to the reporter, in response the man’s smile seemed to waver, as if now seeing the authority the canine cop had over him.

“Well… uh-”

“You can sure ask me some questions!” Chirped Icey abruptly, giving off a gentle shrug of his shoulders. Bloodhound was taken aback and shot her an exacerbated look, which she returned with a cheeky wink.

“Let’s head over here while we talk.” Icey slung their arm around the reporting male before practically dragging him away. Bloodhound could see the shocked and slightly uncomfortable expression even from far away. He hoped that this reporter would think twice before interrupting an investigation again. Icey then flashed one last glance towards her colleague and grinned brightly, her sharp, knife-like teeth glistened in the light and their bright blue eyes twinkled with a mischievous and sneaky glint, which the canine cop immediately caught. It was then that he realized why he had done that. 

Icey had always been like that; eccentric. From the very day she arrived, he had been full of energy and wit. They were unprofessional in any forms, inappropriate and brash at many times, but despite this, they were clever, open-minded and very keen. Could see cracks in a case before he could, could match the energy of anyone, could think outside the box. Nobody in his squadron liked her. They had said that he was too ‘out there’ or ‘too idiotic’, but Bloodhound knew otherwise. This ‘idiotic’ personality they explained was in fact a cover for all the skilled things they were capable of, of what lied beneath. Bloodhound was the only one who could truly see that. She was a valuable asset. He could feel a speckle of respect blossom in his chest at the thought. 

Now without anybody getting in his hair, he could get back to work. Bloodhound took a few moments of his time to look around him. He could see many volunteers taking polaroid photos of the outline of which the building used to stand. Others appeared to be dusting away the dirt from the concrete base, the same one that started as the foundation of Rx industries. He wasn’t certain what luck they would have looking there. Everyone else seemed to be doing their own thing, each finding something different to help with. Unfortunately, as this was one of the most important places to look for clues, there was nothing really phenomenal. It really looked as if this building really had never been there. This was slightly aggravating. Reports he had gathered made this place seem like a breeding ground for information, but all he and his volunteers had found was next to nothing, except one thing.

A lone silver car in the vacant, abandoned parking lot. This of which was what he was currently investigating. The sight was odd. Nobody else's car was here, and he knew for a fact that there was no logical reason for this. There was nothing his mortal mind could do to understand its complexities. This, only aiding his certainty towards an immortal culprit. But one thought that wrapped around his logical, curious mind was the wonder if this lonesome car could belong to a victim… or the murderer? If it was a victim's automobile, then why would it still remain when the rest mysteriously vanish, but then again, why would a murderer leave such a big trail behind either, especially with a car of all things. Most immortals sported some sort of wings, so if his experience should be correct then the killer wouldn’t need a car. It was all so complex.

But unfortunately for him, any evidence to help prove his theories was tarnished by the graffiti that coated the car's surface, the slashed tires and the broken windows. It was disgusting.

It was true, Vandalism had skyrocketed over the past few years due to rebellious youth and the homeless folks scattered around, but this was completely unwarranted. Muir didn’t get vandals. Only big places like Haines and around Lumiere did, Yet it seemed like that had changed. Bloodhound peered over to the license plate. Thankfully it was mostly untampered with. Perhaps, this was all he needed. He maneuvered himself towards it until it could be reached. Careful as to not damage the metal, he removed it from its static position. He gazed upon the shiny aluminum, gazed at the intricate code etched neatly into its surface. The power this one thing could hold was remarkable. All it took was a scan and one’s entire identity could be found. It was so… intriguing. Many years before, things weren’t so easy, but with technology advancing, it was easier than ever. Bloodhound had to quickly shake himself out of those fascinated thoughts to focus on the mission at hand. Once he could head back to his office, he could properly find out the identity of the carowner. That was the first step. Therefore, That was what was most important. 

He then stood up, and eyed the vehicle before deciding to investigate the inside. Wondering if there were any clues that could be important to his investigation, like a phone or an ID of some sort. He, then with caution, opened the door from the inside, courtesy of the broken windows, to root around further. He allowed his innate sense of smell to take over, hoping that doing so could also assist him to find any olfactory clues that could be easily missed. Unlike most beings, he was one of the few who were born with an incredible power of smell, it was one of the main things that gained him a positive reputation, it was the one thing that made solving cases easier. Now was the perfect time to allow his full potential to take effect.

Bloodhound allowed his mind to focus deep and hard into his surroundings. How many people were in this car? Were they stressed? Any scents of anything unusual? How old is the- he suddenly paused as a sudden waft of a particular scent caught him off guard. A scent of a child was here. A child? Why the hell is the scent of a child doing here? He smelled further as he opened the glovebox. It was certain that a young male child had been in the car. His scent radiated excitement. Bloodhound then craned his head towards the pathway of the kiddo’s smell. It led directly to where the building once stood. It struck him like a punch to the gut. Dear god. He shook his head, containing himself. He cannot lose focus now. He forced his mind away from the youngster and focused his mind on the scent of another being that also filled the car. Doing so, he pulled out a small stack of papers from within the glovebox. Everything was typical. Insurance papers, brown napkins, and so on, nothing unusual. On the scent side: Bloodhound could detect an adult male’s scent along with the kid's. The male had a similar smell as to the kid, marking him as the father. He reeked of apprehension. It seemed to coat the entire car with the stench. The father’s scent too followed the path towards the building. It was with that, Bloodhound removed himself from the automobile to ponder his findings. These were victims, not murderers, he could see that, but that didn’t help him in the slightest. They were all looking for those missing, including the person who caused their disappearances. He was at a loss. Out of all the cases he faced, this was the hardest one of them all.

“Bloody!~ i’m back!”

Bloodhound winced at the petname.

“Welcome back.” He sighed as the fish being skipped back over to him. “What were you asked?”

“Jus’ some stuff like usual. Asking if we're ‘close to closing the case’” He spoke in a mocking tone. “It wasn’t anything you don’t already hear.” Icey shrugged.

The canine nodded approvingly. Icey once again did well.

“Anywho, find anything good?” They asked, eyes gazing down to where he held the license plate, giving a slight bounce.

“I was going to test this when i get to the office later today. I previously imagined that this abandoned car could be owned by our ‘Masked Killer’, but my senses proved otherwise.”

“Well darn! You're still gonna look at it though?”

“Yes, you can never be too certain. We also will need to contact their loved ones.” Bloodhound solemnly closed his eyes only for a moment, feeling it was respectful to do so. 

“We don’t usually do that though. Only until we're sure that a victim is dead.”

“My nose told me that there was a kid in this car.”

“A kid? Like… thirteen- fourteen?...”

“A kindergartner.”

“You can tell that?...” Icey’s expression fell, as if she was quickly realizing what that meant.

“Every age has its own distinct smell… I can tell a teen from a child.”

“So you're saying…”

“Adults can survive when alone, even if being held hostage. Us adults have the cognitive capacity to preserve our lives- the wisdom to do so. Kids… they don’t.” Bloodhound explained, steeling himself up again. “As much as I’d like to believe this child is safe, it logically is not possible, especially with a serial killer on our hands.”

Icey wilted visuably.

“I see… was he… alone?”

“No, thankfully not, but the end result is the same.”

Icey then picked his head up in a determined action. “I’d like to assist you further with this license plate if you’d let me.”

The canine was proud to see his associate being strong in the face of such a tragedy. He himself, despite not wanting to say so, was struggling internally with the news. He had no clue how an innocent child could have gotten here unnoticed. It was absolutely bizarre. More importantly, it meant that another life was taken from the world. None of it was fair. He could only wish he could do more. Well… they could!

“Actually Icey, we’ve been ignoring the core fact here. This killer is no mortal. They have caused this building to cease. Instead of us looking for something that is clearly not there we need to look for the source.”

Icey perked up as if understanding very quickly of what he was being asked.

“We need to get in contact with immortal beings, especially ones who do not live on the ground like us. If we must, we will need to speak with a Shinigami, one from the higher point in the hierarchy.” Bloodhound explained as his plan unfolded in his head.

“You forget that Shinigami’s never involve themselves in mortal affairs, right?”

“This is beyond mortal affairs now. An immortal being with powers stronger than man has ever known is killing people at a steady and dangerous rate. If a Shinigami cannot see this as an issue, then we have a bigger problem at hand.”

Icey then nodded fiercely.

“I won’t let you down, sir.” It was then that Icey excused themself and floundered a little with the volunteers. Likely gathering any new info before moving on to her next assignment. Bloodhound turned his head, fully believing that his colleague was capable of handing himself on his own. He could only stare around, wondering if something as big as this could ever be solved. He didn’t let that deter him though. He was going to solve this case, even if it killed him.

————————————

 The coverage continued on after the interview with one of the investigators left, but the rest of the program was all the same, just repeating the same stuff repeatedly until it became like an annoying drill in his head. He got the idea. People were looking for him and the others. He didn’t know if they all could really save him, but he chose to not give his hopes up.

Mystery then stood up abruptly, ignoring the continued voices that filled the room. His gaze was completely unreadable, it was almost as if a shadow covered his entire expression. Alfred’s muscles instantly tensed as if he internally knew that something bad was going to happen. He nervously scooted back as he stared at the now fully turned away feline. Mystery’s fists were clenched with such strength that Alfred wondered how the feline hadn’t crushed any of his bones yet. Mystery then flicked his wrist, silencing the radio instantly before turning to face the shuttering canine. Alfred was caught off guard by the sudden intense gaze he was given. Mystery then without a word, stalked away, practically tearing open the door and leaving. Alfred watched as he didn’t close the door behind him, he simply allowed it wide open. He felt a pull to follow Mystery, with him not quite understanding why. He shakingly stumbled onto his feet, breathing heavily as he felt his adrenaline kick up. After a moment of feeble attempts to steady himself, he then pushed himself to follow. Mystery paid him no heed, despite Alfred knowing that Mystery was nearly one hundred percent certain to have heard him following. 

The canine’s legs felt mushy and unstable as he struggled to keep up with the steady and powerful pace that Mystery was keeping, this combined with his wheezing breaths that huffed and puffed out of his abused lungs. made him feel quite pathetic and weak. Quickly as he passed more rooms, he began to realize that the direction he was going was exactly the direction towards the main entrance, somehow this pushed him to go faster. Along the way he passed strange items that for a split second took him away from his train of thought. There was an IV drip just standing there next to the wall. He knew it wasn’t there when he was last here… his mind was promptly thrown away from that pondering when he dropped suddenly and collided onto the floor. Mystery didn’t even look back. Alfred bit his lip as he forced himself to get back up and follow the still moving feline.

Within seconds he reached the familiar open room that led to the outside world, oh by gosh… he stumbled to a stop behind Mystery, only a mere seven feet away from him. Oh it could be so easy to slip past him and run into the- Alfred’s legs slammed down onto the hard, unforgiving ground, pushing out a pain-filled yelp. With tears threatening to escape past his eyes, he looked up at Mystery who was now staring straight at him. his intense gaze had softened just a little as he stared at the canine. Alfred glanced down to see the culprit of his fall. While Mystery stood tall and straight, his ungloved hand had flicked over. To the canine, that was a telltale sign as any that Mystery was using his powers to toy with him. Before Alfred could truly feel pissed, his eyes caught a shadowed over pattern on the feline’s hand. It was-

“You know that you can’t go out now, Freddy. You have to stay here where you're safe.” Mystery mockingly tutted, before kneeling in front of Alfred. His eyes sparkled momentarily. “I know what can bring us together, Alfie… you just got to be patient right here until I come back okay?” Mystery prodded the floor below him, his voice taking on a stern tone as he stood back up, towering over Alfred. A cock of the eyebrow immediately cued him to speak.

“Y-Yes.”

“Yes what?”

“Yes Mystery…” Alfred begrudgingly responded, lowering his gaze with shame to the floor.

“Wonderful! Be a good doggy for me while I’m gone. I'll come back with a surprise just for the two of us.”

Alfred gritted his teeth together as Mystery petted his head. Humiliation coursed through his veins. He understood hand holding, but this was just vile. It was more vile when he felt his eyes flutter just slightly to the foreign contact against his head. Despite multiple emotions threatening to make him lose his cool, Alfred willed himself to remain calm and not say anything as Mystery turned away, allowing his intense gaze returning back at full force as he pried open the unbelievably locked door. Alfred’s mouth then dangled open as he stared at the bright blast of light that slammed into his hypersensitive eyes. A green blaze reached his gaze, bringing forth a gut wrenching sensation of homesickness coiling through his stomach. He didn’t have long to enjoy the blinding, joyful light before it was sucked away from him when Mystery disappeared to the outside world.

Kao hadn’t been lying when he said that Mystery left at different times… he wondered just how many times? Hm, maybe learning that could be of value. But all thoughts of scheming and processing were buffered when he began to feel a burning sensation in his legs upon being seated for some time in his position. He felt very stiff and achy… but after all, It wasn’t exactly good to be sitting on one’s knees. He tried moving around to alleviate some of the pressure in his appendages, but despite all of Alfred’s wriggling, he could not reposition his legs. Letting out a loud, tired sign, he submitted himself to his current fate and just stared longingly at the door. It was painful to know that everything he wanted was just feet away, but no matter what he did he’d never be able to reach that door. Alfred then peered behind him, secretly hoping that maybe Kao was lurking behind, waiting for Mystery to leave to uncover himself from his hiding spot, but unfortunately he saw nothing. Kao wasn’t there. He likely would never see Kao outside his room for a long time, all because of Mystery’s twisted cruelty. Sadly, he knew he had no choice but to wait til Mystery came back. Whatever it might be, he hoped that Mystery’s new ‘surprise of the week’ wouldn’t spell another disaster on him. 

Hm, I wonder what it could be?…

Chapter Text

Jessy’s Account

-

Jessy laid in her bed. She wasn’t asleep. She just lied there with her eyes wide open, tracing patterns on the ceiling with her seafoam green eyes. She didn’t know what time it was, it could have easily been the middle of the day and she wouldn’t know or even care.

 It had been a few months since her birthday had passed (her sixteenth birthday to be exact) and just a few weeks since her ‘grounding’ session had come to an end, and yet despite that, things didn't seem to have changed much since then. Her dad still acted the exact same as usual, and everyone else just seemed to forget all about her, as if she hardly meant anything, as if everything she experienced in her life just happened to be boring and forgettable… ugh, maybe she was just overreacting…

Jessy sighed lonesomely as she turned over to face the white, cracked wall behind her, trying to ignore her body aching with twinging stiffness. She felt her mind drifting further into sadness as she remembered how her birthday had gone… Thinking about how her party had turned out to be the worst she had ever had…

Her sixteenth birthday… the age that supposedly changed everything. The sixteenth year of a person’s life was said to be the best year, when things would begin to make more sense in the world and you’d finally be treated with more respect, you’d be just another year closer to being an adult, finally being worth something in the world. Jessy remembered hearing these optimistic beliefs from her older peers when she was younger, when she was more naive, and she had believed it wholeheartedly. She wanted to believe that her life would magically change and the dream world she desired would blossom forth to her. A world where both her parents loved each other, a world where her dad saw her as a good daughter. She wanted all that so much. 

She had waited for the moment to arrive for years, months, days, up until when she would open up her eyes on her birthday morning and finally understand why everything happened the way it did, finally see her dreams become reality right in front of her! But nothing happened. Nothing had changed. Everything from the house, to even her dad remained unchanged. She felt scammed… utterly scammed… even after all this time she still felt the sting of her unreached hopes stabbing deep in her heart.

But what added insult to injury was that nobody even bothered to remember her birthday, aside from her best friend, Shai, who had also celebrated her own birthday months before. Shai… she was her best friend, and she was the only one who took the time to at least send her a birthday message, and showed that she was cared about. But besides her, nobody cared. Nobody showed up to her party, nobody gave her any presents. Nobody even knew. She knew Shai would have come if things had been different- if her family life hadn’t been completely tarnished from the inside out- but otherwise, she was left all alone. Just herself and the house. No… not even her own father had taken part in her celebration. Of course not. He was busy out drinking in a bar, probably trying to flush away memories of his miserable life. Jessy couldn’t help but grit her teeth uselessly in anger at the memories she aroused. She knew she deserved better, but what more could she do but just deal with it. It wasn’t like anybody cared enough to help her anyway…

Eventually the days afterwards slowly grew dull, with each passing week things seemed to get slower and slower… blending and blending until every single moment was condensed into one pitiful soup of boredom. 

All of this led to this miserable morning. She would consider it miserable due to Shai's lack of messages sent to her during the past few days and nobody coming over to visit her as per usual, Leaving her questioning what she should even do that day. Maybe… Maybe her dad would say something to her today? Was that even a possibility? Maybe she should try…

Jessy turned herself over on her bed, now facing her closed, cracked door. Secretly wondering if she should get up and even do anything that day. What if her dad yelled and grounded her again? What if he yelled at her for even leaving her room? Were these thoughts irrational? No, it had happened before… These where genuine worries. She really hoped that her fears would not come to fruition…

Shakily, she pushed herself to sit up and blearily looked around. Her room was an empty shade of gray with the walls consisting of the dreary shaded color. Around her room were scattered trinkets and toys she had never bothered to clean up. In front of the plain window colored by cheap blinds was her wonderful desk. It was simply the pure pinnacle of strong beauty. It was made of the finest wood, polished to greatness, all accompanied by pale gray cabinets. On the right corner was a tiny logo, a Lumiere main brand from the look of it. (All of this for a relatively cheap price as well!) Finally the look was put together by a small wooden stool that sat gently in front of it, seemingly waiting for the moment she'd sit on it once again. The rest of the room was nothing worth remembering, it just existed plainly like the rest of the condo.

Jessy, after a few moments staring around at the place she liked to call her safe space, stood up on her shaking knees and proceeded to swiftly get dressed. Sure, she could go out in the living room in her pajamas, but she liked looking nice, and her pjs… they weren't exactly the nicest. She at least wanted to look decent. So, she quickly flipped into her gray sweatshirt, her baggy pants, some rather torn up shoes and her favorite red scarf. The scarf she adorned was a gift from her mother, the only gift she ever received from her in years. It was special. So she treated it as such. It was the only article of clothing that was in beautiful condition. No holes, no tears, no stains. Just a brilliant, clean, red hue. She didn’t care how hot it was outside. She was going to wear it anyway.

It took her a few minutes to get fully dressed, only due to her groggy and easily distracted movements. Thankfully, she finished up and promptly skittered over to her cracked, long mirror. The frame was a golden sprayed color. Some of the paint had flaked off, displaying its silver metal to the air conditioned room. In front of the mirror, Jessy found that she looked rather neat, much better than she thought she’d look. Besides her choice of clothing, she looked decently put together, as if she hadn’t just been moping around in bed. 

Her fur was cream white, her muzzle gray. One of her forearms, a leg, hair, a portion of her ears and bangs were shaded a dark gray color, followed by a light gray shade completely enveloping her right forearm, just like her muzzle. It was her right leg, the edges of her ears, a single ‘dot’ between her eyes, tips of her hair and bangs that were shaded completely in a neon green hue. 

Surprisingly, She didn’t recall any of her family sporting this unique coloring. The only one close to it was her dad, but even that was a stretch. She watched as her eyes sparkled and blinked back at her, all the while as she gazed along her form. She looked good. If Shai were here, she’d say that she looked quite spiffy. Comments from Shai were always the best. Jessy couldn’t help but sigh disappointedly. Shai wasn’t going to be able to hang out for a long while…

After she quickly pulled her long locks of colorful hair into twin ponytails- or pigtails if one wanted to be fancy- She brisked next to her bed to pluck her charging, white flip phone off the ground, unplugged it and quickly flipped open the top. Jessy skimmed over everything, primarily her messages. Of course, as usual, nobody had anything to say to her. Jessy just about pocketed her phone, but quickly backtracked. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to at least send one message to Shai… somehow, the thought of just being radio silent towards her close friend seemed wrong, even if said friend hadn’t said much as of recently… Maybe out of sheer luck, Shai would get to hang out with her?... she wanted to try.

EdgeCreeperbot66: Hey Shai? Do you want to hang out today? 

ShaiButter316: Good morning! I dunno if I can hang with you right now, I'm still not supposed to go out without another person with me, and my mom is busy today.

Yes! She got a response!! Yet Jessy’s eyes narrowed at the last line of her message.

EdgeCreeperbot66: Morning to u as well! So, why exactly do you have to do that again?

Shaibutter316: you know?? The masked killer?

EdgeCreeperbot66: why is everyone in your family obsessed with the idea that you will get killed by The Masked Killer in broad daylight?

ShaiButter316: it has happened before. It happened to my dad… 

Jessy immediately winced, realizing her mistake.

EdgeCreeperbot66: srry, I shouldn't have said that.

ShaiButter316: It's fine. I know you didn't mean to hurt me.

Suddenly, Jessy was struck with an epiphany. 

EdgeCreeperbot66: What if I come over to your house instead?

ShaiButter316: Are you sure? You're all the way in Lumiere? It’s gonna take you hours to get here. Is your dad gonna take you?

EdgeCreeperbot66: i’ll be fine & no. just don’t worry about it.

ShaiButter316: But I am worrying! You should ask first, I'm sure your dad isn’t that unreasonable.

ShaiButter316: Jessy?

ShaiButter316: please answer!

Jessy had already pocketed her flip phone in her pocket and had begun scampering around her room. She didn’t have a suitcase, but she had a backpack! She could stay over for the entire day, maybe even the night! Excitement bubbled through her veins as she poured out the contents of her backpack. School supplies ranged from pencils, to binders and notebooks flooded onto the burgundy floor beneath her.

Eventually, her pack was empty, only carrying a few stray crumbs left behind. Her breaths were labored as she ran around gathering items. She shoved her unfolded PJs in first, followed by a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a few other trinkets, none of which were of any value whatsoever, just primarily a few things to show off to her friend. She hadn’t felt this pumped up since- well… forever! Of course, all she had to do now was find a way to get out of the house. She wasn’t exactly sure if her father would be gracious enough to let her leave.

After taking a few moments to compose herself, she then slung her backpack over her shoulders, popped open her door and peeked out. What she saw was as expected. Her dad sat on his chair, staring at the tv, surrounded with a few empty bottles of beer. Jessy felt a shiver of nerves echo through her, but she didn’t dare let that deter her.

Slowly she walked out, closed her door with a slight pop, and began to approach towards the door, which unluckily was positioned past her father. Well… she might as well try to say hi…

“Good morning dad…” Jessy timidly greeted her dad, as she somewhat quickly scooted up next to his chair, a gray reclining chair specifically. Like her, he had pale white fur and greenish blue eyes. He wore a green turtleneck sweater with a long stitch mark stemming from the left shoulder to the lower right side. Jessy was never sure if it was a fashion statement or pure accident… The rest of her dad’s attire consisted of sweatpants and a pulled up ponytail, containing his white-to-black gradient hair.

“For god’s ssssssake, don’t call me yer dad, i’m fucking Jack.” Jack slurred out, his teal eyes, like the color of his daughters, were glazed over and misty with pain as he stared off into space. There was no way he really was watching TV… Right, Jack. That was her father’s name. She was quite familiar with it, after all, for many years now she had addressed him by first name basis. Jessy never really liked that…

“Uhm… right, Jack, how are you?”

“Mmmm fineeee…”

So far so good!

“So… er…”

“Will you Shhhhhut up, Jasper?” Jack slurred, wincing.

Jessy narrowed her eyes, just a little, losing her train of thought. That definitely wasn’t her name. How much exactly did he drink last night?

“ w-well, I just was going to go outside for a bi-”

“Fffffinee, I don't fucking care. just leave, you're giving me a headache.”

Jessy felt herself wilt. It was happening… she had aggravated him again, just like she always did… Jessy tried to suppress the aching loneliness that was beginning to overtake her. Jack really didn’t love her that much, did he?

“O-oh i didn’-”

“Will you just get the fuck out?!” Jack suddenly snapped, slamming his hand on the chair, before abruptly slapping a hand over his head as a painful noise erupted from his throat. Jessy’s heart shattered as she stared back at her father in fear. She hurt him... he’s mad at her again…

“I-I’m sorry-”

She didn’t think as she walked right into the tall, frail lampshade and sent it careening into the ground next to her with a loud crash. 

“What the fuck is wrong with you?! GET OUT!” Jack’s crackly voice roared once more, shocking Jessy into movement, her gut twisted on incomprehensible knots as she started moving away. She didn’t look back as she ran out the door, promptly slamming it shut behind her. She didn’t allow herself to think as she rushed out from the condominium’s hallways and out into the practically scalding hot air outside. Jessy ran along the concrete, ignoring the people she crashed into along the way as tears escaped from her eyes and down her cheeks. Every single day was like this. She’d simply exist, being happy, only for everything to suddenly go bad when Jack laid his eyes upon her.

“You're such a useless wretch!”

“You can’t do anything right!”

“Disgusting pig!”

“Fucking Retard!”

“I wish you were never born!”

Jessy continued to run as her sobs grew more desperate. She knew that she was a troublemaker, practically born a mistake, so much so that even her own mother had abandoned her. I’m never going to be good enough for anyone or anything!

Eventually her tears had dried and her racing footsteps had slowed to a dreary walk. She felt as if, with her backpack, that she was running away from home. Huh… maybe she was? Would Jack even care if she just disappeared? She already had an inkling of an answer.

She turned her sorrow filled gaze towards the world around her. She had surprisingly made it far on her own legs. She was no longer near the condominium that was for sure. Around her, cars honked loudly, commercial jingles echoed temptingly through the city streets, people walked by, chattering loudly, and the smells… hot dogs and the scent of cheeseburgers wafted tantalizingly through the air.. All of this was mixed with the sulfur-polluted smell of the city. It was home. It was more like home than the very place she had grown to live in. Perhaps it was the fact that she was out here often throughout her life. She often found herself walking by herself out by the city streets, just sightseeing or venturing into stores. She’d never buy anything, but looking was definitely not off limits. It was all of these sights before her that gently lightened her spirits.

Of course, she couldn’t just dive into shops even though she really wanted to. She had to get to Shai’s. Afterwards maybe she could do some more sightseeing. Jessy took a deep breath, pushing past the unwelcome reminders of what had happened earlier, past the shops that tempted her and focused her attention on her friend. Oh yes! We could watch movies together! Or maybe draw? Hmmm, maybe we can go find an arcade around here and play some epic games! Like- Pac-Man! Yes! That would be super awesome!

The path to Shai’s house was typically faster due to her father sometimes driving her there on request. It took roughly an hour and a half to get there. After all, they lived in Muir, it wasn’t exactly close by. It was by a miracle that they even shared a school together. Now though, walking might take hours- scratch that, will. It would definitely take hours, but no, she was going to look at this positively! Jessy then quickly tussled her hair, trying to calm her apprehension. This just makes it a fun adventure!

So she just kept walking. Eventually though, the backpack she carried began to feel like a boulder pulling down her shoulders, not to mention that her feet and legs also had begun to ache. She didn’t know how much farther she would have to go. Maybe I should find a shortcut… Jessy’s gaze darted around her, hunting for any signs that could point her in the right direction, anything that might make her destination shorter. She quickly spotted a large map-like sign next to one of the unexplored shops around the city area. The shop itself was at the brink of closing, expressed by zero customers, the cracked building and the shockingly large weeds that had already grown there. Jessy skipped over to the map, nearly tripping over a tight bundle of weeds in the process. It was cracked and old, matching the abused sight of the building next to it. Despite all of that though, it was still legible.

Although… Reading maps wasn't her thing. it wasn’t like she hadn’t tried before, after all most places required the skill set of map reading if you were to ever find a place you wanted in the wide, overwhelming expanse of Lumiere. It was just… hard. 

So, here she was, looking quite baffled as she attempted to locate herself and her destination on the map. Jessy blamed her confusion on the fact that the map was old and not because she lacked map literacy. Come on, come on! Where is Muir? Thankfully, the female quickly caught sight of the bolded letters near the top of the paper. From where she believed she stood, she had a long way to go. A pit of nerves and regret began to bundle up in her stomach. This was a mistake wasn’t it? She debated turning around and heading back home.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?! GET OUT!”  

Jack’s voice seemed to echo in her ears. No. There was no way she could turn back now. She just had to keep moving. Jack didn’t want her anyway. It was by coincidence that her gaze traveled to the dulled image of a forest. A trail, and it led straight up to Muir! Heck, it looked like it was the shortcut she wanted! Emerald trail here I come! 

With a new sense of resolve, Jessy yanked out her phone, snapped a photo of the path and went along her way. Shai would be so surprised when she came over, eyes wide and mouth gaped open as she opened her front door. Jessy couldn’t wait to hear the disbelief in her voice as she stared back at her courageous friend. She held back a snicker at her ego-filled daydreams. 

An hour had passed and she was already about to embrace the dirty ground. She had immediately wished that she’d brought some food or at least a water bottle. Ugh… can’t change things now… Jessy griped within her own mind.

Jessy took a deep breath, trying to breathe in more energy for her tired body to use. Weakly she lifted her head, hoping by a miracle that she’d be at the front door of Shai’s house, but no. what she found instead was more interesting. I made it to the Emerald trail! It was within an instant that Jessy’s determination and energy surged forward. She was going to make it!

Jessy skipped over to the large sign that seemed to guard the entrance to the forest-y location. The sign was created with pure wood, polished and tended well to, in the center was the trail’s name carved in and colored in a golden yellow. Jessy then turned her attention to the trail in front of her. It was swallowed in trees and the gravelly trail itself was scuffled. It must have been used often. Of course, looking around, there was nobody present.

Jack had always told her to not go anywhere by herself, that the Masked Killer would get her for sure if she even dared to venture out in an uninhabited space. Oh why would he care? He wants me gone anyway. Jessy shook away the memories of her father and pushed on, taking her first steps on the wooded trail.

The lush green leaves were the first to completely captivate her. It was as if the trees itself welcomed her. A childish giggled escaped her as she quickly began to run again. Her legs protested this, but she couldn’t stop. She was already so close. The crunch of the gravel, the smell of the air… it took her mind away from everything that disappointed her, of what her life really was like. This felt right, it felt-

Crack.

Jessy stumbled to a stop, nearly tripping over herself as she heard the sharp noise within the trees. Her heart raced with a mix of adrenaline and from her exercise. She looked around, trying to pinpoint where the sound came from, but everything was silent. Ppshh! Jessy rolled her eyes exasperatedly at her reaction. A tree must have snapped or even more likely someone was heading down the trail somewhere down the path. It was foolish to get scared over something like that. I’m not going to be as paranoid as everyone else in this state. I’m perfectly fine. Jessy felt a trickle of doubt as she recalled Shai’s text message.

It happened to my dad…

Was she the foolish one for thinking she was safe? No… No! It was going to be fine. The Masked Killer was real, no doubt about that, but it was in the middle of the morning, in a public area and in lumiere. The Killer couldn’t get her here. But someone else might. A dark thought shuttered through her mind. The young female frustratedly shook her head as she forced herself to continue. She then slid out her phone, glancing at the blurry photo it captured from before. Of course, she still fought to understand what the map image meant. How was she supposed to know where she was supposed to be in this wooded area? Jessy then wished that this place was more inhabited, perhaps then she could have asked someone for directions. Jessy let out a sigh, shoving her phone away. This trail will take me there, I just got to follow it I guess.

Crack.

Jessy stopped again, eyes darting around uncertainty. the sound was closer now. It was steadily growing harder to ignore that something was wrong. Is something following me?

“Hello?” She timidly called out, wringing her hands nervously. Nothing responded. She felt a lingering doom pressing down upon her. She hadn’t felt like this before. It felt like death was breathing down her spine. Just be calm! She tried to tell herself, but something propelled her to run- to get away. So, She started moving again, this time speed walking. Her skin tingled with uncertainty and fear, not knowing what to do or think. Oh god! Oh god! Oh god!

Her thoughts drifted towards Jack- her father, she thought about his warnings and immediately felt regret. Shai too… she had warned her… she really was a fool! Tears threatened to slide down her cheek. She had to get out of here.

Crack.

Jessy’s heartbeat seemed to be in her throat as she impulsively started running. Doom. she felt the sensation so deeply that she could hardly breath. Something was following her. Someone… Frightfully, she ripped out her phone and desperately tried to phone the emergency number, all the while trying to stay on her feet. God please help me!

Her breath was suddenly yanked from out of her as she slammed face first into the hard gravel, her phone being shot away from her hands and out of reach. Jessy panickedly ripped her face off the ground, ignoring the searing pain she felt all along her head and mouth as she frantically attempted to stumble onto her feet. Her mind went in overdrive as she looked all around in pure panic… but nothing was there… Jessy blinked unsurely. Maybe she was just-  a low laugh echoed through the wood from all directions, causing the young female to scream in terror. 

She didn't think about anything but trying to escape this… person. She started running again, ignoring how her body screamed at her to stop, ignoring the drops of blood that dripped from her mouth, ignoring the fact that she had slung off her backpack in pure desperation. She had to run, she had to get away, she had to.

A scream was ripped out of her as a clawed hand shot out from underneath her and hooked onto her leg, yanking her off her feet once more and crashing back onto the painful gravel. This time she, out of pure instinct, shot out her hands to break her fall. Skin collided on sharp pebbles, tearing open her hands without any effort. Jessy screeched in ungodly pain, thrashing as she desperately tried to rip her leg from the perpetrators grip.

“HELP ME!” Jessy screamed from the top of her lungs, voice coming out brittle and crackly. Why wasn’t anyone coming to help her?! Was she truly all alone!? The grip on the female's leg only tightened to a painful, agonizing level as she started to get dragged away. She kicked and thrashed desperately, but no matter what she did she still was being dragged towards the trees. Jessy flung her head around and caught the darkened, masked figure of- “NO NO NO NO HELP! HELP ME SOMEONE!”

“Shut up will you!”

Suddenly Jessy’s screams were cut off as something slammed on top of her head. sparks of sudden pain and light hit her head… and she swore… that the last thing she saw was a grim reaper- a shinigami… smiling darkly at her… I'm going to die…

…

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty Seven

-

Alfred knew he had dozed off since he had been uncomfortably bent over his knees, snoring. Ugh, how undignified of him… What had woke him up so abruptly was the sharp slam of a door opening and the cheery feline’s loud declaration of his return as he stomped past the open entrance.

“Alfie!~ I’m back! Just as promised!” Mystery sing-songed with a cheery expression. The canine in response just blinked up groggily at the purple feline, feeling himself sway uneasily as tiny little squiggles of color darted along his slowly clearing vision. He then felt his eyes dart to the still open door to see the bright gold sun shining low in the sky, causing his eyes to widen. It’s been hours! Mystery seemed to notice his gaze and chuckled mockingly. “Ah yes~ apologies for taking as long as I did, I was looking for the perfect prey, you see.”

What?

“Have you been behaving well?” Mystery leaned forward, seeing a rather malicious glint in his eye. Alfred nodded quickly without a beat. Mystery seemed unfazed by the lack of a verbal response, simply accepting it without word, and moved on. Perhaps he was in a better mood?... it was hard to tell sometimes- wait, Prey? What on earth was Mystery doing?? Alfred tried to observe the feline closer, hoping by some miracle that his suspicions were wrong, but he wasn’t very pleased with what he saw. On the side of Mystery’s head was his mask (that somehow must have been grabbed at the very last second) and his lab coat was covered in blood and dust… no… he hadn’t seen Mystery wear that mask ever since that day he killed his son… And while it was usual to see blood stains on his attire- it was fresh, crimson blood! He had killed someone yet again…

“Don’t look so distressed! I kept my promise! Now wait here while I get it.” Mystery chirped in reassurance as he skipped back to the entrance. Alfred followed his movements, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion and a growing sense of unease. What was Mystery doing now?…

Mystery then came dragging in a child- Alfred choked on his own saliva and instinctively jerked towards the motionless body. The light of the setting sun shone against the body like gold, obscuring their identity.

“Who is this!?” Alfred yelped, feeling a sense of horror engulf his own being. Mystery had brought a dead child to this hellhole- for what? Some sick form of pleasure!? Mystery twisted towards his voice, his expression reeked of exasperation, pointedly looking at him in a way that hinted that he thought the canine was stupid, before flipping back his merry expression. 

“It’s our bonding activity, silly! I promised I would get us something special for us both to enjoy!” Mystery nodded with seemingly genuine enthusiasm, now kneeling down next to the kid. “I want you to know how fun my hobby is!”

Alfred blinked back at the feline’s grinning face, somehow not even recognizing what he used to have been. This… this person used to be his best friend… 

“Your hobby?” Alfred dared to ask, voice low and creaky. He feared the answer. He almost knew what was about to happen, but didn’t want to believe it. There was no way any of this was about to happen. Mystery then chuckled, snapping his fingers in response. Alfred stifled a noise of surprise when the pressure holding his legs down was alleved. The feline then gestured with a finger for him to get closer. Alfred stared back, slowly raising himself off the ground. The world seemed to go so slow as he inched closer and closer towards his enemy- towards the motionless child. He could feel his hands shaking with every step he took, his breaths shaky and shallow, heartbeat pulsing loud in his head, blurring every other sound around him. His gaze went from Mystery’s still grinning face to the body he now stood in front of, back and forth.

His dazed fear was quickly interrupted by the slamming of the entrance door, causing him to jump frightfully.

“Come, kneel down with me.” Mystery hummed with a gentler voice. “Nothing to be afraid of. I’ll show you what to do.”

Mystery had clearly misunderstood the root of the canine’s fear, and that disgusted Alfred. Nonetheless, he obeyed warily and slid down, back onto his sore, stiff knees with a slight wince. The feline nodded approvingly, now smiling softly. Alfred only then took the time to look at the young body closer now that the light source obscuring it was gone. He choked on his own breath once she saw the familiar green, black and white shades- the scarf. No…

“Jessy…?” Alfred spoke breathlessly, chest squeezing unbearably. That was Shai’s best friend- His daughter’s best friend…  there was no mistaking that soft childlike face, the scarf she adorned, her fur… her bloodied fur… Mystery tilted his head.

“Mm? You knew this thing?” he then shrugged, grinning. “Oh well~”

“Oh well?...” Alfred mimicked, lifting his petrified gaze up towards the feline’s multi-colored ones. “you just- you just-” Alfred’s voice faded away as he caught Mystery narrowing his eyes with displeasure.

“That is no way to respond to a gift.” The feline tutted disappointedly. “this thing took forever to drag here, be more grateful, will you?”

Alfred tore his gaze away from Mystery against his instincts and stared back at Jessy, eyes still painfully wide. He could feel his throat catching, tears starting to form as memories of both of his children flashed before his eyes. His baby boy, his daughter, now Jessy… She was so young with a world ahead of her… she was bright, bold and creative… She was a kid with a golden heart…

“is she-” Alfred’s throat closed up, as he looked away with stinging eyes. 

“Dead? Oh no, Alfie! What fun would we have if it was dead?” Mystery seemed to find the whole idea amusing, Alfred felt anything but. “Now, no more questions. Let’s just have fun now, shall we?” Mystery clasped his hands together, fur fluffing out seemingly out of sheer excitement. Alfred didn’t have a moment to protest or think before Mystery whipped out a knife. The feline took a few moments to stare at it lovingly, eyes seeming to sparkle towards its silver, shiny exterior. The knife itself was clean, which was surprising within itself. It was as if mystery genuinely took care of it. Alfred for a split second felt perturbed. Why was a knife more important than his general wellbeing?! That thing was just an object, he was a living being- but Alfred shook away those thoughts when the sudden realization hit him.

“No! Y-”

“shhhh!” Mystery pressed a finger against his lips. “Let me tell you something.” The feline at this point seemed already a slight bit agitated from Alfred’s protests, given by how his voice grew to be laced with an edge.

Mystery then flipped the knife in his grip, his gaze flittering towards the bloody, beaten girl. He looked thoughtful and calm for a moment. Alfred trembled as he continuously flicked his gaze back and forth, resisting the unbearable urge to grab Jessy and run off with her- to protect her. Mystery silently shook his head as he turned his attention back to Alfred, gaze intense and determined. Determination was a new emotion to be seeing in this monstrous feline. Alfred knew that meant something bad.

“Ever since you left me that day, I've been learning the art of slaughter.” Mystery began, tracing a finger against his knife in a way that could be seen as petting. “You see, unlike anything else in this world, I've only felt tantalizing gratification from the act of ripping something apart and breaking it down. Nothing else has ever felt so… addicting before.”

Alfred clamped his hands tightly, feeling his nails dig into his flesh.

“The first few times were such a blur~ I can hardly recall a thing about it.” Mystery then paused to deliver a sharp, slicing laugh that seemed to raddle the room around him. “All I remember is the thrill- the rush I got when I delivered my first ever blow. It was the most beautiful thing I have ever experienced- And now…” Mystery slid his knife delicately into the palm of his hands and shifted his arms to Alfred. “I want you to experience it too…”

Alfred’s mouth gaped at the clear invitation. No no nonononono! The canine knew he couldn’t go through with this. He wasn’t a murderer, he wouldn’t kill! Mystery though wasn’t going to accept that. He knew this as well. He would be punished if he refused. Flashbacks of the past few months flooded his brain, his screams, pleads, the feline’s face as he ripped his body apart, the- Alfred slammed his eyes shut as a powerful wave of shivers went through him.

“Alfie~” Mystery hummed, voice deceivingly gentle. Alfred pried his eyes open, not realizing that tears slid onto his cheeks with every blink. Mystery looked back at him with a reassuring gaze that temporarily shocked Alfred's systems. Why now is he being understanding?! Mystery adjusted his grip on the weapon and used his now free hand to reach for Alfred’s. He knew he didn’t have much of a choice here.

“Please don’-”

Mystery shushed him, shaking his head. Oddly, his gaze did not waver, almost as if the expression he wore was real… genuine…

“Give me your hand.”

Alfred gulped and slowly lifted a hand, his right one, towards the feline. His heart hammered in his chest as Mystery took the shaking canine's hand, grasping him by the wrist, while the feline’s other hand, armed with the weapon slid the handle onto Alfred’s shaking palm. Mystery didn’t release his grip until he knew for sure that Alfred had grabbed a hold of the object. Mystery then moved away to smile at Alfred who stiffly held the knife, not daring to move a muscle. 

Alfred’s skin tingled at the feeling of the warm handle against his palm, sizzling and sparking dangerously underneath his flesh at holding such a weapon. Alfred looked at the blade that stuck out, his mouth dry at the sight. He was holding a killing object…

“Now come closer.” Mystery then commanded. The canine, slowly obeyed, more focused on the fear that pulsed through his blood, rather than the fact of his blind obedience. Alfred had eventually shifted himself until he was unbearably close to the body and the purple monster just inches away. There was no way he was going to do this… he couldn’t- he couldn’t hurt her, yet here he was, holding the knife, posed close enough to her to strike a blow and complying with his captor. N-no…

“Now Alfred, I know you're nervous, but it will be alright.” Mystery hummed, his multicolored eyes glinting pleasingly. “There are no rules.”

Alfred’s grip on the knife tightened, feeling his whole body grow cold. He was frozen in place and Mystery noticed. The feline reached over with more ease than previously and took Alfred’s armed hand and gently pushed his hand down until the tip of the blade rested underneath the kid’s collarbone. Alfred looked up at Mystery pleadingly, silently hoping by a miracle that he wouldn’t force him to do this, to take a life. Mystery though only looked back at him, not truly seeing his anguish.

“D-Dad?...”

Alfred gasped and looked down, to see green, dazed eyes staring back at him. His breath stopped as he felt flashbacks of Shai’s close friend assault his memory. Remembering how this young girl had brought so much joy to his daughter’s life, making her smile and laugh, making her eyes sparkle in admiration. He couldn’t kill her. He could see the look on his beloved daughter's face, the complete horror she would feel if she found out the truth- if he managed to get out of this alive, she would hate him. It wouldn’t even be just her either. Yuki, Kao- himself.

Mystery then removed his hand from Alfred and snapped his fingers, bringing him out of his daze. Within an instant, he could sense the toxic energy that grew and swirled around Jessy's small body, holding her now squirmy body in place.

“You can make a slice anywhere, arms, legs, face- it really doesn’t matter to me~” Mystery hummed with an encouraging tone. Alfred had to suck in a childish sob, as the weight of everything started to settle in. He had no choice. Hurt or be hurt. Suffer or cause suffering. There was no inbetween. He was a fool to think there was another way out.

“A-Alfred?” Jessy’s eyes opened wider as she started to awake from her daze. The female once recognizing the man hovering above her, immediately began to struggle within the bonds of Mystery’s magical strength. “W-where am I? Dad?! Shai?! What are you doing to me?!”

Jessy was going to die anyway. Even if he refused, Mystery would kill her himself and he knew he wouldn’t be merciful- and what if Mystery decided to keep her hostage here too?! The image that flashed through the canine’s mind was enough to make him entirely snap. 

“I’m Sorry!”

Alfred lifted the shining weapon and slammed it down right down into her chest, purposely aiming just a little left to hit her heart straight away, but he didn’t stop there. 

“ALF-AHHHhhHn!” Jessy screamed, attempting to arch her back in incomprehensible pain. 

In his haze, he yanked it out and stabbed again, and again, and again. Over and over. None of this was random. Somewhere deep in his mind, he knew where to hit. He didn’t stop himself from following through. He didn’t stop even as Jessy begged- her voice shrill in his ears.

Jugular

Kidneys

Liver

Heart

Jugular

Kidneys

Liver

Heart

His mantra echoed through his mind, overtaking any other thought. His memory latched on his training in first aid, milking everything he had read and been taught and used it viciously. Alfred honestly didn’t know that he was capable of being physically strong after everything he had been through, yet he was, he punctured through the child’s skin with ease, slammed into the bones without so much as a flinch. It was as if something was helping him. This whole ordeal had left Pure adrenaline filling his senses and at some point he had long forgotten who he had been killing. The screams that echoed through his ears blended seamlessly with the static ringing and his heartbeat and labored breathing. His throat hurt and it made him realize that he, too, was screaming.

Alfred did not stop until Jessy’s body was nearly unrecognizable, until her screaming had long stopped. Alfred stabbed into her one last time, before completely shutting down, gripping onto the weapon as a lifeline as he, without thought, leaned over and placed his head against his shaking, crimson hands.

He sobbed again, loudly. Tears mixing with the fluid essence. 

Jessy was dead. He had killed her.

“I-I’m s-so sorry…” the canine warbled, hiccupping painfully. His body shook and trembled. His vision was blurred, completely lost in the haze of his repeating memory. Bile arose up his throat and it was a test of wills to not vomit. The blaring ringing in his ears persisted and soon it was all he could hear.

He lifted his head and stared back at Jessy. Her once bright eyes were now dull and lifeless, a dull green was all that remained. her eyes remained still open just a crack, as if forever witnessing her friend’s father turning against her. Alfred shook as another sob pushed through him.

Alfred then released the knife, wincing at the pain it left doing so, and pulled away. He looked at his hands. They were covered in her blood. Hers. Not anyone else but hers. His clothes.. drenched in it as well. The stickiness was a clear reminder of what he had done even when his eyes were closed.

He murdered a child. His child’s best friend. Dead.

“I-I’m so sorry, J-Jessy…” Alfred whimpered. “I’m sorry…”

“Alfred.”

The aforementioned canine suddenly jerked and looked up, to see Mystery’s dark, unreadable gaze. The feline was still here. Mystery then stood up, his posture relaxed. Alfred shuttered as Mystery slowly smiled, eyes upturning. The expression was menacing and not at all like the childish grins like he had seen during this entire ordeal. To Alfred, it looked as if Mystery was about to kill him.

“Come.”

Alfred didn’t hesitate to stand up, albeit he did this warily. He was going to vomit again for sure, he just knew it. Alfred made himself stand in front of the feline, hoping that his rapid compliance would please Mystery and not lead him to any more torture. He hated this. More than just murdering an innocent child, he hated listening and obeying Mystery like some pathetic animal. Guilt burned in his stomach from all of this.

Mystery then pulled him into a hug, squeezing him tight. The strength was enough to remind him of the presence of his marred stomach, causing a shiver to travel down his spine. When the feline pulled away, he was surprised when Mystery gently patted his head. He felt so violated… he was already long done with his head being touched.

“I’m very proud of you, Alfie… seeing you in such a fit was absolutely riveting~”

Alfred was speechless, unable to give any response to the fuckery the feline had just spat.

“Speak. I’m talking to you.” Mystery added with a tone laced with agitation.

“T-thank you?” Alfred sputtered out of sheer panic. How was anyone supposed to react to that? Was what he said good enough? Thankfully so, as Mystery nodded, seeming happy once more.

“I knew this would bring us closer together… now you know how it feels to be like me~” Mystery's voice grew gentle and peaceful. Alfred’s eyes widened, feeling a harder pang of impenetrable guilt and disgust course through him at yet another reminder of what he had done. He nearly just collapsed on the floor alone at the flashback that arose from his mind of the event. He… he was just like Mystery, wasn’t he?…

“Of course, it seems as if there are a few things I need to correct you on, that is!~” Mystery then added, his eyes shimmering with a hidden promise that instinctively led Alfred to take a shaking step back. What on earth did he do?! Mystery pulled Alfred in again, holding his shoulders roughly before pulling him close enough to whisper in his ear, as if there was even a possibility that anyone could hear what he was about to say.

“I can tell when people hold back. I saw what you did.”

Alfred choked, before Mystery pulled him away again, still somehow smiling. How did he-?

“You took the easy way out. I’m not very happy about that, you know that right?~”

Alfred could only nod nervously.

“Little old you just went for the vitals straight away! You didn’t even take the time to toy with the thing! Tsk.”

Mystery’s grip tightened around his shoulders.

“The best part is always the torment inflicted, never just the act itself, even you should have known that.” Mystery’s voice then suddenly calmed as the feline removed his hands from Alfred, now standing with his hands clasped behind his back.

“But thankfully, I’m in a very good mood, so I’ll let this slide for now. You did so wonderfully!~”

The canine was confused and on edge. Back and forth went Mystery’s emotions, more so than usual. Anger one moment, sudden joy the next. He couldn’t tell what was happening anymore.

“Wipe away those tears.” Mystery sighed, but promptly moved to brush his fingers against Alfred’s wet cheek before the canine could even have a chance to do so himself. Was he still crying…? “You’re so difficult… but I still love you. You'll get better soon.” Mystery then took to stroking the top of Alfred’s head once more. Alfred only flinched, otherwise he just took the treatment. He could feel the near numbness of his metal ears as the feline’s furry hand dragged along his hair. It was a jarring feeling and was eerie. It had been some time since those metal things were shoved within his head, remembering this made him uncomfortable. It had been too long since he had been home. The very memory of his own house was starting to become obscured…. Alfred tried to ignore all that and focus on the present, hoping that Mystery's annoying and off-timing bout of affection could distract him enough to stop him from remembering-

“W-where am I?”

Jessy’s voice seemed to echo through his head at a deafening rate, and he shuddered violently, feeling another sob close around him instantly. The purple feline stopped rubbing his head to sigh again. The canine nearly confused the noise for anger.

“Follow me.” Mystery grabbed Alfred’s bloody hand and pulled him away from the carnage. Alfred was beyond surprised when Mystery didn’t so much as shutter when touching his tainted hands, but he then remembered who exactly this man was. He touched blood everyday… would he grow to be used to the blood too? Alfred shook his head away from his spiraling thoughts as he was practically being dragged away. With this the canine could only hope where he was being taken to wasn’t something far worse than what he had faced just before.

At some point, Alfred grew to realize that the pathway they were heading was new as it led upstairs. He gazed up at the staircase as he was pulled up, step by step. The hallway they entered was one he had never been in before, he never had the chance to really look too far into the building to begin with, So he quickly began observing the background around him. The hallway appeared to be larger than the one below and it looked much cleaner. Kao had been up here… Remembering Kao sent another growing pit of negativity flowing through him. Please be okay… Eventually the two turned to a certain door. It had been labeled as a ‘private facility bathroom’, which made Alfred’s eyebrow raise uncertainly. 

“Wash up, they have a shower in this one.” Mystery clicked his tongue, his voice was now void of emotion as he spoke. Wait? He was going to have a shower? They had a shower? He hadn’t had one since the night before he came here. The notion that he could get clean again was such an odd feeling. The canine then hesitantly reached for the door handle and opened it, the light inside was functioning despite all odds, as well as the fact that the bathroom did include a shower. How… strange… Mystery then broke through Alfred’s surprise. “Take your time, Freddy, I’ll be waiting Right here!~”

With that, Alfred tentatively closed the door behind him and immediately took in the sudden chill of the room, the blinding white hue in his eyes and the immediate anxiety of being alone filling his stomach, only adding so much more turmoil to his already traumatized body. Screw a shower, he couldn’t do this anymore.

Alfred only took a few steps in before collapsing onto his knees and then flopping over to his side, ignoring the sparks of pain that echoed through his body. He sobbed again, this time not holding anything back. Tears and snot caked his face as he cried silently, feeling all his pent up emotions rushing out like a waterfall. He killed a child. He had actually done it. He killed Jessy. He was a murderer. Just like him. Just like him. Just like him. He was a horrible person. He knew this. He could have done something, anything to stop her death, but he didn’t even try. I’m such a coward… How was he going to explain this to anyone? How would he explain his deed to his best friend, Kao? He’d hate him! Alfred never saw the ram often mad, but he knew he would absolutely be disgusted in him.

“How could ya do something like this?! Yer a horrible person!” 

Kao’s imaginary voice rang in his ears, yelling at him for his mistakes. Oh but he deserved it all!

“You're not the person I fell in love with…”

Yuki’s fake sobs filled his mind, making him grit his teeth painfully. She was right… she was always right…

“You're just like me!~”

“I’M NOT LIKE YOU!” Alfred screamed back at the voice of Mystery taunting him. His scream seemed much louder when within a confined area and he had to block his metal ears as the echo pierced through him. It was a miracle that Mystery hadn’t barged in to see what the commotion was all about. Oh don’t kid yourself… you are like him… you are a murderer and a traitor… you deserve all the pain you can get!

After what seemed like hours, Alfred finally forced himself off the ground and winced as he saw how he had smeared blood all over the floor. He numbly approached the shower and tested out the faucet. Water poured out and onto the shower floor below. Alfred then stared at the drain, somehow wishing he could just rip the metal off and try to dig his way out. He knew though that he was stupid to even entertain the thought. He subtly took notice of how there was no loofah nor was there any shampoo or conditioner in the shower. He’d just have to have a water shower. Of course, what should he expect from this facility anyway… The canine afterwards looked around, seeing what else lay about, as well as hoping that Mystery hadn’t walked in at any point during his daydreaming bout. He was momentarily pleased when he saw that he was alone, but minorly disturbed when he saw nothing much apart from the usual bathroom contents. This room is big enough to be an office…

Hesitantly he removed his lab coat, folding it before placing it outside the shower, he tried to ignore the blood as it smeared further. He paused when he reached to remove his gray under shirt. He couldn’t help but fear the idea that Mystery might come in, he felt scared at Mystery might do to him. It was stupid to get so worked up. But why not? Alfred forced a breath in his lungs before quickly undressing and stepping into the shower. He was blessed with hot water. 

He quickly worked to wash out his hair, cringing at the tangles his fingers got caught in and from his hand nudging his ears. He wondered if the type of metal installed in him could withstand water and not rust. If it rusted he’d be dead for sure. Of course that was another thing to worry about- No, he shouldn’t focus on that. He then gently began to wash over his stomach wound, careful as to not aggravate it. He was pleased when he glanced down momentarily and saw how far he had progressed in healing. It wouldn’t be long before it would completely healed up. Unfortunately it would inevitably become a ugly scar. Alfred grimaced for a second after the fact hit him, before turning to take care of the rest of his body. He was already nicked with a few small scars, he didn’t know which scar belonged to which event, but nonetheless it was quite disturbing. 

After a while, the shower became a gentle distraction. Underneath this shower head, he was safe. Nothing could hurt him here. It was only good feelings. Feelings that brought his mind back home, as if he was just doing another usual wash in his own bathroom. It warmed him more than just physically. It was honestly a shock that water could be both his blessing and his nightmare, But here he was, enjoying it and letting it melt the dark parts of his mind away. He was at peace for once, and he was going to savor it as much as he could, but as he allowed his mind to drift, the warmth of the water turned into a hot, sticky boil. The drizzling and dribbles of the liquid morphed into streaking screams of terror and pain, his visions of sunshine were washed away and replaced with darkening nightmares, all until he couldn’t think straight anymore. Nononononono! Alfred was barely present to reality when he collided against the cold shower wall, a little aways from the water plummeting below. Breathing heavily, he pressed a soaking wet hand against his forehead as the visions faded away.

Alfred could tell that he had changed. He was no longer the strong and confident man he used to be. His firm beliefs and strong resolve seemed to be some far away memory. It was as if he was looking at a whole new person. He knew that his past self from early June would have not let Jessy die, he would have kept fighting until his body was broken and bloody, he wouldn’t have let Mystery worm his way into his head. Who he was before was gone now… he knew that no matter what he’d do, he’d never be the same. It was all Mystery’s fault…

He never prayed much, but at this moment he felt like he had to try. He didn’t really know the truth of what was up there, only the Shinigami’s knew, but what was for sure, If this deity from above loved him as much as everyone claimed they did, they would help him now. So he let his head down and prayed. He prayed for the rest of the shower.

He prayed that everything would be alright in the very end…

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty Eight

Meanwhile with Kao…

-

Kao sucked in air to his lungs, schooling his expression to be calm and steady, all as he stretched out his arm and lifted his palm to face the door handle in front of him. He arranged his feet, focused his mind and tried to shoot out a blast of pure magical power. A tiny white zap of energy was all that he produced. To anyone it would seem inconsequential but to Kao it was a miracle.

“YES!” Kao jumped upwards, feeling a sense of elation at finally getting some sort of response from his body. Once his feet came back down to the earth did he realize his mistake. “OWCH!” Kao winced, feeling his entire body tense up, as a sharp sting ran all along the nerves of his body. The ram panted heavily, as his head immediately grew woozy. After a few moments of standing still, his physical equilibrium returned to him, only a dull ache radiating off his back was left, allowing him to let out a wheezy sigh of relief.

You see, Losing his wings had been difficult to manage, not just because of the sheer anguish he near constantly felt when being reminded of his forced amputation, but it was because of the pain itself. While he could heal faster than the rest of his mortal companions, the sense of pain from the sight of the injury had never really diminished, and he wasn’t even sure why. He had tried his best to follow Alfred’s example and keep his wound clean, to try to not jostle his injury, etcetera, yet none of that seemed to help. So now he was forced to be gentle with all his movements. It was funny because there was no way he could be gentle in this hellhole. 

Shaking himself off, and forcing the twinges of leftover pain into the back of his mind. He pushed himself to continue. Once more keeping his arm stretched out and repeating his steps over in his head. Do this for Alfred! He needs ya! Kao couldn’t help the burst of sheer motivation he felt as he practiced. He wasn’t doing this for anyone but him and his best friend, he didn’t even care if he remembered how to control his powers afterwards, it only mattered to him if it could help him get out.

It had taken time to find out how to summon his gift, and he had nearly gone insane in the process, but it was all worth it. He remembered the moment he figured out how to finally activate his hidden power and how the raw sensation of joy felt after so long of being without it.

————————————

Kao nibbled at his bottom lip anxiously. Nothing had happened today. Literally nothing. He was left to his own devices all alone. Mystery didn’t even show up to intimidate or torture him as usual. Of course, that was perfect! He didn't want that vile cat anywhere near him, and he was glad to finally be able to recover physically from all the things the feline made him endure, but that did not take away the feeling that something awful was going to happen that day. Something felt wrong…

Kao knew that dwelling on it wasn’t going to help him out though, hence the reason why he was now pacing back and forth. His pacing steps though were more like hobbles as every footstep was like fire tearing through his back. He knew he shouldn’t be moving, especially when he was still healing from the last violent encounter with Mystery, but he didn’t have it in him to be still.

Cleaning was out of the question. There was nothing to clean. He had already tended to the mess he had left in the room he had been in when he had vomited and had his wings ripped off. (He especially despised having to clean up his blackened, dead wing parts off the floor. If that wasn’t enough to make someone go insane, he didn’t know what was.) as well as the fact that the rest of the building was mostly untouched from any recent, bloody events. He also didn’t want to risk running into Mystery if he happened to be about. Odd… it seemed as if everything he actually did here pertained to just cleaning. Kao couldn’t help but wilt at the thought.

So in far simpler words, he had nothing he could do. Leaving him stuck in the eternal loop of pacing and avoiding flashbacks from his anxious, speeding mind. Unless… Kao paused in his walking as he recalled something particular. What about practicing some more on my magic? Surely I can figure it out this time. Kao thought with an edge of desperation.

If there was one thing he was both enthusiastic and completely dumbfounded about, it was magic. He had only recently discovered he had this ability locked within his own body due to a… unfortunate circumstance, and ever since he had been dedicated to honing his skill, only because without it, he and Alfred would be in serious danger. Well technically… they already were, but regardless. Magic was the only way they could possibly escape.

Of course, it had been a while since then and he still hadn’t been able to reproduce any of the same sparks of energy that originally got him out of his sticky situation. He had tried. He had tried being in different poses, repeating a mantra, staring at a wall as if doing so could cause sparks of energy to come flying out, but no matter what he did, he would be left standing, nothing to show for his efforts.

He could only blame the lack of magical knowledge out there in the world for his struggle. After all, magic had been cleansed out of every immortal over time, starting from restricting their powers to the point where the simple ability was impossible to do. The gift was rid from their very genes. Somehow though, he was an outlier. He wasn't sure what made him special, to himself, he was just ordinary in every sense of the word. So this… was new. The pressure was a lot to handle, but he knew he could do it.

So here he was now, trying to plan out his next steps. What else had he not tried yet? Kao racked his brain for answers but only got more frustrated. Gritting his teeth, he restlessly kicked at a wall, not quite caring about the pain that shot through his foot. I’m not doing enough! He almost felt like crying, but he didn’t. Crying never helped him, he had to be strong. Kao then took a moment to calm down, remembering what Howaito would tell him during the time he'd start spiralling.

“Calm the fuck down. Breathe.”

While the cursing wasn’t appreciated. What he told him otherwise helped. Just breathe… even when there was nothing more he could do, he could breathe. So that was what Kao did. He slid onto the floor (not without wincing in pain) and breathed. It took some time, but after about a minute he could feel his heart rate slowing and his frazzled mind calming down. Even after he reached his desired emotional equilibrium, he still stayed put and he allowed himself to think. What truly triggered the first zap of energy he felt? He chose to ignore the flicker of memories he felt as he focused on the big picture. Fear- no, terror… No, that wasn't it. Something else had to have caused it. Wait…  had he just simply willed it to appear? The more he thought about it, the more it began to make sense. I… I was wishing for help when it happened. I imagined getting free… Kao thought to himself. Could it really be that simple? 

Kao slowly stood up, feeling the twinges of pain spark along his back as he did so. He needed to try this. He turned towards the wall he had slunk against and he pressed his palm against it. He felt silly doing this, but he wasn't deterred. He breathed in and tried to imagine a spark stretching out through his hand, into the cold wall in front of him. Nothing really seemed to be happening at first, but Kao felt determined. He wasn't going to stop until something happened.

Kao focused on his breath, focused on only willing his energy to life, imagining it shooting from his veins. Kao then closed his eyes, trying to tune out everything else. He wanted to get his power now.

Within seconds, the ram felt a sort of familiar tingle that seemed to stretch along his nerves, could only be compared to getting shocked while touching metal, but way slower, it was a warm feeling and before he had time to think, he heard a tiny little buzz. Kao shot his eyes open. He saw nothing, but he knew something had occurred. Did I just… He felt a big smile stretch across his face as he pulled his hand away from the wall and started back at his hands. He had finally done it! He was finally learning! He didn’t really know why, but he then began jumping with enthusiastic joy, feeling almost like a child again, laughing as if he had just been told a hilarious joke. Joy like this hadn’t felt so good in ages. Then- it felt as if his back had been ripped open, he yelped loudly as he stumbled and nearly collapsed on the floor. Kao felt as if he was dying as stinging after sting rippled through his back, traveling down his arms. He couldn’t even think. His mind was on fire. After a minute, the god awful sensation seemed to fade until it was just a dull ache. The ram hadn’t realized that he had held his breath until he had let it go, he shaked slightly, feeling shocked at what had happened.

After some time, Kao straightened himself up, careful to not move too much in fear he would trigger another wave of agony, and looked back at the wall he had zapped. Despite what had just happened moments before, Kao smiled again. He wasn’t useless after all. The ram momentarily thought about resting and enjoying the afterglow of honing into his once impossible abilities if only for just a few minutes, but no, he wasn’t going to. Kao sucked in another breath, picked up his other arm and pressed it against the wall. I'm not going to stop until I can master this. Alfred is depending on me! He used his thoughts to motivate him, and so, he continued.

————————————

Kao felt a glowing feeling in his soul at the memory of what he had accomplished that day. Knowing that he was getting stronger with every moment of practice filled his body with courage. With this, Kao started his practice again, after all, he had nothing left to do for himself. He wasn’t going to sit around. He was going to work and work until he couldn’t anymore. I’ll show Mystery what I'm capable of! 

Thinking of Mystery made him mad, he wanted to spite the feline more than anything else in the world. He didn’t realize how much anger he carried within himself towards Mystery until now. He honestly never paid that much attention to that feeling as other emotions had taken a front seat for the longest time. Times change one could suppose… but, oh, he wanted to make Mystery suffer. He wanted to show him that he was anything but useless, That he was more than someone’s toy to use and discard. You’ll wish ya never have hurt me! These thoughts really did not aid him in working on his magical skills, but it filled him with more and more incentive to keep going, to keep fighting. 

Somehow during his thoughts, he thought about what he’d do with his gift once he mastered its abilities. He thought about all the torment the feline had caused him and his friend. He could think of only one thing. He’d kill him. He wasn’t even disturbed by his train of thought. Sure, thoughts in this nature were not a part of his personality, but there was no reason to not feel this way. Mystery was a monster. An irredeemable monster. He deserved no forgiveness.

Kao then took a breath, forcing himself to calm down. He could be angry all he wanted, but if he was ever going to get anywhere, he had to focus. So that was what he did.

He practiced all day…

———————————————————

here are the fresh references for the main cast!!

(FYI, yes Kao has a tail. I had forgot to add it, I’ll eventually edit this chapter with the fixed one soon)

enjoy these references!! :D

Chapter Text

Chapter twenty Nine

One day later…

-

Kao couldn’t hide forever, sooner or later he’d have to clean something again, and that was precisely what ended up happening. Mystery had found him earlier that day in the room he had left him in before, the same one where he lost his wings. The ram instinctively expected Mystery to lay a hand on him again, to be hurt again, but much to his surprise Mystery seemed like he could care less today. All he did was walk in, demanded that he cleaned around the entrance and then left. It left Kao in temporary shock. Mystery hadn’t acted like that since the first time he had been violated. It was deja vu…

Later on, Kao had left his enclosure with a smallish mop and a bucket of water in hand. Twinges of pain rippled though his body, but he chose to ignore it. He knew it would distract him too much if he focused on it. Besides his pain, he found that the supplies he had once used quite frequently had grown rather heavy, likely given that he hadn’t cleaned too much as of late and due to his gradually deteriorating strength. Going without food and decent amounts of water really took a toll on a person. I wonder if people like me could die from dehydration… probably not, but I still wonder how’d that go… Kao shook away his odd thoughts and progressed his way towards the entrance opening. 

He wasn’t going to lie, he really hoped that he wouldn’t bump into Mystery again, it wouldn’t be too hard considering the feline loved spending time in the facility more and more of the time. There was nowhere he could feel safe… with that thought, His chest began to squeeze tightly with nerves. No no, it's alright, just relax. It will be over soon. I’m not powerless anymore. His mental reassurance helped, if just slightly. He wasn’t a helpless ram anymore, he had powers, he could fight back if he had to. Even if he still had lots to practice before he could even consider himself a threat, at the very least he had enough skills to temporarily stun the feline if he needed to. He could feel a wave of relief at the reminder. He would be fine… he hoped. He still wasn’t quite sure how powerful Mystery could be. After all, he had relocated a building of all things, surely there was more he was capable of. He chose to push his thoughts of Mystery out of his mind. He had a task to do, it was best to have a clear mind while working at it. At least until he was done.

 As Kao drew closer, He couldn’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia when approaching the entrance area. He recalled the very moment when he had first walked into the building. He went in only to help. He just wanted to help. He had been so naive then. Looking back it had been beyond stupid to enter a building in such a horrific condition, it had been idiotic to even think it was safe and that he was untouchable. How could I possibly thought that my immortality would keep me safe… how could I have thought that I was strong enough to protect me and Al… Looking back, he was quite the idiot, but he knew that he couldn’t have known what would happen to him, he had only tried to help in whatever way he could, he didn’t actively intend to cause so much pain and suffering. So it wasn’t worth it to put all of the blame on himself.

He also remembered walking around the same entrance of the building, feeling horror gradually drilling into him as he saw all the carnage left behind, seeing how much worse his initial thoughts of the facility had changed. He had been with Alfred then. He had been worried beyond reason and He had begged him to not go in. Kao wished that he had listened to him. He remembered when he saw the figure of Mystery for the first time. He remembered how desperate he was to believe he was just some coworker finally arriving. Even then, he should have known. 

Life had been simple before all this. What he had endured and suffered through before somehow didn’t even scratch the surface. Well, the past is in the past, I've learned and… I'll do better. I will get us out of here. Kao thought to himself as he finally reached his destination.

Kao expected a mess of water or perhaps come grime that had accumulated- anything, but not this. Kao’s eyes immediately widened as he let out a loud gasp of terror, promptly dropping the bucket and mop with a loud clatter. He didn’t check if he had spilled any of the grubby water as he immediately ran to the body lying in the center of the room, surrounded by a pool of crimson and brown.

“Jessy!?” Kao shrieked as he skidded over to the teen. Where he stood, he could see the numerous lacerations upon her skin, the dullness of her eyes… she had been killed… Kao shakingly knelt down to the body, ignoring how Jessy’s life essence stained his pants. 

Kao remembered Jessy. She had been a close friend of Shai’s. He’d seen the two together, watching movies, gossiping, just… hanging out. They were peas in a pod. He didn’t know the kid well, but he’d seen her enough to feel overpowering sorrow burning through his blood.

“W-Who could’ve done this?!” His voice went to a low, cracking whisper as he stared down at the scene in front of him. Mystery… Kao couldn’t help but let a snarl escape this throat. So this was the feline’s doing, wasn't it? He had killed her- killed another child for his own sick pleasure. Kao ducked his head, trying to hold back his sobs and angered screams as knelt there. This exact moment reminded him of when he lost Shia. He had been knocked out when the little boy had died, he hadn’t gotten a chance to stay goodbye, to save him… Now Jessy was gone too, he didn’t have a chance to save her either. Mystery was a monster…

Kao knew what he had to do now. He had had to do it last time it happened, but he didn’t want to go through this again. He had to though. Jessy’s body had to have a proper resting place. Not this awful place… the ram chose to ignore the blood and guts surrounding him and focused his energy on Jessy. He was going to tend to her body first before anything else. She was the priority.

Trembling, He grabbed a hold of the kid’s wrists and tried to gently pull on them. The skin was so cold. It felt like ice. Kao couldn’t suppress a shiver, this felt so wrong… everything he was doing right now was wrong, but did he really have any other option. He resumed tugging the kid by the cold, lifeless wrists, moving her away from the entrance and into the hall he came from. Doing so was difficult, his aches did not ease, making each step a challenge. Yet still, he persisted, choosing to ignore it to the best of his abilities. 

Little by little, Kao dragged along the body, feeling guilty for not being able to carry her like he was barely able to do with Shia. He was just dragging her like a bag of meat and the fact hurt. Nobody deserved this treatment. Nobody… Well Mystery does… 

As he went, a streak of blood followed behind, staining the ground below a darkened red. It was a horrible sight and there was an effort to not vomit out of sheer disgust. Look away… look away…

Each inch forward made him remember little moments of her. All from the times he had seen pictures of her, seen her having the time of her life with Shai, seeing her just be happy and existing. It made each movement all the more harder for him. Oh Alfred… The ram thought about how Alfred would feel, suddenly hearing that his child’s best friend was dead. He would be devastated. He had lost his son not even that long ago, now he was losing another being close to him. None of it was fair to the canine. 

His thoughts then drifted away towards the location of Jessy’s resting spot. In his mind he knew the only place he could put her. He wasn’t pleased with it, but it would do. He continued to drag her, little by little until he finally reached a familiar door. Kao gingerly let go of the kid’s wrists to open the door. He was then hit with a sudden unbearable stench that had him retching in his mouth. It hadn’t smelt like that at all when he first came here… it had been a while, hadn't it? The ram attempted to hold his breath as he resumed pulling Jessy’s body into the room until she was completely in. Kao’s heart sank as he remembered what else lay in this room. He tried not to make eye contact with the other corpse that lay in the same room. Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it. He was forced to pull Jessy next to the other, Next to Shia… He carefully oriented her until she was in a respectful spot before looking around the room. He wanted to cover her up, just like he had done with the other, young kid, but he wasn’t having much luck by just sight alone.

He started stepping around, casting a glance every which way. He saw a small, beaten down printer and decided to go toward it. Within the small chamber there were quite a few papers left behind. With this he took them over to place them over Jessy, purposefully covering her face. Eventually he had run out of papers, leaving only the top half of Jessy covered, he supposed that he had tried his best.

Kao then trudged towards the door again, now having Jessy situated in a more proper resting place. He felt a sense of aching hurt gnawing through his body, not physical but purely emotional. He turned his head towards the two bodies decorating the room. They would never see the light of day again. Their last memories reduced to dust. Their families, forever in pain. The ram took a step towards the body of Shia, as bitter sorrow consumed his entire being. I’m sorry Shia, I’m sorry Jessy… you never deserved to die. You never deserved the pain. May that your souls be brought safely to the afterlife… 

Kao then pulled himself away and walked out the door, gently closing it behind him. He hoped that his silent prayer would help heal the ache in his heart placed by those children, but it didn’t make him feel any better.

He then followed the blood trail back to the opening entrance, feeling sick to his stomach knowing that he was walking right beside the remnants of a murdered child. He kept his gaze facing forward, feeling too grossed out to look anywhere else. It was all wrong. Jessy should be buried in a casket, safely in the ground, yet here she was being manhandled and thrown in a dark, thankless room. Kao shuttered at the thought.

He soon reached the edge of the hallway, landing back to the gruesome area where he first found Jessy. he surveyed the room, seeing the splattered blood drying to the floor and the remaining guts left behind. He gulped, feeling queasy as he picked up the dropped broom and quickly wetted it with the water in the bucket, (that had thankfully not tipped over when he first dropped it), and began mopping over the area.

Kao found it quite pathetic how easy it was to just let his mind go blank when he cleaned. He could feel the numbness and fog overtaking his mind as he set to his task. He didn’t think it was fair, not to anyone. He shouldn’t have the privilege to zone out and forget his problems when Alfred and the slaughtered children couldn’t.

He didn’t know how long it took, as it all became a blur to him, but it had surely been a while since he had started due to his limbs quickly tiring and his back growing more painful by the second. When he stopped he could feel his mind slowly clearing. With a tired, sad sigh, he picked up his supplies and made his way to discard them in a random room, not quite feeling up to the task of disinfecting them just yet. After everything, he just needed to lie down. Should he really? After all of this? But he quickly found that he could barely find a safe location to lie down without almost falling on his face painfully. Even if I don’t like it, it’s probably for the best in the long run… Kao thought to himself as he slid into an unlocked room beside him. He didn’t think to see what could be in there or if he had been there before, he just hoped he could rest, if even for just an hour.

He missed Howaito. He missed Alfred’s presence. He missed Yuki and her kids. Above all, 

He missed having a family…

Chapter Text

In The Past (Part 3)

March 22 1996

-

“Did you know that when you wash worms that they turn clear?”

“I believe you are referring to Earthworms and only the babies are clear, not the adult ones.”

“Wow! You're so smart!” Alfred chirped as he leant closer to the surprisingly content feline. It was a relaxing, warm Tuesday evening full of the calm sounds of nature and the laughter of the two kids fluttering about in the meadow. It had been a week since their first encounter and to Alfred, it finally seemed like Jeremy was beginning to open up to him. It was wonderful! Their conversations went from awkward and fragmented to sometimes like a real conversation. Jeremy… he was so much cooler than when he first met him.

“I’ve heard you say that nearly five times already.” Jeremy said, his blue eyes seemingly rolling in exasperation.

“But it's true! You know so much stuff!”

Jeremy sighed, smiling just slightly.

“Thank you… but you're quite overstating things. I’m not any smarter than you.”

“Hmmph, I beg to differ.”

Jeremy just shook his head with mild amusement, before pulling a new book to his lap and opened up to the last page he last read. Alfred took this time to take a few moments to breathe. His heart was soaring. He never wanted to leave. He hoped that running all the way from school to here would maximize his time with the feline, so far it did help, but it did leave him heaving for air afterwards. After a few minutes of silence, Alfred turned his orange eyes towards the book Jeremy was currently reading.

“Whatcha reading?”

Jeremy pulled his gaze up, appearing discombobulated for a moment before responding.

“It’s called Lord of the Flies. It's another classic.”

“Woah! That's cool! You must really like the older stuff then, huh?”

The feline hesitated before nodding.

“Well… it was my mom’s idea to start reading this kind of stuff… I just happen to like reading them.”

“Oh!” Alfred was surprised to hear a mention of his mother, considering last time the subject of his mom came up he had reacted negatively. He hadn’t wanted to upset him again by bringing it up again.

“Yeah…” Jeremy looked down, appearing wistful. “She loved to read.”

Alfred nodded silently, careful to not ruin their moment. Jeremy must be a lot like his mom then…

“Does your mom like to read?” the young feline asked soon after, looking back at Alfred expectantly. It took a few moments for Alfred to respond, surprised that Jeremy had been comfortable enough to ask him.

“Hmmm, I don't think so. She prefers making dresses than anything else.”

Recognition fluttered in Jeremy’s eyes. 

“Your mom is a fashion designer?”

Alfred blinked.

“Oh no, she just does it as a hobby.”

Jeremy seemed amazed as he looked back at him, making Alfred giggle.

“Was your mom a fashion designer?” Alfred dared to ask.

Jeremy was quiet for a moment, before nodding.

“Yes. she was good at it too.”

Alfred nodded, now starting to feel guilty for asking. Before he could open his mouth to change the topic, Jeremy spoke first.

“Sorry…”

“Huh? What are you saying sorry for?”

Jeremy looked frightened and just shook his head.

“It's getting late, maybe you should go home now…”

Alfred turned his gaze towards the setting sun, but for the first time in a while, he didn’t care.

“It’s fine! I’ll just tell my mom I was with you. I’m sure she won’t mind if I stick around.” Alfred looked back at Jeremy with a bright expression. Jeremy’s only response was a wide-eyed gaze that shifted to nervousness rapidly.

“You don’t have to do that… I'm really not that important.” the young feline fidgeted with his fingers anxiously. Alfred only huffed before taking Jeremy’s hands.

“Well you're important to me. You're my friend!”

Jeremy’s brilliant blue eyes widened in surprise, and he had flinched from the abrupt movement and the sudden grasping of his hands, yet he didn’t pull away.

“Y-You mean that?”

“Of course!” Alfred replied wholeheartedly. “I mean it.”

Jeremy then appeared guilty again and looked past the canine towards the direction the kids' house lied.

“But what about your parents?”

“It will be fine! They’ll understand!”

Jeremy after a few moments nodded before pulling his hands away from Alfred. 

“Alright…”

Alfred relaxed, not realizing how tense he had been. A thought prickled at his mind and despite his nerves he felt, warning him against any ponderings about Jeremy’s oddly mysterious family life, he felt the need to ask.

“What do you do when I leave, Jeremy?”

“What do you mean?...” The feline replied quietly.

“Like… uhm… I leave and you seem to stay here… you don’t go home when I do. Do you… sleep out here?” Alfred’s voice raised in pitch at the very end as his mind began to picture the purple feline curling up on the grass, dozing off. It was an admittedly silly and somewhat dumb thought, but he couldn’t help that when he was just so curious.

“No, I don't sleep out here.” Jeremy attempted at a chuckle, but the noise didn’t quite match his expression. “I just go home later than you do.”

“Later?” 

Jeremy nodded silently, his eyes growing nervous, before flickering into a more neutral expression.

“I like being out here.”

Alfred took a look around, quickly sharing the feline’s sentiment. The meadow was perfect in every regard. It was welcoming, safe. He could easily see how Jeremy could grow fond of this beautiful slice of nature.

“Yeah… I like it here too.”

Jeremy sighed softly before taking a moment to stretch. Alfred watched quietly before deciding to flop onto his back. This action startled Jeremy who flinched at the sudden movement. Alfred wasn’t sure why he was so jumpy, but he tried to push past that question to enjoy the feeling of the grass against his back and his hands. He hadn’t realized he had closed his eyes until he had opened them to the feline staring at him with confusion.

“What’s wrong?” Alfred blinked uncertainty.

“You're… on the grass.”

“Yeah! You should join me!” The canine chirped back a reply, smiling at Jeremy invitingly.

“O-Oh no.. I… I shouldn't, but thank you.”

“Aww why not?”

“I’m not supposed to get dirty.”

“It’s just some grass.” Alfred chuckled.

“Your mom will be mad if you come home with a head full of grass.”

“No she won’t.” Alfred protested.

Jeremy didn’t seem to believe him, but said nothing further.

“Everything I learn about you surprises me.”

“Really?”

Jeremy didn’t elaborate. He didn’t say anything else for the rest of Alfred’s visit.

————————————

A day later…

“So whatcha wanna be when you're an adult?” Alfred asked as he paced in circles around the same patch of meadow he and his friend always sat at. Jeremy hesitated in a response.

“I don’t know…”

“Really? But you're like… years older than me?” Alfred replied in surprise. Right about that moment, the young canine attempted to stand on one leg, balancing all his weight on one point.

“I’m not that old.”

“But you're like a high schooler!”

“That doesn’t mean anything.” Jeremy huffed, voice tightening. Alfred was too preoccupied with keeping his balance that he really didn’t notice the feline growing tenser with every second that went on.

“Surely you have at least one idea?”

“A Surgeon?! A Chef?! I don’t know!” Jeremy suddenly snapped, throwing his hands up in sudden anger. The abruptness of his reaction caused Alfred to almost lose balance. For a moment, Alfred was scared, but once he saw Jeremy’s frustrated and hopeless expression, he relaxed and sat himself back into a sitting position next to the feline.

“I’m sorry for upsetting you. I didn’t mean to stress you out.” Alfred began gently, remembering what his mother had taught him to do when hurting someone’s feelings. Jeremy looked at Alfred, expression morphing into something like guilt.

“It’s not your fault… I’m sorry…”

Alfred wasn’t sure what the feline had to apologize for.

“You don’t have to apologize, it’s alright! We… We can talk about something else, okay?”

Jeremy started to nod before stopping and perking up a little.

“What do you want to do when you're older?” Jeremy then asked softly. Alfred tilted his head and thought for a moment. Within moments it clicked within his brain. It was easy to envision him in the position of his choice.

“I wanna be a Teacher.”

“Why?” Jeremy hummed. The canine could sense genuine curiosity radiating from the other kid, fueling his excited response.

“W-Well, I want to help kids learn all sorts of stuff! Like my language arts teacher at school! I want everyone to be as smart as you are.”

The feline seemed to be flattered if only for a moment.

“You’d make a good teacher.”

“You think?”

Jeremy nodded.

“What makes you think that?”

“I… well, you just look like someone who could teach.” Jeremy looked up to the skies. “Your kind, understanding and patient. All good teachers have those qualities.” he finished with a soft tone. Alfred couldn’t help but feel a ball of happiness surge up into his chest. It meant so much for him to be called such nice things. Jeremy… he was such a good friend.

“Well… I think you’d be a good surgeon.” Alfred replied fondly. Jeremy blinked back at the canine gently. 

“Thanks…”

“I hope that one day if I get sick that you’ll be my surgeon and make me better again.”

Jeremy blinked back at him wordlessly.

Alfred chuckled, enjoying the look on his friend’s face.

“I guess we will see.” Jeremy then replied.

————————————

Another day later…

Alfred looked at Jeremy with concern. The young feline looked quite battered when he had met up with him that late afternoon after school. Jeremy’s hair was tousled and it looked like he had a couple bruises on his face from what he could currently see, and there was something else, his right hand, it was wrapped up in gauze. Alfred hadn’t seen this before. Sure, he would see Jeremy with a bruise on his skin sometimes, some stray cuts every now and then, This though, was new and very worrying. He didn’t see Jeremy as a kid who would get into fights or someone who was clumsy, because he wasn’t… something was wrong. He had a feeling in his gut…

“Hey Jeremy?” Alfred began tentatively, pulling the feline away from the book he was reading. He was now reading James and the Giant Peach. It must be another classic, he wouldn’t know.

“Yes?” Jeremy sounded calm enough, that was a good sign at least.

“What happened to your hand?” 

Jeremy’s eyes darted towards his bandaged hand, his other, non injured hand came to quickly cover it.

“It's just a burn,” he replied quickly. His eyes couldn’t stay on Alfred’s, averted to the side as if he was afraid or nervous to have been caught. Alfred narrowed his eyes.

“Jeremy.”

The feline hissed quietly. Alfred wasn’t sure if that noise was directed to him or not, but nonetheless it stung if only a little.

“What happened?”

“Nothing happened. It was just an accident.”

“an accident? You always come back with cuts snd bruises!” Alfred said with a little more sharpness than he had intended.

“It was just an accident.” Jeremy repeated as if he was a broken record, ducking his head slightly.

“Is someone hurting you?”

“Just Fucking Shut up!” Jeremy snapped, baring his teeth at the younger canine. Alfred's eyes went impossibly wide at the sudden curse. He had never heard anyone say that word besides his parents when they thought he was not listening. The word scared him; only because it was his friend saying it, towards him, with such a furious voice. Alfred looked down to the bandaged hand and saw how hard Jeremy was gripping it. Alfred then forced himself to look away. He didn’t move or say anything more.

“I’m sorry.”

Alfred jerked his head back to Jeremy who had tears in his eyes. The canine did not hesitate to get closer to the now sniffling feline.

“Hey, it’s alright.”

“No it's not!” Jeremy then burst into tears, abruptly slamming his head into Alfred’s chest. His head hurt against his smaller body, but he didn’t protest. He wanted to be there for his friend. “Why does my dad hate me!?”

Alfred blinked, but said nothing. Something seemed to click. Is his dad…?

Alfred spent the rest of his evening tending to Jeremy, allowing him to cry and cry. By the time he went home he had missed dinner.

It wasn’t a good night.

————————————

Next morning…

His homework was piling up. He used to be able to keep on top of it all, but meeting Jeremy had changed that. He no longer spent his evenings working on schoolwork or playing games by himself. He no longer really focused on other kids at school nor what happened during school time. His thoughts were usually revolving around Jeremy. How he was doing, if he was alright, if he had anything fun to do that night.

He didn’t realize how far down he was going until that morning.

“Alfred, Honey.” His mother called from the kitchen where she was making breakfast. He had skipped right over obliviously, eyes sparkling.

“Yes mom?” He asked sweetly as usual.

“I’m worried about your grades.” She began, her expression on the edge of  worry. She then let out a puff of air before dropping her supplies on the counter and looking at her son with unhidden concern. “I’m worried about how much time you're spending with that homeschooled kid.”

Alfred widened his eyes.

“What do you mean?”

She knelt down to his eye level.

“Baby, you're getting behind in school, you're missing dinner now. You come home looking so tired and sometimes even stressed and I'm worried for you.” She gently stroked Alfred’s cheek as she spoke. “I love you so much and I don't want you to fall behind and get lost. That’s why I want you to come straight home from now on, alright?”

“What?!” Alfred gasped in shock, attempting to step away. This could not be happening?! What about my friend?! “But what about Jeremy?! He- he will be all alone!”

“Your friend will be okay.”

“But he won’t!” He blurted out, shaking his head. His mother looked at him with pity, before gently patting him on his head.

“Why don’t you finish getting ready for school, okay?”

Alfred was speechless, but he chose to follow her instructions wordlessly. He could only see Jeremy during the evening… and Jeremy… Jeremy had nobody else… he… Thoughts and words were hard to grasp. He knew that realistically what his mother was doing was only for his best interests, he knew that Jeremy would be okay- after all, all he really does is read, But Alfred also knew that Jeremy wasn’t doing good. Jeremy only had him, and what would happen if all of  a sudden he stopped showing up? His head was flurrying with thought he couldn’t control.

You should just do what you want.

Alfred blinked at the rebellious thought. How could he think like that?

Jeremy is your best friend. Your mom will never understand.

He was right.

His mom doesn’t understand, but one day she will.

I’m sorry ma.

He didn’t come back home straight away.

“So you just… didn’t listen to her?” Jeremy questioned with wide eyes. Alfred nodded, feeling a pit of guilt and worry pooling in his gut. Oh he was going to get it now! “I could never be that brave,”

Alfred shrugged.

“Are you okay?” Jeremy asked softly. Oddly enough, Alfred couldn’t tell if his concern was genuine or not….

“I’m not sure…”

“Talk to me then.”

The canine looked at Jeremy, who’s eyes were inviting and happy, and Alfred’s guilt faded away. He talked.

“About what?”

“Uhmm…. Anything. Your favorite restaurant place?”

“Oh! Well, I don't often go to restaurant places, there's not many around here, but there's this one that I've been to a couple of times and it’s definitely good!”

“Really? What is it called?”

“AutumnDiner.”

“Never heard of it.”

“You?” Alfred asked hesitantly. He wasn’t sure if Jeremy had actually ever gone to a restaurant before…

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Alfred nodded and looked away. He realized there was so much more about his friend that he didn’t know…

————————————

March 26

It was Jeremy's birthday. His 16th birthday to be exact and Alfred was determined to celebrate it with him. The topic of birthdays had come up randomly during one of their conversations, and now he could finally give something special to his dear friend.

The Great Gatsby, an older novel, had been retrieved from the bookshelves of his father’s study. He personally hadn’t read it himself, but from what his father had said about it from time to time made it seem like the perfect book for his friend. He hadn’t asked to take it, but he hadn’t seen his dad read it much lately, so what was the harm? He had slipped the book in his backpack before retreating off to school with it. His mother seemed a bit distant that morning, he knew why, and he felt guilty. He chose to push past that for his friend. 

During the day his thoughts wandered. What am I doing?... I care so much about Jeremy, but is any of this worth it… lying and stealing… I don't like it…

That evening Alfred had rushed over to the meadow and was already greeted with the sight of Jeremy, sitting in the exact same place as usual. His heart thrummed with excitement.

“Jeremy!” He yelled as he rushed to his side. He wasn’t pleased when he saw the bruises from before and the still wrapped up hand the feline sported, but he tried to forget about it as Jeremy’s face lightened up immediately.

“Alfred?”

“Happy birthday!” the canine replied as he flung his backpack off to fish out the book, before eagerly pushing it towards Jeremy. “This is my present, I think you might like it!”

Jeremy’s eyes seemed to brim with tears, as he gently took the book from Alfred’s hands. He held the novel as if it was a newborn baby. 

“T-Thank you…” the young feline gasped out. “You have no idea what this means to me…”

Alfred just smiled at Jeremy with all the care in the world. He wanted him to be happy, wanted to show him the friendship he was never given. He felt like he’d do anything for him. Suddenly Jeremy lunged forward and enveloped the canine in a hug, squeezing him tight.

Alfred had never been hugged by Jeremy. It felt amazing, like something he never knew he needed. He hugged him back with joy.

“You're my most favorite person in the whole world!” Jeremy then exclaimed. Alfred giggled.

“You are my favorite person too!”

The joy then evaporated from Jeremy’s eyes as he drew away from Alfred. The canine looked at him with worry, but within moments Jeremy’s smile returned and he then abruptly stood up, book still in his grateful hands.

“I want to play a game now!”

Alfred quickly jumped to his feet, his childlike joy returning to him with a burst.

“Let’s play tag!”

————————————

???

“I HATE YOU!” Jeremy screamed as he pushed Alfred onto the ground. The canine yelped as his body met contact with the ground. His heart hammered in his chest as he stared back frighteningly at the furious feline.

He hadn’t done anything. He had just met up with him after school just like usual. What did he do wrong? All he knew for sure was that Jeremy looked horrible. He had a black eye, his sweater looked like it had been in a war, and his hair was completely pulled down, revealing more of the purple gradient that was in his hair.

“W-What did I do?” Alfred whimpered back, feeling genuinely scared. A part of him wondered if Jeremy was going to punch him by the look he was wearing.

“You’re useless! You're pathetic! I hate you! I wish you’d die, you stupid mutt!”

Nobody had called him a mutt before… it hurt. He started to cry. 

Jeremy’s screaming fury ended as he started to stare blankly at the crying canine, how his tears dropped down his face, how much he was shaking.

Jeremy liked it for a second.

“W-w-why are you yelling a-a-at m-me!” Alfred warbled as he tried to hide himself, too afraid to move and run. Alfred didn’t see, but Jeremy’s eyes widened.

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”

Alfred shakingly lifted his head, and saw how still the feline went, how distant and somewhat fearful his blue eyes became.

“I’m sorry.”

Jeremy proceeded to run away without another word, leaving Alfred to shake all by himself by the meadow, sobbing to himself.

What did I do wrong? What did I do wrong? What did I do wrong?

He didn’t see him again for four whole days.

————————————

Four days later…

When Alfred saw Jeremy again, he didn’t mention what had happened, nor did Jeremy himself. He seemed content enough to ignore everything that had happened. Alfred wanted to forget too, so he did.

“Did you know that i play the violin?”

“Y-you… can?” Alfred said, voice wavering just slightly. Jeremy caught it, but said nothing about it.

“Mhm… I can play the piano and violin. I also know a lot about making clothing.”

Alfred fidgeted with his fingers.

“That sounds nice… but that is a lot…”

Jeremy nodded, before turning his head towards Alfred.

“It is a lot.”

Alfred sucked in a breath and took a chance.

“Why did you learn all those things?”

“My parents wanted me to learn, so I did.”

“Did you like learning?”

“Not really… I… I didn’t enjoy it, but I didn’t have much of a choice in the matter.” Jeremy sighed. “I….” He stopped and didn’t finish his sentence. Alfred didn’t make him.

“I care about you.”

Jeremy attempted a smile.

“Even after I yelled at you?”

Alfred wasn’t expecting him to bring it up. It was odd. He nodded nonetheless.

“I care about you too.”

————————————

One day later…

“I hate my parents sometimes…”

Jeremy looked at Alfred blankly.

“Why?”

“They just… they lectured me about me being around you, and how they ‘never seen me act this way before’ and stuff… they grounded me.”

“And yet you're still here.”

“Yeah…”

“Am I really that important to you?”

“Of course. If I have to be honest… you're one of my only friends…”

“Really?” Jeremy seemed genuinely happy at hearing this.

“Mhm…”

There was a beat of silence between the two before abruptly, Jeremy spoke.

“I can always fix that.”

“Fix what?”

“Nothing.” Jeremy shook his head in a strange way before standing up. “Let’s have fun, okay?”

Alfred blinked confused, before nodding and smiling.

“Okay!”

He was so lucky to have a friend like Jeremy…

Chapter Text

Chapter Thirty One

Four days later…

-

Come on dad! Come and play with me!

Alfred shook his head again for the fifteenth time that day, closing his eyes and grabbing at his ears, trying to block out the unbearable voices echoing relentlessly through his cranium.

Why are you ignoring us!? 

No no no no no not again…

Ever since the death of Jessy, he started hearing voices, Voices of his baby boy and the young girl he had slaughtered echoing through his mind. He knew they weren’t real and were only personifications of what he had gone through, but it didn’t take away the anguish he felt every time another hallucination hit. It felt too real…

Alfred dared to open his eyes, but was met with two foggy visions of the dead children, staring back at him lifelessly. He closed his eyes again and tried to take a deep breath. Each episode seemed to only last thirty minutes at maximum. He didn’t know how long it had been already, but he assumed it had already been a while since it first had started. It’s going to be alright… it’s almost over… It’s almost over…

The door within his Mystery-imposed room then opened with a loud bang, causing the canine to jump up and yelp. He shouldn’t have been surprised when Mystery waltzed in, nobody else could exactly be here right now.

Daddy! I wanna play with you!

There is nobody else here.

“Hi Alfie!~” Mystery sing-songed through the voices as he gradually drew nearer. Alfred at this time was sitting on his medical bed which thankfully kept the two at near eye level.

“Hello, Mystery.” He replied monotonously. He didn't have the heart nor the energy to fake his enthusiasm. Not that he was doing a good job at faking anyway. In response, the feline patted the top of his head, seemingly pleased enough with his response.

“How is your boo-boo?”

Alfred cringed. He really hated it when Mystery called his literal stab wound a ‘boo-boo’. A boo-boo is a scrape on the knee after falling on hard concrete. A boo-boo was NOT being stabbed with an icepick. But Mystery wouldn’t know that, would he? Alfred thought to himself begrudgingly as he then soon responded.

“It’s healing well.”

“Perfect!” Mystery then clapped his hands cheerily. The canine already knew that his joy was quite dramatized. Alfred had slowly begun to learn Mystery’s unique body language and what it all meant for him. Exaggerated joy could either mean he was in for a rough day or he was going to have to deal with an extra clingy male, neither were preferable. Along with this, he also learned the forms of anger that the feline had, it was two things, silent or loud. From the amount of times he was smacked around and brutalized, he grew to distinguish between the two. Silent is just as it sounds, no yelling, just violence and whispered threats, or just threats in general. The loud part was much worse if he had to be completely honest. He would be kicked, punched, screamed at or a plethora of other horrible things. When those moments happened, it was like living hell. Thankfully it seemed as if ‘silent’ was the preferred mode of choice for Mystery. He didn't know how long he would have been able to continue surviving if otherwise.

After Mystery finished with his show of childish energy, his gaze then turned focused as he then jerked forward and yanked up the fabric of Alfred’s undershirt with sudden force that Alfred nearly choked on his saliva. The canine felt uncomfortable under his scrutinizing gaze. The bastard didn’t even bother to ask before touching him…  just as always. Alfred averted his eyes to the side as waves of discomfort and humiliation continued to erupt through him with every second that passed. As he was distracted by his own emotions, he didn’t have a chance to prepare for what Mystery did next as he then used his free hand to start poking and prodding at his torso like he was inspecting a dead corpse. Alfred jerked, and quickly earned a disapproving gaze from the feline, who soon returned to his examination quietly.

For some reason, Mystery had seemed a bit calmer than usual… or at least it felt like it. He supposed he was so used to the bitter side of the feline that seeing him like this was strange. Or maybe i’m just thinking too far into this…

Can I play with Shai please?

“Hush now…” Mystery then tutted quietly, still seeming deep in focus. Alfred was yanked out of his head when he heard Mystery abruptly speak. It was then he could hear himself whimpering, which he of course, quickly shut himself up

Dear god, I’m going insane in this place…

“All done! You are healing well! I’m so happy!” Mystery hummed contently as he popped himself away from Alfred, removing his hands from his clothes in the process. The canine then quickly grabbed his grubby undershirt and yanked it back down silently. As he re-adjusted his lab coat and clothing Mystery began to hum.

“Do you know what I have planned for today?”

Odd question… Alfred shook his head, unconsciously raising an eyebrow. He immediately tensed when he saw a malicious glint in the killer's eyes. His stomach grew queasy. Within moments, He knew it was one of those days.

“Do you remember a few days ago?~” Mystery sing-songed, leaning forward. Alfred knew what he was referring to and quite Unfortunately he remembered that moment far too much.

“Yes.”

I’m bored! A blend of his child and Jessy’s voice echoed in his brain simultaneously, it was so loud that he wondered how Mystery couldn’t hear it.

Suddenly, Within a speed far greater than the canine had any time to anticipate, Mystery, with both hands, grabbed onto Alfred’s left hand with a near crushing pressure that caused a gasp to force out of the canine. Wait! What is he- Mystery then twitched his head awkwardly to the side for a split moment. It was as if he was trying to crack his neck. Alfred only later realized what that gesture meant as he felt the familiar god awful sensation of pressure holding him down. Since when could Mystery just snap his neck and fuck With gravity? He thought his reality bending powers were only limited by his handed gestures, clearly he was mistaken. If he could do something like this with such ease, then what else can he do? His heartbeat grew loud in his head, completely overshadowing his hallucinations in full. 

“That’s good! Because I now have to punish you.”

“What?!” Alfred yelped, eyes shrinking into tiny pinpricks at the mention of a ‘punishment’. This makes no sense, I haven't fought, or talked back to him at all recently! What could I possibly be punished for!? He thought anxiously. The only thing he could think of was what had happened during that horrible day when Jessy… when Jessy had died. During that rather turbulent moment in time, He had remembered the scolding he received from Mystery in the very end, criticizing him on his ‘technique’ of all things, but he hadn’t realized that he’d actually be punished for it all now. He was just doing what he thought was right, trying his hardest to make her death as quick and painless as he possibly could in his position. Jessy never deserved to die to begin with. All he wanted was for her to not suffer like his little boy unfortunately did. Apparently to the feline, that wasn’t allowed. Oblivious to Alfred’s thoughts, Mystery smiled devilishly.

“Hmm? Don’t you remember?” Mystery’s voice went honeyed and phony as if he was trying to talk to a child, it would have grossed him out if he wasn’t scared out of his mind. “You took the easy way out of our special bonding time!” Mystery slid his hands around until he could grab a hold of a single digit, the pointer finger, with one of his hands, and started to pull it back, agonizingly slow. Alfred began to sweat as the pressure in his fingers seemed to intensify with every centimeter back it went.

“I was so proud that you had killed your first victim, i was so happy to see that special look in your eyes- but i’m not very happy about how you went about it, Freddy~”

A joint cracked in Alfred’s finger. Just a single pop like when simply cracking one's knuckles. It was innocent enough, but it wouldn’t be for long. Alfred felt his breathing grow labored as the scene unfolded in front of him. Mystery continued talking.

“You need to learn to take time with your victims, learn what makes them go, tick!”

Crack.

Alfred let out a high pitched wail as his finger was bent all the way, snapping the bone connecting the digit to his finger. He didn’t see it coming, it happened so fast, so abruptly, he had no way to prepare himself for the incoming rush of pure, raw pain that would then engulf the entirety of his hand.

“STOP PLEASE-”

“You don’t tell me when to stop, silly!” Mystery chuckled, amused by the canine’s agony and feeble attempts of jerking away. “I’m doing this to help you! Afterwards you’ll understand why this is so much better than your dumb little method.”

Scratch that, there was a third mode of anger. Happy.

Alfred continued letting out caterwauls of pain, while all the same looking back at his now broken finger and the state of it. he could see the bone just where the skin had been snapped apart. Blood was oozing down and around his hand, leaving a warm trail on his hand. The scene looked as if it was ripped straight from a banned horror movie. This and the mixture of pain radiating all throughout his pitifully broken finger nearly made him vomit, but he didn’t even have the chance to retch as Mystery’s hand then immediately darted to his next finger. No no no no NO NO!

“I wonder what your fingers will look like when they heal…” Mystery mused to himself as he pushed on. “What do you think?”

As if to mock him, Mystery started pulling back the next finger, staring right in Alfred’s petrified orange eyes as he did so. His multicolored gaze sparkled with malicious joy and excitement, a look that Alfred desperately wanted to recoil from, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t run, he couldn’t hide. All he could do at this moment was try to keep himself together through all the mounting pain.

Snap.

Another scream was ripped out of him. The pain was so much worse than what he could ever imagine. He had never injured his fingers before, nor had broken any bone, he knew it hurt from those he had spoken to in the past, but no, this could never shape up to the stories he had been told. He felt like he was about to die. As he sat there uselessly, His broken fingers pulsed with wave after wave of fresh pain. It hurt like the fiery pits of hell, burning, stinging, aching, over and over in an endless feedback loop.

“The screams are the best part, they can tell you whether or not you need to get rougher or not.” Mystery continued on, fully uncaring.

Don’t cry Don’t cry Please don't cry! Alfred pleaded mentally with himself. He had grown truly hateful of the tears that escaped his eyes everytime something seemingly bad happened to him. It made him feel so so pathetic- like a crybaby, and he hated it. Strong people don't cry, or at least that's what he told himself constantly. Since when did anybody’s heroes cry?

“You must go slow. If you go too fast your victim won’t last very long.”

Despite his efforts, the assault of emotions and pain in his body became too much as stinging tears started to brim in his eyes, and began sliding down his cheek. 

Crunch.

Snap.

Crack.

Finger after finger was snapped from the bone, tearing away from the precious ligaments, ripping the blood vessels, completely mutilating his hand within just a few seconds at a time. He didn’t know how long this torture had gone on for, nor did he have the compaciety to care right then. Alfred could feel his consciousness flicking in and out with every spirt of agony that was forced out of him. His body was letting out little tremors, so subtle that there was a chance that Mystery didn’t even see it, and his head had become full of the droning sounds of ringing, removing any other sound that could be audible. If it weren't for the energy holding him up, he would have collapsed already.

Passage of time had faded away as Mystery kept at it, now already moving to his unharmed right hand. Despite it being on a totally different side, it seemed as if the pain with each snap and break was worse than it was when it had initially started. He could no longer scream with each snap of bone, he only barely jerked instead. At this point the pain all blended together, no longer individual slices, just melted as one.

“Ah. Now that is how you're supposed to do it, Freddy.” The purple feline pulled away with a nod, looking pleased at the disfiguring sight in front of him. Alfred had long since stopped focusing on the world around him, eyes now already fluttering to the back of his head as his very body sensed the end of his torture and had completely spent itself out. The pressure holding him up then ceased.

“Alfie?”

Alfred then passed out.

————————————

Mystery had been rummaging in the medicine room for the past thirty minutes. He had learned from the last time that Alfred had passed out in such a manner. Thankfully it wasn’t infection this time that had struck down his best friend… just a bit of rough demonstration. Maybe breaking all ten of his fingers was a bit much. Mystery though could easily justify himself with two large facts. One, he had lots of fun and two, Alfred had now learned a lesson. So, this meant that he didn’t do anything wrong. He had done what was best for his dear Alfie, even at the cost of the aforementioned’s own unconsciousness. Oh… If Alfred wasn’t mortal he wouldn’t have to be so careful, But alas… Mystery chose to shrug away his ‘what ifs’ and the earlier memory of Alfred’s current injuries out of his mind, and continued to set off for more equipment.

By the time he had come back to the room, it had been about an hour. Thankfully, his best friend was still out. Helping him recover after such a rough session would be easier that way. In the feline’s hands was white gauze, disinfectant and scissors. The scissors he only decided to bring along because he had an inkling that a knife wouldn’t cut the fabric bandage thing as well as he would personally like.

With his supplies in tow, he settled next to the canine’s motionless body. For once, he felt less tense, more oriented in his mind. He truly preferred it this way. He supposed it had to do with getting to have fun with Alfie earlier despite it being his punishment, being able to get out everything built up in his system after the past four days. That sounded like it.

Mystery then took a few moments to look at Alfred. He had never thought about it much, never bothered to, but his best friend had begun to look different than when he first saw him during their reunion. It wasn’t a complaint, no… he found himself marveling in what he had created. If he could ever have an ideal friend, it would look like this- like him- morphed into his design, obedient and sweet… 

Mystery decided to get to work then by taking the first of Alfred’s many broken digits and began pouring out the disinfectant on the first gaping wound. He would rather be safer than sorry when it came to infections now. Mystery’s eyes widened just a tab at Alfred when the aforementioned canine’s eyes fluttered open, his orange eyes glazed over and full of pain. A thrill of excitement thrummed though the sadistic feline’s veins. Pain. Pain. Pain. He loved pain and the look of it when etched itself over his victim’s faces.

“Hi Al~” Mystery whispered with a soft voice towards his beloved friend.  He caught the way his friend’s eyes seemed to widen just a slight amount, how he briefly twitched before becoming still once more. He didn’t get a response from Alfred though, which was irritating, he chose to ignore it as a new thought flashed within his mind. If his best friend liked being called Al, then he would most certainly keep calling him that if it made him happier. He’d do anything for Alfred… well, almost anything…

Each finger he wrapped with gauze after straightening the digits to their normal positions and disinfecting them. He would get low whines of pain from Alfred every few moments, but that was pretty much it. If Mystery had to be honest, he really liked it when he was so docile and weak. Alfred didn’t fight him when he was like that… wait… a sliver of an idea floated in his mind. Something fun for later… the feline thought before quietly resuming his task.

It took him a while, but soon every finger was wrapped and covered. The appearance of his handiwork made the killer burst with pride. It was the same pride that he felt when he had impulsively created the canine’s new, metal ears. Pride that made him want to do more and more and more, but right now, he just wanted to be close to his Alfie.

After carelessly tossing his supplies on the floor, he scooted closer to Alfred. With the way his friend was lying, it was hard to get near, so Mystery decided to sit Alfred up by his shoulders and lay the canine’s furry head on his lap. Mystery couldn’t help but purr quietly to himself after he had finished moving him around. Alfred was so nice like this. Mystery then started to drag his fingers through his friend's hair, marveling at the messy curls that caught in his fingers, how they bounced back into place when he let go. He could feel just a tickle of envy in his chest. Alfred had such wonderful hair.

Mystery then dragged his fingers against Alfred’s face. The canine shuttered softly, as one of his brilliant orange eyes flicked halfway open once again. A pitiful whimper came from him. Mystery could only smile at this. His friend was so pathetic without him… he was so glad he had rescued him when he did.

“Shhh, you're safe. Mystery’s got you.”

Alfred seemed to be pulled back to unconsciousness with that, so Mystery could only be pleased. He then resumed his doings, stoking the canine’s face, petting his head, even saying a few nice things to him. Mystery hoped that someday Alfred would do the same for him.

His thoughts drifted a little, as he then stared at the wall in front of him, Thinking about the moment when Alfred would thank him for saving him, hug him and hold him close. He thought about not having to punish Alfred anymore, how they’d be able to live in peace forever… making up for lost time… he wanted that so much. Looking back down at Alfred again, he could only see a work in progress. Mystery knew though, that someday soon, he’d fully get through to Alfred. Alfred was his, and soon he’d be able to understand and embrace that. Mystery wasn’t the one to be patient, but if he could for just a little longer, he would see his best friend grow back into his better self. So he decided he could wait. It would all be worth it in the end.

Mystery sighed softly.

His friend.

His friend.

His friend.

Chapter Text

Icey’s Account

-

Icey stood at the entrance of the tall, gothic gray doors that lead to the glory of the shinigami embassy. This location known as the embassy was almost always deserted and left to collect dirt and dust as the immortal beings that would arrive here to discuss matters had since slowed formal communication to the mortal world. The absence of the building's use showed through the weeds that had begun to run down along the outer walls, the chipped and worn paint, and the other small but numerous bits of damage all where the eye can see.

The crimson shark being paced nervously at the doorway, rubbing at his arms nervously as he waited. They were usually more upbeat and curious, but they really couldn’t muster up the whimsy today, not when for the first time in many years, a shinigami had been summoned to the mortal world- here- to meet with the young detective to discuss the intense matters of The Masked Killer and the hundreds of deaths caused by them. It was a lot of pressure for them and they were feeling it. Could she do this? Were they able to? She couldn’t shake the anxiety even as she desperately tried, the only thing he knew to do was smile and try to think of the questions he needed to ask, the ways to get out information- anything but this specific situation at hand.

Icey’s week had started off differently than normal. After returning from the crime scene at Rx Industries, He immediately was set off to try to find a way to contact a higher ranking Shinigami. Bloodhound was convinced that the serial killer was a Shinigami due to the impossible feats the murderer had been able to do and get away with for ages. Icey couldn’t help but agree, the evidence was clear enough. So with that, he had reached out to the primary leader of Treelight, hoping he could convince someone to venture down to the mortal realm to speak with him. He wasn’t surprised by the baffled and slightly frightened response he had first gotten from the one in charge. The male was a cowardly, laissez-faire type of man. He did nothing and expected everything to be fine ninety-nine percent of the time. This happened to be one of the reasons why mainstream law enforcement didn’t actually do their jobs properly. Another reason for the skittish behavior was also part in due to the sudden and odd request Icey had brought up; Being asked to bring down a Shinigami from the heavens wasn’t exactly on anyone’s bingo card and Shinigami’s were not something you messed with unless you had a death wish. These beings could snipe a soul quicker than a flash of lightning, had scythes that held the power to destroy any living life within seconds, could reach inhumane speeds that not even the fastest creature could produce. That was a frightening thing when you hardly see the divine species nor when the continuous rumor of their stoic, sharp and easily mal-tempered their personalities were supposed to be echoed constantly through the state.

Eventually though, he got through to the leader, and got a formal message sent out to meet with one of the head Shinigami’s as quickly as possible. Of course, he ended up waiting days for a response from the other side. It had been long enough that Icey was near damn sure that nothing further was going to happen. Thankfully, she had been proven wrong.

So here they were now, waiting for permission to enter the embassy, which was once an older shrine dedicated to the Shinigami's and other former glorious angelic and demonic beings back in the olden years. Icey wasn’t surprised that back in the day that all three of these beings were worshipped. Times had been different then. Equality and boundaries had been so scarce then. Any being with power was considered a god in their own right. Now, none of that was true. Not after what happened centuries ago. The only beings that held any power now were the Shinigami’s, the soul reapers. Only they had some sort of authority, but even then, worshipping them like gods was a long dead tradition now. Icey wasn’t sure how to feel about all that.

Not too much longer later, there was a click as the doors finally opened for her. A short but momentarily powerful gust of wind took him by surprise, causing her to wobble uncertainly, but within seconds Icey straightened her posture and stared straight ahead at what lied in front of her. Inside he could see exactly who he had requested, appearing to be sitting down in a rather tall throne- chair? Something! Icey gulped nervously.

“Approach.” spoke a smooth, masculine voice from within the chambers. Their voice echoed in a way that made the tone seem far more menacing than he had been prepared for. Nonetheless, Icey didn’t hesitate to start making his way through the entrance, towards the immortal being in front of them. 

When they got closer they could see the divine being’s scary form much easier, making him shiver. This shinigami’s fur was covered in a dark blue hue, his eyes were pure dark pits of black, and his pupils were dark crimson X’s. Under his eyes was a wide stripe of black, looking as if it were his tears. All over the rest of his body was long black tendrils winding around his body like dead weeds, all accompanied with thorns. Large, sharp black wings jutted from his back and In his lap was the smallish weapon, resembling a black and blue axe with razor sharp spikes along both ends of the blades. That… That must be his scythe…

They stared down coldly at Icey’s form, all the while holding a stiff, yet formal posture. If Icey didn't know better, they would have thought he was being brought into a courtroom. Now though wasn’t the time to be frightened, he had a job to do! Bloodhound needed this intel!

“G-Good afternoon, sir.” Icey couldn’t resist a short bow, which in return received an unamused sigh from the being. Once the shark returned back to his still position did the Shinigami respond.

“Yes, yes hello, let’s just get to the point of this meeting already.” He said flatly.

“Right!” Icey cleared her throat, tried to not be irritated at the shinigami’s seemingly dismissive vibe and forced her mind to focus and made her anxious thoughts clear away. “I’m sure you are aware about the serial killer issue pertaining to the infamous Masked Killer, correct?”

“I don’t log down the names of every serial killer out there I'm afraid.”

Icey’s eye twitched, but he remained calm, taking a swift but revitalizing breath before resuming.

“But you are aware that many- hundreds of people have been killed rapidly and abruptly more than what would be usual over the span of decades?”

The Shinigami leaned forward, his expression unreadable, Icey hoped his words where making an effect.

“Listen, I’m a god of death, I see people being maimed and slaughtered every day of my existence. I don’t keep track of how many people pass at a given time. So no, I didn’t notice.”

Icey remained still, trying to figure out what to say next. She hadn't expected this to occur in the slightest. Sure, she expected some skepticism or perhaps a debate, but she didn't expect to be shut down so abruptly. They would have thought this Shinigami would have known about the crisis, but as it turns out he was anything but informed. It almost seemed as if he didn’t even want to know. Did none of the shinigami's know about this? or did they even care?

“W-Well, since 2005 there has been a serial killer known as the Masked Killer running rampant all over Treelight, and me and my colleague have reason to suspect one of your kind has gone rogue and decided to start killing people without merit.”

The shinigami’s eyes widened suddenly at the suggestion, but he didn’t interrupt.

“The reason why I requested your time here was to figure out what rouge being could be our culprit.” Icey finished off with a stronger tone as confidence seemed to flow back into her body for the very first time since she had arrived. Icey then watched as the immortal being seemed to contemplate this, finger to his furry chin with thought. The shark felt a shot of pride, feeling that he was finally getting to him at last.

“You're telling me our legion might have a rogue, violent entity?”

Icey nodded determinedly. The shinigami narrowed his eyes in contemplation before sighing.

“That is impossible.”

There was a silence that filled the area, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

“What do you mean that's impossible?” Icey stared back at the immortal with unhidden exasperation. “All the signs point to your kind.”

“Signs or no signs. Shinigami’s don’t turn against their morals. Not like you mortals do.”

Icey felt a sting in her chest at that- having her people being insulted like that. Yet, he was not too far from the truth, was he?

“We also don’t involve ourselves with the lives of those of mortals.”

That made another prickle in his chest. Even after all that, he still didn’t care. What the hell? People where dying left and right and all he could think about was arguing against Bloodhound’s findings?! When would the Shinigami’s actually do something? Would it take The Masked Killer killing a thousand people before something would be done from their end? Or not at all? It made zero sense. Worst of all, his last saving excuse seemed to be alienating an entire group of people.

“Mortals? So you don’t count the angels and demons as immortals then?” Icey found themself retorting back, completely uncaring about the fact that she was speaking to divine authority. Thankfully, The Shinigami hardly reacted before taking his turn to speak.

“No, we don’t. When they lost their powers they submitted themselves to being treated as one of your kind. Infinite lifespan aside.” he sighed.

The room was then silent again, leaving a conflicting feeling bubbling up from within Icey’s soul. What should they do next? Was there anything he could do? So far this Shinigami could care less about the state of Treelight, despite the years of progressive damage being done from years of paranoia and fear. He didn’t care about how everyone else was treated during this, not even the immortals that used to be one of them. One thing was for sure, If this kept up, she wouldn’t be able to get anywhere with Bloodhound’s case. She couldn’t have that. Maybe she had to be more assertive to get things done around here. Screw him being a shinigami, screw the danger, she had to get the reality of the situation forced through his thick skull.

“Do you actually think a mortal could relocate buildings, go hidden for decades and not be caught?” Icey then spoke, keeping every once of their body in a strong, confident posture, using his angered determination to their advantage. “This has nothing to do with “mortals”, it never has. This is about everyone. Not just mortal people are being affected by this right now! People are scared, dying and in a constant state of danger! But you don’t care do you? You say none of your legion could possibly have done this, but guess what, There is no possible way that this serial killer could be anything but a shinigami- And If you cannot see all of these blindingly obvious signs and evidence laying out right in front of your face, then you are an idiot!”

Icey finished with a panting, heavy breath. She had not intended to be that harsh, but he was sure that the point went across, and he felt no regrets. The shinigami, still perched on his throne, cocked an eyebrow in surprise, before abruptly shooting down onto the hard, sturdy floor with a loud slam. The impact caused Icey to jump a few steps back. She was then surprised to see how much taller this being actually was. Six-foot-five… that added a new layer of intimidation that wasn’t already present to his form. Icey felt a sliver of anxiety push past her determined spirit. The reaper looked down at the shark, with an unamused look before shaking his head in a way that could be seen as sympathetic.

“I am no idiot.” but before Icey could speak, he raised a finger. “I see your distress, I see how this makes you feel, but I cannot do anything about it.” He then turned away from Icey.

“This situation may be affecting your kind, but without it directly affecting us to a certain level we are unable to intervene.”

“So you guys are just willing to see innocent people die?” Icey asked bitterly. 

He said nothing, which only made their anger grow.

“For beings who have all the power in the world in your hands, you still choose to do nothing when you have the ability to do everything. You are all just cowards. That is the only reason you all stopped being a part of this world.” Icey growled. “You are all just selfish, arrogant cowards.”

The shinigami visibly twitched. What they said must have really gotten to him. Good. 

“I have no idea why I was even afraid of you to begin with.” Icey then turned and began to walk towards the entrance again, feeling the pit of righteous anger quickly overcoming his senses. “I don’t care what you or your lackeys say. One of your shinigami’s caused this, and I will find out who it is, with or without your scummy species as help." With that, Icey was gone.

Icey didn't stop there. They were not going to quit until she could get as much information as he possibly could. Unfortunately that meant hacking was one of the techniques he would have to utilize. He wasn’t proud of it, but it was one of the few things he was an expert on. It wasn’t even a secret, all of the department knew. The skill of theirs was one of the few things that got him successfully pulled into her career in the speed at which they did. Apparently hackers were of high demand in the force. Who would have known?...

Icey clicked along on their keyboard in their crummy department office, trying to get past the strange firewall the shinigami’s had set up for their online database. Yes, the shinigami’s of all beings had an private online database for each legion in the world to log in each soul gathered and the associated shinigami’s active and old. It was funny how stupid they were to put up all their sensitive information where people like them could reach. Yet again… who really thinks about hacking into shinigami websites anyway? Only the crazy’s would. I guess this makes me batshit crazy then! Icey had thought amusingly to themself. 

Thankfully though she had discussed this little endeavor with Bloodhound beforehand, just in case things were to blow up in their faces, just as he had expected though, Bloodhound had approved of her risky idea without much rebuttal or protest. The shark could tell she was trusted heavily if she could get away with something as drastic as this. He could easily get in so much trouble, yet here he was. He felt a sharp prickle of pride and gratitude at that.

After multiple attempts and long minutes of waiting for his computer to process, he finally bypassed the firewall holding back his precious information. What they saw was quite a shock. He was used to sites being kinda sloppy, laggy and outwardly choppy in graphics as all fresh technology was, but this was foreign. The appearance of the website was relatively clean and sharp, it barely lagged and it looked as if it came from ages in the future. He had no idea how this kind of quality hadn’t been discovered yet. Of course, the wait time for each click on the site hadn’t changed, it was just as long as the usual sites they visited where. At least the immortal reapers could be humbled in that manner.

Icey first scanned through the new souls that had been registered in treelight, with each automatic refresh of the site about a couple new souls were added, it was baffling how so much death happened so often and so quickly. They pushed that out of their mind as they continued gazing at each bit of the site as they could. 

Hours had come and gone, as the shimmering yellow sun soon peaked over the horizon, yet this didn’t stop them as they continued. Soon Icey caught sight of the list of Shinigami’s. He knew immediately that this would warrant the results he needed. Soon she was scrounging through the visible list, reading their starting dates of which they began reaping souls and their names along with their little, grainy photos attached. She even managed to find the Shinigami he had met before in the embassy, he still looked just as much as an ass as he had been before. Zavion, huh? What a dumb name. 

Besides that, There wasn’t really anything else notable on the page to click on, she couldn’t just click on the icons and gather any additional info pertaining to each Shinigami. They supposed that this was probably a weak attempt to hide any further Identity, if so, they were focusing security on the wrong things.

Icey wasn’t sure what exactly to look for besides any weird dates or appearances since any more identifying info was tucked away, but he wasn’t about to get pessimistic. As they scrolled through, she could feel her eyes threatening to close. Damn… the shark quickly straightened their body and stretched out. Can’t fall asleep, gotta do crap… 

She then was forced out of their chair to make another shot of fresh tea. While others preferred to use caffeine as a resource for energy, Icey preferred a less potent alternative. Tea was fresh, delicious and didn’t bring any bad side effects, what could be better? Thankfully she didn’t have a long way to go to find where his bounty was located. A tall but thin, light beige counter laid against the wall, holding the sacred coffee machine and the beloved tea infuser that Icey desperately needed. Along that counter were different coffee blends, and tea packets scattered around, making it easy for any kind of office beverage lover to find what they wanted. Green tea? Done. Black coffee? It’s there. What Icey wanted was a simple cup of lemon tea, and as expected it was there. He let out a relieved sigh as he got the small machine running, soon enough they’d be back to their focused self.

“Hey.”

Icey nearly jumped out of her skin when a familiar gruff voice sounded behind her.

“Eek! Don’t sneak up on me like that, I could have had an aneurysm!”

“Well-“ “are you trying to kill me?!”

The person who had snuck up on Icey happened to be Officer Bloodhound, the absolute bonafide legend, and the legend himself was currently giving Icey the look.

“How long have you been working off the clock?”

“Uhhh…”

Bloodhound sighed, while pressing two fingers against the bridge of his nose with exasperation.

“It’s not good to overdo yourself, what good would you be if you’d fall asleep on the job?”

Icey pouted.

“You're such a Hypocrite, you overwork yourself all the time!”

He didn’t argue, but merely shook his head.

“That is not an excuse. Finish up what you're doing and then get some rest. We are staffed well enough here.”

Icey would have protested, but Bloodhound was still giving him the look and so he resigned himself to nod obediently.

“Oh As you wish… mate.” Icey cheekily replied, clearly emphasizing the ‘mate’ at the end.

Bloodhound cringed at that last word before walking away wordlessly. Heh, that always works. Bloodhound was most definitely not the one to enjoy weird pet names, especially when they were in the office- ah, but now though wasn’t the time to dwell on silly nonsense like that. While Bloodhound had told him to take a break, she wasn’t quite done with his search yet. She needed to keep going.

Once they returned to their rickety black seat he resumed his research. There had to be something off here. Some little anomaly that could be the direct cause to the sudden growth of the Masked Killer, a clue perhaps? Icey eventually came down to a clickable item. Passes. Passes? They clicked on it and were brought to another page. After a few moments of waiting he could clearly see the list of shinigami’s who were no longer active in their jobs anymore- well… not active; as in dead.

It was different seeing this page. Icey wasn’t used to the concept of shinigami’s dying, after all they are immortal and immortal beings could only be removed if someone immortal or an immortal weapon was the cause. It was basic history. So this was quite jarring. Icey with shock etched into his features continued reading and saw that only ten known deaths had been recorded and all nine took place before the treaty occurred. Odd. Who knew that the treaty would be involved with immortal deaths? She didn’t until now. Icey then turned her attention towards the last remaining date. It was the most recent, if only just a few decades ago.

Skull [Redacted] - passed 1996

This was one of the ones with no picture despite how photos at this time had advanced and become widely available. It was as if… what if they were actually attempting to hide this information purposefully? (once again, another poor use of security.) After all, all the other dates had last names and some sort of identifying feature about them, but not Skull. Who is Skull? Whoever this shinigami was, he died after the treaty, just decades before the current day, nine years before the first killing. Icey perked up and their skin tingled with excitement. They found the anomaly. Skull. It said Skull was dead, but they left nothing behind for this being to be identified, so either something horrific must have occurred for this immortal being to pass or he wasn’t actually dead. There was no current way to know for sure, but this was a clue and he had to share it with Bloodhound immediately. Oh gosh! Icey thought excitedly as they jumped out of their seat, nearly spilling her tea all over her desk as they ran cartoonishly in the direction of Bloodhound’s office.

“Bloodyyyy!~ I found something!!!”

Chapter Text

Chapter Thirty Three

Two weeks later…

-

Alfred’s arms burned and burned and burned. It felt like a fire was burning up and down his arms, piercing him like tiny, horrible knives. It had been so many blurry days since that horrible moment when Mystery had snapped all ten of his fingers without mercy, and despite all the time that had passed, the agony still persisted and dug deep into the fibers of his skin. He supposed the pain could be ten times worse if not for Mystery recklessly shoving random concoctions of pain meds down his sore, raw throat. He at least tried to think it was pain medicine and not a plethora of poisons that Mystery wanted to sadistically test on him. Ugh…

Besides the crippling pain, Alfred was plagued with worry for his best friend, Kao, His family, the hallucinations that tortured him daily and the state of his injured fingers. The worry was all he could think about. The emotion had completely encompassed his mind, overriding any genuine productive thoughts and plans he could instead be having. This was only fueled by the fact that he couldn’t move away from his lying spot on the medical bed. He had pretty much just laid there for the span of two weeks, with minimal movement with exception for using the bathroom, but even that was barely anything. It wasn’t like he chose to just lay there like an easily manipulated ragdoll, but unfortunately he didn’t have much of an option when his pain made every movement feel like he was burning alive nor when his captor ensured he stayed put.

It was all so hard, the restlessness and anguish, it was hard to bear… He was once again put in a state of helplessness that he despised. Helplessness he couldn’t help himself out of. He wanted some sort of control, he craved it. He wanted to move when he wanted to move, he wanted to speak when he wanted to speak. He never realized how much he had controlled his own life until now, and that fact hurt.

Another thing that made the canine uncomfortable was the fact that Mystery had decided to start sleeping in the same room as him, giving him no reprieve from the feline’s presence. This started happening as soon as after what had occurred that one morning with his fingers, at least he could only assume so. The first few days afterward were quite fuzzy. All that could be certain was that one night, Alfred had lethargically awoken to Mystery’s soft snores coming from the dark corner of the room. It was unsettling and it nearly caused him to have a heart attack. After that night he started paying more attention to the night times. If the canine had to be honest, he didn't even know how it was possible for Mystery to need sleep due to his weird overpowered abilities.

So here he was, doing what he had grown accustomed to, all the while trying his hardest to not to make a sound from the visceral pain he was still currently enduring. Mystery had been slumped against the dingy wall just a few feet away he had last noticed and the room was eerily quiet. Alfred let out a choked breath as another wave of agony crawled up his arms. Oh my god! p-please just make it stop!

“Al~”

Alfred jumped painfully, voice caught in his throat as Mystery’s furry head popped up right in front of him. The canine bit his lip to suppress wails of pain from his jarred movements, as he feebly continued to twitch.

“Awww poor thing, I didn’t mean to scare you!” Mystery’s voice went pouty as he moved away from his face. Within the next few seconds, Mystery had perched himself on the medical bed next to Alfred’s body. The motion of the feline popping on the bed sent prickles of hurt and fear down his spine. If Alfred was more cognitive, he would have responded as to avoid Mystery’s sudden wrath, but goodness was he lucky, as the feline just continued to speak, uncaring. “My poor Alfie is still in pain, isn’t he?”

Alfred croaked, throat raw and painful. It took way too long for him to formulate a proper response.

“Y-yes-“

“Poor baby…”

Mystery then abruptly lifted up Alfred’s head and proceeded to lay it on the killer’s lap. More pain sparkled underneath the canine’s skin.

“I got you… I got you…”

Alfred bared his teeth but didn’t- couldn’t say anything back. How dare Mystery. How dare he. Alfred knew in his mind that the feline didn’t give a rat’s ass about how he was feeling. It was clear by the carnage he left his hands, yet nonetheless, Mystery pretended anyway. Alfred tried to ignore the part of him that thought differently- that thought that maybe Mystery was trying to be helpful, trying to make him happy, trying to reach for a thread of kindness blindly, hoping that by a miracle that Mystery actually cared about what he had done to him.

Mystery then began to stroke his head, drifting his fingers through the mess of his copper colored hair. The action was something Alfred had grown to be familiar with, yet nonetheless the first few moments always made him flinch in fear. Flinching though in his state only led him to muffling a whine of hurt.

“You’ll heal, don’t worry… and when you heal, we can have some fun together… doesn’t that sound nice?”

Alfred wasn’t appreciative of the infantazing tone the feline was using on him. He wasn’t a child to be consoled. I am sure acting like one aren’t I though? The canine thought in the back of his head.

“Y-yes-“ He ground out painfully.

Mystery hummed contently, still continuing to brush his fingers through his hair in a slow, meaningful rhythm. At some point, Alfred ended up getting sleepy and more relaxed. How pathetic… if he had it his way, he’d be pushing him away. But that would defeat the purpose of my plan, wouldn’t it? The whole point was to let this freak touch me… Alfred thought to himself. Due to everything, it was easy to forget what he and Kao had planned out. It was moments when he could think that he could recall his escape plan and who he was fighting for. He needed to get to his family and save Kao. That was the point of all this- the torture, the uncomfortable moments, every bit of it, and it seemed to be working, was it? Alfred’s head hurt from thinking about it so he just stopped, and when he stopped, he stopped being as alert.

“Tell me about your Wife, Alfie.” Mystery hummed softly. This brought the canine out of his stupor.

“What?”

“Tell me about her.”

It took a moment for Alfred to remember that day on the radio, when it mentioned his family. He remembered the slightly irritated reaction Mystery seemed to give off when he heard about it, but he hadn’t realized that moment would be brought back up again. He didn’t know if he wanted it to be brought up. Actually no, he didn’t. He wasn’t going to tell the feline bullshit. He knew what Mystery would do with any information he’d reveal.

“I won’t kill her, if that is what you're thinking.” Mystery seemed to be amused as he said this. “Why would I? I know you don’t actually love her. Not anymore at least.”

Alfred was glad that Mystery couldn’t see his angry expression. Mystery was even more delusional than he thought. Did he really believe that crap? Or was that something he just told himself to make him feel better about his worthless life?

“What’s her name?”

Alfred wasn’t prepared to be asked this and he hesitated for a moment, before responding.

“Daisy.”

“Daisy?”

“Y-yes,” Alfred replied again as another wave of prickles erupted from his arms. He hoped the murderer would take the bait. He hoped that Mystery would believe him. He had to.

“What does she do?”

“Waitressing.”

Alfred’s thoughts drifted towards Yuki, his real, beautiful wife, the one that he did love more than anything. He thought about her sweet face, her pretty blue eyes, the way she giggled when he told a bad joke, the way her dresses would always move with her when she walked or skipped alongside him, her always neat and tidy hair. Oh god, just thinking about her made his heart ache.

“Hm.” Mystery hummed again, seemingly perturbed, but he didn’t say anything again for a few minutes, leaving Alfred to his own somewhat discombobulated thoughts. Everything he was doing now just felt wrong or twisted now. He wasn’t sure what he was even doing anymore.

“You had a kid.”

“Yes?”

“Why?”

Alfred really really didn’t want to be having this conversation now, especially not with the murderer of one of his children. He didn’t have much of a choice though, did he?

“Well… we… uhm… we just thought it was the right time.” He gulped out nervously. This wasn’t quite a lie. Yuki and him had waited until the time was right before attempting to conceive. There wasn’t a miraculous conversation about it, nor was there any fuss or hurry to plan for it. The couple had simply decided to create life whenever their lives aligned perfectly for it. Those initial years before his kids had been brought into his life were once quite ordinary or even slightly boring to him, but to Alfred who had now been through so much, those moments in his past were beautiful.

“I hate kids.” Mystery replied, voice now turning into something like an annoyed child. How ironic. “They are horrible.”

“You were a kid once too.” Alfred couldn't help but retort.

Mystery yanked at Alfred’s hair, earning a yelp.

“Don’t talk back.” Mystery hissed. Alfred nodded quickly, feeling his heartbeat pulse violently in his ribcage. One again, his stupid blabbering mouth had to start speaking… It was only when Mystery’s grip relaxed, that Alfred could regain his bearings. With that, Mystery hummed a tune as if nothing had actually happened. Slightly shaking, Alfred tried to slow his breathing, if only just so he didn’t make too much noise that could tick the feline off. 

Eventually, Mystery decided to then start petting the side of Alfred’s face. His fingers lightly dragged on his fur, causing fresh tingles to bloom across his skin. He shuddered and his spine tingled as the feline continued to basically pet him. The sensation was a conflicting mix of discomfort and gradual relaxation. The mix easily made the canine’s mind ache. Over time Alfred realized that each little stroke had his eyes drooping and his mind slowing, But he didn’t want this. No no no. He hated this. He felt like such a traitor feeling the way he did. Mystery didn’t control him, no he didn’t, he wouldn’t let him. Yet as time went on, he realized that he didn’t have any power in the situation. He was also tired, weak, debilitated with pain and immobile. Mystery had and was controlling him already. He couldn’t fight back in his state, but how many times had fighting led to anything good happening anyway?

“Go to sleep, Al~” Mystery’s voice seemed far away, echoing and bouncing around within the weak canine’s cranium. The singsonged tone was like a demented lullaby that his head seemed to drink up and push him further away from consciousness. Before he knew it, he was out.

Some time had seemingly passed, and Alfred awoke to himself alone in the room for the first time in a while. Had he passed out? After taking a few moments to fully arise, he attempted to move his fingers, he always did so when he woke up. He did this to check on how his fingers were healing, as well as a subconscious way of seeing if all of what had happened was truly real. He couldn’t even begin to bend a single finger before a sharp, stabbing pain shot through him.

“FFFFUUccK!” Alfred growled out, immediately stopping. He had gone too far this time. Thankfully, he didn’t sense any new damage within his appendages, so he relaxed a little. All that was left was to try and sit up. If he could do that, then he’d be one step closer to regaining his practically nonexistent independence. He attempted to prop himself up on his forearm, but was once again met with sharp pain. A part of him desired to push on despite it, but his logical side reminded him that he’d do more damage to his body, push him further away from recovery, and he would most certainly get nowhere if he continued, so he was forced to stop again. Great, he was still at square one.

The door then clicked open. It wasn't slammed or thrown open, but a gentle click and a creak as a familiar figure entered the room. The canine couldn't help but feel frightened even still. Wait- could it be Kao?!

“Oh good, you’re awake!” Mystery’s voice came from the figure as he stepped closer. Alfred’s hope wilted right then. That was definitely not Kao. He then noticed that as the feline drew closer that he was holding something small and wrapped up in one hand and a water bottle in the other. Alfred couldn’t lie, he was really hungry. He really hoped those items were for him. Mystery then stopped in front of Alfred, wearing a seemingly pleased expression. “I got you some food.”

“T-Thank you” Alfred croaked out in reflex, knowing better than to be silent. Mystery grinned at this, making the canine feel just a tab safer. He then watched as the feline settled the food next to Alfred and began carefully unwrapping the paper and unscrewing the lid each at a time. It was then when Alfred recalled how bitter the state of his hands were currently. How was he going to be able to eat? His fingers were completely nonfunctional, and the simple action of moving his hands seemed quite impossible. Alfred desperately hoped that Mystery would not force him to eat with his messed up hands. He didn’t think he could handle it.

Mystery then jerked his wrist, and before Alfred had a chance to process what had just happened, his body was pulled into an abrupt sitting position, while moving his arms into a straight down, stiff pose. The canine hissed through his teeth in agony, just barely suppressing his yells and curses. He didn’t realize that his eyes had been a jammed shut until he had painfully opened them back up. What the hell was Mystery going to do to him now? He then got his answer as Mystery pulled out the warm, savory smelling food item. It was a burger.

“Open wide, Al~”

Alfred shuttered. So Mystery was going to feed him. That thought was quickly making him nauseous, but he was still very hungry and he knew that given his current position that he wouldn’t be able to eat by himself, so he obeyed. Another reason that prompted his shutter of discomfort was Mystery’s use of that specific nickname. Al. That wasn’t Mystery’s nickname to use. Only Kao used it. Only Kao, and yet here he was, hearing it come out of the vile feline’s mouth. His slowly descending train of thought was broken when Mystery popped the burger into his mouth. The shock of it nearly made him forget to bite down and tear off a chunk. Once he did so, he was hit with flavor town.

“There you go!~ Eat up.”

So he did. He wasn’t very pleased about his circumstances that led to him being hand fed so degradingly by his captor, but he wasn’t going to complain too much if it meant he could spare himself from unnecessary pain and finally have something in his aching belly after so long.

This burger had one single slice of cheese, and even so it had so much flavor. It was cheddar cheese. Most restaurants don’t make it with cheddar. The burger patty was cooked perfectly and was so juicy and warm, there was a hint of certain spices he couldn’t quite distinguish, but that didn’t matter. It was delicious. It was wonderful, wonderful until Mystery pulled the burger away from his mouth, making him let out a quite pathetic, quiet whine.

“Sshhh” Mystery pulled out a napkin from out of his lab coat’s pocket and carefully dabbed at the canine’s cheek, apparently cleaning off the stains from his face. Truthfully, he didn’t expect that from the feline. He didn’t know how to feel. Why was he cleaning him off like he gave a damn? He didn’t give a damn! Or does he? Alfred snuffed out that thought rather quickly.

Within the next few moments, the burger was pressed against his mouth again and he resumed eating.

“You’re being very good for me today, I’m so proud of you.” Mystery then praised. “If you behaved like this all the time, I wouldn’t have to hurt you so much, you know?”

Alfred was quite familiar with this lecture, but he didn’t vocalize that; Mostly because his mouth was full. Besides that, he didn’t care enough to say anything when all that mattered in that moment was satisfying the hunger he felt. Before he knew it though, the food had disappeared. He had eaten it all. Even still, he wasn’t quite satisfied. A single small burger wasn’t going to fill him up alone, but he supposed it was better than nothing at all.

Alfred then watched with a slight wary expression as Mystery tossed away the leftover burger wrapper and lifted up the plastic water bottle. Alfred’s heart raced just by looking at the bottled liquid. What if Mystery tried to drown him again? He remembered when his face was shoved into the bucket of water, feeling how his breath was forcibly torn away from him and how at the very end he was left a sniveling, shaking mess. Alfred felt as if he was drowning just by thinking about it.  Mystery was oblivious to the canine’s fear and pressed the rim of the opening against Alfred’s lips.

He panicked, and tried to move away, but given that he was being held in place by Mystery’s supernatural powers proved that impossible. He was stuck in place. Heart racing, he knew that if he didn’t do what Mystery wanted and started drinking the water he’d be punished. He knew he would be, but he could hardly control his body as it reacted against him.

“Come on, just drink it.” Mystery finally spoke, his voice having the edge that the canine was all too familiar with. Hearing the sharpness, the hidden anger in the feline’s voice was enough to force him to part his lips and start gingerly drinking, while all the while trying to not hyperventilate. It’s fine, it’s fine, stop overreacting, stop overreacting. Alfred pleaded internally to himself. 

Thankfully as seconds went by and the water continued to steadily enter his mouth without any harsh movements or changes, giving his body the sign to relax, if not just a little. Mystery pulled away the bottle once it was drained half way. Seeing how much he had drunk  so far was quite a shock. He hadn’t realized how thirsty he was until now. He had grown so used to so little…

“Now what do you say?” the feline hummed expectantly, eyes narrowed just enough to be seen.

“Thank you.” Alfred croaked out. Mystery’s posture then seemed to relax as he smiled childishly.

“You're so nice. Now drink some more, Alfie!”

The bottle was then pressed quickly against his face again and he was forced to resume drinking. During this, Alfred tried to simply enjoy the flavor of the water, hoping that doing so would distract him from everything else happening in his mind and around him.

The water… It had minerals in it. He never focused on the water he had drank before, he just was obsessed with getting the sacred fluid in his body whenever possible, but now as he forced himself to focus on the liquid he was drinking, he could now tell the difference. This water was full of minerals, giving the liquid a somewhat crisp taste. That one water source he had dashed to just before the bucket incident had tasted different, it had a tang of sourness and left a film of grossness in his mouth, even so, it had tasted so wonderful for him then. It was interesting how desperation made things seem so much better.

Alfred was pulled back to reality when once more the plastic was moved away from his lips, revealing an empty bottle. Had he really drunk all that? He hadn’t drank that much water in ages. It was honestly unnerving.

“Good job, Alfred, I’m so proud of you!” Mystery cheered, haphazardly throwing the bottle off behind him with a clutter. The canine’s head was then patted gently in an affectionate manner. Alfred, given that he was in no state to protest nor move, just took the treatment. At least… at least it wasn’t painful… at least this didn’t hurt him. Mystery then pulled his hand away and proceeded to gaze at the canine, his heterochromatic eyes sparkling with an unknown emotion that Alfred couldn’t detect.

“Did you like it? I did this just for you.”

Alfred assumed he meant the food he was graciously given.

“Yes… I did.”

Mystery’s sharp grin stretched across his face at that. He then drew closer to Alfred, before hopping next to him on the bed casually and wrapping his arms around him. All the air was pushed out of Alfred’s lungs. Not because the feline was using outrageous force and was crushing his rib cage, no… not this time fortunately, no. It was because he simply hadn’t had the time to prepare for the surprise gentle embrace.

“Alfred?” A meek voice came from Mystery, a tone he hadn’t heard before.

“Y-yes?”

“Promise me you’ll never leave me again…”

Alfred stared at Mystery who was now looking expectantly at him. What else could he do but agree?

“I promise…”

Mystery smiled, more genuine this time before snuggling closer to the paralyzed canine, much to Alfred’s discomfort.

“I hope you're always like this…”

Like what exactly? Alfred wanted to ask. He didn’t though, as he had an inkling of an idea. An idea that made his stomach turn into knots. Mystery pressed his face into this shoulder now, purring.

“Let’s ruin each other.” Mystery whispered before going completely silent. The last sentence sent a painful shiver down his spine. No… he didn’t want that. He didn’t want that at all. He didn’t want to be ruined in the slightest. Hadn’t he already been messed up enough? He’d never be able to return to the same old life he had previously ever again, he wouldn't even be the same person again, surely that was enough? But he knew better than to think that… nothing would ever be enough for Mystery, would it?

“I promise…”

Alfred’s false promise seemed to ring in his mind, taunting him. Sudden little evil voices, like the ones that plagued him when he had hallucinations of Jessy and Shia, like the echoes of Mystery’s voice, whispering such horrible, false things in his ear, started telling him things, things that he knew were wrong.

“It’s like you wanted to be captured”

“Nobody even remembers you even existed.”

“You're just like him.”

“Everything is your fault!”

He didn’t know Mystery’s phony sorrowful pleading would lead him back to this; Another episode of self loathing, but he tried to ignore it, just like how he ignored Mystery and ignored the water sliding down his throat, but this was far harder as everything he was feeling and hearing now was all internal.

“I promise…”

I didn’t mean it. Alfred told himself. I didn’t mean it. I would never mean it. I didn’t mean it…

Alfred then let out a pitiful sigh, forcing back another sob, all the while feeling himself grow hopelessly tired again. The evil voices in his head still endlessly echoed despite his exhaustion, unable to be tuned out. All that was left for him to do was just to pathetically slump against Mystery’s relaxed form (to the best of his paralyzed ability) and try to forget about it all.

But thinking about Yuki helped. Sometimes it didn’t, sometimes it made him cry thinking about her, but this time when her face popped up in his despaired head, it helped. So he thought about her until everything left in his current reality-

Was just a pile of nightmares…

————————————

Alfred’s footsteps gently thumped as he walked on the pale yellow sidewalk. It was early dawn which turned the naturally nature based town into an orange tinted haven. Orange was a nice color, he liked seeing it when he took his morning walks outside everyday. It was chilly out, enough so to cause the canine’s breath to fog up his glasses he had recently purchased. The slight chill though was welcome. It made Alfred feel more alive. 

Moving to Muir was the best decision Alfred had ever made. When he had first heard about the county’s nature-respecting reputation, he couldn’t help but feel gravitated towards it. It was like his home in AutumnLake, but more full and cozy. There was always something to do here: shop, hike or even just simply relaxing in the brilliance of nature. It was his absolute dream home.

Of course another reason that influenced his decision to move here was the safety. Haines and Lumiere counties were targets of some uncatchable serial killer and over dozens of other crimes all throughout the area nonstop for many decades, Muir was the only county unaffected. He wasn’t sure what caused Muir to be ignored, but he was glad for it. Right now, Alfred didn’t need to be worrying about being stabbed to death or being robbed by petty thieves, he had far better things to be concerned about, for example keeping up with his classes.

Alfred’s last reason for moving here was to be closer to his studies at his college. With the short distance between his college and his new apartment, it provided an easy way to walk to and from without much issue. (Driving would be out of the question though, as he wasn’t quite looking forward to using an automobile anytime soon). Sure, he could probably stay in a dorm, but there was just something about getting to walk outdoors for a little stroll before tending to the trials of the day that always lightened his spirits, plus it was less expensive to just walk.

This morning, the canine had decided to wear his usual formal attire consisting of a gray undershirt with a thin but durable white button up shirt over it, along with spiffy dark gray pants and new black shoes. His outfit could be considered quite dreary if not tacky, but he personally liked it. He didn’t want to look like a rich snob after all. He wanted a balance between formal and approachable. One or the other would be overkill. With his outfit formula to success, he was able to gain respect from both his peers and his professors. Just how he’d like it.

Today was just a little special though. Alfred’s complexion that day had been just slightly upgraded. He had carefully brushed though his curly locks of copper hair, all while adding just a small dab of curling cream to pull it all together. His glasses were cleaned to perfection, not daring to leave a smudge. Alfred had even taken the time to wash his face, clearing off any left over dust or dirt from the previous day. Usually he didn’t go as far to make himself look presentable, but today just felt different somehow. He felt as if today was going to be extra special. Maybe he was just optimistic, who knew?

Alfred went along his usual route, wandering on the sidewalk and taking in the scenery. He passed a few shops that he was quite familiar with, and earned quite a few friendly waves and nods from the staff on the other side of the glass when their eyes would meet. Alfred wouldn’t say he was ‘popular’ in this specific part of the county, in fact he was quite ordinary and didn’t tend to put himself out there for any real reason. He was simply polite and friendly, and apparently that was all that was needed to be appreciated here in Muir.

Alfred then found himself pausing in front of a pale yellow building. It was around the same height as all the other shops. It wasn't new, it had been around since be had first moved in, but something seemed to stop him here this time around. In front of this building was a rather large white sign with yellow patterns seemingly painted around the edges. Around the entrance was numerous little potted bushes and a simple outdoor table area, all in the yellowish theme. He was suprised that he never took the time to look around inside. It looked quite inviting. Well… I got about an hour… I suppose I can spare a few minutes… Alfred thought to himself as he took a few steps closer.

With the closer distance he could read the sign better. ‘Muir Café’… Alfred amusingly assumed that the brand would be more original, but he didn’t have any room to be judging, he knew nothing of business operations. Upon closer inspection, there was nobody around, no bustle or chatter of customers anywhere. It was strange. Most stores by now were operating and contained at least a few customers. The canine took a chance and opened the entrance door to the café. He was hit immediately with a whiff of fresh coffee scent, mixed with the sound of classical music from the olden days overlapping with a light bell ringing above his head, signaling his arrival. The inside was decorated with the same pale yellow as the outside, and the chairs were a bright and dazzling white. The entire inside was clean, not even a smudge could be seen. It was beautiful.

“Hello! Good morning, sir!” A feminine voice popped up in front of him, as a following female figure brimmed over to him with professional grace and optimism. Alfred nearly choked on his breath when he saw her. “Let me get you registered and I’ll get you all seated, alright?”

Alfred didn’t speak. He just stared as the women walked towards the registration desk. He hesitated before following. She was beautiful. Her eyes were blue, her brown hair- lightly dyed with a streak of blue, was neatly pulled into a bun. She wore a clean, white apron, and wore a beautiful, cheery expression. He had never seen something like her before. Well- sure, he had seen many attractive young women before, but her… she was different somehow.

“What’s your name?”

Alfred was shot back to reality as he gulped nervously.

“Uhm, Alfred Brown.”

She nodded and began typing something down on the bulky computer laying on the desk, before looking his way and gesturing with her finger.

“Follow me.”

Alfred didn’t need to be told twice. As he followed her, he could see that there were a few other people in this building, of course they were all employees walking around, chatting or getting things prepared for future customers. Well- he assumed they were all employees by the similar attire and by the way they all did their separate tasks.

The canine was then gestured to sit in the booth, selected by the women. He gladly got situated, but his eyes drifted towards the pretty girl again, and just by a miracle noticed her very small name tag hanging on the breast pocket of her apron. Yuki. That was her name. Yuki. Wow….

Alfred was half expecting Yuki to then wander off and tend to her job, yet she didn’t, and instead sat across from him, with a quite cute smile. He had to look around a bit, not sure if she had something more important to do than just sit calmly and casually with him.

“Relax, nobody comes to our café this early.” Yuki chuckled lightly, pulling Alfred’s gaze back to her. She was so… confident… at least it sounded that way. He wasn’t used to someone talking to him so directly and at ease, it was as if she already knew him despite only meeting just a few moments ago.

“Oh.” Alfred croaked out. “I suppose that is why it’s so empty here.”

Yuki nodded, now folding her arms onto the desk below her. The light from the outside was hitting her face just right, making her appear angelic- Oh stop it! She’s going to think you're a creep if you keep staring at her like that. Alfred scolded himself bitterly, as he turned his head away.

“Are you new to town?” Yuki spoke again softly. Her voice was like silk in the air, like a well played harp. It was music to his ears. Alfred carefully looked back, but kept his gaze respectfully on the pale yellow booth table in front of him.

“Not- Not quite. I’ve been here for a few years now. I- uh, what about you? I haven’t seen you around in Muir.”

Yuki clicked her tongue. Any other person would not hear it, but he did. Like the creep I am…

“I’ve actually been here a while, I just don’t put myself out there much.” She hummed. “You seem nervous, am I that intimidating?” She giggled abruptly. Alfred jolted his gaze back up.

“N-No! Of course not…. Okay, maybe.” The canine admitted. “I mean- Well, you just look very nice and you just seem so engaged right now… I’m not quite used to that.”

Yuki nodded sympathetically.

“Hm, well I suppose I’ll have to get you used to things like that, huh?”

“Yeah…” Alfred wasn’t quite sure what she went by that comment, nor did he have the chance to ponder it long before Yuki spoke again.

“Thank you for the compliment by the way.”

Alfred blinked.

“Compliment?”

“You called me pretty. That definitely sounds like a compliment to me.” She hummed, blinking those marvelous blue eyes.

“Ehe… yeah. You are.”

They both sat in silence for a moment. It felt awkward, he didn’t like that, but he didn’t know what to say, his mind was going very very blank at this moment.

“If it's alright to ask, what do you do here for a living?” Yuki spoke first, leaned forward just a tab. Alfred felt his composure return when his mind was pulled towards his studies and future dreams, allowing a more relaxed smile to reach his face.

“I'm actually a college student here, I'm in my second year currently.” Alfred responded with more confidence. Yuki seemed surprised at the reveal.

“Wow I wouldn't have guessed that, you look like a businessman from your attire.”

“A businessman?!”

Yuki giggled at his reaction. Her simple, sincere giggle was so nice to hear, he honestly wished he could make her laugh more.

“Yes!”

“I-I assure you I'm no businessman.” Alfred replied bashfully.

“Hm, then what are you gonna be?” She asked, still smiling as ever.

“A pharmaceutical representative for Rx Industries… or well, that is what I'm aiming for.” Alfred felt a tab nervous for her response. Some people he had told about his ambitions had quickly and politely dismissed it as a ‘far off dream’ given how very few made it through the interviews and the fact that the company rarely hires and when they do, spots almost immediately get taken up. Alfred knew that his expectations were quite high and possibly impossible, but he wasn’t a quitter. He had to at least try.

“Well gosh, I wouldn’t have guessed. I hope it works out, Alfred.”

The canine nodded slowly, now fidgeting with his fingers.

“What about you?”

“Me?”

“You know… what exactly is your job around here?” Alfred asked, clearing his throat a little. Yuki blinked before replying.

“I’m the waitress here. I just give people their food they order. I also tend to the cash register and the registration for customers in the mornings since the girl who operates that specific area can’t come in too early.”

Alfred could tell she was just as eager to discuss her job as much as he did when talking about his ambitions. That tidbit of information quickly glued itself in his head.

“You must be very skilled then.” He replied.

“Oh not really! That’s quite an overstatement. It doesn’t take much work to do my job.” Yuki waved her hand dismissively, looking just a bit flushed in the cheeks. “But thank you anyway.”

Alfred grinned openly now. Somehow in the course of however long, he had really grown comfortable in her presence. She wasn’t domineering or impatient in the slightest. She listened, she spoke her mind. He really liked that. 

Alfred wasn’t the type to just believe in nonsense like: ‘love at first glance’ and he still wasn’t. Love didn’t just bloom out of nowhere, but limerence and infatuation did, and right now, Alfred could admit with just a bit of embarrassment that Yuki, the kind and pretty young woman, had made him feel infatuated. He wasn’t sure what to do with this fact- about how he felt, but instead of dwelling on it, he chose to just listen to Yuki, because that was enough for him.

Alfred at some point decided to flick his gaze towards the clock hooked onto the wall just adjacent from him. Shit! Alfred abruptly stood up, panic etched onto his face. According to the dreaded clock, he had only twenty minutes left to get to his classes. At this rate, he’d have to start running to get to the college on time.

“I-I’m sorry, I have to get going now. Uh-” Alfred couldn’t help but feel quite embarrassed as he looked around like a panicked idiot, all with Yuki staring at him with surprise. “I’m so sorry for not actually- actually ordering anything- I- Just- fuck!”

“Hey hey hey! Relax, it’s fine.” Yuki stood up with much more consideration, completely ignoring the eyeballs of the other staff members staring at the two. “I had fun speaking with you, So don’t worry about it.” She smiled at him reassuringly.

Alfred could only shuffle his feet, smiling nervously and feeling just a little less anxious, but still quite embarrassed. 

“Right!... I had fun speaking with you as well… you are a very nice person…”

Yuki’s expression seemed to change in a way that Alfred couldn’t put down. It was sure not a look a random stranger would typically give him… he found that wasn’t a bad thing at all.

Just as he was about to say his farewells, Yuki held up a finger.

“Wait a moment, I need to give you something.” Yuki then pulled out a pen and a little notebook and began writing something down in it, before picking up the small, white, pristine sheet of paper and gently handing it over to the now surprised canine.

‘###-###-####

Call me sometime and we can set up a little get together. Maybe this time you can actually order something. Hope to see you again soon, Alfred.

  - Yuki’

Alfred felt a blush rise to his cheeks as he read the note, before gulping down a puff of air. Is she asking me out? He wondered in his un-composed mind. When he looked up from the note, he could see her amused expression, clearly seeing how the little note impacted him.

“Thank you… Yuki…” Alfred murmured softly.

“Don’t mention it. Bye~” She winked as she strolled away. The canine’s orange-eyed gaze followed her as she went into the bowels of the kitchen area. Oh god… she likes me… He stupidly grinned as he poked the note in the breast pocket of his button up shirt. He most certainly felt like a giddy teenager at this, more than he could ever fully admit.

A part of him thought he was getting too far ahead of himself, thinking that an invitation to meet up again meant something other than an extension of friendship, but… it was nice to imagine. Alfred immediately jolted as he remembered the time once again. He barely had time to check if he had everything he needed before dashing out of the door- nearly crashing into an incoming cafe customer and leaving.

Alfred, despite his panicked running, felt a little lighter inside. Yuki was nice and smart, he hadn’t been able to connect with anybody else as closely as he had connected with her in a very long time. Alfred had a feeling that walking into that little café was one of the best ideas he had ever had in his life.

And it was…

Chapter Text

Chapter Thirty Four

???

-

Kao’s breath was knocked out of his chest as his back slammed against the hard wall. The impact sent searing pain shooting through all his nerves and rippling through his muscles. His body then collapsed on the floor below him with a painful gasp as the offending figure above him let out a sneer.

“Pathetic.”

Kao yelped again when Mystery’s shoe slammed into his ribs without any speck of mercy.

“Come on, get up.” Mystery taunted from above. Kao could only groan in pain as he attempted to drag himself away. His attempts were futile as he was ripped off the ground by his neck and shaked around rapidly. Within the course of the next few seconds, Kao was once again slammed onto the hard floor. Blood at this point had begun to drip down the side of his face from his mouth, nose and other open wounds scattered along his body.

Mystery then knelt down, and openly cackled at the state Kao was now left in. The ram weakly turned his head to stare straight into the sadistic eyes of his captor. He saw nothing but hatred and evil in his gaze… it was terrifying.

“I wonder how many more times I will have to stomp on you before you die. Let's find out shall we?~”

Kao within that instant tried to activate what he had been practicing so intently on since he had found out about his secret skill. With his hands facing down against the floor he forced everything in his being to unleash a sharp, shocking sting to the feline, but his speed was nothing compared to Mystery’s as his already aching back was suddenly hit with a force that once more forced all of the air out of his chest, fizzling out the concentration he had on his magic. If he could, he would have let out a bloodcurdling scream, but he couldn’t, he couldn’t even breathe. He could only gag desperately for air. Kao didn’t even get a chance to regain his breath before Mystery’s shoe came slamming into him again.

And again.

And again.

Mystery only stopped when he seemingly got bored. The feline then stepped back and admired the result of his abuse as if it was the most normal, casual thing to do. Kao could barely lift his head by the end of the assault. His consciousness flickered in and out rapidly and he could barely move from the pain that radiated all over his body, even still, he didn’t want to just give in to unconsciousness. With great struggle the ram tried to push himself up, letting out quiet grunts as he did so. Mystery watched him move for just a few moments before brisking right over to the slowly rising form of Kao, gripping him by his hair, and lifting him up. Kao whimpered as the skin on his scalp protested vigorously to the harsh treatment. Kao’s bloodshot eyes met with the feline’s sharp, multicolored glare that seemed to glow menacingly at Kao’s frightened, battered figure, promising more than just a world of hurt.

Kao at this moment felt like crying as he was strung up by Mystery’s painful grip, he wanted to sob loudly to let out all the pain that had been burning in his soul for so long, but somehow the tears couldn’t form, nor was the growing nausea and fear letting him, and truthfully the ram didn’t really know if Mystery would react even harsher towards him if he started weeping. Somehow based on what he has seen and been though, he would most certainly beat him harder.

Mystery then after a moment or two hurled the small ram across the room so hard and quick that Kao couldn’t catch himself and was promptly smashed against another wall, but this time the wall cracked with a loud crumble. It was then that Kao’s body flopped onto the floor again with a smack. Kao’s ears were ringing from the sharp impact, but even so, he could still hear Mystery grumbling away. It was unintelligible, but it must have been important enough for Mystery to then leave the room and slam the door closed behind him.

Now with the feline gone, Kao could relax just a little. Slowly and painfully, he pushed himself into an unstable sitting position. The ache that was in his back before had only intensified with the beating he had just received and it was a miracle he could still push through it. His vision blurred and was full of squiggling color. His skin tingled with an abrupt chill and a sensation of urgency suddenly filled his senses. Before he knew it, he was hurling his guts out on the floor beside him- or well, he would be if he had anything in his stomach. What he was actually doing was throwing up bile and dry heaving.

His body shivered and trembled as he slowly recovered from what had happened to him. There were drops of blood trickling down onto the floor below him and all along his clothing, staining his attire further. Kao gingerly leaned his head against the wall behind him as he panted and gasped. His mind replayed the events for him, over and over, not letting him forget for even a moment of what happened.

He had done nothing to warrant the abuse. He had just been practicing his magic, then the door had opened and the terrifying purple feline had stalked in. The next thing he knew, he was being thrown around, beaten and kicked.

Kao had been relatively silent during the assault, only letting out sharp calls of pain, grunts or wheezing, but internally, he had flickers of words he wished he could snarl at the feline, flashes of thoughts of him electrocuting the bastard that was harming him. Dear god… I hope this isn’t what Alfred is going through now…  Kao shuddered in thought.

He wasn’t half as used to being hit and thrown as he was used to being half conscious and dissociated as Mystery performed horrible, perverse acts on him. The pain he felt now was different from the pain he usually had felt in the hands of the killer. If he was honest, the beatings hurt so much more than what he had been dealing with long before, and that was quite a thing to say. The fact that there were more ways to inflict torturous pain on someone was absolutely horrifying.

I got to keep practicin’... Kao thought to himself abruptly. I was hurt again because I couldn't be fast enough. If I had been fast enough I could have stopped him. What if it was Alfred he was beating?! The ram’s thoughts turned bitter towards himself and he dizzily pulled himself onto his feet, ignoring how every part of him protested against it. So much of this could have been prevented if I had just been a little quicker- a little smarter. 

Turning and stretching out his hand, he delivered a very short shock to the cracked wall. The little spark was nothing. Hell, He might as well have been at square one again. He turned himself away from the mangled mess of the wall as he started to feel out of control with himself and his body. He gritted his teeth in sudden, unshakeable anger. Anger at himself, and anger at Mystery. It was like his blood was boiling inside him, burning his organs alive with every heartbeat. The burning translated himself to shaking, and barely held back hisses. It was the kind of anger that could drive a person to murder. Kao in some capacity felt ashamed for his violent anger. He never genuinely felt that way towards anybody, nor should he. He didn’t like feeling this way, he liked being able to just take a deep breath and feel his body and mind relax. He relished the times where it was so gosh darn easy to do so. It was quite jarring when at this moment he couldn’t do much of anything to hold back his aggression. He felt out of control… He had really changed…

“None of this would have happened if I wasn't such a stupid idiot!” Kao spoke out loud as he thought about what had first led him and Alfred into this mess. It had been his fault that they had ventured in that god forsaken building. It was him who couldn’t even stay conscious enough to prevent Shia’s death. It was him who allowed Alfred to be tortured. Who else could he blame besides himself? Sure Mystery was the monster doing these horrible acts to them, but it had been him that had been the catalyst.

Kao turned his agonized body back towards the cracked wall. It was another reminder of what had occurred not too long ago. It was a reminder of what he couldn’t do- what he wasn’t able to do. It wasn’t even this specific broken wall that arose memories. Just looking at any wall seemed to surface memories. Perhaps it was because a lot of what he had endured had been during the times he was smashed against a wall. Kao ground out a sound of pure frustration as another bitter pool of loathing started to deepen.

“I’m so pathetic…” Kao muttered angrily, ducking his head in shame. His voice had begun to waver with every passing moment. “Al goes through so much pain and I have the audacity to complain- to think-“ Kao then paused, lifted his head, with eyes now wide with a new clarity he hadn’t realized he had lost. “What am I even saying?…”

Kao looked away from the wall and towards the room around him.

“How could I say all that about myself?…” He whispered to himself. “How could I have possibly known that this would happen to us?… I didn’t- I-…” Kao shuddered. He couldn’t have known. There was no reason he would have. All he knew was that he was going to work with his best friend and that was it. That was the end of it. He didn’t choose to get held captive by a killer. He didn’t choose to be violated in the ways he was. He didn’t choose any of it, and neither did Alfred. Even so, The guilt still persisted. It burned deep into his gut. Sure, he didn’t know that going inside Rx Industries would cause him and Alfred so much pain and suffering, yet still, it had been him who made all of it even possible. He could imagine it clearly. If he hadn’t spoken and tried to enter that building they would have just as well gone back home, or went to the police or something. They would have made it out without anything so much as harming them, but that didn’t turn out to be the case, did it?

Kao hugged himself as these conflicting thoughts washed over him, causing weak, dry sobs to start quaking though his body. Alfred would be so disappointed in me if he saw me giving up… He could imagine the look on his friend's face if he had even so much as heard the ram speaking so negatively of himself. In fact, it was during his few months of knowing Alfred that he had seen what it was like for Alfred to be disappointed.

“Don’t say negative things about yourself, Kao. You are capable of so many great things. Don't let these little things crush your spirit.”

He remembered that pep talk his canine friend had given him. It had taken place after a particularly rough day, and Kao had nearly lost hope, but Alfred had really saved him again when he had sat him down to talk.

It had been a while since then, but despite that, that discussion with Alfred had helped him so much. He wouldn't have been able to keep going without him. It was funny how something so seemingly simple could change so much. I can’t give up… I would be letting everyone down if I did… I have to keep going. Kao internally thought, trying to bring some sort of hope out from deep inside his pain-filled soul. He needed to keep going. Nobody else could be doing what he was doing, nobody had magic like he did. He was the only person who could save him and his friend. There was nobody from the outside going to be able to find them, so he had to not give up. Reminding himself of this was enough to shake away the more dark thoughts threatening to surface in his mind. 

In fact, it did more than just that. With the uncertainty of his new gift, he knew couldn’t simply just rely on it. He needed more than that to get them to safety. Kao forced his tingling, aching legs towards the closed door of which Mystery had left from. His anger resurfaced, but this time it came slow and was seemingly more controlled. Mystery one way or another was going to pay for his crimes. He was going to make sure of it. Now first,

He was going to need to make a map…

Chapter Text

Chapter Thirty Five

-

Alfred’s gaze was glued into the knife that lay in front of him. It was staring at him, reminding him of what exactly he had done to Jessy so long ago, reminding him of the warm blood that coated his hands that horrible day. Reminding him of Mystery’s terrible, bloody punishments. Just thinking about those events made his stomach tense and grow queasy.

He was currently sitting on the hard floor with his captor, Mystery, sitting criss-cross in front of him. The feline’s eyes were sparkling with a glint of excitement that only made Alfred feel uncertain. He wasn’t sure what had put the feline in this mood, given how nothing seemed to be different today than usual. He hadn’t exactly been outside the room much that day either, so none of his usual blissed out periods were connected this time. He could only assume that something really bad was about to happen to him. All signs pointed to this theory clearly. The uncertain, eerie feeling only seemed to grow as Alfred’s orange eyes started to glance from one corner of the room to the next, hunting for anything that could clue him in to what was going to happen, the only thing that he knew for sure though was that Mystery had a sharp knife just lying on the floor, untouched, clean and completely out in the open. Alfred gulped quietly. Was he going to get stabbed again? Was this what it is? 

“Don’t look so frightened, Al~” Mystery suddenly chuckled, now using a single finger to drag along the blade of the sharp tool tenderly. “You're completely safe with me.”

Alfred didn’t believe that, but he didn’t say so. He knew better than to open his mouth, especially given how there was quite literally a knife lying in front of him. He didn’t want to get Mystery mad and cause the feline to stab him again. No… Not again…

Alfred nervously began fidgeting with his fingers. At this point of time, It had been enough time since the day his fingers were broken for his digits to be… somewhat functional again. It was still painful to move each individual joint, but the discomfort had lessened enough to be manageable. As of right now though, his fingers were not the main issue anymore. Whatever horrible thing Mystery had planned was the main focus. 

The room had then grown silent for a while. It seemed to have been about ten minutes since Mystery had last said a word, it was unnerving… with each passing second, he could feel his body grow more and more unsettled. Mystery this entire time just kept admiring his knife, flickering between expressions of excitement, apprehension and calmness, not at all caring about the worried canine that sat aways from him. Alfred at some point was nearly convinced that Mystery was toying with him, seeing how long he’d take before he’d crack just to punish him or mock him. But… was he really? He truly didn’t have a clue. Maybe-

Mystery then casually started removing his lab coat from his body. Alfred’s eyes widened in pure, unbridled shock as he immediately turned his head and looked away.

“What are you doing?!” The canine impulsively yelped. Mystery didn’t reply and by what Alfred heard next, he still continued undressing himself. Oh god oh god oh god. What the fuck is happening?! What is he doing?! I swear if he so much as touches me- Alfred didn’t finish his mental sentence as the feline started speaking again.

“Alfred. Look at me.”

Please don’t let him be naked… Alfred internally pleaded. Much to his pleasure, Mystery wasn’t naked. Instead, The feline had only removed his lab coat, his tinted pink undershirt and his tattered red tie, Leaving only his scarred, furry white chest and torso out. Nonetheless, it made Alfred feel uncomfortably gross. Why was Mystery doing this!?

 Mystery then calmly wrapped his hand around the black handle of the knife and pushed it towards Alfred. The canine felt his adrenaline spike up as the sharp weapon now lay just inches away from him. His breath caught in his throat as he looked back up at Mystery who now appeared to be just a little more excited than before.

“I want you to cut me up, Alfie.” Mystery grinned as he finished speaking. Cut…. What?! Alfred’s eyes widened once more as he processed the words that the feline had just uttered from his mouth. He wanted him to cut him up? That made no sense. Why would he…? just thinking about cutting something or someone again made his chest hurt….

Mystery got closer, eyes glinting with an indecipherable look. Alfred had to keep himself from flinching away.

“Do you need help getting started again?”

Alfred gulped as he dared to look at the killer’s exposed chest. It was littered in pink scars. Some looked small, others looked large and gross, Some even looked like old burns. He noticed how some of those pink scars were jagged and uneven while some were straight and clustered close together. Some looked like they were from fights… others looked intentional.

“Who did this to you?...” Alfred couldn’t help but ask in a croaky whisper. He knew that he should feel happy to see the scars that littered the feline's body. He knew that Mystery deserved those scars. Yet despite that, he felt some sort of pity and concern towards him. Pity? Concern? Really? Mystery didn't even deserve that! He was a filthy murderer, a disgusting monster. Even so, he wasn’t able to shutter those feelings away.

Mystery’s expression turned blank and unreadable just as Alfred’s question was uttered into the air. His gaze appeared distant and glazed over. He then slowly began to smile again in his usual, weird and terrifying way that always sent shivers down Alfred’s spine. Alfred instinctively tensed up as the feline leaned even closer. 

“A lot of people, Al… A lot of people.” He let out an eerie giggle and then popped himself a few inches away, back to the position on the floor he originally sat. “But I don’t mind~”

What does he mean by that? Alfred nervously looked back at the mess that was Mystery’s chest. He was permanently disfigured, probably still in pain from his mis-healed scars. how could he ‘not mind’ it? How was it possible to not mind the mangled state of his body? 

“I love scars.” Mystery then hummed as if reading the canine’s baffled mind, his expression melted into a grossly yearning look that had Alfred recoiling away to the best of his limits. “Scars are absolutely alluring, Alfie… They are so noticeable… so painful to make… oh, Alfred, you must watch.” wait? Watch wha- Then the feline lifted the knife off the floor. He then flipped it in his hands for a moment before pressing the sharp metal against his collarbone. Alfred watched with a shocked expression as Mystery nonchalantly slid the blade across his skin. It was a controlled and steady movement. As if done thousands of times. Mystery squeezed his eyes shut as he sliced open his skin, yet he still wore a tight, closed smile. Alfred had to look away, he couldn’t handle seeing this. Even when avoiding the visual of Mystery’s depraved actions, he still heard the feline making noises. Ones that were clearly sounds of pain, but others not so much. It was disgusting. Alfred only hesitantly looked back when he stopped hearing Mystery’s vocalizations. He was hit with another wave of nausea as he saw the blood oozing down the white fur.  Mystery dipped his fingers in the still leaking crimson essence and eagerly sucked it off his fingers. I’m going to vomit I’m going to vomit I’m going to vomit! Alfred repeated his frenzied mantra in his petrified head as he tried not to gag violently into his mouth.

Mystery was an absolute vile freak. No doubt about that. There was no way any normal person could enjoy such a grotesque act. And he wants me to do this to him?! What in the everloving fuck!?

“Wasn’t that wonderful?” Mystery sighed with a blissed expression as he finished licking off his stained finger. His misty gaze finally returned towards the canine, yet it didn't seem like the feline actually saw Alfred. It was like he was in a whole other world, far away from the facility he was currently present within. He hadn’t seen Mystery behave this way before… The canine also didn’t really know what to say in response to Mystery’s awful question. He could lie, but doing so when the topic was about something so… so horrible made him sick. It was a miracle that Mystery started talking before he had a chance to reply. “It stings and burns… My skin actually feels alive…”

He knew Mystery was mentally unstable, but this just took it to a whole new level. He didn’t want to be present as Mystery tore himself to shreds in front of him. He just wanted this whole shit show to be over already. 

“Your turn~”

Alfred froze, staring dead in Mystery’s dangerous eyes. No please. Don’t make me touch that knife again. Don’t make me cut into you! Alfred longed to plead. He didn’t seeing as the last time he had protested Mystery had ignored him. He was left with little choice as Alfred shakingly took the knife out of Mystery’s outstretched hand, feeling little twinges of pain echoing through his fingers as a little reminder of what Mystery had done to him before. He tried to ignore how the knife handle was already stained with the red liquid; ignored how fast his heart was racing. Mystery leaned forward, expression tense with apprehension.

“Show me how much you love your best friend, Al~”

Alfred sucked in a breath, holding back the urge to toss the knife away and cower. He nervously pressed the tip of the blade against the middle of the feline’s torso. Alfred narrowed his eyes as Mystery inhaled above him. J-just ignore him… pretend that this is just a weird dream… It was easier said than done, but Alfred wanted to at least try to keep himself together. Slowly he broke the skin, and watched as a single droplet of Mystery’s blood slid down his body. Alfred noticed for the first time how darkly colored his crimson blood looked like. It looked like a smidgen of tar had been mixed in along with it. He shook his mind clear of that observation as he hesitantly glided the blade downwards. Mystery continued to breathe roughly above him, but said nothing. Truthfully he was glad Mystery wasn’t speaking. He didn’t need extra mental stress on his mind right now.

Alfred felt his nausea grow as he saw the feline’s skin open up in front of him, as the more he continued more of his essence flowed out of him. Oh no…. He couldn’t pretend it was a dream. Not when he could feel the drops slipping down the blade and onto his hands gripping the handle. Oh god. It was just like Jessy. How she had bled out in front of him… the blood felt just the same. Oh no oh no. His hands began to shake as he started a new slice just above his ribs. 

Murderer!~

Murderer!~

Murderer!~

Mystery choked out a noise that just barely shook Alfred out his spiralling thoughts. The noise. It was like a sob. It sounded like a sob. He didn’t dare look up. He just paused. The noise didn't return, just the panting and huffing. Alfred knew that he should be able to feel some sort of satisfaction at hearing the feline likely crumbling by his hands. He felt none of that though. It just made him feel horrible. It reminded him of Jessy. Of his own pleads of mercy and pain that often vibrated in his mind. There was no satisfaction with any of it.

“don’t stop.” Mystery growled above him. Alfred could barely rip himself out of his frightened, traumatized thoughts as he forced himself to keep slicing. He cut at his sides, his chest, diagonal and horizontally, trying to ignore the blood accumulating, and the feline’s noises. Alfred wanted to cry. This was literal torture.

Some dark part of his mind seemed to start speaking then. You have the knife. Just stab him. Just stab him until he stops breathing. Then all your problems will be solved. Alfred’s breath hitched as these thoughts persisted through his mind. He could kill him right then and there, couldn’t he? It wasn’t as if Mystery was holding the knife. He could end all of his problems- free himself and Kao from this outrageous, insanity inducing torture! but no, the better, wiser part of himself knew the truth. Mystery was immortal now. While a knife would draw out all of his blood in just a few minutes, without some immortal weapon or an immortal being being involved in the matter, Mystery would just easily recover. He would recover as if he never had been maimed or ‘killed’ at all, and Mystery wouldn’t just forget about it either. That feline would make him pay brutally for the stunt. Everything he had worked on for his freedom would be reset in just a few seconds. He knew how Mystery was. His punishments were brutal and traumatizing, after all, He didn’t lose his ears and had his fingers broken for nothing. 

Of course, Those thoughts were tempting. The thought of just slipping a little and cutting an artery, watching as the feline’s life just leaked away. It was a cathartic thought, but one that he knew that he couldn’t go through with. Even though he wanted to make Mystery pay for the hurt he caused, he didn’t have it in him to do it. Not when he had been the one to kill Jessy. Not when he felt so disgusting thinking about Mystery’s death at his own hands. Not when something in his heart forbade him from committing such an act willingly. He didn't want to be more of a murderer than he already was. So he didn’t slip and slice an important vein. He just kept doing as he was told. Doing actually what Mystery wanted him to do. Like the pathetic, traitorous coward he was.

Alfred had been so deep within his head that he didn’t realize how disconnected he grew from the world around him until he found his wrist being gripped by Mystery, holding it in place. Alfred looked up nervously. He was relieved that the feline didn’t appear angry. In fact, he looked blissed out. The canine could barely suppress the cock of his eyebrow at the sight. How could someone look so happy after being practically completely ripped apart?

“That’s enough, Al.” Mystery hummed in a feathery soft tone, as his other hand drifted to pull the knife out of the canine’s grasp. Alfred let out a shuddering breath. Had he been panicking? It was hard to tell. Mystery proceeded to push the knife away without another moment of thought and yanked Alfred in a firm hug. The canine was not oblivious to the fresh blood now smearing and staining his already completely soiled attire. He felt the warm, sticky liquid smearing against his face, making him wince uncomfortably. He hated it. The blood. It was making his mind race with memories. “Thank you…”

Alfred silently shuttered against Mystery and his bloody body, as the feline started purring above him.  

Murderer!~

Murderer!~

Murderer!~

“No…” Alfred squeezed his eyes shut as the sound of his mind taunting him loudly. He wasn’t- he- he didn’t want to be a murderer… Mystery thankfully didn’t hear him and kept embracing him.

Was he any better than Mystery? In the past he would without hesitation say yes. Old him never actually murdered anybody even if he might have thought he had done so before. He never willingly allowed himself to be used, and he most certainly didn’t think about slitting anybody’s throat. If anything he was worse than Mystery now. He got his son killed, killed Jessy, and now he was responsible for being the one to cut Mystery up. He was such a bad person… Mystery had been right about one thing. He was becoming like him. He was a monster and only he had himself to blame.

“You're the absolute best, Alfie…”

Alfred could only shiver as silent sobs wracked his body. Mystery made a little noise before using a hand to lift Alfred’s head up.

“Oh Alfred, you look so pathetic when you cry like that…” he said in a honeyed tone. “So pathetic and perfect…”

Alfred only sniffled at that. I am pathetic… I can't even protect myself… I can't even keep people I love alive… How could I ever think of myself as a good person?...

“Hush… you did good~ You should be proud of yourself. You made your best friend so happy.”

Alfred could never be happy about himself again. Never again. He hated himself. 

It made him think some more. His plan? The one that had put him in so much pain and discomfort as Mystery touched, hugged and brutalized him, the one that he had proposed to Kao. It had done nothing. He didn't have any more freedom than when he first started. In fact, it made him even more oppressed. Mystery used to leave, giving him some space. Now that was virtually nonexistent. It had been months. Nothing had changed. He had been a fool to think it would work. While he was sitting here and taking the punishments and abuse, Kao was out there trying to get them both out with his new and sporadic magic skills. Kao was doing something actually important, he wasn’t. Dear god… How could he have been so naive?

I’m a monster…

Chapter Text

Chapter Thirty Six

-

Kao had snuck out of his room at some point after Mystery neglected to return. He stepped quietly through the halls, trying to not alert the immortal feline of his whereabouts. His breath was held tightly in his lungs as he maneuvered. Moving about unheard would have been easy if he still had his wings with him. Unfortunately that was impossible now given how Mystery had decided to rip them off. Yeah, he was still rather upset about that. No, I should not be focusing on that right now. That’s in the past. I gotta keep looking around. 

Kao wasn’t particularly known for his memory, but It wasn’t like he was forgetful in the slightest. He just simply had a regular, normal ability to recall things like everyone else. That never bothered him, mostly because he never really needed a strong recollection of things to begin with… until now that is. Now more than ever, Kao wished he had an exceptional memory. With a powerful memory he wouldn’t even need to be doing this; lurking in the hallways and trying to make a map based on what his brain envisioned. He would have been able to remember each individual hall from the times and the places he had deep cleaned. Of course, he wasn’t blessed with the memory gene. This left him doing only what he could, and that was grabbing a stray paper out of an unlocked room, a half-empty pen and harboring a buttload of determination.

This determination was something he had his entire time in the facility. He always kept pushing past everything despite the pain, torment and worry, but now this feeling had changed. It was mixed with a desperate, yet organized emotion that couldn’t be named. All he knew for sure is that he wasn’t going to stop at anything to get him and Alfred free.

Kao carefully continued toeing across the hallway, all the while drawing as he went. His goal was to landmark everything that made a specific hallway different, marking rooms with importance, logging which room held the bodies of the dead children, marking the room where Alfred was locked in, or was locked in before, marking blocked exits or potential exits and marking the areas where Mystery lurked in the most. The ram knew that getting everything he needed down on his paper would be impossible in one day, especially given how Mystery would at some point be looking for him, but he wanted to get as much done as he could, even if it took days.

One observation Kao discovered along the way was the sudden abundance of medical equipment. He had noticed this before when he had ventured out that one day he had spoken to Alfred. It had been a heart monitor he had seen. It was incredibly out of place in a building meant for pharmaceutical sales. More importantly, it hadn’t been there when he had first arrived. He would have known if that was true. 

This time as he had been logging landmarks down, he had seen a stretcher and a singular stethoscope lying on the ground. Kao had stuttered his steps to a stop, and took quite a bit of time to analyze the sight in front of him as shock overtook him. What on earth?... Kao had eventually passed that area, but not without logging down the location of those two items. He had a feeling they could be important in some way. He would eventually continue seeing these odd objects along his path. All of them from appearance were medical in terms of their intended use, and littered around mostly against the wall. Kao made sure that all of these occurrences were written down. They could serve a use in the future, or at the very least provide a landmark to travel with.

Of course, despite feeling the necessity to write down the objects, he also felt rather confused and slightly unnerved by the sight of these wayward items. He had no clue how they could have gotten there unless Mystery started hoarding materials. That idea seemed likely, but nonetheless, it was still creepy and gave him an uncomfortable feeling. Kao would soon realize that as he kept going on that nothing could be more out of place than the new and unfamiliar stretches of the hallways. Kao was always sure that a specific hallway was supposed to look one way, but when encountering these hallways again after some time, it was apparent that they looked anything but their true, original state. It was abundantly clear that it wasn’t just the medical equipment that found themselves strewn around the building, It was as if the building itself was turning into something completely different… like a hospital. 

That made no sense though, no sense at all. It was impossible to augment a building. Even Mystery couldn’t do that, could he? Kao truthfully didn't know. If Mystery could relocate a building, then maybe there was a chance that he could change the building itself, but still, he didn’t want to think that Mystery was that powerful… Of course, Kao moved on from that, knowing better than to get stuck on things that he knew he couldn’t do much about at the moment.

Kao’s footsteps eventually finally stopped at a random door as the ram found himself needing to catch his breath. Gosh… I’m out of shape… He then carefully pressed his back against the wall (not without wincing), and took deep, long breaths into his lungs. There was an effort not to slide down into the ground, despite him really wanting to do so. It was only the image of him and Alfred finally escaping that motivated him to keep moving.

After pushing himself off the solid wall, he prepared to resume walking down the hall. His movements were abruptly stopped as a clatter of something echoed in the distance. Kao’s breath stopped as he froze. Is that- The clatter sounded again with a whisper of a voice, it was too far away to tell if it was Mystery or… well heck, who else could it be? The ram immediately and instinctively attempted to rush into the room he had just happened to pause at. By a slim miracle it was unlocked. With a loud, unfortunate gasp, he entered the dark, lightless room and closed the door shut as quietly as possible, before covering his mouth with his hands and going completely silent. Being still only clarified the effects of the adrenaline rushing through his body, making his legs shaky, making his heartbeat race uncontrollably and causing his entire being to be hyper aware of his surroundings. This didn’t help with the persistent ache in his back.

Minutes seemed to pass as Kao waited for a sign that it was safe to come out, but even as everything remained silent, he still didn’t budge. Mystery could be outside the room, waiting for him to reveal himself. He wasn’t going to take any chances. Still, the sounds that had initially prompted him to rush for cover had never returned. A part of him wondered if he had hallucinated the whole ordeal… perhaps he worried so hard that he made those noises come to life. Or perhaps Mystery had been there and he had just been lucky. Oh… but he truly didn’t know. All that could be certain was that he heard something and whatever it may be, fictitious or not, it had frightened him badly. 

After a few more moments of waiting, Kao slowly turned to face the door, still shaking just slightly. Alright, just- just relax! Everything is fine, nothin’ to fear. Despite his eager attempts to calm himself, he still felt the little tremors in his body and the dull sense of nausea flowing through him. Kao then slowly turned his head towards the seemingly vast room around him. It was hard to tell what was in this room as the darkness made it quite hard to see, and that said something considering his eyes had the time to adjust to the lighting. 

The ram carefully took a couple steps deeper into the room, hesitantly looking around. He wasn't sure what pushed him to explore this new area other than the fear of leaving the room in case the feline happened to be nearby. Regardless, here he was.

Kao heard crunches beneath his feet, resembling the sound of paper, nonetheless the noise startled him, causing him to let out a squeak. He really hoped he hadn’t been too loud… Carefully, he took a step back, pocketed his incomplete map in his lab coat pocket, leaned over and picked up the wrinkled, stiff feeling paper, all the while ignoring the twinges of pain in his back. This paper was more like a poster by the sheer size of it. Kao tried to smooth the wrinkles, but it proved much more difficult than he had expected. He let out a sigh as he started moving forward again, poster still in hand. It would be nice if there was a light somewhere. He thought with mild annoyance, as his initial fear from before gradually faded away. Kao heard the soft crunches of paper below his feet continue from below. To him, it sounded like bones crunching… well, he never actually heard bones crunching before, but it might as well have sounded like it. It saddened the ram if just a little to have his original, ‘pure-minded’ thoughts turn into something so grim…

Thunk…

Kao’s torso bumped into a hard, slightly pointed surface. His body stung with the sudden impact. and he had to hold his breath to not yelp. After a few moments, the sting ceased and what was left was now curiosity… or something very close to it. What on… Kao hesitantly pressed his palm on the cool, glossy surface and carefully glided his hand across it. A desk! Kao maneuvered himself around the large object until he was behind it and could access any unlocked drawers. The potential unlocked drawers weren't really on his mind though. What he wanted was a source of light. Kao dragged his hand along the desk, trying to find any objects along the surface area. It was hard given he couldn’t see much, he didn’t really know what area he had already touched. Eventually, his fingers brushed past the base of something. Kao focused all his energy on that specific object and trailed his hand up the base until the feeling of dangling beads touched his hand. Aha! A lamp! He carefully pulled on the chain. With a click, the room was illuminated. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing. Kao couldn’t help but wonder if the bulb was dying out due to the dull light emanating from it.

Kao settled the poster down on the now, lit up brown, polished wood desk. It wasn’t a colorful poster in the slightest. It had the appearance of a fancy, kinda plain feel. That should have been expected due to what the building had once operated as. Kao’s eyes skimmed over the printed over words. It was about medication for heartburn. He could barely stifle a giggle. He didn’t know what was so funny about the poster and its contents. If anything, there was nothing close to being visually funny to him. He just… felt the need to laugh. It had been a while since he had done so. He hadn’t felt the brimming feeling of joy in so long. It was either fear, determination and even anger at times that occupied his being. That was one of the parts that sucked greatly. So laughing at even something simple as heartburn medication was enough for him.

The poster was white, gray and had hints of blue scattered over it. In big, bolded print were the words. Dialumitrix. Underneath was the typical motto every medicine would include, reading: ‘when you feel a churn, don’t burn! Dialumitrix is here!’. It was cheesy, and failed at a full, proper rhyming rhythm, but nonetheless, it was up to standards, at least for the companies selling it. I wonder how all those Pharma’ Reps would have gone about selling this… Kao sighed as he brushed away the poster, watching it skitter onto the floor. The light was bright enough to make the floor slightly illuminated, which made spotting another piece of paper very easy. Kao’s breath paused as he hesitantly reached over to grab this specific paper, ignoring the poster that had dropped beside it. This paper was thinner and had slightly smudged ink. It was all in black and white, likely due to lack of budget. This wasn’t an ordinary paper. It wasn’t selling medicine or advertising for an out-of-building program. No. it was a wanted poster of The Masked Killer- Mystery- with an extremely grainy, blurry image of what was supposed to be the culprit. The ram gulped. He shouldn’t be feeling nervous over a poster. It was hard not to though. Kao shook his head. He quickly resumed reading over the paper. ‘Wanted dead or alive’. Kao quietly wished it had just said wanted dead.

At some point he ended up being unable to handle holding the paper anymore, and with a harsher force, he tossed it away, far enough away that the light couldn’t shine upon it anymore.

Kao decided to then search the rest of the desk, hoping to find valuable items he could use. He wasn’t quite sure where he’d put any good items without Mystery finding them first. He couldn’t put any small, important trinkets in his lab coat, as he knew his clothing could be removed off his own body at any time. It would be way too hard to keep things secret in those pockets anyway.  Unless… Kao pulled out his map and gazed at it for a long moment. Perhaps he could also find a special room to put his things without Mystery being able to seek them out. He couldn’t figure out what room would work specifically, but he was barely halfway through the entire building. That gave him plenty of leftover space to look for a secure location in. That gave him a speckle of hope. Things were shaping up. After quickly pocketing the map again, he went back on his search. He ended up finding a stapler with all the little staples still intact, a couple full water bottles, blank sticky notes, he even found some sticky notes with cursive writing sketched onto them. Unfortunately the writing was far too difficult for him to read so he just moved on. 

There were other trinkets like, empty folders and a dirty mug. All that really caught his attention though was the stapler and the water bottles. The stapler could be used as a weapon, the water bottles spoke for themselves. Speaking of which… he was quite thirsty. Kao took a good minute of his time to sip the water until it was left halfway. He had to force himself to stop afterwards to help ration the rest of it. The water tasted far fresher than the gross water that was here.

Unfortunately, Kao knew he would have to leave his findings here. He couldn’t afford taking those items with him and face losing them soon after. The very minimum he could do was mark their location on his developing map. He would do that a little later after he was done exploring. 

Of course, he soon finished searching the desk and what was around the lit surroundings and found nothing else important to note. With that, he decided it was about time to get moving. He knew he couldn’t be here too much longer anyway. The ram still needed more time to log down locations, and by now he was certain that if Mystery had been there before, he had already been long gone. 

Reluctantly he pulled on the lamp chains to turn off the light. He wanted to leave no trace that he was in here, even if Mystery wouldn’t come into this room. As the lights flickered off, the colors and shapes that filled the room became nearly pitch black once more. With a sigh, Kao started moving himself away and towards the direction of the door.

There was a feeling of rising anxiety as he grew closer to the exit. Somehow this room had offered him protection from the scary world outside. It was dumb, as this room was nothing special and had no real shield against Mystery or his powers. Even so, the room just offered a sense of security… but now he had to detach himself from this perceived in order to keep progressing. He would be able to return anyway soon enough. Kao then reached the door, and with a big breath he headed out.

Kao looked around nervously as he carefully shut the door behind him. Thankfully everything around was all silent and clear, letting Kao relax a little. Before he took another step though, he pulled his map out once more and immediately marked down the location, just so he wouldn’t forget. With that, he set off again. Things were beginning to really look up again and all he had to do was have a little hope. No matter what happens, I’m gonna get us out of here. Whatever it takes…

————————————

Kao was taken aback at the sight of his host, Alfred, sitting on the curb in front of his house. He wasn’t really sure what to think of it. Curiosity overpowered the ram as he crept away from the front door and into the warm outside breeze. He slowly walked up til he was just shy of a few inches away from the canine. Alfred’s eyes were closed; his glasses glistening from the light, as his head was tilted back just enough to make his face visible to the ram. He looked… serene, confident… wonderful… Kao nearly turned to walk away, feeling as if he was intruding on Alfred’s personal time, but just then, a warm, relaxed voice piped up from below.

“Good morning, Kao.”

“A-Ah! Good morning, Alfred-Al’-” Kao gulped, turning around to face the canine who was now looking at him with a soft expression. His natural orange eyes sparkled with life. “How- How are you?” Kao stammered, feeling just a bit embarrassed to be caught looming over the male.

“I’m good.” Alfred chucked lightly, before turning his head back towards the direction of the sky. “Just enjoying my morning out in the sun...”

“Oh…” the ram blinked before attempting to look up towards the baby blue colored atmosphere above him. The sun was rather bright on this day, causing him to squint uncomfortably. How could Alfred stand essentially staring up in the sky like that? Was he trying to go blind?!

“You can sit down if you’d like.” Alfred hummed softly to the ram. Kao was shocked at the sudden invitation, but he nervously nodded and stiffly settled down beside the older male. He couldn’t help but fidget slightly at the new proximity he had to the canine. He wasn’t sure why he felt so nervous though. After all, it was just Alfred. It wasn’t as if he was sitting next to a stranger. Ah, he was probably overthinking things… “You seem like you have a lot on your mind right now.” Alfred then exclaimed, likely sensing the ram’s silent but apparently noticeable tension. Kao shook his head quickly.

“No no… It’s… It’s nothing, I promise.” Kao stammered, looking away just slightly. He took a few moments to gather his composure before daring to speak again. “Uhm… it’s just that I’m not used to seeing ya out here, it just surprised me.”

Alfred nodded understandingly.

“Yeah, I can see why. I don’t do this often enough. Being out here is very grounding.”

“Really?” Kao turned to look at Alfred again, curious.

“Mhm, The feeling of the breeze blowing, the warm rays of the sun, and feeling the ground below me… it just keeps me in the present.” Alfred admits softly. “Ah jeez- I’m probably boring you to death, aren’t I?” Alfred chuckled in embarrassment. Prompting Kao to quickly speak up.

“N-No! I like hearing what you say. I really do.”

Alfred at first appeared shocked by Kao’s sudden reaction but then as he finished speaking, the canine’s expression softened with gratitude.

“Well, That means a lot to hear.” Alfred then replied with a gentle voice.

After that point, it seemed as if the conversation had died down, much to Kao’s chagrin. The ram wanted to say something to keep the canine talking. It just felt right to hear him speak.

“Uhm… thank ya for being so kind to me and my brother for all this time. I know we may be a lot to deal with.” Kao started, fidgeting. Alfred shook his head softly.

“No, you two are not hard to deal with at all. In fact, your presence here in the house really livens things up. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

The ram felt a little choked up at that, but he tried not to show it. It was just so hard to believe that there was someone out there that cared for them without expecting anything in return. It was hard to believe that Alfred was as kind as he was. Any ordinary person would have turned away from him and Howaito, but he didn’t. He helped him despite everything.

“You mean that?”

“Absolutely.” Alfred smiled at him with his signature warm and sincere smile. Kao could only duck his head bashfully. Alfred was simply the best…

“Ah, I do actually have some news to share with you if you do not mind.” Alfred then oriented his body to face Kao now fully, as he pulled a paper from out of a pocket of his button up white shirt (which happened to be his favorite shirt for whatever particular reason), and gently handed it to the ram. Kao skimmed over the page and immediately widened his eyes.

“What-“ “Me and Yuki have been looking for places around Muir that would be affordable for you and your brother. We found this flier a couple days ago. We thought you might be interested.”

The flier detailed a house for sale up in the CloudField district of Muir. By the term ‘sale’, it was exactly that. It was one of the cheapest homes he had ever seen in his life. That was the first thing to take his breath away, the next was the fact of what CloudField was to begin with. CloudField District operated as a place created by strong clouds residing in Muir county meant for winged beings to reside away from the ground, many immortals lived there also and, more importantly… CloudField had been where his old home used to be… but rather than feeling sorrowful, he felt blinding joy.

“A-Al! Ya have- oh my goodness!” Kao practically shot up to his feet. “You…”

The canine laughed softly.

“I guess you like it then.”

“Of course! Thank you so much!” Kao resisted the urge to hug Alfred as his excitement overflowed. “I cannot believe this!” Kao felt as if the world brightened up significantly. He could finally have a home again! Wait… it was cheap, sure, but he and Howaito didn’t have enough money in their own pockets to even begin paying for it. There was a chance that the home would be taken before he’d get a chance. 

Kao didn’t realize how much his expression had fallen until Alfred started speaking again.

“I know what you're thinking, but don’t worry, I have a plan to help you out with paying for the home.”

Kao nearly dropped the flier at that.

“You don’t have to!” The ram protested, immediately feeling guilty. Alfred had already done so much, he couldn’t stand the idea of putting Alfred through all the stress and effort to help him. It wasn’t fair to him after he had done nothing in return to be useful.

“But I want to, okay? I want to help you.”

“But-“ “No buts, Kao. Let me do something for you.”

Kao wanted to say something more, but by the firm but caring expression on Alfred’s face, he knew he couldn’t.

“H-How can I repay you then?”

“You don’t need to repay me, honest.” Alfred shook his head as he said this. “You aren’t in my debt, you never will be.”

Kao was silent for a moment, still feeling a sensation of guilt. He had said he wanted to do this, but did he really? Why was he so kind?…

“Trust me, please.”

Kao paused, thinking deeply. If it were anybody else, he wouldn’t have begun to trust them, but this was Alfred… and somehow, he found that maybe he could. Kao then nodded.

“I…. I will.”

“Thank you.”

Kao then found himself sitting back down, feeling a little shaky after the news he received. Home… they were gonna have a home again. It was enough to make him tear up a little.

“No, Thank you, Alfred…” Kao replied in a shaky tone. “Thank you so much for everything…”

“Heh… of course….”

Kao didn’t really think before leaning against Alfred. It just felt natural to do so. Kao felt a quick spike of embarrassment flood his system and nearly threw himself off, but his worry proved unwarranted as Alfred didn’t respond negatively, he just let out a contented sigh. Carefully, Kao tried to relax. Alfred was very warm, but not too warm. Kao had never been as happy as he was now being close to someone, especially someone he could trust…

“Can we be friends?” The ram then found himself asking softly. There was hardly a beat of a second before the canine replied back.

“I wouldn’t mind that. I really would not mind that at all.” And those words where genuine, he could just tell. Kao sniffled with emotion.

It hadn’t been very long before Kao heard the sound of chattering voices and a door opening from behind him, prompting Kao to turn his head and body away from Alfred to face the direction of the commotion. He saw the two figures of Howaito and Shai seemingly deep in conversation, as the latter closed the door behind him. Neither seemed hostile or upset. In fact, they both looked rather calm which made the ram more than just a little happy. Shai was really starting to like them after all this time… Howaito then seemed to catch his glance and gave him a short, but obviously pleased wave towards him. Kao waved back and was just about to bounce up to join the two and investigate their discussion, but Kao stayed put, and turned his head back to face the road in front of them.

“You don’t have to sit here if you don’t want to, you know?”

“I know… it’s just…” Kao took a breath before finishing. “I’m just having plenty of fun right here with ya.”

“Well then, that’s fine by me, Kao…” Alfred grinned before returning to his peaceful state, leaning his head back to enjoy the sun. Kao leaned his head back too, despite knowing the sun would mess with him rather than sooth him. Somehow, despite the discomfort, all that mattered to him was being next to his new friend, Alfred. 

And so, he was happy….

Chapter Text

Iris’ Account

-

Iris adjusted the pale brown folders on her office desk into a neat stack before picking them up and carefully placing them into the dark caverns of her file cabinet next to her. She would then close the cabinet door with a click and set off to complete the rest of her duties before clocking out for the day. All that was left to do was put any other object she had used back in its designated container and help out anyone else who needed assistance getting packed up. Iris was a pale lavender feline with long grape-colored hair that slightly covered over one of her light purple eyes. She wore a purple lab coat (that admittedly was quite stiff), and had two black piercings In one of her furry ears.

“Good work today, Iris!” Chirped one of her colleagues who currently stood at the open door of her office. Iris lifted her head and was greeted to the sight of Trisha, a cream colored equestrian anthro, smiling softly at her. Trisha was one of the kindest people in the building, and never faltered when giving out compliments, more importantly, she was a senior worker here, giving her compliments a special air of honesty and respect. Iris nodded graciously at her.

“Thank you. You really are too kind.”

“Think nothing of it! Do you need help?” Trisha asked, genty tilting her head.

Iris eyeballed the rest of her work and shook her head gently.

“No thank you, I’m almost done.”

“Suit yourself. Have a wonderful night!” 

“You as well,” Iris nodded respectfully as Trisha gracefully walked away. Iris then redirected her attention back to her desk and continued clearing things away.

Iris had been working at HelpersFromUs2You, an organization created by social workers and various therapists from all around Treelight, for over seven years. It was a very fulfilling job, as it had decent pay, and a surprisingly nice schedule. It was quite a dream job to have, especially when many other jobs in the state of Treelight weren’t so relaxed.

She let out a calm sigh as she collected the rest of her things in their proper spaces. It’s such a miracle working here… bless the god above that I have all of this luxury.

Her hand would then slide against the sheet of paper laying at the very edge of her desk. She paused in her movements before reaching over, and picking it up. Iris furrowed her brows as she glanced over it. This specific paper had been on her desk for weeks, despite the fact that there was no reason to have it out or even keep it. Nonetheless, she still had it, and had been agonizing over it for the longest time.

This sheet was a paper detailing a specific, one time client that had come to her office that one strange day. Unlike most clients who came for assistance with mental health or were struggling with issues of domestic abuse, they- or well he had come and just talked to her before leaving and never returning. If Iris had to be completely honest, she had never felt more uneased then when she was near him, and that said something considering she was around mentally ill individuals most days.

Jeremy… That was his name. The individual had refused to reveal his last name, and she hadn’t pushed him to. He had been a very strange man and had asked her so many questions that she felt as if she had been the one who admitted herself here. Something about Jeremy had been so off that day. she couldn’t really shake the memory and curiosity away. What did he want? What brought him here in the first place? And why hadn’t she ever seen him again? All these questions pulsed through her mind. So much so that for weeks she had been reviewing his file in hopes of finding anything to hint at this strange individual. So far, she was out of luck. Iris hummed curiosity again as she reread the contents of her paper once again. She closed her eyes for a moment, recalling the specific event vividly in her mind.…

————————————

The storms were picking up in the area, causing the trees to sway uncertainly in the wind. Thunder crackled from above and flashes of brilliant, bright light lit the sky. Despite it all, Iris was at work today.

She had arrived at the building just as strong gusts of wind blew across the area. Her hair at this time was an utter mess, and she was completely sure that the rest of attire was wrinkled and soaked, but neither she nor her colleagues cared. What was important at this time was to help any clients who arrived here, just as always. 

“Iris! Dear god! You're soaked to the bone- let me get you a towel!” A senior employee, who had worked for the organization for many decades exclaimed with frightened tone before skittering off into another room. Iris couldn't even get a word out before she was gone. The building that surrounded her was a palette of pastel green and white, adorned with plastic, decorative vines trailing along the walls and ceiling. The dark green carpet that covered the floor also was patterned with lighter green vines. There were a few desks and cubicles. Those were for taking calls on the organization's crisis hotline. Other desks were used to complete extra paperwork or for extra space. Most of the operation was within the office rooms, where people would enter the building and seek professional help if they were needing assistance with living, help for any sort of crisis or severe emotional distress. This was the part that Iris specifically worked in.

Within a few seconds the older woman had returned with a fuzzy white towel and gently passed it over to her.

“Here you go, get yourself all dried up before you catch a cold.”

Iris nodded respectfully and dabbed at hair and clothing with consideration. The towel surprisingly did wonders for her soaked state. As she continued drying herself off, the woman continued to speak.

“Ah! I nearly forgot. Lia is here, she’s having a meltdown, and she keeps asking for you.”

Iris’ ears pricked upward at the mention of Lia. Lia was one of her most frequent patients. She usually came to her office when she was severely distressed. She was here so often that all of her colleagues knew her name.

“Thank you for letting me know, and thank you for the towel. I’ll be tending to her now.” Iris said as a soft roll of thunder echoed above them. After finding a suitable rack for the damp towel, the feline stepped her way into her office. She found the younger female twitching nervously in the soft bean bag in the corner. Her hands grabbed at the fur around her head tightly as if she was trying to rip herself apart. Her pale blue fur was matted, her clothes appeared disheveled and her eyes were bloodshot from the tears that even then still streamed down her face. Iris moved slowly towards her, carefully closing the door behind her so as to not alarm her, and knelt down to her eye level.

“Hey Lia, how are you feeling?” she asked in a soft, warm tone. She knew that Lia responded well to gentle voices. Lia’s breath hitched at the sound of Iris’ voice, and she proceeded to lift her head, and let out a weak whimper. “That’s okay, you're safe here. Nobody can hurt you here.”

Lia nodded her head, but did nothing more. Iris was always patient with her. She often waited for thirty minutes before the young female would stir. It was never a burden.

Eventually after some time, Lia’s breath had slowed and her tremors had calmed. Her tears had dried. Even so, Iris knew she wasn’t all the way back to her normal self. All it could take was a slight misstep and she could crumble again, so Iris waited a little bit longer.

“T-Thank you, Miss H-Hollis…” Lia hiccuped meekly.

“It’s no problem at all, I'm glad to help.” Iris replied sincerely. As she spoke, she gazed closer at the young women. She wasn’t sure if Lia would reveal what had triggered her episode of mind numbing fear or if she’d keep it to herself like she would sometimes do- but she would not force an answer out of her if she chose not to tell. Sometimes just coming here to seek comfort was all that she needed. Iris was concerned at what she saw. Lia appeared to have lost weight as evidenced by her exposed thin legs and her sunken cheeks. Her fingers appeared to be red and scabbed over, likely created from repeated skin picking, and parts of her fur had been torn out, leaving pink exposed flesh left to be seen. It twisted something in her heart to see.

“The- The medicine isn’t working any- any- anymore…” Lia croaked pitifully. Iris nodded slowly as the gears turned around her head. What was the best course of action? Convince her to keep searching for meds that actually worked, or go an alternative route? Well, now wasn’t quite the time to do any planning. It was more important to focus on Lia’s current mental state- to get her back to a functioning level, only then could decisions be made.

“I see… When did it stop working? Can you tell me?” she asked gently.

“Yester- Yesterday…”

“Alright-” “Please p-protect me!”

Iris nodded once more. There was a slight prickle of worry, it wormed into her gut. Lia had gotten worse since she last saw her. Was her help not working? 

“I will, nothing can get you here.”

Lia nodded. Her body seemed to relax just a little at the affirmation of her safety. Within seconds Lia was curled up and was silent, barely shivering now. Iris felt more pleased at this. Usually when this happened it meant she was rising from her episode. She then decided to take this time to start thinking things through and deciding the best thing to do for Lia.

“Miss Hollis? Another client is here to see you.” A younger male spoke quite loudly, opening the door just enough for his head to pop though. Iris shivered at the sudden voice and yanked her head towards him with a grimace. He quickly clicked the door closed, looking embarrassed. The feline could only roll her eyes. These rookies don’t know anything about knocking… She grumbled mentally. Her attention was then pulled back to Lia who was struggling to stand up- after having her moment being rudely interrupted.

“I- I- I have to go home. I have to...”

Iris wasn’t convinced that Lia was in any state to return home, not with her falling back into an episode, nor when it was storming heavily outside. A split second idea popped into her mind.

“Why don’t you go see, Miss Glossier? You like her don’t you?”

Lia’s gaze brightened a little.

“Will she protect me?” Lia meekly asked.

“Of course, she will absolutely protect you.”

“Will she take me home?”

Iris paused before responding.

“Why don’t you ask her? I’m sure she will think of something.”

Lia nodded, and with Iris guiding her, they slowly and gradually made it to Glossier’s room. Glossier was one of the few who always showed up every day. She never missed a moment in the organization, rain or shine. Iris knew she would be there to assist poor Lia. Mostly because Glossier was a professional therapist and was honestly more qualified to help Lia. Once the anthro saw the therapist’s figure at her desk, she lept in, immediately seeking comfort in the corner of the room, closest to where a scented diffuser was located.

“Oh? What’s happening over here?” Glossier asked, standing up. Her long, braided, pale cream hair swished behind her as she paced over to the purple feline. Glossier was a raccoon anthro, with gray fur splattered with brown and black spots all over. In front of her relaxed hazel eyes were a pair of thin, oval glasses. She wore a clean white blouse and long black trousers. She was the pinnacle of professionalism.

“Lia was having a particularly bad episode today. She says her medicine isn’t working- hasn’t been working since yesterday. I brought her to you since you might have a good idea on how to help her better than I can.” Iris started. “Plus, I was told that another client came to speak with me. I apologize for such short notice.”

Glossier shook her head.

“Don’t worry about it. She’s in good hands.”

Iris let out a little sigh, starting to feel a little negative, but she said nothing about it as she bid her colleague a goodbye.

“Thank y-you, Miss H-Hollis…” Lia murmured quietly just as Iris turned away. She looked back just a little longer to smile and wave at Lia gratefully.

“Anytime, Lia.”

Back in her office, she took a quick breather before sending in her next client. There was a sense of doubt in her mind today, more so than she was familiar with. She had quite literally just given someone her work. She could have easily figured it out if she had just been patient with herself- but no. Iris breathed out an exhale. Sometimes she couldn’t do everything. Sometimes it is okay to ask for help from someone more experienced. Besides, Lia’s issue was becoming more serious. A therapist like Glossier would be able to help her more adequately. Oh Lia… The poor woman was going through so much. Thankfully there was someone skilled to be there for her. I suppose this doesn’t stop me from doing some research… I'm sure Glossier would be pleased with that…

Iris kept breathing, kept thinking good thoughts as crackles of lighting sounded above. Eventually after a minute or two, she was ready for her next client.

Within the next few moments, after requesting them in, a new, tall figure opened the door, and walked in her office. Iris’ eyes met the bright blue eyes of a purple feline. They- he had long purple hair that shifted into a deeper hue as it reached the bottom. He wore a rather eyestraining pink sweater, along with slightly frayed black pants. Along with his blue eyes was a pair of square shaped glasses. The feline wore a relaxed smile as he approached a seat near Iris.

“Good morning.” He hummed politely.

“Good morning to you as well, I’m Miss Hollis.” Iris’ voice slightly trailed away as she realized that he looked soaked from the rain outside, just as she had been when she had arrived at her work. “Ah, would you like something to dry off with?”

“No thank you.” He replied, shaking his head in a deliberate, forced motion. That movement was definitely something Iris caught. She was around enough people to tell whether something about a person’s body language was off, but she didn’t dwell on it though as there were more important things to be thinking about.

“May I ask your name?”

“Jeremy.”

“Jeremy… that’s a very nice name.” Iris replied. “What about your last name?”

“Why would you need to know that?” Jeremy replied, tilting his head. There was a slight waver to his voice, a flexing of a wrist. Another feature caught.

“Just so I can log you down in my files.” Iris gestured to her file cabinet where all her important documents were kept, especially information regarding her clients. Jeremy followed her gaze before looking back to Iris.

“You don’t need to do that.” He cleared his throat softly. “I would like to keep that private please.” a slight pleading look entered his expression, one that convinced her to let the subject go.

“I understand, I would not want to cause you anxiety. Now with these matters aside… What brings you here today?”

“Mm, I had some free time and I decided to check this place out.” Jeremy replied, face immediately switching to a look of neutrality.

Iris kept her own expression calm as she listened, but within she found herself quite surprised. Few people showed up to her office just to check things out. It came off a little… strange to her, ah- but who was she to judge. 

“Well, I am more than willing to explain what we do around here. Is there anything specific you are wanting to know?”

Jeremy looked around, appearing to be thinking to himself.

“Well… mm… not specifically.”

“Well, this is an organization that specializes in assisting those with life problems, mental illness with a free price. We are funded by donations from citizens around us.”

“Do you actually help people, or do you just think you do?” Jeremy replied soon after. Iris could immediately sense a dark tone within the initially curious remark. She saw his eyes narrow just a fraction before flickering back to a more neutral look. “I mean… you do get positive reviews I'd assume.”

Iris slowly nodded her head.

“Yes, yes we do. We make sure we make a positive impact with the clients we receive. Our group is aware of how some health professionals from different backgrounds often don’t help people as well as they should.”

Jeremy leaned forward, a few strands of his hair covering parts of his face.

“Yeah? That’s a correct assumption”

The female’s eyebrows drew together at that, forming an expression of sympathy. 

“Have you had previous negative experiences with therapists or the like before?”

Jeremy tilted his head, and drifted his eyes upward in a manner that appeared as if he was deep in thought. 

“Maybe, maybe not. Who's to say?” Jeremy replied vaguely. His expression would then shift into a dark narrowed-eyed expression with a smile. Iris somehow felt the air grow colder around her, but perhaps that was just what her mind wanted her to believe. She, of course, shook it off.

“Well, things here are different. Anybody who goes against our organization's policy toward patients are removed.”

“I see… you sure know a lot about this stuff, huh?”

“I have been here for several years, so I have had the time to learn and see how things operate here.” Iris replied once again.

“Yeah? Well I have another question for you, are people forced to come here?”

“Of course not- No. We don’t force people to come here. Clients come willingly. Forcing people to seek our help is against what we believe. Only those who want to be helped will receive help.”

Jeremy nodded meaningfully.

“I see. How pleasing to hear.”

“Yes, it is.”

If Iris was going to be fully honest, she was a little uncomfortable. This was something she never felt before, considering how often she was around people who came off as weird or were mentally ill. She never judged them or truly felt uncomfortable. So why was she feeling like this now? Was it the way that he steadily stared at her as if he was noting down every little movement she made? (was he paranoid?) Or was it something else? (Distrust?) Could she be having a rough day and just externalizing her emotions? That last thought seemed likely… yet she still couldn’t shake her unease away. Maybe she just needed to get to know him a little, maybe then she’d relax more.

“Since you are here, May I ask you some questions?” 

Jeremy’s eyes narrowed for a moment. After clicking his tongue for a quick moment, he nodded.

“I don’t see why not.”

“Well, first of all, may I inquire about your occupation?” 

“I’m a freelancer.” Jeremy responded smoothly, without a second thought. “I go wherever the work is lucrative.”

“I see, That sounds very nice.” the female nodded, pushing herself to smile softly. “It’s good to have variety.”

“I can agree.”

“Have you found any work currently?”

“You could say I have.” Jeremy hummed, a smile crawled into his face that was assumed to be friendly, but it came off more as creepy. Iris made herself not focus on that though.

“That’s good. I assume with freelancing that you come and go from towns often?”

“hmm, it depends…” Jeremy stretched his back against the back of the chair he currently sat at. There were a few loud pops that echoed through the room. Jeremy didn’t appear startled by it. Maybe he was used to it. “If I must be honest, I am finding that a certain place here in Treelight serves my interests the most.”

“Settling down then?”

“You could say that.”

The purple female hummed in acknowledgement, before a tiny question popped into her mind. She wondered if it would be too much to ask. Well, this is a conversation, it’s not like I'm speaking to a patient. If he doesn’t care to respond, then that is fine.

“May I ask where you lived before you came here?”

“Hm, is that a question you really want to ask me?” Jeremy began soon after, his posture seemed to turn rigid and there was a slight twitch in his unreadable expression. “You know it’s unprofessional to ask personal questions to strangers, right?~” by now, his tone turned mocking as his eyes narrowed upward. Iris was speechless at this sudden reaction, and truthfully a little embarrassed. Had she been prying too much, too soon?

“I-” Without much warning, a loud rumble of thunder then began to shake the building, causing the lights to flicker. The sounds of people’s shocked reactions could be heard from the other side of the door. The suddenness of the moment completely caught Iris off guard as she gripped the sides of her chair with shock. Jeremy meanwhile sat perfectly still, seemingly unfazed by the abrupt change around him. He then stood up, wearing the original neutral expression.

“It was a pleasure meeting you.”

Iris’ words continued to be stuck in her throat, as she watched the feline walk towards the door.

“Wait-“ Iris stopped herself before she could even begin to finish her sentence, nonetheless, the male turned his head.

“Yes, Hollis?”

Iris swallowed before responding calmly.

“It’s… it’s still storming outside, you might get soaked. It would be in your best interest to stay here until the weather calms down.”

“Hm?” Jeremy clicked his tongue, glancing away as if thinking. It didn’t seem like he was actually thinking though. “Oh… a little rain won’t hurt me, I assure you. Farewell.” The feline then swung open the door before walking away. The door slowly closed behind him with a click, leaving Iris struggling to grasp the meaning of this strange visit. Rarely had she ever felt this disoriented when speaking to someone. The visit had hardly been fifteen minutes. Nothing that just happened made any sense. Iris pressed at her temples with a building frustration. All her previous issues of the day had been completely wiped away at the wake of Jeremy’s visit, and there was no way she could calmly forget about it.

After a rough minute of deep thinking, she would then start almost instinctively writing down any of the info she had learned about this mysterious person, if only to pin down her confusing thoughts.

Jeremy (unknown) 

Freelancer

Showed mild signs of paranoia

Aside from this, she learned nothing more about him. Iris let out an exhausted sigh.  Was she really having trouble over something as trivial as this? Jeremy wasn’t an actual patient. He was just some random person passing though, so she had no reason to be confused and frustrated anyway. What on earth is with me today?

“Miss Hollis, you have another patient…” a soft voice popped up from the other side of the door.

“Yeah… alright, send them in.” Iris replied softly, still rubbing her face. The person by the door stalled, as if wanting to say something, but didn't- closing the door once more. I just got to get through this day… she reassured herself mentally. Everything was going to be fine. She just had to forget about him.

————————————

Iris blew out a breath or air. That visit still never made sense, nor did she ever see the man again. A part of her wondered if somehow she had fabricated the memory entirely, but no, it wasn’t just a false recollection. She couldn’t make up his presence. She couldn’t manifest his appearance in her mind's eye. No. He was real, and so were her feelings. 

Iris hesitantly pushed the single sheet of paper back into its original space on the desk, not having the heart to put it completely away yet. Somehow even now, she thought she could unravel the Mystery of this man- find out what his real intentions were, if he needed help but was too scared to ask. All her efforts so far led to nothing. That didn’t mean she was going to give up anytime soon. Something inside her pushed her to continue trying to find answers, and that was what she was going to do, but right now… right now it was time to clock out and go home.

Once everything was cleared away, she motioned to walk out her door to check if anybody else required help packing up for the day. Within those initial moments, she was able to shove her restless questions about the feline deep, and far into her mind, and quickly made room for her more important thoughts, such as her other clients, her own personal life, and whether or not she would be able to sleep soundly that night. That was all that mattered right now,

and that was it…

Chapter Text

In The Past (Part 4)

??? 1996

-

Jeremy scribbled jagged lines all along a snowflake white sheet of notebook paper. The noise of the pencil’s scratching was oddly soothing to the young feline’s ears. It was like music. A song without rhythm or purpose. Even so, Jeremy liked it. It sounded familiar, and safe. The noise was one of the few things he could find comfort in within the walls of his home.

Located on the edge of AutumnLake was a large gray and white mansion, fitted with a navy blue roof. It had been built many many decades ago, making the home resemble something that could have been made back in the 1950s. Despite that, it was quite polished, put together, and had traces of the modern year scattered along the landscape interior. 

This was the place Jeremy lived. Most people would feel blessed to live in such a luxurious home- to live prestigiously, but to Jeremy, being here felt more like a prison. While the inside looked fancy, it really was all for show. What really made a difference in a place was the people that made it up. It was the people in Jeremy’s home that convinced him that his living space was anything but luxury.

The purple feline let out a sigh as he crumpled up the paper he had been writing on, and tossed it into the nearby bin in the corner. He was supposed to be studying the basics of trigonometry as his father had instructed him to start just the other night, but his heart wasn’t in it, nor was his mind, as it felt raw and tired. All he wanted to do was run away to the meadow like always and wait for Alfred to arrive. Alfred… Alfred Alfred Alfred Alfred. Just the mere thought of the young canine was enough to make his head, and heart race with energy. It was as if the life that had been previously drained from his being had burst back into his body again. His mind within an instant began lighting images of him, and the sound of his voice.

He had first met the canine in the meadow during a sunny afternoon. It was the first time he had gone to this location. This was due to the worsening environment of his home, and with that he simply desired some sort of rest- some way to avoid his father as much as possible. He didn’t expect anything special to happen the first time around, he just wanted to relax and read one of the books he had brought for that day, so he had been incredibly shocked when this boy- Alfred, had spoken to him so kindly and optimistically. He had never heard such kindness before, not since his mother disappeared. 

When Alfred had left that night, he had felt a loneliness he hadn’t felt in such a long while. He had grown used to his mother’s absence, so the burn of being alone had started to dull significantly, but with Alfred, the feelings of isolation started taking a toll on him once more. Jeremy had thought that he would never see him again. Then against his worries, day after day they would meet up. It soon became a routine, one that neither wanted to skip. 

Meeting him had been the best thing that ever happened in his life. Alfred was the only reason that Jeremy was still…. Well, alive. The young feline couldn’t contain the abrupt excitement he found at the thought of leaving his home to visit Alfred again, and since his father was at work already like usual, he would easily be able to get away with it.

With that, the feline pushed himself away from the fancy black table in the kitchen he was studying at, and promptly jumped onto his feet, nearly pushing the chair he sat upon into the wall behind him. (It was a miracle it didn’t, if it did he knew he’d have reckoning to pay for later…) Jeremy quickly gathered up his supplies. He held his heavy math textbook tightly against his chest, held his pencil in his right hand, and carefully held the calculator in his left before hurrying off to his room. Once he was able to put all of his things away, he could for sure head off to meet his special, only friend. He skittered up the long stairway into the large following hallway. At the end of this hall was his room with the door shut closed just like the rest of the other rooms.

Jeremy carefully oriented the load in his arms to be able to pop open his door. Within wasn’t anything worth noting. His room’s walls were bright white and the flooring was made of painted black wood. This space had only a single, simple bed, a small mirror, a smaller indoor closet and a bookshelf. There were no toys, stuffed animals or posters, just a bookshelf with books, and a solid black blanket, white sheets, and pillow for his bed. Jeremy didn’t know anything else, so he didn’t complain or think anything else of it.

Upon entering, the first thing he did was plop all his belongings on his bed before slowly putting them in their designated places against the bookshelf. He first pushed his hardcover trigonometry textbook into the open slot next to all his other textbooks before placing his pencil and calculator neatly on the edge. It had to look perfect. He couldn’t have his father walking in here and seeing an disorganized shelf. He'd be furious! It was only till everything looked perfect did he stop. 

He would then graze his eyes along the lower shelf. Along the shelf were many books. They all came from his mom. He had quickly gathered them before his father had burned them just like the rest of his mothers belongings. The books were all classics dated from many decades before him. Ranging from fantasy to realistic fiction. They all were fraught with writing depth and maturity that Jeremy himself had always admired. If it weren't for his mother, he wouldn't have even thought to read them. Of course, one of these books belonged to Alfred. Jeremy smiled softly at the reminder. The Great Gatsby… it had been given to him on his sixteenth birthday, and it had been in fact the best birthday gift he had ever received. He decided to grab the small book he was gifted and take it along with him on his trip to the meadow. If this works out like usual, I can make it back home by the time he is asleep… Jeremy thought cheerfully to himself.

Just as he turned to walk out of his room, his gaze met the mirror screwed into the wall. He shivered upon looking at his reflection- at his face. His left eye had a faint purple ring around it, a reminder of what had happened not long before. He gingerly pressed a finger against the bruise, wincing slightly at the feeling, but not flinching away from it. After eventually pulling his hand away, he observed the rest of his complexion. He had blue eyes like a sapphire gemstone, the fur on his face was a powdery white color, and his purple-gradiented hair was neatly pulled into a low ponytail (it hadn’t been that long ago since he was heavily reprimanded about how he wore his hair after all…). Jeremy then looked down at himself. He was still wearing his sweater that coincidentally fit the theme of his room. The sweater itself was still tattered in places after a certain incident occurred, but it was far from destroyed, hence why he currently still wore it. His pants were dark gray as usual, as he never wore any other colored pants or shorts. The feline would then look at his shoes, then his tail and then finally back at himself again. Somehow during all of this his pleased emotions had faded away and were now replaced by his usual feelings of malaise and melancholy. Looking at himself was hard already, but seeing the bruises and the damage on his clothes, it just brought back memories… it pulled him back into reality. 

Jeremy let out a sigh before sitting down on his bed, his enthusiasm dulled. A part of him wondered if there was any point about coming back to that meadow day after day. Eventually He would find out, and when he did he would keep them from ever seeing each other again. He knew that to be fact. Plus… Alfred would abandon him. He’d find out about his father’s treatment towards him- he’d finally get fed up with his outbursts, finally get bored of him, and then leave him behind. He couldn’t see any alternative. Nobody stayed…

But Alfred would. He would. He would. He would make sure of that. Alfred was his first friend, his first real connection. If Alfred hadn’t left him before, then he wouldn’t leave him now. Jeremy’s thoughts rose when he thought more about his best friend. Yes they would be best friends.

Alfred.

Alfred.

Alfred.

Jeremy stood up, ready to leave the confines of his prison for real. He wasn’t going to let his father stop him, he wasn’t going to allow it. His thoughts then drifted towards what Alfred said one time during their time in the meadow.

I hate my parents.

The young canine had most definitely said that. Jeremy narrowed his eyes at the thought. They were both similar in that regard. Parents that didn’t love them… The idea he had initially pushed away out of fear and guilt was slowly starting to become more and more appealing. If he did something… something… then maybe they wouldn't have to worry anymore…

No.

Jeremy shook his head, now abruptly leaving the room with his book. I can’t do that! I don’t want to! I don’t want to be bad! But the farther he got from his room, the more he thought about it. Alfred’s parents were trying to take him away, trying to hurt him. Alfred was suffering, wasn't he? Jeremy’s gaze darkened. Alfred was his. He was going to protect him- make him happy. It was the least he could do…

————————————

Jeremy flinched as his father’s screams ripped through his ears, and he couldn’t help but let out pitiful cries.

“Oh now you're crying?! How could you possibly get any more pathetic?!” Jeremy’s father- Arthur boomed loudly, seeming even more pissed now that Jeremy had begun weeping. “All I asked you to do was. ONE. SIMPLE. THING. And your stupid, lazy ass couldn’t even do it right! Are you retarded or something?!” Arthur’s fists started flaring with a bright fiery energy that immediately caused Jeremy’s cries to become more erratic. “Then you go running off to who knows where for what?! It’s clear I have to punish you!”

“DAD PLEASE I’M SORRY I’M SORRY PLEASE DON’T-” Jeremy lifted his arms to protect his face, trying to back himself up into a corner. His voice hiccupped as tears and snot streamed down his face, he shook heavily as he could feel the beat of heat growing hotter and hotter with every passing moment. “I’M SORRY I’LL BE BETTER PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE-” his pleas would then turn into blood curdling screams as Arthur grabbed the smaller feline’s wrist, and burned through his flesh. Arthur’s grip happened to be located just shy of the previous burn on his hand. Somehow the pain coursing through his arm hurt even worse than the last time. Arthur’s gaze was blocked by his large circular glasses, but even so, Jeremy knew he’d be looking at him with a rage-filled, sadistic look.

Seconds later, Arthur’s self-made flame died away. Even after the brutal burning happened, he could still feel the fire- Jeremy’s skin still felt like it was scalding, and boiling alive- he still felt like he was on fire, so he kept screaming and crying. The younger feline didn’t even have a chance to anticipate Arthur’s grip tightening on his now bloody wrist as he then flung the teen into the hard floor, three feet away from him. Jeremy’s dad, then looked down at him, and scoffed.

“I wouldn’t have to do this to you if you were a better son. You sicken me. No dinner for tonight.” The older man spoke as if his brutal assault never happened, his tone now completely void of the previous anger, just disappointment, before he turned and walked away into a completely different room.

Jeremy gritted his teeth, holding his bloody wrist close to his body, not caring about smearing the red liquid on his sweater. His body twitched as he fought against the pain and fear pulsing through his entire being. He couldn’t think. He couldn't even try as the invisible burning fire was eating his flesh alive from the outside- in.

All he did was see Alfred.

Just Alfred.

He didn’t do anything wrong.

He just wanted to see Alfred…

————————————

??????????

Arthur was Jeremy’s father, it was unmistakable. Between Jeremy and his father, besides fur color, clothes and difference in age, they couldn’t be mistaken as anything but family. The older man had light blue fur, and a snowy white face, with a small, almost unnoticeable X marked scar in between his eyes. His blue hair was pulled into a ponytail, but a chunk of hair remained unrestrained, but still posh appearing. Compared to Jeremy’s hair, it was shorter, just barely reaching the middle of his back. The man wore a black and white tuxedo suit every day, along with pitch black pants and black shoes. A red tie was tightened around the collar. He looked like pure formality, not a single hair or fabric was out of place. Last of all, Arthur wore glasses. The glasses often were glared, making it nearly impossible to see the eyes of this man. It was one of the things that made him so intimidating. Even Jeremy hardly saw his father’s actual eyes. In fact, he didn’t even know what color his eyes even were. Jeremy liked to fantasize that they were blue, just like his own…

Arthur worked as a higher level accountant at the office job he worked in. He apparently was very good at his job, as he had kept it for many years, even before Jeremy had been born. His job also was one of the reasons why Jeremy’s family was as wealthy as it was. An even more interesting fact was how much Arthur actually enjoyed his work. Maybe it was because he had earned the authority to boss people around, or maybe it was just as simple as enjoying the qualities of the workplace. Jeremy wouldn’t know, but what he did know for certain was that his father took his work very seriously. Sometimes after returning home he’d bring back papers, and work meticulously on them for hours on end, sometimes neglecting sleep entirely. There was so much dedication to his craft, it was hard not to slightly admire it.

Arthur had a reputation of being strict, apathetic, short-tempered and in a constant state of professionalism, making him a force to be reckoned with. He wasn’t a man to smile or be polite unless in extreme situations, and he was quite unforgiving. Jeremy had learned this from eavesdropping on one of his father’s home meetings. Jeremy himself was very familiar with this side of his father, so it wasn’t much of a shock. Even since he was young he’d never seen a soft wide within the older man. It had always been his mother that provided any warmth. 

Of course, there were times where Jeremy saw a different side of his father. Sometimes as Jeremy would walk around the mansion, he would hear his father crying to himself, trying to muffle his own sorrow filled sounds. The young feline avoided Arthur even more when he got like that, seeing as he didn't know if he would hurt him more than usual if he knew about his crying spells. Even so, he still remained aware of what he learned.

One thing though that was the most different about Arthur was the feline’s magical gift. Jeremy had known his father wasn’t like everyone else. Nobody could manifest fire from their bodies, nor control it to their whims. He wasn’t sure why for the most part, in part due to being homeschooled. All he knew was that his father was special. It was only until his mother had told him the truth a few years ago that he would then understand.

————————————

“Jeremy, can I tell you something?” Whispered a soft feminine voice beside the young feline. In Jeremy’s peripheral vision, he could see his mother’s long hot pink hair shifting along with her chronic anxious swaying. Jeremy turned and looked up at her, curiously.

“Mhm?”

“Have you ever wondered why your father has gifts nobody else possesses?”

“I guess… yes.”

His mother sighed, it came out nervous and tired.

“I wish your textbooks told you this information…” She attempted to mutter out of Jeremy’s earshot, she failed as the teenager heard her rather clearly. Jeremy only slightly winced. “Anyways… For years magic users- such as immortals, lost their abilities, and well, it has always been like that. Nobody can do magic, most certainly not mortals like us. Your father though… when he was a teenager, he made a deal.”

Jeremy’s eyes widened. 

“He made a deal with a rogue shinigami. In exchange for half of his soul, and the sacrifice of losing the chance of an internal afterlife, he gained magical skills. He can only wield fire, nothing else. That is why your father is so different from everyone else.”

“But… Why would he do that?... What even are Shinigami’s?”

His mother’s expression tightened in an abrupt sense of fear and concern. She shivered before looking away.

“Your father likes power, sweetie. That is all I can say for sure… and don’t worry about Shinigami’s…”

“But-” “No. Just no… please go to your room and study…” She dejectedly said, walking away from Jeremy who currently stood by himself, watching her depart with sadness and confusion.

————————————

Since then, his knowledge of Shinigami’s, the afterlife, and his father’s overall abilities grew. Especially towards Shinigami’s. Somehow those beings were fascinating to him. The fact they had power, control, respect and mystic, was so enrapturing to him. A part of him couldn’t blame his father for the deal he made. He would have likely done the same if given the chance. Or would he? Ah… he didn’t know. The thought sounded nice, but he wasn’t sure if he had the will, the courage to do something so drastic… thankfully those were just harmless fantasies.

Besides that, Jeremy knew nothing else of his father. He only knew his behaviors, not his favorite band, favorite color, nothing. He just knew that Arthur was his father. Arthur was his horrible horrible father.

————————————

Jeremy knew his mother though, he had known more about her than anybody else. Her name was Lilly. Lilly Burns. (The last name came from Arthur after the two married as one could easily assume). Lilly was described by many people as a beautiful angel, a goddess even. Everyone liked her, and from everyone's perspective, she loved them all too.

 She was a hot pink feline with a white snowflake colored face, and long pink hair that gently curled into waves. She almost always wore a dress on, especially a short, thigh high, tight fitting black dress, along with stylish fishnets, black gloves and black high heels. Her eyes were a blue color, like the ocean. Like Jeremy’s father, She was incredibly formal, and never spent less than two hours putting herself together. She was everything that most women wanted to be: Pretty, and loveable. Her appearance made it quite easy for her to have those longed for qualities. Even Jeremy himself wanted to be perceived in the same way.

Unlike Arthur, Lilly had worked as a fashion designer at one of the top fashion businesses in Lumiere. She was one of the responsible few to create each and every one of the designs that would be sold. In her position she would even be asked to create full pieces of clothing, which she was remarkably skilled at. Some of her work had been oriented at her workplace, but just a couple years before… she left… She had started working from home. Those last few years were the years he saw her and her outfit creations the most. One thing that Lilly and Arthur had in common was their dedicated work style. Like Arthur, she worked extremely hard on her projects, and spent hours upon hours working through them. Sometimes Jeremy could even say that she worked more than even his father.

Lilly’s personality was another thing though. Jeremy knew exactly how his father felt- although that was mainly because he never acted any differently. He was always stern and short tempered, but Lilly… She never stayed the same. Jeremy at some point had come to separate his mother as: Good mother or Bad mother. When she was good, she would hug him, soothe him, play games with him when she had the time, and give him her wisdom. She would be smiling and extremely productive. Those last few years she had even once spent hours showing him how to sew, explaining how to connect each fabric piece together with a great sense of patience and enthusiasm. Jeremy loved this part of his mom… 

But, there was also the part of his mother that often led to him, crying on his knees, grabbing at her legs, and begging for her to look at him, to say something. In those moments she would hardly speak to him or to Arthur. She’d often stay huddled in her office room or in her room entirely, not making a single peep. During these times she’d hardly exist. She’d stop caring for herself- stop brushing her hair, stop wearing makeup, and sometimes quite rarely, she would even decide to just wear pajamas throughout the entire day. 

Jeremy, even when he had been young, had always tried desperately to break his mother out of her depressive states, hoping that his voice would lift her out and bring his good mother back to him, but a lot of the time she would just stare out into the nothing, not making a single noise, except for a few drawn out whimpers. It was like she didn’t even know he was there, but… surely she did right? It scared him… she scared him… 

Although, Sometimes it wasn’t just her being silent and isolating. Sometimes she could be found crying on the floor, shaking uncontrollably, and blubbering to herself. This was usually the only time Jeremy could be close to her while in this state. He’d hug her, and hold her close, telling her it would be alright. Lilly never responded to his intended calming words, but Jeremy wanted to believe that she appreciated them.

At the end of the turmoil, Lilly would then one day just come out of her room, looking fresh and ready for the world, before taking on the day as if nothing had happened before. Only then could Jeremy feel truly safe with her again, but it would only last so long… Jeremy always tried to avoid thinking about it.

————————————

?

Jeremy heard weeping along the large, open expanse of the mansion. It echoed pitifully along the halls. Despite the fact he should have been studying he felt the need to seek out the source of the sound. At this point of time, the teenager already knew that it was his mother making those sorrow-filled noises.

He quietly walked through the halls until he was able to see his mother standing in the middle of the hallway, shuttering, and grasping at her arms. Jeremy paused in his steps for a moment. His heart was pounding as he saw her. Would she get mad if he got close? He always wondered that… Slowly he walked up next to her. He saw her face, streaked with tears and pain. Jeremy couldn’t stop himself from gasping at the red wound on the side of her face. Did Arthur… Lilly then turned and looked at him. Her fearful blue eyes locked onto him as if she was scared of him too.

“You are going to turn out just like him, aren’t you?” She whispered out in between a sob. “You're going to be just like him.”

“N-No- I-” “How would you know?!” Lilly interrupted sliding into her knees, resuming to cry loudly as she buried her hands into her face. Jeremy stood in shock. He was supposed to be the calm one right now, but all he felt was dread. He didn’t know what to do for her. He just wanted his good mother back. With frightened motions he carefully sat down next to her while still staring at her trembling form.

“I-It’s going to be okay… everything will be fine…”

Lilly lifted her head with sharp, pinprick pupils.

“It’s not. It’s not going to be okay.” She croaked. “Don’t be stupid, Jeremy.”

Jeremy in response flinched and looked away, biting back his own tears. Did his mother really see him that way? A monster? He couldn’t be a monster… he never hurt anybody, not like Arthur did. He wasn’t going to be like him, and he knew it.

“I want to grow up and be like you, not him…” Jeremy said, hoping his words would help in some way. Lilly didn’t respond immediately, making him wilt internally. Suddenly LIlly shifted, and within seconds Jeremy was wrapped into a tight hug. The younger feline let out a yelp of surprise before going completely silent as his mother hugged him. The silence went on longer than Jeremy had expected before his mother’s voice spoke up again.

“I'm so sorry…” She whimpered. “I’m sorry I never protected you… I'm not the mother you deserve…”

Jeremy didn’t know what to say, he was frozen.

“You're the best son I could ever have… never forget that.”

“I won’t…” 

“Good…”

Jeremy didn’t move from this spot with Lilly for quite some time, nor did he really want to. It had been so long since he had been able to hug his own mother, so he just relaxed in Lilly’s arms, and for some time, Jeremy forgot his own problems…

————————————

Another important thing to note was the constant tension surrounding Jeremy’s parents. Most of the time the two hardly spoke, only choosing to when it was related to work and money. Lilly always spoke to Arthur with a distant, detached voice, even when she was in a pleasant mood. Arthur would always speak with an irritated tone, as if Lilly’s existence was an inconvenience. Jeremy wasn’t really sure why the two had married one another if they truly despised each other so deeply, but Jeremy chose not to think about it too much.

Sometimes their tension would then rise into devastating arguments, either resulting in one individual getting slapped, or one storming off in an angry huff. The sounds would echo aimlessly along the hallways, never ceasing for even a moment. Jeremy would eventually get used to the sounds of their screaming voices, at some point it became so familiar that the screams started to sound like music- music he could now easily study to.

The aftermath was usually an object getting destroyed, either turned into ash or shattered into a billion pieces, there was no in between. Jeremy would end up responsible for cleaning up the mess. Those moments would be full of melancholy. The broken and charred pieces would always be a reminder of what wouldn’t be. He didn't have a family that loved one another. He barely even had parents who loved him…

The only thing that Lilly and Arthur could agree on was the topic of education. Since Jeremy had been five, he had been studying and learning from his own home. It had initially been Lilly’s idea, saying that being in a traditional classroom setting would have damaged his learning growth. Arthur surprisingly at that time agreed. It was because of that simple agreement that led Jeremy to be taught within the confines of his own home, taught not just in the core curriculum, but through learning new talents, such as piano and violin. Jeremy though wasn’t really fond of this as he desired more than anything to be around kids his own age. The only teenagers he had ever seen were from a far distance out from his window… too far out of reach…

————————————

At some point, Lilly disappeared. Jeremy didn’t know why or where she went, but she disappeared on a cold night, just a few months before his fourteenth birthday. Jeremy discovered this as soon as he had woken up that morning, finding nearly every photo containing his mother being torn apart or charred into nothing upon the floor- all over the mansion. Jeremy that day had spent hours trying to locate his mother, but found nothing. All her belongings, besides her books, were gone. 

That was the same day that Jeremy collected her novels. Somehow, he knew that Arthur would destroy them. Jeremy carefully would then place these books on his book shelf, carefully lining them until they were completely straight, and looked tidy.

Within the next few days, Jeremy would cry. He would cry so hard and long that his studies would become a long, and distant memory. He only resumed his home classes when his father began to intervene with violence. Only then did he go back to his routine. Even still, Jeremy wondered if it was his fault that his mother disappeared. Had he said the wrong thing to her? Had he been too much? Or was it because she still thought he’d become like his father? Jeremy’s thoughts were often occupied with these worried ponderings. A lot of the time he’d fall asleep with those questions in his mind.

It wasn’t even just the questions burdening his brain, it was the sorrow of losing his mother, especially when he didn’t even know if she was dead or alive. The world felt less wonderful without her, less safe. His home would no longer have Lilly’s light to protect him… even then, he knew that Arthur would only get more violent without his mother as an initial target.

So then he was alone.

He was all alone.

All alone.

For many years he was alone.

Even with his mother, he still had nobody else to turn to.

No friends.

No mother.

Nobody.

Until Alfred.

Until Alfred.

Until Alfred.

Alfred.

He was going to save Alfred. He had made his decision then. He needed to help his best friend.

It was all for Alfred.

For Alfred.

Alfred…

Chapter Text

Chapter Thirty Nine

-

The world swam, and was full of many colors. It was like an ocean of blurry smeared rainbows. He reached out for them, feeling a sense of wonder at the sight in front of him, but no matter how much he tried, the colors were too far away, if he could speak, he’d make an annoyed grunt at his predicament. Slowly it seemed as if the colors began to dull and morph into something else. A sensation seemed to build on his wrist, it wasn’t painful, just… weird…. He tried wiggling out of the pesky pressure’s grasp, but only earned a disembodied ‘tsk’ from above. Dumbly, he wondered if God was teasing him.

He tried kicking, since he knew within his dizzy mind that his arms currently refused his command. His legs hit something solid. He felt a burst of triumph, and continued flailing his legs. Within a few more seconds, the colors started shifting into a purple humanoid shape. It confused him further, so he proceeded to thrash more.

“Will you quit it!” boomed the voice that came from the purple thing. The disoriented male had no idea what to do with this sudden command from the stranger, but he obeyed anyway. “Good boy, now stay still.” Once again, he listened, prompting whatever pressure against his arms to cease, causing his limb to flop onto a different surface.

He didn’t know how much longer it had been since he first heard the voice from above, but eventually the colors had faded just enough for him to finally recognize the voice and figure above him. Mystery?... The Canine- Alfred, tried to widen his eyes, but found it impossible. Wait… huh?...

“Good morning, Al!~ you're finally awake!” Mystery chirped happily despite Alfred’s confusion. The feline then sweeped a hand over the canine’s head, resulting in pushing Alfred’s hair out of his eyes. It seemed to be an affectionate gesture. “I was wondering when you’d come back to me.~”

Back?...

“Whaa?” Alfred groggily responded, his tongue feeling numb and gross in his own mouth. Mystery tilted his head in a curious motion.

“Hmmm, maybe I put the dose too high?... oh well.” Mystery proceeded to shrug nonchalantly. “You still look absolutely adorable like this anyway~”

Alfred’s only response was scrunching his nose, but even that came off as more pathetic than angry or intimidating, as proven by Mystery letting out a cackle. As the feline continued cackling on, Alfred turned his head and found the surface below him was quite literally the floor. How did he get there? Alfred grunted in confusion, not quite meaning it, nonetheless Mystery heard it and clicked his tongue. The disoriented canine then felt himself being lifted up and being pressed into something almost just as firm, but warm. Alfred dazedly looked up at Mystery who was now holding him in his lap. Instincts told him to try escaping, but whatever was in his blood was preventing him from doing such, so he was forced to remain limp. Of course, the limpness didn’t exactly feel bad, did it?

“I like you like this, all calm and obedient… if I could, I would have you drugged up for the rest of your life…” Mystery proceeded to hum with a pleased tone. “Wouldn’t you like that?”

Alfred barely heard, let alone even understood the question in his state, all he knew was that he was being asked something, so he just absentmindedly shook his head in whatever direction felt right. Whatever he did had clearly excited Mystery as his grip on Alfred tightened just slightly.

“Yes yes!~ that does sound wonderful!” The feline trilled cheerily, swaying in his sitting position just enough to be noticed. “Oh, Al… you're going to be perfect soon!”

Huh?.... What does thh-that mean?... Alfred groggily pondered in his mind. Somehow, the canine could feel an uncomfortable sense of nerves prickling inside of him at the feline’s exclamation. What had Mystery meant by that? The more he tried to figure it out, the further his mind went. He wasn-

Alfred then suddenly felt a burning sensation in his throat- intensifying so rapidly that he had no time to properly comprehend what was about to happen before he immediately started puking on the floor next to him. The canine was too deep in his waxing and waning consciousness to even know what his body was doing to him, all he knew was that his throat was burning and his skin was soaked in his own sweat, and that he was horribly scared. After his body ceased his vomiting, Alfred found himself being then pressed closer to the feline’s warm body. He dragged his orange gaze at Mystery’s expression, which was a mixture of disgust and pity. The feline seemed to scoot away from the gross smelling mess, all before pulling out some sort of fabric out of his lab coat pocket and gently wiping the vomit residue off his mouth.

“You really are useless without me, aren't you?“ Mystery would then shake his head in a manner that was close to disappointment. “I bet you wouldn't even have any clue what your name was without me.”

Alfred felt a dull but noticeable feeling of unease at hearing Mystery’s teasing taunts. He didn’t want to be useless… Alfred in his delirious state could only whimper. Mystery smirked at the small noise, and after putting away the cloth, he started petting the canine’s head slowly. The motions were less soothing and were more condescending in nature. Alfred couldn’t detect this though, all he felt was the feline’s seemingly gentle strokes against his head, brushing against the numb base of his ears. Hmm… didn’t he have real ears before? It all was fuzzy. Did that make him a cyborg now? How do people react to cyborgs? Huh… Alfred lolled his head to the side again, feeling too tired to hold his gaze on Mystery.

“You should be thanking me, you know.”

Alfred grunted, his orange eyes just barely shifting in response.

“I did save you. I saved you so many times by now, but I don't believe you have ever thanked me. You know… I could have easily left you to die right?” Mystery went on, voice still remaining level, yet just barely laced with an edge of bitterness. “I didn’t because I actually care about you.”

Did he? He didn’t recall any saving… but he also couldn’t think much anyway… hm…

“Thank me.” Mystery ground out though his teeth, his grip on Alfred tightening.

“Thhhhank you?...” Alfred forced out, voice slurring just enough to be noticable. Did he do it right? Apparently he did as Mystery’s aggression immediately disappeared. Alfred felt triumph. Yes, he was safe again. Was it really that easy? Mystery resumed petting him, signaling his safety again.

“You’re welcome,” Mystery hummed a few seconds later, seeming to feel proud of himself. Alfred’s eyes would then flutter shut, as he had grown too tired to keep them open. It was strange… everything was. His recollection of the simplest things were eroded into dust. It wasn’t even just memories of the past, it seemed as if every passing moment just melted away into the vast emptiness of his mind. The feeling seemed rather pleasant at first, but the longer he dwelt on the empty nothingness, the more confused and frightened he grew. What had happened to him? He tried to remember, but it proved futile. All his efforts did was frustrate him.

Alfred didn’t realize he had dozed off until his eyes fluttered open once again, with the sounds of Mystery’s pleased humming above him. He groaned absentmindedly. This clearly caught the attention of Mystery, who then gazed down at him. Why did his gaze look so mean?...

Mystery then began slipping off one of his gloves, before tossing it behind him. Huh… Alfred had forgotten that he wore those… Mystery then took one of Alfred’s hands, and promptly intertwined his fingers in between the canine’s. Alfred flinched at the sensation of Mystery’s hand against his own. It was warm. Somehow it caused a sputter of a recollection in his memory. Mystery had done something like this before, hadn’t he? Alfred then testingly squeezed the other male's hand. The warmth he felt was much more welcome than the mind numbingness he was currently feeling. Alfred’s palm felt the constant, subtle texture of Mystery’s own palm against his flesh. It was scratchy like sandpaper.

Mystery would then pull his fingers out from between Alfred’s, and begin dragging his digits along the clothed canine’s arm. Alfred shivered. He was now quickly becoming uncomfortable. He could tell as his stomach began to hurt and his heart started to beat uncomfortably fast, but he didn’t have the words or strength to do anything to stop it. Alfred felt tingles along his arms as Mystery continued grazing his arm, before stopping at his shoulder. He traced a few small circles in this area, calmly letting out purrs, not even noticing or caring about Alfred’s discomfort.

“I can’t believe you turned out like this, Al… you changed so much… I'm so glad I could fix you.” Mystery spoke in a wistful sounding tone, now moving his fingers down Alfred’s arm, and finally resting at the canine’s wrist. Alfred, now more awake from the adrenaline making its way through his body, lifted his head to stare at Mystery with an unsure expression. Mystery didn't notice as he then grabbed Alfred’s wrist with his free still-gloved hand, and pressed a finger against the center of his palm. Mystery clicked his tongue as he shifted his multicolored eyes towards Alfred’s nervous ones, and chuckled.

“Look.”

Alfred blinked blearily and looked down just as he had been asked and saw Mystery’s ungloved hand resting next to his own that was currently being gripped. Besides the slight difference in size, there was another clear difference. Unlike Alfred, Mystery had a large darkened pattern on the center of his palm. It was a clear cut ‘X’ marking. Alfred's eyes widened, a speckle of knowing entered his mind. That was a Shinigami marking, wasn't it?

“Isn’t it nice?” Mystery hummed questioningly. “It’s something I'm quite proud of.” For the first time, Alfred could vaguely detect a sense of genuineness within the feline’s tone. His voice sounded different that way somehow. Alfred sluggishly nodded his head, Mystery smiled at Alfred’s response.

“I always tell people it’s a tattoo, everyone so foolishly believes me, after all.” Mystery went on, seemingly growing more proud as he spoke. “Nobody suspects someone who appears so inconsequential to have powers beyond their wildest dreams, do they?”

Alfred slowly shook his head, and with that, The feline was done speaking. This left Alfred alone again in his own head. Slowly, and gradually his thoughts that where a lump sum of sludge were gradually speeding up, it was something the canine could notice, as his limbs that had felt cold, and dead were finally becoming warm again. With that, Alfred’s memory would slowly reappear to him. There was a sensation of shame that seemed to worm though his being, but he still didn’t quite understand why yet.

It could have been a full hour of almost pure silence, mixed with gentle head petting, and almost undetectable swaying before Alfred began to understand the gravity of what had- or more accurately- what was happening to him. He drugged me?... Alfred slowly thought to himself. And I just let him do all these things to me?...

The blurry echoes of Mystery’s words wiggled in his brain, making his gut burn with an ashamed feeling. Alfred with a still dizzy head looked down, and was face to face with the reality that Mystery was holding him in his lap like a child. He felt like he was going to vomit again, not necessarily of feeling sick, but because of the sheer force of the panic slamming into him, and the waves of uncomfortable feelings overcoming his senses. No no no no no I want off I-I want off! Alfred wasn’t thinking as he started jerking and thrashing in an effort to escape Mystery’s closeness. The canine’s head spun as if he was upon a speeding carousel. It was all wrong, he knew it now. What was happening was wrong!

“Damnit!” Mystery hissed abruptly as he attempted to hold Alfred back down. “Stay down!” he then snarled.

“LET ME GO!” Alfred screamed, scratching in every direction. His struggle was short lived as Mystery then flipped the terrified canine onto his stomach, holding his arms behind his back now, preventing him from crawling further away or to attempt any more flailing. Mystery’s legs were now pressed against Alfred’s spine, not enough to be crushing, but enough to prevent movement. Alfred twisted his head back and forth erratically, as if the control on his own body was far far away.

“I should have known you’d fight as soon as it wore off.” Mystery grumbled, now using a free hand to rip something cylinder shaped out of a pocket. “It’s okay though, i’ll just fix you right up again~”

Something in Alfred snapped as he twisted his head to face his captor and began letting loud, and seemingly uncontrollable slurred pleads from his mouth.

“I’M SORRY I’M S-S-SORRY I-I DIDN’T MEAN TO-”

Mystery’s eyes widened oddly, it was different because Mystery never gave him this kind of look when he pleaded like this, it was different now somehow….but then immediately he narrowed his eyes bitterly before jamming the cylinder- now known to Alfred as a syringe- into the center of Alfred’s back.

“Night Night, Al~”

Alfred’s gasps were cut off as the effects were immediate. His head flopped pitifully onto the ground as Mystery’s hums grew farther and farther away. Alfred couldn’t so much as shift before the lights went out in his brain, and so did his consciousness.

.

.

..

…

……..

Alfred opened his eyes again, but he wasn’t where he was lying before. Oddly, his thoughts were aligned, or it appeared so to him. He was standing in the middle of one of the dark, dingy hallways. The lights above him flickered in a lonesome manner, seemingly struggling desperately to stay alight. Alfred squinted his eyes as he progressed forward. His legs felt like moldable jelly.

“Kao?” Alfred wasn’t sure why Kao’s name was the first to pop up in his mind, it just was, and once it did, it didn’t leave, So he called out again. “Kao?”

“Good day.”

Alfred jerked his head abruptly to the sound of the tense voice, and found that someone looking just like him was standing next to him. His eyes were a bright orange, gently tinted with a translucent shine provided by his glasses. He wasn’t smiling. His arms were folded behind him, and he wore a white button up shirt and gray pants and near black shoes. Alfred didn’t know what to say, as his mouth had gone dry. What on earth was he seeing?

“Why?”

“Huh?” Alfred exhaled nervously.

“Why?” The other Alfred narrowed his eyes at him, seeming hateful. “Why are you a coward?”

“I-I’m not!” the real Alfred gasped out, eyes widening.

“Fucking bullshit.”

Alfred flinched at the loud, angry voice.

“You had a choice, you had the strength to fight, but you instead just gave in, and insisted on letting this happen to me, because of you, my best friend is dead!”

“What!? What are you talking about!?” Alfred yelped. Before the canine could say more, his face was struck with incredible pain as he was flung over into the wall. The other version of him looked back at him with malviolent rage

“You are a traitor! You are a monster! And you are a murderer!” He snarled. Alfred- the real one- could hardly breath, he couldn’t think. “Don’t you know that your consequences will bite you in the ass one day?!” The fake Alfred slapped him again before throwing him on the ground. The real Alfred tried to rip himself up, only to find that his other counterpart had disappeared. Alfred shook slightly, reeling from his surprise encounter. What… What did any of that mean? The confusion was just enough to make him whimper fearfully.

“Don’t cry, Al, ya will be alright.” the soft, familiar southern-tinged voice spoke above him. Alfred jerked his head up, expecting to see his best friend, but immediately screeched in terror as he saw Kao with his pupil-less eyeballs dangling out of his sockets. The ram was smiling calmly, and he was wearing his old, soft sweater that was oddly covered in blood. “Everything is alright when I'm with you!”

“Oh m-my god! What happened to you!?” Alfred rushed to his feet, but immediately fell onto his knees as if walking was an impossible chore.

“No worries, don’t get up, It’s not like ya do anything worthwhile anyway.” Kao seemed to chirp happily, ignoring the question, he popped his hands behind his back in a seemingly endearing manner, but all it did was frighten the canine.

“Why are you saying that!?” Alfred yelled out again, feeling tears build up in his eyes as he watched his mauled friend say such a nasty thing to him. “I-I didn’t mean for this to happen!”

“Yes ya did, but don’t worry! I’m always alright when I'm with ya!”

“Stop saying that!” Alfred yelled again. “Stop repeating yourself! Stop it!”

“I wish you actually cared about me.”

“I DO!”

“Then where were you then?!”

“I-”

“You left me to die! I thought ya were my friend!” Kao yelled back at him. Alfred ducked his head, shaking even harder. “You let him hurt me! Ya didn't even try to help me!”

“N-No I did! I- I tried- I wasn’t- I wasn’t-”

Suddenly claws grabbed at the ram’s ankles, and within a loud screech, Kao was then dragged away into the darkness.

“KAO, NO!” Alfred lunged to grab his friend’s arm before it was too late, but missed greatly. He watched as his friend's silhouette disappeared as Kao’s screams echoed around him. No no no no no! Alfred panicked, now suddenly able to get back on his feet.

“Kao!” Alfred yelled as he started running off into the dark void after his friend, but he then found himself tripping and falling flat onto his face with a yell.

“Hi dada!”

“Shia!?” Alfred immediately jerked his head up, recognizing the sweet, soft, childish voice of his son. He pushed himself away as he saw his son sitting criss-crossed in front of him. “I thought you were-” the older canine’s voice was cut off as soon as he saw blood pooling in the center of his son’s shirt.

“Dada! Play a game with me! You’ve been ignoring me!”

“No… you're dead…”

Shia’s expression dropped, and tears started to fill his eyes, causing blinding panic to race though Alfred’s soul. No. he couldn't stand his son crying. Alfred pulled his son in for a hug, even as he felt the warm liquid against his chest.

“You d-do you hate me?” Shia warbled.

“No! I don’t hate you, sweetie, I never could-” Alfred pulled Shia away to see his sniffling face, only to see the pale, lifeless expression of his son, eyes rolled behind his head. “SHIA!?” Alfred instinctively dropped his grasp on his dead child, watching as Shia’s body slowly decayed in front of him. Alfred wailed as he covered his eyes. He couldn’t see this, he couldn’t see this again! He couldn't!

A cold hand then touched his own hand tentatively, and a blur of green, white and black appeared in his vision.

“Mr. Alfred?- Alfred? Are you okay?”

Alfred screamed so loud that his metallic ears rattled. He pushed the bloody, and mauled figure of Jessy away from him and started running. By now, there was nothing but an infinite black void, making every moment the canine made futile. The longer this running went on, the more Alfred’s breath became erratic. I killed her I killed her I killed her- 

Something sharp then seemed to grab him, pulling him down, down, down onto another floor. He was now back in the same hallway, but the walls were covered in even more blood than Alfred could ever imagine. Alfred turned, and faced the tall, imposing figure of Mystery, whom he too was covered in this blood.

“Hi Alfie!~” Mystery singsonged cheerfully, holding a knife tightly in the palm of his hand. Alfred’s heartbeat sped up even more than he ever thought could be possible. The smile on the feline’s face was indescribable, it terrified him. “I can’t believe you have changed so much!~”

“N-No..” Alfred forced out, stepping backwards in a feeble attempt to flee. He was fake, right? Right?! Mystery saw his expression and laughed. “No…”

“Why are you acting like that? Get over here.”

Next thing Alfred knew, he was then standing just an inch away from the murderous feline. Mystery then took his free hand and sharply gripped the canine’s chin painfully. Alfred found he couldn’t move away.

“Tch, if you were so scared of me, you’d have already run away.”

“I-I can’t!” Alfred protested, not thinking about what Mystery would do for talking back. Mystery’s smile grew wider.

“Liar!~” The feline singsonged again. “You wanted this, didn’t you? You wanted me to find you! You wanted to see me again, didn’t you?”

Alfred couldn’t shake his head, despite desperately wanting to. This Mystery was real, wasn’t he? He acted too similar, too similar. Oh god. 

“My my~ you are just like me, don’t you think?~ there is hardly a difference separating us, it’s fate.” Mystery mumbled on. “We are one in the same.”

Alfred wanted to scream at him. No! He didn’t want to be near him! He wasn’t like him! He wasn’t a monster! But he knew deep down he was, he was a monster. He was a murdering, traitorous monster. No amount of denial could ever prove otherwise. Real or not, Mystery was right about him. He must have always been…

“Oh look!~ you're so pretty, and red, just like me!” The feline then chirped abruptly. Alfred looked down and gasped loudly as he saw his hands dripping with sticky, crimson blood, slightly clotted, and still warm. Alfred tried wiping it off, but it remained plastered on his hands- a reminder of what he did. Alfred then started falling again, and again. His screams echoed in his head with a vengeance, making his metallic ears ring unbearably. Alfred would then slam even harder into the ground below him, not seemingly trapped within the confines of his current room. The canine choked on air, trying to calm himself and forget all that he had seen. He felt like he was dying, and being constricted by the air. Oh god, he really was going to die…

“Alfie, hey… Baby… look at me.” A sudden, echoing female voice started speaking. Alfred was shocked enough to be pulled from his spiral to look up and see her- Yuki- his love. Alfred lunged forward, trying to hug her, but found that once again he couldn’t move his body, causing him to start hyperventilating once more. “No… no… Alfie… you're alright, okay?”

Alfred stared at Yuki, who was seeming more and more fake by the second, but even so, he clung onto her voice, her appearance like a lifeline.

“Y-Yuki?…”

“It’s me…”

“Pl-please…” Alfred didn’t know what he was pleading for, he just… he just needed to beg for something. Yuki let out a weak chuckle before he felt her arms around him. She was colder than ice, but the pressure was enough. “Yuki…”

“Poor baby… you are helpless, aren’t you?”

Alfred flinched as she said this, you would never… oh she would… she would, wouldn’t she? If she saw him now, she would absolutely say that…

“Crying out for me… like a lonely toddler…”

Alfred shook as he cried in her fake arms. He wanted this… he hated what she was saying, but he wanted this… Yuki was safe. He wanted to believe that.

“Hugging me like I’m your only hope… oh baby…”

“P-please…” Alfred whispered weakly. “Please tell me you still love me…” he then croaked.

Fake Yuki laughed.

“I do love you, even if you are a murderer, and a fuckup.” She replied. “I always will, I saved you, didn’t I?”

Alfred didn’t know what she meant. He looked up pitifully, but was met with the vision of Mystery again, causing him to only sob more. He just wanted Yuki…. Why did it always have to be Mystery?… His heart broke more than he could ever imagine, his throat tightening with hiccups. He couldn’t do anything anymore, but achingly press his head against Mystery’s chest. He had nothing else. Nobody else…

“Alfie… I’m so proud of you…” Mystery’s voice echoed, the words ringing off his tongue like a loud broken bell. 

Then it was like everything in that moment suddenly disappeared. 

No Mystery. 

No him. 

Just the endless black void.

Chapter Text

Chapter forty 

-

Kao let out a heavy breath, slowly slowing his footsteps to a stop against a nearby wall as he felt the effects from the long day he had spent walking and writing things down came over him. He was quite sure that he had spent over forty eight hours at the longest cataloging things down (with breaks, and sleep of course!), but thankfully his exploring was seemingly reaching an end, which was quite a relief for the ram who was just about to collapse from the sheer exhaustion. No. I still have work to do. Kao told himself determinedly as he pushed himself to start walking again.

Kao could feel spurts of excitement flow though his body the more he pushed himself on. This was brought on by the knowledge that all his work from the past few days had been worth it, that his trials were not wasted, as well as the prospect that soon enough he'd be able to free him and Alfred both from their hell. For the first time in a while, he felt truly hopeful and excited. It was hard to even imagine ever feeling low. Now all he had left to do now was trace his steps down the last hall he hadn't yet written anything down for, mark the rooms, and then he'd finally be done. After all, He had already found the places to stock the items and important trinkets, and had placed them there safely, so nothing else needed to be done besides this next major step. Oh, the anticipation was almost too much!

Kao turned down the hall, eagerly expecting to see another near deserted patch of walkway, but immediately stopped short with a barely stifled gasp as his eyes met something- no, someone else entirely, just standing a few feet way.

“Well, what do we have here?” Mystery’s dark booming tone then erupted. Kao’s pulse immediately grew quicker, his knees got shaky, and his eyes widened sharply in abrupt, and sudden fear. No… there was no way for him to be here, wasn't he outside for the day?? He could have sworn that he was. He timed everything correctly, didn’t he? What was Mystery doing here?! oh god… Kao tried to take a step back, to make a jumpstart to run, but Mystery was faster. Kao choked on his breath as Mystery proceeded to lift the ram by the collar of his lab coat aggressively. The paper map Kao had held slid out of his fingers before he could stop it. He could only stare horrified at the feline's blazing gaze. “I didn't think I'd see you out here in the halls so soon.~ What do you think you’re doing exactly?” Mystery then asked darkly, eyes darting to the fallen paper for just a split moment. Kao felt his stomach drop.

“N-Nothing! I-I-” Kao choked out fearfully, before being suddenly shaken around.

“Don’t lie to me! I know you were doing something you weren't supposed to be.” Mystery then proceeded to lean down to retrieve the lost paper with his free hand, before holding it up to gaze upon it. No no no no! Kao tried to struggle out of Mystery’s extreme grip, he couldn't allow Mystery to take away his hard work! but he found trying to escape impossible.

“What's this? Making a map? For what reason, hmm?~” Mystery asked again, tone completely overtaken by a sickly sweet tune. Despite his voice, his expression was anything but sweet, instead he looked livid. His gaze made the room seem smaller, more constrictive… deadly even.

Mystery would then tighten his grip on the fabric of Kao’s lab coat and proceed to slam the ram against the wall, punching out Kao’s breath from the impact. Kao’s back immediately was shot with overwhelming pain from the wall's sudden, hard presence. Mystery then started to growl loudly, squeezing the paper irreparably in his other hand.

“I should have known I had given you too much freedom… and now look at what you're doing… trying to run away!” Mystery hissed, pushing harder against the smaller male. “Ha! You really think I’d let you get away so easily, brat!?”

“A-Ah-“ Kao choked, squeezing his eyes tight from the pain, and the fear.

“Have you forgotten why I’m still keeping you alive? Or do you need a reminder?”

Kao’s eyes were then forced wide as his mind immediately supplemented the memories Mystery spoke of.

“I have a proposition for you, and if you decide to agree to it I will spare your meager life and maybe Freddy’s existence will be more… comfortable. That sounds nice, doesn’t it?” 

It echoed in his head like a bouncing ball. The moment here was so clear, as if it had only occurred yesterday. Things had been far more simple right then. Just manual, grueling work, some fear, some anxiety- in those days, he really thought that those few weeks were the worst they were gonna get. He was wrong. It went bad so quickly… it was almost as if the whole thing was an elaborate plan leading him to this exact second in time. 

The worst part of it all was that Alfred had been put in the mix- his safety being on the line. That had been what primarily led him to accepting Mystery’s bullshit of an ‘offer’. ‘Work for him or die’- that had been the choice he had to make back then… but the choice in the end meant nothing, as death seemed like a real possibility, as well as the fact that ‘working for him’  had completely morphed into something far more sinister.

Those memories, and reflections flooded his head. Alfred…  Kao would then sputter in his breath as Mystery suddenly dropped Kao’s map, and immediately began strangling him. Kao’s eyes filled with tears as he scratched and kicked. His throat strained and squeezed painfully against his own will. Somehow in this moment, a image flashed of Alfred and him, finally free, and feeling the brilliant breeze, and sun again for the first time in ages. In that single moment, a feeling of extreme yearning throbbed in his soul, only to be replaced by an uncomfortably familiar bout of rage and hate. Within seconds, the ram locked his grip against Mystery’s taunt forearms and without so much as another thought- pushed a sharp, hot wave of electricity through the feline, grunting loudly as he did so. Mystery let out a caterwaul of pain, and almost instantly released Kao- who was then immediately dropped right onto his unsteady feet, before proceeding to fall onto his knees as a wave of dizziness assaulted him. After a momentary flash of pride, he thoroughly and quickly shook his head, before darting to the damaged map, flinging himself to his feet, and immediately started running down the ball he had come from.

He knew where he was, and where he was heading almost instinctively. His feet guided him almost automatically down the hallway, pattering heavily as he went. He was then quite proud of his long exploration of the place, for now, plotting his route to safety was almost tantalizingly easy, at least to him.

Kao then took a sharp turn, just barely knocking into the harsh, hard wall, before continuing to zoom on. Mystery’s lighting fast steps grew louder and louder with every passing second. Kao only felt a flickering of fear, as somehow deep inside him, he knew what to do. With the recollection of his map in his mind, he could almost exactly pinpoint the room of which he could easily dart into that could evade the feline. Within an instant, Kao shot directly into the closed room, not at all worried about whether it was locked or not, because he already knew it was going to be unlocked for him. He knew.

Kao skidded along the ground as he entered the dark room, (perfectly suited for sealing himself away, unable to be seen), and quickly closed the door. Kao’s breath was quick and loud as he ran deeper into the darkness of the room, and hid himself in between the two large file cabinets nearby. Kao’s back protested the action, twinging, and pulsing in pain, but he chose to ignore it, knowing that his pain was not as nearly important as staying hidden.

The loud footsteps went past his door, allowing the ram to let out a breath of relief, but not without clamping his mouth shut just as fast. This was… too easy… somehow Kao knew deep in his gut that Mystery had every reason to have already discover him. Kao hadn’t exactly been the fastest, nor was his plan inherently genius. Something was up. Kao decided to stay put, clutching his map tightly against his chest

The longer the seconds went on, the longer Kao started to question whether or not he actually evaded the feline. Maybe I actually did?… Kao hesitantly crawled out of his dark space, and peeked his head out. Still quiet… A sense of unease captured him, squeezing his chest like vines. He toed his way, closer to the door, and carefully pressed an ear against the wood. Nothing… not even the sound of anybody’s breath. Yet still, he felt deathly uncomfortable. Kao pulled away from the door, not before jerking his head behind him to check if somehow Mystery had appeared behind him. Nope, still nothing. Am I actually safe now? Kao thought in increasing awe, and surprise. The ram knew he should remain in this room until he could be sure that Mystery’s anger would have dissipated… Even if that seemed unlikely, but something also pulled him to look outside his door. To check if he truly was safe… he placed a hand on the doorknob, lightly shaking. This could turn out very bad, or very good. It was a risk, a risk he could easily pass by. Am I actually going to do this… what if…. Kao bit the bottom of his lip nervously. If I wait too long… Alfred could get hurt… knowing Mystery… he’ll hurt him because of me… I have to figure out a way to get to him before that happens… waiting will only cost me… By then, Kao regained a sense of confidence, before gently popping the door open. Ready to tackle whatever might be lying out there for him. He carefully poked his head out, looking one way. It was heavenly clear, he turned his head to look the other way… no.

Mystery’s body then slammed into him, knocking him onto the hard ground below. Mystery’s weight was primarily fixed against the smaller male’s chest, causing Kao to wince horribly in pain. Oh god… he made a horrible mistake, again.

“How dare you…” Mystery let out a low, rage-filled cackle, as he pressed against Kao harder. “You have grown cocky, huh? Made a map, and can now use magic…” Mystery clicked his tongue as if the mere idea of such a thing was foolish.

“Did you really think you could get away with that little stunt?” Mystery then proceeded to ask, sinisterly.

Kao couldn’t even reply if he wanted to.

“Well guess what?” Mystery then reached to rip Kao’s grasp of the map out of his hands. “You aren’t.”

The ram’s eyes widened with increasing shock, and fear. Mystery had his precious map again… Kao reached deep inside him once again for that brilliant spark of power he had just minutes ago, but found that absolutely nothing could come out. No… all his hard work… everything he had tried so hard to accomplish…

“I think I need to put you in your place again… don’t you think?” Mystery’s hot breath wafted in Kao’s face as he spoke. Kao immediately began to start jerking. No. No no no. He knew what that meant. He knew exactly what Mystery meant by that. “Yeah! I think so! And you know what else? I think I’m going to have to make our little sessions a little longer! Maybe even a little more painful! What do you think? Hmm?~”

Kao for the first time, felt tears sliding down his face, as he was forced to look up at the monster that held him captive. He wasn’t sure if it was Mystery’s apparent real threat that caused his tearful reaction, or the fact that weeks and weeks of his time dedicated to practicing his magic, as well as the days he took making his map led to absolutely nothing. He had been so close. So unfathomably close to getting everything back to normal… No. He couldn’t stand for that. He didn’t go this far for nothing. Kao then started thrashing his body, angrily letting out noises. He ignored Mystery, he ignored how his body screamed at his every movement. He ignored it all. His wild jerking was cut off as Mystery lifted Kao and threw him against the nearby wall. The feline’s glare sharpened, as he started to let out a hateful growl. Kao hissed in pain as his body collapsed into the floor, all the while he attempted to glare back at Mystery. If Mystery was going to win, he wasn’t going to just let him win without a fight. He was going to fight. It didn’t matter what was going to happen. This was all for Alfred. The ram would then watch as Mystery stalked right up to him, and with a flick of a wrist, ripped him off the ground and back against the wall. Kao, despite his rage and determination, felt doom press against his entire being, making his glare slowly fall and falter away from his expression. He slowly felt regret seep through his skin. He caused this… he caused this… all he had to do was wait, and he couldn’t even do that… Alfred… this was all for Alfred, to protect him… but he knew that this was anything but protection… he fucked everything up. He fucked it all up…

…

Chapter Text

Shai’s Account (part 3)

December 23

-

Shai’s gaze stared unsteadily ahead towards the black, unmarked chalkboard in front of her. She said nothing, and did nothing. There was nothing left for her to do anyway… nothing that meant anything. Especially not today of all days…

School had started up again for Shai just a few months ago, placing her in junior year, just two more years before being an official graduated adult, but any excitement she felt was dulled by the current state of her life. It had been months since she saw her father and brother, months as well since she saw Jessy. Jessy… Shai felt her eyes burn as she rested her arms on top of her light orange desk, and placed her head pitifully on top of them. She ensured that her eyes were covered, so nobody could see the mess she was becoming.

Around her was a swirl of gray and light, dulled colors, especially now in her homeroom. The floors were marbled gray, and the walls had the same color, but just a touch lighter. There were educational posters around the room, but surprisingly not as cheesy as one would expect from a high school. In the front of the room was a podium that rested on top of the built-in raised step, two large chalk boards on both sides, and a desk in the corner specifically for the teacher. The rest of the room was filled with about twenty desks. As of now, Shai sat just shy of the middle seat.

The teacher at this time was not present, as homeroom hadn’t officially begun yet, which left the collection of students to gather and start chirping out gossip, and their daily chronicles. Nobody paid any heed to Shai, which was the exact way she liked it.

Shai had begun to make herself wear cleaner clothing for the school year, only so people wouldn’t judge her or worse- like complain about her smell (because unfortunately, hygiene went to the back burner). Nobody noticed anything of course, thankfully. Currently, Shai wore a long sleeved, dulled blue shirt with the fabric almost falling over her wrist, and long black, loose pants. The fit wasn’t bad, in fact, it was quite spiffy, but Shai didn’t really think so… she looked anything but good in her eyes. She also had to start keeping her hair more tidy, even as much as she despised doing so- feeling as if it was an agonizing chore. So she never did anything marvelous or extravagant with her hair. She just simply wetted it, brushed and combed it, and her ‘haircare’ would be done. At the very least her hair looked far better than it had been before. Everything else about her appearance stayed the same, from the dark circles under her eyes, to her perpetual blank or saddened expression she wore on her face.

“Hey Shai!” A peppy sounding female chirped behind her. Shai hardly moved her head. She wanted to ignore the girl despite the fact that she had sounded friendly, but she didn’t- not having the heart to hurt her.

“Yes?” Shai replied dully.

“I was just wanting to check on you, you have been seeming kinda bummed for a few weeks? Did something happen?”

Shai couldn’t help but feel angry. Yes. Something did happen, and it was quite infuriating for this… this girl to be asking such a question when it was common knowledge at her school that her father and brother had gone missing. It was on the radios and tv for god's sake! Shai gritted her teeth, feeling her sudden temper rise. How could this girl not know!? Was she trying to mock her!? 

“Why don’t you mind your own business!” Shai snapped, ripping her head off the table, and staring directly at the perpetrator. The girl flinched in shock. Shai’s anger filled expression waned when she saw how hurt the other girl had appeared.

“I-“

“I’m sorry… I wasn’t trying to upset you… I hope you feel better,” the girl replied, voice sounding dejected, as she then walked away towards another small group of chattering females. Shai stared after her, feeling guilt twist in her stomach. Ugh… did I really have to be so rude?… Shai sighed heavily as she fixed her gaze on the chalkboard once more. Her thoughts wandered back to best friend. Jessy… 

Jessy had gone missing months ago as well. The last form of contact with her had been through text, with Jessy declaring to her that she was going to visit, all without the assistance of her dad. Shai at that moment, had been insistent on Jessy not going alone, but she didn't listen. Shai grounded her teeth together as she recalled the moments afterward, how even hours later she never showed up, and hours became days, and then days turned into weeks. Within the first week a missing persons report came out on TV. Everyone knew, including Shai, that this was almost definitely a crime caused by the Masked Killer. That killer… snuffed the life out of her… there could be no other explanation, no other reason for her best friend to be taken from her so soon. Shai bit back a hiss of raw pain as her mind continued fluttering back to her and Jessy’s last moments together. The moments when they would go window shopping around Lumiere, when they’d play at the arcade, when they would just sit together and gossip for hours on end. Those memories went from being comforting to agonizingly painful within seconds.

Shai’s grip on her desk tightened when she recalled what happened on the third day of Jessy being missing- the way she had felt during that whole day. Thinking about it almost brought her to tears.

————————————

Shai’s grip on her hair tightened as she paced rapidly in front of the kitchen. Her skin tingled with a sense of anxiety that made her teeth chatter. Yuki, her mother, watched from afar, seemingly stuck between the movements of consoling her or giving her space. Shai hardly noticed her in her intensifying frenzy.

Where is Jessy? What happened to her? Why is nobody looking for her yet? Is she hurt? Did she lose all the battery on her phone? Is she dead?! That was all Shai’s brain was capable of thinking about. She didn’t care about anything else. This meant she had begun neglecting meals, and proper sleep in favor of worrying about the state of her close friend.

This was the third day of waiting. The third day of hearing nothing from her dear precious friend. The third day of her mind frantically searching for any reason for Jessy to disappear in the way she did, hoping that by a miracle it was just a heartless prank… Shai… Shai couldn’t do this anymore- couldn’t do the waiting, the agonizing suspense, it was killing her.

“Shai, Honey…” Yuki finally spoke, hesitantly stepping forward with clear concern etched onto her expression. Within her stance was a sense of unsureness, as if she didn’t know what she could do to calm her daughter. “You can’t keep pacing, you need to rest.”

“I can’t rest! I can’t rest until I know that Jessy is safe! I thought you knew this already!” Shai found herself snapping, curling her hands into shaking fists. Yuki flinched if only for a moment, with an expression of clear shock at her sudden outburst, but this was overridden by the sound of Shai’s sobbing that now erupted from her. “I c-can’t rest! What if Jessy is dying out there?! I need t-t-to do something! I-I”

Shai's entire stance crumbled as she fell onto her knees, fully succumbing to her overwhelming emotions, sobbing and weeping loudly. Yuki immediately knelt down to her daughter, and immediately pulled her into a hug.

“Baby… it's okay, let it all out…” Yuki began to sooth her, somehow immediately shifting into a pure maternal tone of voice. (A tone that Yuki admittedly worried she had lost within the chaos of the past few months.) “I got you, Sweetie, you're not alone…”

“I-I-I’m s-sorry!….” Shai hiccupped within her mother’s embrace. “I d-didn’t m-mean to y-yell!… I-“ Shai’s speech immediately faded as she shook and cried steadily in Yuki’s arms. Yuki continued to hold her, continued to reassure and calm her with her soft, soothing words. It was only after ten minutes that Shai finally pulled away from her mother’s grasp, still shaking. She still didn’t have the words to speak, but Yuki did.

“Sweetie, I think we need to pay someone a visit.”

Shai looked up at Yuki, surprised at her mom’s sudden shift. Yuki while still looking tired, concerned, and overall just quietly suffering- her expression now held a sense of determination. Something familiar.. something she hadn’t seen in ages. Yuki gently took Shai’s shaking hand and pulled her up from the ground, and onto her feet.

“W-Where are we going?…” Shai asked, voice still quivering from the aftermath of her emotional breakdown.

“We are going to see Jessy’s father.”

Within just a few minutes, the two had hopped in the car, and begun driving directly towards Lumiere, where Jessy’s father lived. Shai looked through the windows with a sense of nervousness in her gut from her mom’s sudden behavior, and the thought of seeing Jessy’s dad, as well as a feeling of relief, of feeling like she was finally doing something important to be able to locate her friend.

“Mom?…”

“Yes, Shai?”

“Uhm…. Why are we going over to his house?…” Shai fidgeted with the sleeve of her shirt, while bouncing her leg simultaneously as she sat in the passenger seat next to her mom. Yuki let out a sigh, seemingly releasing tension from within.

“Well… it hurts to see you so panicked… and I too, am worried about Jessy. From what you told me, she made an impulsive, dangerous decision. I thought that by seeing him, It would help us really figure out where Jessy could have gone,” Yuki narrowed her eyebrows as well. “I also want to make sure that there wasn’t another reason for her disappearance.”

Shai listened intently, pulling at her sleeve at the last bit of her mother’s sentence. Yuki had always been suspicious about Jessy’s dad. Always keeping a distance, but always watching him from the corner of her eye. It was almost as if she didn’t trust him. Yet again, Shai couldn’t blame her for any discomfort. Anytime Shai would see Jessy’s father, he’d radiate a sense of danger, and anger. No matter how many times she had seen him, her nerves around him always existed…. Shai hoped that Jessy’s dad didn’t do anything to her. If he did I’ll… Shai’s mind echoed with a vengeful thought halfway through her mind.

“You think Jessy is still alive?…” Shai then asked, as she then realized that Yuki’s word choice subtly hinted at Jessy being found, but the killer… could Jessy have been spared by the murderer and just be running away? If that was true though, surely Jessy would have said something, surely she would have gotten to Shai’s home already? Shai couldn’t help but feel lost with all this new potential info.

“Maybe… I would like to hope…” Yuki responded after a couple seconds, before taking a deep breath. “I know that doing this could help alleviate some of your stress… you know… doing something. This is another reason why I’m taking us here as well.”

Shai nodded slowly. Would doing something like this help? Of course. At least she wasn’t doing anything while her friend was currently lost to the world… at least now she was being useful.

The ride was long, it felt longer than usual as Shai’s apprehension began to grow steadily with every street they drove. The streets went from full of lavish nature, and wood, to bigger, taller buildings made from stone, glass and metal. The billboard signs she was used to seeing gradually turned into large digital signs, bouncing with grainy, bright, animated mascots infused directly into the outsides of the large buildings. Shai quietly admired the changes she saw as her mother drove. While she loved Muir, and its relative quietness, there was something about the loud, musical chaos of Lumiere that Shai couldn’t help but love. She wondered if her life would be any different had she grown up in Lumiere…

Eventually Yuki turned down a road that led to a strip of large, white condominiums, all looking eerily the same in shape. Shai knew that this area would be considered one of the cheapest places to live in Lumiere, due to the lack of bright colors, digital signs and the such. Of course, this place beat Haine’s by a longshot. These condos would always be preferred and considered perfect to live in.

Shai’s eyes caught the sight of the specific large condominium building that Jessy lived in up ahead. Shai in response tugged at the sleeve of her shirt again, as memories of her hedgehog friend flooded her mind.

“Alright honey, we’re here.” Yuki told her, as she carefully parked herself just outside the house. “You know how I feel about Jessy’s father, so please stay close.”

Shai nodded in acknowledgement, as she unbuckled herself. The freezing outdoor air hit her face sharply, causing her to wince slightly as she followed her mother to the condominium. Shai felt a sense of nostalgia as she walked through the hallway leading to Jessy’s home. She had walked through here many times… each and every time just to see her closest friend. It pained her that this time she wouldn’t see her…

Yuki paused right in front of the white, paint chipped door that once was Jessy’s living space, and firmly knocked. Shai gulped anxiously. Relax… Everything is alright!… Shai tried to reassure herself as she waited for the door to open. Unfortunately her own words did nothing to calm her. There was nothing calm about the situation she was facing. Nothing about Jessy being missing could be easily minimized or relaxed. Nothing about seeing Jessy’s father was calming either, regardless of any goal Yuki had in mind… how could my mom think Jessy is alive?… even after Shia and her dad’s disappearance? 

Shai was pulled from her thoughts as she heard a muffled curse behind the door, as it then suddenly opened. She was caught off guard by the way Jessy’s father looked right then. While he usually looked disgruntled, and unhygienic, he looked twice as bad as she had last seen him. Shai could sense that her mother was shocked by this too.

“What do you want?” Jessy’s father, Jack, snapped out, with a voice that seemed to be crackling like the sound of a burning bonfire or dried up dirt. Yuki cleared her throat, seeming to gather her composure before speaking.

“Well… we just wanted to speak to you about Jessy.” Yuki began.

“Excuse me?”

Shai chewed the inside of her cheek.

“You see, me and my daughter are very worried about Jessy. Your girl intended to leave home to visit Shai, but she never made it… we were hoping to figure out from you where she’d most likely be.”

“Oh what?! Now you think you're the police?"

“No, of course not, we-“

“Jessy is not here, so mind your own business.” Jack let out a low growl that sent shivers down the younger woman's spine. “That brat just decided to run off. She will be back.”

Shai heard Yuki’s tongue click in skepticism. 

“Jessy has been gone for three days, and given the current circumstances here, I think-”

“I don't care what you think! Why don't you stop acting all high and mighty when your own husband ditched you and ran off with your child!”

Shai’s shock and nerves from the back and forth altercation was quickly replaced by anger, as those last words the man had said had set her off. Her mother was being yelled at, and insulted so nastily, bringing up such a sensitive topic in the most cruel way. Shai's blood felt like it was boiling. Her father did not ditch them! That was common knowledge. He had been stolen away from them! Her dad would never abandon them! How dare he! 

“Don’t talk to my mother like that, you old wrinkled bastard!” Shai retorted, lunging towards the older man.

“Shai!” Yuki abruptly pulled Shai away seemingly within a millisecond, voice pitched up in sudden shock of her daughter's outburst. “I-I- I’m sorry, don’t pay attention to what she just said, she-“

“I don’t give two shits! Keep you and your excuse of a daughter away from me, and don’t come back!” Jack yelled out, before slamming the door behind him. The slam caused a loud, shaking echo all around the hallway. Within seconds it was all silent. Just the sound of the two females breathing heavily remained.

Shai immediately felt guilty. It burned within her flesh, making her face flush with pure, ugly embarrassment and shame. A few tears tried to breach her eyes.

“I’m sorry, mom…” Shai whispered as Yuki released her daughter from her grip.

“It’s okay, honey… let’s just go home…” Yuki replied gently and a little more distantly as she carefully, and somewhat hesitantly took Shai’s hand and led her away from Jessy’s home. Shai hadn't held her mother’s hand in years… it felt comforting right then… but the comfort was short lived as Shai then realized that the ride had essentially been for nothing- that Jessy wasn’t any closer to being found. The worst part was that Jack didn’t even seem to care… 

Once they both reentered the car, Shai would then realize how much Jack's comment affected her. Yuki’s eyes were glazed over as she seemingly numbly stared at her steering wheel. Her fists were tight in a ball, and she seemed to be shaking. Shai didn’t know what to do but to reach out to her.

“Mom?”

Yuki turned her gaze towards Shai, a single tear dripping down her face before she quickly wiped it away with a hand. Shai watched as Yuki then forced a soft smile.

“Yes Honey?”

Shai tried to grasp something to say… something to fix what Jack had said. She couldn’t though, could she? Those… those vile words couldn’t be taken away. Nothing Shai could ever say would ever change that.

“It’s… it’s going to be okay…” Shai then finally responded gently. Did she believe those words?… Well, she tried to, but it didn’t matter if she believed it or not, It was her mother she wanted to comfort, not herself. “It will… get better. I know it will.”

Yuki exhaled a shaky breath, seeming to be processing the younger woman's words before leaning over to hug her. Shai hugged her back within an instant, finding the contact soothing to her. Yuki was warm, perfectly warm. Her body’s temperature perfectly overpowered the chilly air that ran through the car's interior, and the hug itself simply reminded her of the easier, calmer times.

“Thank you sweetie… now… let’s go home, alright?”

Shai nodded as Yuki pulled away from her and proceeded to buckle her seatbelt. Shai buckled herself soon after.

The car ride was silent. The only noise that could be heard was the car's low rumbling as it ran over the charcoal black roads, and the creaks and bumps that the aforementioned roadway would make as car after car drove over it. Shai’s thoughts soon became more saturated with the thought of Jessy. Was there even a chance she would have been alive? Or was that wishful thinking?

“I’m sorry for taking you there, Shai. It was…” Yuki started, but didn’t finish, it was as if her breath was cut off from her lungs. Shai wondered what she was going to say… she didn’t think it was the right time to ask her though, so she said silent. Then Yuki inhaled, and started speaking again. “It was… I was only trying to help. I couldn’t stand seeing you so scared and in pain… I couldn’t stand the thought of not being able to help you. I thought that coming here would make things easier. I thought that maybe if we did this, that maybe Jessy wouldn’t end up with the same fate as…”

Nobody else said another word for the rest of the trip home. Shai already knew what her mother was alluding to, she didn’t need any hints. She knew… Jessy isn't coming back, is she?... 

That night, Shai crept into her bed, not bothering to change into pajamas, and wept. Hot, painful tears streamed down her face as she gripped her pillow aggressively. She wanted dad, she wanted Shia, she wanted Jessy. She wanted Jessy to be there, with her, so badly. Why?! W-Why couldn’t you have just b-been patient?! Why did you have t-to do this?! Why did you d-do this to me?! Shai wailed painfully to herself. Why? Why? Why?! Why did everything have to change? Why did everyone she love have to die?! Was it all her fault?!

Shai cried for the rest of the night.

Shai…

Shai

————————————

“Shai?”

Shai jerked and looked up towards the older women who now stood in front of her desk. It was her homeroom teacher… the same one with the dark brown glasses, the red tinted suit, dulled maroon fur with deep, dark red hair pulled up in a tidy bun. It was her for sure.

 The teenager immediately recognized how silent the classroom had become, how nobody's loud chattering voices could be heard, Shai then almost immediately afterward looked around, feeling a sense of daze coating her mind. How long had she been daydreaming?

“O-oh! Ah, Sorry! I… I lost track of time!” Shai immediately stood up from her seat and flung her black backpack over onto her back in a show of urgency. Shit, she was already late for her next period, she must be!

“Shai.” The teacher's voice rang out, as she then carefully grasped Shai's trembling shoulders- only for her hand to be smacked away instantly.

“Don’t touch me!” Shai seemed to hiss, as she brought herself into a protective stance, breathing heavily. Wait. Why was she breathing heavily? Oh god. Shai's eyes widened as she saw the shocked look upon her homeroom teacher's face.

“Oh g-god! I'm sorry, I didn’t mean to! I swear! I-”

“Shai, hey, breathe.” The older woman spoke again, her shock fading from her face, and transforming into gentle concern. “You're hyperventilating.”

Was she? That did explain why she felt like she was suffocating gradually with every second passing her. Her head couldn’t turn off, as amalgamations of images and half baked thoughts whizzed through her head like a speeding car- All the while she gripped the edge of her desk with a death grip. Why is she acting like this?! Nothing even happened!

“Shai, listen to me. Tell me five things you see.”

Shai could hardly fathom what she meant, but she obeyed nonetheless.

“U-uhh- the wall, the clock… the- the door, your desk, uhm, you.” Shai stammered out quickly.

“Okay, now tell me four things you can feel.”

Shai wasn’t sure where any of this was supposed to go, but she listened.

“U-Uh, my desk, the air, m-me breathing, u-uh me standing.”

“Good, now three things you can hear.”

“Your voice, the heater, my voice…”

Shai somehow could feel her mind slowing down, just as her breathing was.

“Mhm, now two things you can smell.”

“Uhm…” Shai never put much thought into what this room smelt like. She didn’t think anybody did, but now that her teacher mentioned it… there was a smell.

“Hand sanitizer… and… chalk.”

“Good, now tell me one thing you can taste.”

Shai by now wasn’t overtaken by her trembling, nor completely overwhelmed by racing thought. Her breath had slowed to a comfortable speed. There was still an ounce of anxiety, but it was… manageable now.

“I… I don’t taste anything.”

Her teacher nodded approvingly, still looking gentle, but now appearing relieved. Shai felt a blush of embarrassment cross her face, as she recalled what had just happened moments ago.

“I’m sorry, I-“

“Don’t apologize.” The older woman lifted her hand, as if it was a physical manner of getting the teen to pause. “I understand what is going on for you lately, I know that it’s very scary for you and different. I’m not mad at you, Shai.”

Shai in response nodded slowly.

“What… What was that exactly?”

“That is a technique I learned to use to help students when facing a panic attack.” The teacher replied seamlessly. “It distracts your mind from the moment.”

“Wow… thank you…” Shai murmured, focusing her gaze towards the wall near the door.

“Of course.”

Shai was surprised… but she couldn’t help but feel grateful, even as she admittedly felt embarrassed for her previous behavior- having a teacher of all people have to get her head on straight, or at least how straight it could be given the situation. This woman helped her, actually helped her. Well, of course she was, she was a teacher after all, but…

“Shai?”

“Huh?” Shai jerked her gaze back to her teacher.

“I think you think you spend the rest of the day at home today.”

“What?!” Shai pushed herself away from her desk, causing the wood piece of furniture to make a slight loud, grating squeak against the floor. “N-No! It’s fine, I swear! I don’t have to go home right now!” Shai spoke frantically.

The teacher shook her head.

“No, you are clearly deteriorating on an emotional scale, and I truly don’t think that putting you through more stress with school will help that. You deserve a break.”

“Summer break was my break!”

“Just go, Shai. For once, just play hooky.” The teacher’s voice, if Shai didn’t know any better, had become pleading. “You are a good student. Every teacher here knows this. You excel in every subject, and you speak your mind, so if you need a day or two off from school, then go for it.”

“What about my other classes- the classwork? I can’t just-“

“I’ll take care of that.”

Shai said nothing more. She was shocked. Was this woman really doing this? Was she even allowed to do this? Something about the gesture almost made her tear up- but no, she wasn’t going to cry in front of a teacher.

“Thank you…” Shai finally said, with a soft, almost unaudable voice, as she then, quite hesitantly started walking towards the door. Was she really doing this?…

“Take care, Shai. I know it’s hard right now, but it will get better. I guarantee that.”

Shai’s heart twisted at such a… such a kind phrase. Those words… It meant a lot to hear.

“You… you as well, mm’am…”

And then. She left.

Coming home was hard, especially today. Because today wasn’t normal. It was one of the few reasons she had grown so… so unbearably out of her depth. She hadn’t seen it coming. She always tried to focus on anything but when the day actually was, anything but actually thinking about it at all. Of course, now that the time had come, she could no longer hide from it.

Shai had her mother pick her up from school, purely due to her mother being off that day. Her job too had been more lenient on her for all the things that had been going on. It was hard to imagine.

The car ride home was uncharacteristically quiet. It was as if all sound had been wrung out of the car. Of course, Shai knew why this was. Today was different. It would always be different.

As soon as Shai came home, she knew not to look in the kitchen, because every year a certain wrapped box would sit there, waiting… waiting for its culprit to grab it. There wouldn’t be a single culprit anymore. Shai slung her backpack I next to the couch as she tried her best to retreat into her room before she could make the mistake of looking anywhere else.

“Shai?” Yuki’s voice sounded from behind her, voice laced with concern. The teen paused, sucking in a breath.

“Yes mom?” Shai turned her head slowly- hesitantly towards her mother, just barely keeping her eyes away from the kitchen.

“I’m going to the cemetery in a few, I was wondering if you’d like to join me.”

Shai couldn’t stop her body from tensing.

“But you don’t have to!” Yuki rushed to say. “I just thought… I just thought that since it’s supposed to be Shia’s birthday that you’d want to come. Please don’t feel like you have to go if it’s too hard right now.”

With that, Shai finally let her eyes drift towards the kitchen, immediately spotting the blue wrapped box, sitting on the kitchen island, all alone. Grief overflowed the younger girl, and she struggled not to break down at the sight of it. Today was Shia’s sixth birthday, or it would have been. December 23.

Every year on Shia’s birthday, a single present would lay out on the kitchen counter, and once the young boy could scurry up to retrieve it, the official birthday festivities would begin. It was a relatively simple and new tradition, but it was still special to them all. On Shia’s birthday, Yuki and Alfred would take him to places all over, the aquarium, the special comic book store that Shia always begged to see, and especially the kid-friendly restaurants. Shai after school would get to come to whatever restaurant had been chosen and dine with her family. Shai would always find herself smiling on this day, even during school. It was hard not to when Shia was so happy, giggling, running around, hugging her parents in pure joy, even hugging her too. It was… wonderful… Last year’s birthday for Shia had gone just like that. It was one of the best birthdays she had ever experienced, even though it wasn’t even hers to begin with.

It could never be like that anymore. Shia’s laughter, his screeching excitement for the day, none of that. It was all gone. All gone because she couldn’t look after him, because she was an awful sister… and perhaps even an awful daughter…

“Shai?”

“Y-Yeah. I’ll come along this time.” Shai forced a smile as she quickly rushed to respond. Yuki looked taken aback for a moment.

“Are you sure?”

Shai wasn’t sure. She didn’t know what she wanted. She wanted to hide, to drown herself in sleep, yet, it felt wrong to not participate today. It felt wrong to sleep the rest of the day away, when Shia’s birthday was so important. What would her brother think of her if she didn’t come along?

“Yeah… I’m sure.” Shai replied softly, glancing away. Yuki nodded, seeming to recognize the unspoken nervousness emanating from the younger girl.

“Alright, how about I make us something to eat before we go?”

Shai stepped away from the staircase tentatively, nodding in response. Maybe food would ease her nerves… All she needed was a little food, and everything would be alright. Of course even as she ate the food that Yuki generously prepared for her (scrambled eggs), she still found it hard. The thoughts that filled her mind, and the single, untouched present lying on the counter silently taunting her, just made every bite a chore. She wanted to be anywhere but in the kitchen right now…

The next hour was spent driving. Only one time did Yuki stop the car, and that was to walk into a flower store, and walk out with an oddly melancholic bouquet of white lilies. Why would she do that?… Shai wanted to ask, but she didn’t. Yuki caught her daughter's questioning gaze, and proceeded to pluck one of the fragile Lily’s and handed it to Shai.

“Here.”

“Uh… what’s this for?” Shai glanced warily at the delicate piece of flora that was seemingly drooping just enough to be noticeable.

“It’s…. It’s for Shia, and your father’s…. tombstone…” Yuki replied. Her voice grew quiet, as she settled the bouquet in the backseat with the present. “I wanted to do something special, and I thought you’d like to add a flower as well…”

Shai bit her lip and silently nodded. Just like every car ride before it. The drive was silent.

The two would then finally reach Muir’s cemetery. The land was situated on a hill. It was surrounded by either dead or well-growing grass. Besides that, it was a near desolate space. The road was aways from the actual site, leading for mourners, such as Yuki and Shai, to walk a good distance to it, as well as the total lack of buildings, and other forms of nature. Just a hill, tombstones, and their associated, beloved trinkets. The two stood just seconds away from greeting their dead loved ones.

Shai’s grip tightened on the lily as the very thought of heading to Shai’s tombstone… to her own father’s tombstone, overwhelmed her. Could she really do this? Was it possible?

“Alright Shai… It’s time.” Yuki finally spoke, her tone solemn and low, as she started walking towards her son’s grave, all with the present and the bouquet in hand. Shai gulped, and followed her.

Shia’s grave looked the same as all the other graves. There wasn’t even a single difference between the two, except the growth of flowers seeming to surround it. No other grave had flowers growing. To Shai, it seemed as if it was some sort of divine gift, or perhaps Shia himself made those flowers grow. Shai nearly bursted into tears at the thought, but no. She didn’t. She wasn’t going to cry. Not again.

Yuki reached the grave first, as she gently knelt down in front of it. Shai stood just a few feet behind her, not sure whether to leave her by herself or to stay. She had no idea what cemetery etiquette was. It wasn’t like anyone she ever knew died bedore… until now… The stone was a deep gray, and lightly dusted with dirt. 

The gravestone read ‘Shia Brown; 2017 - 2022 “The world’s ray of sunshine.”’

Yuki then proceeded to carefully place the small, blue present in front of the grave, her breath shaky. She then pulled out a few of the lily’s away from her bouquet and placed the now smaller bundle of fragile flowers in front of the tombstone. By now, Yuki was shivering, her body like a trembling leaf. Shai watched as Yuki then gently unwrapped the box and pulled out a tiny stuffed doll. Shai’s eyes widened. It was… it was a tiny limp doll of one of Shia’s favorite superheroes. Fitted with miniature clothes, and a small fabric cape. The gift tugged on Shai’s heartstrings. Mom… She cares so much… Yuki then placed the doll against the gray stone. It was then that Yuki started sniffling. Shai found herself walking away, feeling too uncomfortable to hang near her now crying mother. She.. she couldn’t handle it right now… 

Shai found herself glancing at the other graves of the dead. Some were for the passed elders with little jokes engraved in the stones as a parting gesture- all filled to the brim with gifts from family or a passerby who cared enough to leave something kind, some were for children with ancient religious quotes marked in the rock. Some just had names, no gifts or anything, just left to its lonesome with viney tendrils wrapping around the grave. It was… strange. Shai hadn’t realized how many people died. She never cared that much before… How many were victims of the masked killer? How many graves had no bodies? These thoughts led to more thoughts. Where would Jessy’s grave reside? Would she even get one? What happens to those without their own gravestones? Are they then forgotten and discarded? How long would it take to be forgotten?

Shai then paused at the grave that belonged to her father. Her heart ached. She missed him. She wanted to say sorry. She wanted to see him again. She never hated him, but he probably thought she did. Did he die thinking that she hated him? Shai bit her lip as she looked away. What would happen if she herself died?

Shai looked back at her father’s grave, before nervously settling down in front of it. It felt weird. It felt uncomfortable. Sitting here felt wrong. She did it anyway.

“I’m sorry, dad…” Shai found herself saying softly. “I’m sorry… I… I didn't mean to be…” Her grip on the lily tightened, and she was sure that the stem was breaking, but she didn’t care. “I wish I had said goodbye…” Shai finished, feeling her eyes water and burn. This hurt so bad. She just wanted things to be normal again… why could things be normal again!?

“Shai?”

Shai jerked up into a standing position at the sound of her mother’s voice calling out for her. She quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and jogged over to her mother who now had visibly bloodshot eyes. She seemingly tried to smile, to hide her sorrow, but Shai could see right through it.

“Yes, mom?”

“I know you were likely over there already, but I still have yet to pay my respects to your father, so… I will be there if you need me, okay? Don’t hesitate to find me if you need me.”

Shai nodded, as Yuki slowly walked past her, now only holding a fraction of the Lily’s she once had. Shai’s gaze followed her for a few more seconds before shifting her gaze towards Shia’s grave. She stared down for what seemed like years before she slid to the ground and started to cry. She hiccupped and sobbed loudly in front of her brother’s grave. She clutched the flower’s stem so hard that it broke, sending the top half of the lily drifting down to the dirt. Shai cried on and on, nonstop as memories flooded her brain. She remembered him as a tiny baby. She remembered when he first discovered superheroes. She remembered his first drawing. His first of pretty much everything. She grew up with him. She loved him. She cared so much for him, even despite his moments of being annoying, or in arguments. Now he was gone. She will never see him grow ever again…

Shai eventually lifted her tear stained face to stare dead at the grave. She hiccuped weakly, hardly able to catch her breath. When her tears had slowed, she shakingly released the stem that she had been clutching in her palm, and proceeded to find the petaled top of the lily, and gently placed it in the middle of the small bouquet and the tiny superhero doll.

“Shia…” Shai croaked out. “Shia… I’m sorry that… that I didn’t tell you how much I loved you before…” 

“I-I hope you can forgive me… I hope that wherever you are, that you are happy… I.. I promise I won’t forget you… I promise that every birthday- I-I come here for you… no matter what!” Shai continued on, feeling the urge to push out how she felt, feeling that this would be the last time she ever could. “You’ve been the bestest brother I could ever ask f-for… happy sixth birthday, little bro…”

Shai sat there for ages. Every few minutes she would burst into tears. She’d eventually calm down, but it only lasted so long before the pain would push against her and choke her into another crying fit.

Eventually, Shai’s gaze fixed itself on the sky… she imagined Her dad, Shia and Jessy looking down at her with bright smiles. Their star-kissed hands clasped together in a moment of togetherness. Jessy’s free hand waved at her, giving a look of pure admiration and love. She was the first to remove her hand from Alfred and Shia’s clasp to turn away and disappear into the stars. Shai imagined that Shia turned to look at Jessy’s departure and pouted just a bit. She imagined that he then turned to his father and happily hugged him before dashing away to follow her, thus fading into the stars as well. Shai felt her heart crumble. All that was left was the image of her father. She wasn’t sure why she had him be the last one to leave when today was Shia’s special day… shouldn’t Shia be the last?… wasn’t it his privilege? Her dad gazed at her, a soft look on his face. He said nothing, but just smiled, before walking away, now becoming the stars as well. As her vivid daydream ended, silent tears slid down her cheek again. They really were gone…

“Shai, honey?”

Shai didn’t bother to rush on her feet, and instead with a teary expression turned her head until she could see her gradually approaching mother. 

“Mom…”

They stood, looking at each other. It was silent, but they knew. They knew each other's feelings. Shai then gently stood.

“Mom… I’m ready to go home now…”

Yuki nodded.

“I’m very proud of you.”

Shai crackled a broken smile.

“You are?”

“Yes… it’s not easy… you’ve been through so much… you lost a lot, and even still, you still keep going. Not everyone can.” Yuki replied softly. “I’m proud that I have such a wonderful daughter.”

Wonderful daughter…

Shai stepped forward a few steps until she could properly hug her mom. Yuki stood frozen for a moment, surprised by the sudden hug, before immediately reciprocating.

“Thand you for taking me here…”

Yuki didn’t reply, but she didn’t need her to. She already knew. She already knew how her mother felt about her words.

“Let’s go home, sweetie…”

Shai nodded and followed her mother down the hill.

“We should get ice cream…” Shai dared to say.

Yuki giggled quietly, before nodding.

“I think that can be arranged.”

Chapter Text

Atticus’ Account

-

Loud crashing sound waves of music penetrated the bustling interior as a throng of moving, flashing bodies bounded along the dance floor. Bright, neon lights strobed in every corner, perpetually covering the entire expanse in a pink, and purple hue.

Amongst the mess of chortling and cheering people, a dark brown spotted female feline with short, curly, reddish-beige- slightly dyed orange hair, sat dizzily atop a tall red stool chair. She swayed gently from side to side as her glazed-over red eyes flickered over the club. Her mind was engulfed in a pleasant buzz as those around her chattered and giggled around her. She felt as if her very body was adrift in soft, funny clouds. She felt perfect. This was the balance she craved. The soft relaxation, still in control… all with just a single shot of alcohol in her…

In this moment, she wore a black graphic T-shirt with an image of a pumpkin sewn onto it, along dark gray- almost black, tattered shorts, as well as a pair of midnight black heels she also adorned. It was her party outfit, or what was closest to it. All that mattered was that she showed skin, and that was what you did at a club, at least, according to Daoka and Harper…

“Atttiicussss!~” slurred another woman next to her loudly. Her voice sounded bouncy and lax, like a floating balloon. Atticus turned her head to face the source of the voice. It was Daoka, her friend, and from the look of her, she was high beyond all reason. It was her hazy, bloodshot eyes, and slurred voice that gave her away. “Atticussss!~” 

“U-uhmm yeah?” Atticus finally replied as she forced her eyes to focus on her friend. In the vibrant, flashing lighting, it was hard to tell exact colors apart from one another, but Atticus had seen Daoka just before she had entered the club that night, and had memorized her attire for the evening. Daoka this night had styled her bright wavy red hair into a ponytail, and ended up wearing a black, sleeved-cropped jean jacket, a white tank top, a black miniskirt and black high heels. Her face had been covered in every kind of makeup imaginable, making her dark brown fur look paler and more colorful than natural. Atticus was used to seeing her like this though. Daoka never went anywhere without amplifying her appearance. Atticus never dared to question her about it though, it wasn’t her business- but she was getting ahead of herself…

“You should totallyyyyy take some THC right nowwwww~”

Atticus winced slightly. 

“You know I’m trying to stay clean…”

“Oh come onnnn!~ stop being a stick in the muddddd!~” Daoka slumped against Atticus heavily, sniffling. “You never do anything fun anymoreeee! Whatsss the point of coming if you're just gonna be lame!”

Atticus opened her mouth to protest, but was interrupted by a scoff from the other side of her.

“She's right, you know.” 

Atticus jerked her head to face the source of the voice. It was her. Harper. She right then wore a bright orange strapless minidress and bright orange flats. Her black mascara-d eyes narrowed on Atticus with an annoyed, and disappointed manner. She wasn’t stoned or drunk yet, but that could easily change within an instant. She was impulsive that way. “You have become rather boring lately.”

Atticus’ eyes widened at that. Boring? Had she really become boring?…

“I-I…”

“You never want to barhop, you never want to smoke joints with us anymore, and all you do when we invite you here is just sit on your ass and stare at the ceiling. What the fuck changed?!” 

Atticus didn’t get a chance to reply before Harper continued sharply. 

“if we wanted to hang with a corpse, we would have gone to a cemetery for fucks sake.”

“I'm… sorry…” Atticus replied as she ducked her head, feeling her once pleasant buzz become tainted with guilt and anxiety. Maybe she really was wasting their time… they weren’t wrong… she had changed… slowly but surely. She knew why though…

As the party pumped on, the crowd grew bigger and simultaneously louder. Free drinks were soon getting passed around- which Daoka and Harper were more than willing to take advantage of. (Even if Daoka had already smoked enough to have lost all cognitive function…). Atticus withheld from taking another drink, not wanting to go too far. She had grown sick of going too far… Harper though didn’t seem to care about Atticus’ gentle refusal and sniped another glass along with her own.

“You are going to drink this, Atticus, I don’t want to hear any bullshit about it.” Her voice seemed to hiss as her fiery red eyes locked onto hers. Atticus hated when she got like that. Her threats, her rage, her…. Everything. It scared her. It wasn’t even just what she said that scared her the most. It was the fact that she always followed through with her words. That was how she once ended up with a black eye and burned papers… papers that had been a part of her first novel draft… she couldn’t go through with the suffering this time. The thought of it made her heart pound.

She reluctantly took the shining, sparkled glass and took a tiny sip from it. That seemed enough for Harper as she huffed and looked away. Atticus let out a quiet sigh of relief. That relief though was dull though in comparison to the fresher guilt she also felt. She was going to ruin her progress… again. She bit her lip, trying not to get emotional as she sipped again at the beverage. It didn't taste too good for something that had the appearance of wine, but even so, she drank it anyway.

“Hey Atticus, if you wanna redeem yourself tonight, then maybe you could get that sexy guy's attention for me.” Harper piped up with a lighter voice after some time of punishing silence. 

“Sexy?” Atticus pondered softly, finally lifting her head curiously to look at the crowd. 

“Yeah, that one over there. The guy with the mullet or something. He's in the corner past the balding guy.” Harper droned on, pointing towards an open, mostly unoccupied area near the buildings corner. Just as Harper had said there was a guy over there. The colors flashed along his stationary leaning body, and over the glass he held. The bright lights made him stand out. It was… he was… he looked ethereal. No wonder Harper noticed him. She always noticed when a hot guy came by. She was the queen of men. Daoka could also be called that, but it was really Harper who ruled the ring.

“Oh my goahhh!~” Daoka gushed loudly as she followed Harper's pointing. “Oh Harperrr!~ he really is sexyyyy!~” The two girls giggled loudly over their shared thought. Atticus wasn’t giggling along, as she continued to stare at this mysterious man. Even from the distance his eyes looked sharp, predatory… but not in the way that made her feel uncomfortable… his posture, it was straight, yet simultaneously relaxed. His entire being in that moment looked simply… godlike. Was that an appropriate thought? Nobody could be godlike. That was a fact, but even so, it was hard to tell the rest of her mind that.

“Atticus!” Harper snapped.

“Whhu!?” Atticus jolted from her daze, and looked up at Harper who was now rolling her eyes, before sliding a single red paper coaster over to herself, and proceeded to write- with a nearby, abandoned pen- her number. Afterwards she curtly passed it to Atticus’ nervously waiting form.

“Do me a favor and give him my number please.”

“I-I uh- well-“

“What?! Do you have a problem with that?”

“N-No! No! It’s just…” Atticus stopped herself. If she dared admit how nervous she was about this, she’d be laughed at or worse. She could never do that. Besides… It was what Harper wanted. What Harper wants, Harper gets.

“Waiiiit! Put mine on there toooo, maybe we could all have a threesomeee! Ehehehehe~” Daoka swung her legs childishly as she cackled. Atticus flickered back to gaze towards Harper, who looked visibly disgusted.

“Ugh…”

Atticus tilted her head downwards… she had nothing she could say that wouldn’t sound like she was choosing a side.

“The only sex I’m having, is alone, and with him. So go take your queer fantasies somewhere else.” Harper proceeded to flip her off before once again tapping seemingly urgently tapping her finger on the written on coaster.

“Do it before he leaves.”

“R-Right…” Atticus gingerly took a hold of the red paper and stood up, thankfully leaving the cursed drink behind. She felt woozy on her feet, but she could force her feet forward, and that was what mattered.

“Bye Atttyyyyyy~”

Atticus said Nothing, didn’t even turn her head. She was more occupied with walking to have the notion to. She slowly crept through the bouncing crowd and its zipping cheers of everyone around. Every step had her wobbling. She wondered if this was the cause of the first drink or the second. It wasn’t difficult to tell.

Eventually as she grew closer to the male, she could see more details about him that could not be found from a distance. His eyes, they were not stationary, they flickered everywhere every few moments. He wore square shaped glasses that fell just barely on the tip of his nose, almost as if he was too lazy to push them up. He wore a skintight, black wifebeater, and long, black denim jeans, full of holes and tatters. His hair was long and messy, but in an endearing manner, and his grip on the glass… oh why was her eyes even noticing the grip to begin with?- was firmly grasped, but with a fancy manner as if he somehow had been to many parties in the past- fancier ones.

Atticus felt her feet pause just shy of ten feet from the male. She was sweating. Oh gosh, she knew why Harper and Daoka wanted to get frisky with him for sure now. Her grip on the paper coaster tightened. She wasn’t unfamiliar with desire. Not in the slightest. She had felt and indulged in it in the past alongside her friends in parties like these, but this felt different… This desire felt more than just carnal. She… she was curious… she wanted to know more about him… something about him, besides his freakishly hot looks interested her.

Atticus felt herself wilting though as she finished her thought. No… this is for Harper. Not me. Atticus took a deep breath, pushing her mind and body’s wonder away, and prepared to get Harper’s message to him in the least humiliating way possible.

“Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to come over here?” A low, devilishly amused voice popped up loudly in front of her, causing Atticus to jolt up and look at the man, whose eyes were not locked onto her. Atticus stood there for a hot moment, not quite understanding what was happening. He can see me… he saw me… holy shit! What should I do?! Atticus though, didn’t want to irritate this striking man, and cautiously moved closer towards him.

She then paused just shy of six feet in front of him, body shivering softly at the nerves coursing through her. He was tall. He was so much taller than she was. He was likely six entire feet… no no! Focus!

“U-uhm… Hi?” Atticus spoke first, clearing her throat and shuffling her feet. The male seemed to smile, it looked kind of cocky which only made Atticus more nervous. “I… uhm… one of my friends wanted me to give this to you…” Atticus said, now hesitantly lifting the paper towards him. Without a word, he settled his glass against a surface behind him, and then took the paper from her hands, seemingly deliberately making his fingers brush against hers. Atticus suppressed a shiver.

The male opened the paper coaster and grazed his eyes along the letters before crumbling it up in his hands and tossing it away from him, much to Atticus’ shock.

“I’m not interested.” He seemed to say without a notion of nonchalance. Not even a moment of sympathy in those… pretty eyes… “but… I’m interested in you.”

Atticus paused.

“Wait- huh?!” Her eyes widened as she instinctively took a step back. “Me!?”

The male's cocky expression faded into a softer, gentler one, which caught Atticus off guard. Her heart felt like it was on overdrive. How could this be happening right now? How was she even close to being interesting? He then took a step forward towards her.

“What’s your name?”

“I-I uh…. Atticus…” Atticus gulped, feeling herself flush.

“Atticus…” the man clicked his tongue as if he was testing out the name for himself. “I’m Jeremy.”

Jeremy… 

“That… That’s a cool name….” Atticus muttered bashfully.

Jeremy tilted his head in amusement, before letting out a chuckle.

“Well thank you~”

Atticus nodded mutely, before looking down. What was she supposed to say now?! She couldn’t possibly say anything to this attractive man without making a fool of herself!

“Why so shy? Am I that intimidating?”

“N-No! I… I just don’t know what to say… I never had… anybody interested in me before… I… didn’t think you’d..”

Jeremy took a couple steps towards her, almost close enough to be able to touch her. His eyes grew gentle quickly.

“Don’t be so nervous, darling, I won’t bite.”

He just called me darling… he just called me darling!

“O-Oh!-“

“Come, let’s sit somewhere.”

Atticus followed wordlessly as Jeremy guided her through the jumping crowd. He had forgotten his glass… she didn’t mention it… She also didn’t look back at her friends, didn’t dare to, she just followed quietly. As she continued forward, she began to notice how Jeremy seemed to know his way around the club, almost as if he had been here many times before. She wondered silently if he had met other girls here in the past, but what was she thinking? Of course he has met other girls, nobody with a body as attractive as his would ever not get girls. It made something bitter settle in her stomach. What if this entire thing was for pity?…

Eventually he paused by a small, vacant, two person table that was surprisingly not being overwhelmed by masses of people. He quickly settled down and motioned for Atticus to sit as well from across him. She gulped before hesitantly taking a seat.

“So, how is your day, Atticus?” Jeremy then spoke, his voice low and soothing.

“Uhm..” Atticus shuffled her feet below her. “I'm alright I suppose. What about you?” she asked, voice pitching upwards as she was unsure if she was supposed to ask back. Most people tended to get aggravated at her if she said or asked something ‘out of line’ or talked too much, at least this was what happened when she was with Daoka and Harper. Due to that, she tended to ask questions only on rare occasion. Somehow though, Jeremy seemed pleased by her response.

“I'm doing very well, you’re very kind to ask.” Jeremy smoothly responded, leaning forward calmly. “So, why don’t you tell me about yourself.”

“Seriously?…” Atticus blinked in shock. Jeremy hummed in affirmation.

“Why do you seem surprised? I did say I was interested in you.”

“I just didn’t think you’d start… asking about me is all.”

Jeremy’s eyes seemed to flash with something unknown, something she couldn’t detect. She would have dwelled on this more hadn’t she had gotten distracted by the color of his eyes. In the lighting before it was hard to tell, but with the lull of the flashing, she could see it almost clearly. Blue… His eyes were a sapphire blue…

“I guess we will have to change that, won’t we?” Jeremy’s voice piped up once again. “Now, if I may repeat myself, would you care telling me more about yourself?”

“L-Like what exactly?”

“Mmm, hobbies, favorite movies, food… the basics for now.”

For now?…

“W-Well… I like to write, I guess. I don’t really watch movies much, and well, food is alright I guess, I don’t really have much of a preference really…”

“Write?” Jeremy tilted his head subtly, eyes appearing curious.

“Yeah! Like, stories and ideas… stuff I can use later for projects…”

“So you're an author then.”

How’d he guess so easily?… it gave her the chills.

“Well… yes… sorta. I’m not a real one yet. I still have yet to publish a book.” Atticus replied, tracing a finger lonesomely along the table.

“I see…” Jeremy nodded, as if he was absorbing the information deep into his mind. “Why is that?”

“Why is what?” Atticus blinked.

Jeremy chuckled, almost as if Atticus had asked a dumb question… it stung, but she was used to that feeling, so she just pushed it away.

“Why haven’t you published anything yet?”

“Oh… it’s complicated…” Atticus looked away for a moment as images flashed in her mind. Thoughts that burned through her chest, filling her with guilt and sorrow… “I just never get anywhere… it’s…” Atticus paused again and looked back at Jeremy. All of a sudden she felt compelled to spill her guts. His eyes looked gentle again, encouraging… What if he was different? What if she could actually trust him? Sure, he was intimidating and mysterious, but he seemed kind… he had asked her questions… it was like he cared about her… “I… I try to write, I try to make something new and bold… but I never get anything done. I just stare at the pages… I-It’s not like I can’t write! I know how to… I got a degree for it! It’s just… it’s like I don’t have what it takes for it- to create ideas and be able to make them worth something…” Atticus only paused again when she realized how much and how long she had talked. A blossom of panic and embarrassment filled her senses. She hadn’t just rambled to a literal stranger had she? Oh god, Daoka was right… her mouth always got her into trouble.

“I see.” Jeremy murmured softly. his gaze was approving. Wait… he wasn’t upset? He was okay with her talking? How was that possible?…

“W-What about you?”

Jeremy hummed.

“Me?”

“Y-yeah… I want to know about you too.”

Jeremy’s expression shifted into something friendly, a smile stretched appreciatively across his face, showing off his single gold tooth.

“Hmm, I’m quite fond of horror movies.”

“Really?..”

“Indeed… do you like horror?”

“Oh no no… I can’t stand getting scared, ahah..”

Jeremy leaned closer with a whisper.

“Even if it’s me?”

“W-whu..” Atticus blushed. “What do you mean by that?”

Jeremy laughed cryptically.

“Oh nothing~ just playing around.” Jeremy covered his mouth with his hand as he continued to chuckle. Somehow that simple action, the laughing, the little… joke…, it made him seem less scary, more… friendly. Somehow she found herself giggling a little too.

“So… uhm, may I ask where you live?- wait- shit, is that a weird question to ask? I didn’t m-mean like a location or… I meant like a county or- Uh-“ “hush, you worry far too much~” Jeremy singsongedly interrupted. Atticus promptly clamped her mouth shut at that, all the while stewing in burning embarrassment.

“So to answer your question, I live around here. Quite a fine place it is.”

“Ah… I wouldn’t go that far…” Atticus found herself replying softly. “It could be a lot better here…”

“Hm… so you live here in Haines as well?”

“Ah! Yes… I do.” Atticus nodded.

“Hm, well you don't seem particularly fond of it.” Jeremy hummed softly, with a seemingly… encouraging expression.

“Well… no, no I don’t…” Atticus sighed. “It’s hard to live here, people are poor, businesses are so unbelievably greedy, and what’s left of the good stuff is tainted by such… awful people. It’s only gotten worse since the Masked Killer became a thing…”

Jeremy appeared to prick up a little at the mention of the killer, it caught her a little off guard, but she didn’t really lay it any mind as he replied soon after.

“I see… I suppose I could say the same thing.” Jeremy clicked his tongue. “But there are quite a few things to like about this place too.”

“Really?”

“Mhm.”

“Like what?”

“Like this club. I got to meet you here after all.”

Atticus felt herself flushing again. How could he be so… enamored with her? She never thought that was possible. Nobody, let alone another man, ever said such things to her…

“Your cute when you make that face~”

“Ah!” Atticus looked away abruptly, feeling her entire being reeling from such a comment. This was going so fast… “I… er…”

Before Atticus could finish her reply, the building exploded with loud simultaneous cheers as a popular song began to play. Jeremy seemed perturbed for a moment as she looked back at him, but not at her she assumed, by the sideways glare he gave the room.

“It’s rather loud in here, isn’t it?”

Atticus nodded, smiling nervously.

“How about we go outside, shall we?” Jeremy didn’t wait for a response as he got up from his seat and began walking to the exit. She was hesitant to follow for a moment. What about Harper and Daoka?… she didn’t want to just leave them behind. Even if they would have done that to her… Atticus found herself attempting to peek through the crowd to spot her friends. She wasn’t sure if it was the lighting, the other people or what, but she could have sworn that the seats that she and them had shared were empty. Did they… leave?… Atticus wanted to go over to figure out the truth, but she didn’t, because she already knew. Atticus gritted her teeth and turned around to locate Jeremy and the exit.

Her eyes burned as she walked. Harper and Daoka always did this. They invited her to a party, then they would ditch her to fuck around with some guys, get drugged up or both. They didn’t care. Oh she fell for it every time…

Atticus pushed through thralls of people until she could finally reach the chilly, dark, outdoors. She was panting slightly. She could tell by the way her breath fogged up in the air. The sounds of the booming music were now dulled and muffled from out here. Atticus quickly wiped away her tears as she saw Jeremy just a few feet in front of her, facing away. She could see him better now. He was a purple feline, his long hair was purple too, only with just a tingle of a gradiented color to go with it….

“S-sorry I took a while… I…” Atticus' voice trailed away as she noticed that his attention wasn’t on her anymore. It was on the sky.

“Beautiful night, isn’t it?”

Atticus looked at the moon, shining bright and full. It was beautiful… for a moment, her worries and negativity faded away. It was just him and the moon…

“Yeah. It is…”

“You know what else is beautiful?”

Atticus’ eyes widened as she turned her gaze towards him again, but he wasn’t looking at her… he was…

“It’s those scars.”

Atticus grabbed a hold of her arms, in a self hug way, as her breath seemed to stop. Her… scars…? Why was he looking at them?… she didn’t want him to look at them! Mystery lifted his eyes back onto her face, in an indescribable way.

“Don’t be ashamed. I like them.”

“W-Why?… why are you…” she was now utterly shocked, confused and slightly…. Flattered? Was she supposed to feel flattered?

“Am I making you uncomfortable? I truly am sorry if I am. I only wanted to compliment you.” Jeremy said, as his expression grew saddened.

“N-no! It’s fine… I just… nobody has ever said anything about these before…” Atticus nervously looked down at her arms, at the pinkish, wide and thin lines that decorated her brown furry flesh. These marks… she had made them out of hate, out of desperation and sorrow… She never once liked them. They represented the parts of herself she despised- the parts she tried to punish. Never had anyone seen them, and thought they looked nice… most would just wince or perhaps even avoid her, but somehow… Jeremy wasn’t like that.

“What a shame…”

Before Atticus could say anything after, Jeremy started walking out into the parking lot.

“Come.”

“W-Wait where-“

“Walk with me.” Jeremy turned and looked at Atticus with a charming, sparkling look. “Please.”

“B-But what about the serial killer? I don’t-“

“You’re going to be safe with me, honest.”

Atticus gulped. There was a reason why people disappeared, there was a reason why people usually never went out at night, but his eyes, and the way he held himself… it made her have some hope… doing this was a risk worth taking wasn’t it? He was the nicest person she had ever met in so long… and so, she started to walk after him. Atticus wasn’t sure where he was planning to go, but she didn’t want to worry… Jeremy was here. Atticus made her way to walk beside him. His body was warm, it was a delightful contrast to the cold air around her. She could hear him hum a tune now. She wondered if he knew that he knew he was doing that. It was charming.

The walk was oddly silent, but the gentle sounds and the scenery around them made it a lot less worrying to her. The quiet, subtle tapping of their shoes against the asphalt, and soon leaves and grass, the slight call of a wild owl, their breathing, his humming…

“You're an author, right?” Jeremy finally spoke again, voice hinted with curiosity.

“Ah yes… I am.”

“If you don’t like horror, what do you write then?”

“Oh… I like writing slice of life short stories, like… mundane things but made sweet, if that makes any sense at all…”

“Hmm I’d say it does.” Jeremy replied.

“Uhm.. what do you do?”

“Freelancing.”

“Oh… I’m surprised you’d find work around here at all.” Atticus said, widening her eyes.

“I have a certain charm about me, if you cannot tell.” Jeremy turned and gave Atticus a small wink, before pausing in front of her. Atticus watched in surprise as Jeremy’s hand reached out for hers. She never realized it before, but his hands were thinly gloved. There was something alluring about that.

Atticus gently took Jeremy’s hand, silently shuttering as she did so. She hadn’t held anyone’s hand like this since she was young. It felt comforting. His hand was warm, pleasantly warm. He flashed a smile as he then resumed walking once again, carefully pulling Atticus along with him.

Atticus took notice of the road they were now heading along on. It was the road that led to the mostly isolated club, only those coming and going to the club passed by. Going along the road would eventually lead them to the wider expanse of Haines. Farther away from people… from society. I wonder why he is taking me here?… This curiosity was overshadowed by Jeremy’s voice speaking up again.

“So, what brought you to the club tonight?”

“Oh… it was my friend's idea. They wanted me to come…” Atticus replied as her mind replayed various images of Daoka, Harper and her together… the way they’d gossip to each other, watch movies with one another, and even hang out at the bar… those moments of true closeness were far in between as they mostly partied at clubs… even when they spent those seemingly genuine moments together it felt like she was just an alien in the background. Maybe they never really saw her as anything more than a liability after all…

“I see.”

“Yeah…”

It was silent for a moment as the two continued walking. Atticus felt a burning question stewing in her mind as she walked, something that slowly became apparent as the seconds went on.

“Why did you choose me?”

“Hm?”

“Why did you decide to talk to me, and not one of my friends- or anybody else? Why me?”

“Why you?… oh, it’s because you are interesting, my dear~”

Atticus furrowed her brows. Interesting? Surely there was more to it. Surely not just interest alone… why did she expect anything else? They had met so little ago…

“Oh Atticus~ you think too much.” Jeremy paused midwalk, and pulled the younger woman close to him swiftly, causing a squeak to escape her throat. Oh god… they were so close! So unbelievably close! She could feel his body firmly against her far weaker one. Oh god this was making her dizzy… this was happening so fast… “I’ll fix that for you~”

Next thing Atticus knew, her lips were locked against Jeremy’s. It was a shock to her body, she froze. He wasn’t kidding though, because at that moment she couldn’t think. Her eyes wide, her breath baited as she was kissed. The shock then slowly faded away as she reciprocated, finding herself passionately moving her lips against the feline male. It has been months- years- since she had kissed someone, and it overwhelmed her. No man had kissed her like this before. It was either sloppy and nervous with an inexperienced partner, or stiff and scary with a bossy partner. Nothing like this. Confident, passionate, and experienced. It felt perfect… it was as if he had… done this all before…

Atticus pulled out of the kiss to take deep puffs of air into her lungs. Her brain was left thoroughly scrambled. She had just been kissed… she had just been kissed by the nice, attractive man she had just met that night. If that wasn’t a dream come true, she didn’t know what was. Jeremy appeared unfazed, and simply smirked at her.

“For someone as shy as you, I didn't think you would know what to do” he teased with a chuckle. Atticus cleared her throat ungracefully in embarrassment, but the emotion was dulled by a sense of warmth in her heart. Something right then pushed her to gently press her head against Jeremy’s. He flinched and his eyes went wider, but he didn’t make a single sound or made a move to pull away. That was good, right?

Atticus let out a warm sigh after a few moments, as Jeremy’s grip on her seemed to tighten just enough to be noticeable.

“I like your eyes,”

Atticus blushed again, darting her gaze away from his again.

“W-Why is that?”

“They are red.”

Red?…

“Red is my favorite color.” Jeremy clarified.

“Oh…”

“What would yours be?”

“Orange.”

Jeremy's expression seemed to twitch- to slightly falter.

“I see.”

Jeremy then pulled away from the embrace, not appearing to be agitated or hostile, but there was something off… Atticus didn’t dare to say anything about it though.

“What a beautiful color.” He then hummed before looking up at the sky. Atticus followed suit and glanced up. The trees covered a lot of the night sky, but there was an open patch that allowed for the shining stars to be visible. Atticus didn’t think it was possible for her to ever be this happy… this safe… It was a dream come true…

“Jeremy?…”

Jeremy turned to look at Atticus.

“Thank you.”

He cocked an eyebrow.

“For what?”

“For… bringing me out here, for spending time with me… for… I don’t know…” Atticus faced Jeremy, eyes alight with a feeling of euphoria. “Nobody has ever treated me like this before…. Nobody has ever made me feel so… so… happy…”

Jeremy took a few steps towards Atticus with an unreadable gaze.

“You only just met me, b-but you're so nice, and sweet… I don’t know why you like me so much… but… I…” Atticus paused when Jeremy stopped just an inch away from her. Was he going to hug her again? Oh gosh, her heart raced at the thought. Her expectations proved right as he carefully put an arm over her and pulled her flush against him again, it was different from the first time, she didn’t know why.

“Atticus~” Jeremy’s voice sung with a honeyed tone.

“Jeremy…” Atticus replied softly and fondly.

“Atticus….”

“Jeremy…” Atticus could feel tears of pure relief attempting to spring from her eyes. This was all she could-

“Atticus.”

“Huh?-“ Atticus’ curious tone was immediately broken as something hard, and sharp pierced through her flesh. Her mouth gaped open as searing pain began to radiate out from her stomach. Whatever that had entered her flesh- then twisted- hard. Her eyes widened as she started to scream. Jeremy’s grip then faded as she was harshly pushed away. On her heels, she was unable to keep her footing and crashed onto the ground hard, conking her head onto the ground roughly. She screamed in pure agony as she then gripped her stomach. There was blood. It was pouring out of her fingers… 

Atticus twitched and writhed as her tearfilled eyes desperately stared helplessly at Jeremy. In this hand was a pocket knife. The moon shone against its metal- against the blood coating it. Jeremy’s gaze… it was shadowed… why… why… why… 

“Oh Atticus.” Jeremy finally spoke through Atticus’ panicked screams. “You really are naive."

“J-JEREMY-“

“Shut up.” He then slammed his shoe into her face mercilessly. This only served to make her yelp and scream more. Atticus in this moment tried to get away, tried to run, tried to do something to get away from him, but the pain, the blood, the lightheaded mess from both blood loss and blunt force trauma was keeping her down. Before she knew it, Jeremy was crouching down to Atticus’ level with an intense look in his eyes, pocketing the knife, as he grabbed onto her hair and started bashing her head into the ground, Over and over, and over and over and over. Pain and fear was all that she could feel. She could hardly breathe. She scratched uselessly against the ground, even as her fingers stung horribly with each grating motion. At some point she couldn’t even scream, just grunt and squeak weakly.

Jeremy finally released her hair and immediately stood up again, looking down at her bloody body. Atticus shook like a leaf, breathing so fast that she became even more lightheaded before.

“Ha.” Jeremy’s voice… it wasn’t soothing or kind, or anything… it was low, hissing, malicious now.

Jeremy’s shoe smashed into her again, aiming for her wounded stomach again. More blood seemed to spurt out, caking the road in a hideous red hue. She pitifully wailed.

“you really thought I liked you?”

He kicked again.

“Did you actually think that I thought you were beautiful?”

He then promptly stomped on her, the force was enough to make Atticus almost vomit. He stepped back, seemingly admiring the mess he made out of her. B-but she had thought that-

“It’s pathetic, you know. Most make a proper attempt to flee, but here you are just lying there~” for the first time, Atticus saw a new look in Jeremy. She had never seen it before. It was… enjoyment. “Makes me wonder if you secretly wanted this~”

Atticus sobbed, and shook, unable to respond. Suddenly she felt a force shove her back onto her back, jarring her wound and causing it to gush more. She couldn’t tell what was holding her down, but she didn’t feel anything- was she hallucinating?! Any breath that was she breathing in her lungs was knocked out of her as Jeremy immediately began to straddle her, ignoring the fact that she was covered in her own blood. She thrashed harder and harder, trying to escape him, but she was unsuccessful- she couldn’t get away. His eyes were wild, his smile was so wide that she was sure that it hurt. He looked as if he had gone feral.

“You are just a waste of oxygen.” He growled out as she then used a hand to slap her face. “You are nothing.”

Atticus hiccuped and cried as she stared at him, as she felt her blood seeping out of her body… she was so cold… Why was he doing this to her?! What is happening?! Why was he saying all those horrible things!? She couldn’t understand, she couldn’t even begin to fathom what had caused this to happen. She… She trusted him.

She screamed out again as Jeremy pushed his hand hard against her bloody wound, not breaking eye contact. He pushed and pushed and pushed on it, seeming to relish on how her essence spilled out into his hand, how she made pained noises as he did so.

“P-PLEASE S-STOP IT H-HURTS-“ She desperately cried out, voice cracking as her vision blurred from her tears and blood.

“Please stop please stop~” he mocked, as he immediately began pressing harder, digging his fingers deeper and deeper, before ripping them out and beginning to lick them clean. All Atticus could do was lie there… she couldn’t do a single thing… she really was useless… she could feel herself dying… Everything was so cold… 

Jeremy let out a breathy sigh as he popped his now clean fingers out of his mouth. In that moment he looked blissed out, but that moment was over as soon as his eyes focused back onto Atticus once more.

“Oh Atticus~ how could you actually think anyone could ever love you?” Jeremy said, leaning his face close to hers. “Did you honestly believe anyone could ever look at you and think you're worth even a speck of attention?”

His hands then suddenly start to touch her sides in a manner that immediately made Atticus in her growing weakness panic. No. No. No. What is he doing!? No. She didn’t want this!

“I never cared about you, you weren’t even close to being interesting to me, you're just another common whore, after all~” Jeremy singsonged as he then traced a finger along the underside of her ribs. “I only wanted something to play with for the night, and you happened to be in my sights~ unfortunately you turned out to be unbelievably annoying and ugly…” 

U-Ugly… Annoying…

“But don’t worry, I have a feeling that your corpse will be much hotter, don’t you think, darling?~”

N-no…

Jeremy then immediately switched, his hands now tearing at her clothing in a manic sort of way, trying to rip apart the seams that held the fabric all together. Atticus tried everything in her power to move away to get away from this monster. She couldn’t though. She couldn’t. PLEASE STOP- PLEASE NO NO NO PLEASE DON’T STOP STOP STOP- She could feel it now, his breath- his breath against her body, it was scalding compared to the cold outside around her. She wanted it to stop, but he wouldn’t.

She choked, she wailed, all while still being paralyzed in place by an unseen enemy- all while she was being beaten and violated against her will. It was getting too much. Too much, too much too much, too much. Everything was going black, her head hurt and she couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer. It was all fading to black- but a white blight blinded her, forcing her drooping eyes to widen as Jeremy immediately shot up.

“SHIT.”

He scrambled into the forest next to the road, not without stepping right on Atticus’ wounded stomach again. He was then gone as a speeding car dashed along the road, full of loud, rowdy adults. They didn’t see her.

Atticus felt whatever force that was holding her down cease, freeing her limbs at last. Even so, she couldn’t move. She couldn’t scream anymore. She was going to die. All alone. With nobody. Did Harper or Daoka even care?…

Atticus inhaled sharply as she weakly tried to push herself up on her weak arms. She had to try. She had to try. She had to get away before he came back again. She dragged herself along the road, wheezing and gasping as she did so. Blood stained the ground, her essence continued to leak out of her with no reprieve in sight.

Out. She was out.

No. Awake again, in a new spot, closer to the club, she knew it even in her dark daze.

Out again. It was so dark….

In. She was in the parking lot now, wasn’t she?

Screaming. Why was there screaming?

Screaming.

Screaming.

Out.

In.

Out.

In.

“H-help-“ Atticus gargled through the blood that had started filling her mouth. “Plea-“

Out.

————————————

It had been a month since then. A month since the entire incident happened. Four weeks since she was released from the hospital. Two weeks since she completely shut herself away in her apartment. One week since she stopped contacting anyone who wasn’t her landlady.

Atticus had deteriorated, in more ways than mental. She hardly ate, hardly slept, hardly drank enough water to keep her functioning. She had lost weight. She got migraines every few days. Her arms ached more than ever. Her head was full of nightmares. She stopped writing. Her thoughts flipped over and over towards that night. How he had stabbed her, what he had said, how he had looked at her in those final moments- but not even just that. It was the short tender moments she remembered. It felt so… real. Everything felt real, but clearly it had been a delusion of hers. Just like her “friendship” with Harper and Daoka.

Atticus lied in bed. Her weary, tired eyes stared at the ceiling without a sense of being or recollection. She was stuck in her head again, revisiting the moment Jeremy stabbed her. Each time she remembered it, she added something new. More insults, more hits. Sometimes her thoughts grew more violent, finishing what Jeremy had tried to start just moments before he dashed away into the unknown. All these daydreams had one thing in common. She always died in the end.

Atticus blinked slowly. Her phone was ringing. The sound was muffled in her ears, it was like a drill. She ignored it. She always ignored it now. She didn’t care if it was her parents or her so-called friends, or the police or anyone. She wasn’t going to answer. You're still moping over what happened? You're not dead, are you? Exactly, so just quit your sulking. You're not a victim. People get stabbed every fucking day. Get over it. You're not special.

Her own voice seemed to taunt her, hissing with annoyance and bitterness. Poking and prodding her brain until everything felt unbearable. It was right though. She was overreacting- she always did. She should have just forgotten the whole ordeal and moved on. Any normal person would have. She wasn’t normal though, was she? Atticus grounded her teeth together as another wave of ringing evaded her ears. Whoever was calling needed to stop. She didn’t think before grabbing the phone crushingly and smashing it against the wall. The ringing stopped. Finally…

Atticus looked down at the carnage. The broken cables, the broken keypad… it’s tiny display all cracked and shattered. She wished that she was the one shattered completely, because then she wouldn’t have to bear the crackling pain inside her being.

She then slowly sat up on her bed, slowly slid her feet onto the ground, and extra slowly started walking towards her bathroom. Something was guiding her there, a pull, and urge that she was all too familiar with. Her dull expression didn’t change as she stepped onto the cold, white, tile floor with her bare feet. She only merely flinched as the cold met her skin, quietly reminding her of that dreadful night’s chill. 

She turned and looked at her reflection in the vanity mirror. All she saw was the look of numbness on her face, how her cheeks appeared to have sunken in, how lifeless her complexion looked. She looked like a ghost… Her eyes shifted towards the piece of hair that once held the vibrant orange hue. It now lies just the same color as the rest of her hair. Her eyes then gazed down at her nightgown. She hadn’t washed it in weeks. It was a nice white, cloud-like color, but now had been stained with dirt, and sweat to the point that it was now a grayish color. It was gross… just like her. She finally took a glance at her arms. Scars… some cuts still hadn’t fully healed… she was practically mauled.

Atticus then automatically picked up the small, slightly rusted razor blade laying by the sink. She looked at it hard. So small, yet so powerful. It was the same metal that had sliced in her before, the same metal that caused her the wound on her stomach. At that thought, Atticus placed her other hand against her torso, feeling the stitches there. She would inevitably scar there. Atticus then shifted, moving the blade to her wrists, where her blood vessels showed more prominently, the place where she could make the final move. She held it against her skin, feeling the pressure. Maybe she should do it. You should do it. Her voice often told her this, even before the incident. She always avoided it, always tried to stay optimistic, always cut only a little to satisfy her mind, but things had changed. Cutting wasn’t enough anymore. It didn’t satisfy anything anymore, it just added more to her building misery. It was always a reminder now.

She slid the blade against her wrist a little too hard. She felt the pulse as blood trickled out, dripping down and plopping onto the side of the sink. It stung. She removed the blade. She then stared. Why am I doing this….? How could I have fallen so low…?

Her blood was a deep shade of crimson. It shone in the light. Her gaze never left it. Why don’t you just do it already. Nobody cares about you. Nobody ever did. You're just a statistic. The voice morphed into something like Jeremy’s, speaking low and full of malice. For a moment an expression of pure agony flickered on her face. For so long, she had believed them all. She had believed that Harper and Daoka cared about her for years, but they didn’t even show up when she was at the hospital, never called, nothing. Even before, they clearly never cared about her. The constant shaming, the constant threats, the constant pressure to perform like them, to be like them, that was never because they cared. They only wanted a pawn, and she had given them just that for nearly a decade. 

The doctors didn’t care either. They didn’t ask who had hurt her, they just shrugged and stitched her up, then waited until she could be tossed out for another patient.

Then Jeremy. She really had thought he was different, that he genuinely felt something for her. His gestures, his beautiful eyes, the way he would speak to her…. It all felt genuine, but it wasn’t. He just wanted to hurt her. Everyone did. Did her parents even love her? Or was that a lie too? It probably was, considering how they didn’t do a thing as she destroyed her own body throughout her entire teenage life. Nobody gave a damn. Everyone hated her. Even Atticus herself did… how could she not?

Atticus placed the blade back down on her bloodied wrist. Nobody will even remember your name. Nobody will even notice. Within a short second, she slid into her vein… hard. She hissed in pain as her blood flowed. This was now when her adrenaline kicked in. Her breath hitched as she squeezed her eyes shut for just a moment. Her other wrist. It beckoned to her, ached for the same harsh treatment. She immediately flipped the blade in her other hand, shaking as she immediately then tore through the skin on her other hand without mercy. More blood. More pain. She hissed again. It hurt. It hurt. It hurt so bad. It sent flickers of memory in her head. Atticus bit her lip as she watched her blood pool and drip, dripping down her arms, down her skin and onto the ground, sink or nightgown. 

Her heart raced. She was actually doing it. She was going to die today. It sent a thrill of unidentifiable emotions through her being. She was going to die. She wanted it. She craved it. Atticus’ grip tightened on the blade, cutting through her fingers, as she quickly started scratching and tearing her arms apart. No more single neat lines, no more ‘cat scratches’, she was going all out. She whined and winced with every cut. The burn just went deeper and deeper. Soon she was sobbing, hot, salty tears bursting from her eyes and down her cheeks. She hiccuped and shook as she desecrated her body. Blood. Blood, and more blood. It was all she could see. 

“Did you actually think anyone could ever love you?”

Jeremy was right. How could anyone? She was annoying, ugly, and useless… not even Jeremy loved her. If Jeremy couldn’t, who would? Atticus slammed the blade into the sink, before grabbing the various bottles of medicine that lay dormantly at the back end of her vanity, and began pouring out the pills in her hand. Many of the pills ended up on the bloody floor, but she couldn’t care enough to notice. She immediately downed them. She wasn’t done though. Atticus grunted loudly as she pulled each bottle out from its place, smearing her blood on them simultaneously, and downed more of the pills. She didn’t care what they were meant for. Right then, the medication only served one purpose.

Her frantic attempts at swallowing pills were eventually slowed as she grew dizzy. Were the pills working already or was it the blood? It was the blood. Her breath caught in her throat as the realization dawned on her. She really was going to die. Did she really want that? Yes you do. 

Atticus found herself on the floor then, having her knees buckle under her, now placing her in her own blood. Her essence wouldn’t come out of her nightgown for a while… pills spilled on the floor with little clicks and clacks, Their shells forever tainted with a red hue.

Atticus tried to stand up, but found she couldn’t. All she could do was slide further into the ground weakly. This was what she had become… a sorry state of a person, withering away… maybe being dead would finally make things better… maybe if she died nobody would be burdened by her anymore… somehow these thoughts finalized everything. There was no coming back now… not that she wanted an out anyway.

Even as her body grew weaker, she was still able to hurl, throwing up her guts beside her. Atticus’ stomach ached, burned and twisted uncomfortably. She cried through the pain. Worthless… Worthless… Worthless… 

Her head began to hurt then too, pounding and twisting angrily in her head. She couldn’t bear it. She gritted her teeth harder than she thought was ever possible. Pain. pain. pain. That was what her world had become. Atticus vomited again, blood now mixed in the bile. Her throat burned. It was hard to breathe.

She thought about Harper and Daoka for just a split moment. She couldn’t help it. They were the first to pop in her mind. Where would they go when she died? Would they become famous? Would they be happier? If she could smile, she would. They would be lifted of a burden soon enough….

Her eyes flickered to the back of her head as she coughed repeatedly, shaking completely as she did so. Jeremy…. Jeremy would be better off too. 

In.

Out.

She vomited again.

In. 

Out.

She could feel it.

In.

Out.

She was dying.

In.

Out.

…..

…..

….

…

..

.

————————————

Harper grunted, as she dialed Atticus’ number in her phone again for what was like the thousandth time. She, in her heels, was walking up the stairs within Atticus’ apartment building, seeking her apartment.

“Come on, you lazy ass… respond already!”

Harper paused by the door that Atticus occupied within. Without a moment to spare, and pocketing her phone, the woman began knocking loudly on the door.

No answer.

“You got to be serious.” Harper growled to herself. She knocked again, and again. It had been quite some time since she had spoken to Atticus. Purely because she wasn’t in the mood to tend to her emotional issues. She knew that Atticus would overreact. Now though, she was ready to talk. By now Atticus would be ready to go back to normal. Harper knocked one more time, before attempting to jiggle the handle. The door then popped open. It hadn’t been locked. She hadn’t even needed to use her spare key…

“What the…?”

Harper glanced both ways before quietly pushing herself into the young woman's apartment.

“Where are you?” Harper called out, as she glanced around. She was unpleasantly surprised by the mess that had been left. There was garbage everywhere, and there was an awful stench.

“Atticus!?”

Harper then made her way to the bathroom, seeing that the light was on.

“Why the fuck have you been ignoring my calls? Do you want me to-….” Harper’s angered tone vanished as she saw the scene in front of her. There was blood everywhere, pills were scattered, and in the middle of it all was Atticus’ limp body. Harper, with her heart beating so unbelievably fast, crept up to her. Her red eyes were lifeless, and open. Her skin was pale, Her mouth had frothed clearly, Her nightgown was stained an horrid reddish-brown color, and her arms… they were absolutely destroyed. Harper had seen her scars, and seen the scabs that lined her arms, but she never said anything about them. It was never her concern. Maybe it should have… 

She took a frightened step back. She felt like she was going to vomit. Atticus… Harper wasn’t known to panic, but right now she was panicking. She hated people, loved playing with them like toys, but seeing them dead in front of her, seeing the aftermath of a violent suicide. No. That was the last thing she needed or wanted.

She stepped back further as she fumbled to get her phone back into her hands. She dialed a number.

“Harper? What’s up?”

“Atticus… she…”

“Huh?”

“She…”

“Bitch, just spit it out already! What about her?”

“She’s dead.”

Chapter Text

Chapter Forty Three

-

A barren sense of chill froze itself within the canine’s bones. His skin felt raw. Every ounce of his body held an ache, not just from the suffering the feline made him endure, but because of the hard, freezing floor, and the constant shivering his body produced.

It had to be dead in winter now. There was no other reason as to why it was so unbelievably cold. Huh… It was weird. Hadn’t it been summer? How long had it truly been? Alfred had to admit, he was sure he forgot about a lot of the days that went by recently. At this point, all his mind could recall of the past few months were just, hitting, cutting, and affection. All in order. Alfred had a feeling that his memory issues also stemmed from another issue… the drugs…

Ever since that one day he had been drugged up by the feline, there hadn’t been one moment that his brain was completely clear. He’d either be incoherent and blacking out every few minutes, almost fully aware, yet not able to move or speak, or just thinking though a cotton-like brain, one that refused to let him think too complexly. None of these feelings felt good… Right now Alfred could guess that he was the last option.

Mystery reoriented himself from his laying spot on the floor, yawning quietly. Why were they on the floor again?… he couldn’t remember.

“Alfie….”

Alfred hummed in acknowledgement. He learned how to. Somehow the canine could sense that Mystery was smiling at that. Alfred could relax a little. Only a little though. Mystery then in response shifted his body a little, until he was even more tightly pressed against the canine’s now bruised back. 

“Wanna hear something neat?” the feline seemed to whisper playfully.

Alfred automatically nodded, making another affirming noise.

“I can’t feel cold…” Mystery then giggled as if he had just released a devious secret. “I’m practically dead, aren’t I?”

He couldn’t… feel cold? Did that mean he also couldn’t feel hot either? Was that?… was that why he never commented on the temperature? Odd…

“That’s… weird..” Alfred found himself muttering out.

“Hm.. you think so?” Mystery softly nudged the back of Alfred’s head with his forehead, seemingly in another playful manner. Mystery must be in a good mood today… he wasn’t before. Just a few hours ago, when he first reentered his room after being gone for some time- much to Alfred’s relief, and oddly… disrelief?… anyway- Mystery had come back looking very angry, and restless, muttering to himself- looking anxious even. Alfred in that initial moment feared the worst, and practically expected to be hit, but he had just been met with an overly clingy feline, scratching and grabbing at him as if he was the only one who could console him despite being largely incapacitated. Clearly his mood since then had improved. Alfred felt a tingle of something uncomfortable in his mind, as if a part of him was trying to think or feel of something, but not being able to. 

Mystery hummed through Alfred’s long, ramble-like thoughts.

“Al?”

“Yes?”

“Do you think you will become dead like me soon?”

Why would he ask something like that?… he wasn’t really dead though… right?

“I don’t know…”

“Hmmm…. It would be so interesting, wouldn’t it?…”

“Mm” Alfred groggily replied.

“What if you died and became immortal like me? Wouldn’t that just be splendid?”

The canine blinked slowly. Immortal… What did that even mean in this case?… immortal and dead?.. Was that what Mystery was?

“Think about it, you’d be with me forever!” Mystery purred happily. “Wouldn’t you want that?”

Alfred didn’t know. In a better state of mind maybe he would, But right now all his mind was focused on was the concept of Mystery being dead. Droplets of scattered memory could make him vaguely recall a distant moment in which his former friend had been killed, or at least had been thought to be. Maybe Mystery was dead after all? If so… why-... why wasn't he in the afterlife? Why was he immortal?- God! His head hurt just thinking about it.

“Im sure you would! Why wouldn't you?” Mystery chortled before going silent again. The quietness quickly grew grating, but Alfred didn’t say a word about it. His opinion didn’t really matter anyway, did it?

Soon enough, as the silence stretched, Alfred's dulled mind began to drift away. Slow, non-coherent thoughts pushed in and out of his brain without resistance. He was used to that feeling now…

Alfred's eyes then widened as he then heard the sound of sniffing coming behind him. He then felt as the feline pressed his face seemingly into the knotted, dirty mess that was his hair. A full shiver went through the canine’s body. He wanted to ask why he was doing that, but the sluggish fear inside him kept him quiet.

“Mmm, Al?”

“Yes?” Alfred replied, voice slightly shaking. 

“When you first got here, you smelled like tree bark… like a forest. Did you know that?” Mystery hummed.

Did he?... huh?... that made no sense unless- wait-

“You don’t smell like that anymore. You don’t smell like that at all.”

Alfred within that moment, felt a quiver of a memory- a hazy, almost colorless memory clicked into his head. Mystery was talking about his shampoo and body wash, wasn't he? A blurred image surfaced of the body wash container colored a light green with a painted design in the center appearing like a brown-tinted forest. Alfred could vaguely recall its light scent…

Alfred wasn’t sure how he managed to remember something with significance such as that… Wow… how long had it been exactly? Months clearly, given the extreme cold, but was it December? Was it January of the new year? Was it not even winter to begin with? He tried to figure it out, but all he got were flashes of hurt, screams, and static. At some point during his internal battle a part in Alfred’s mind began to wonder if he had always been here in this facility. Had he always been with Mystery?…

“Alfie?”

Alfred blinked. What was going on again?

“Huh?...” the canine let out a soft, almost unaudable mumble. Mystery was quiet for a moment, allowing Alfred to try and recollect his uncollectable thoughts. Then Mystery spoke again, softer now.

“Wow… You really are dumb, aren't you?~”

Alfred only blinked again. Was he dumb? He instinctively responded.

“I don't know.”

Mystery chuckled softly, as if amused by his answer.

“You are, but that's okay. I like you better this way.”

Alfred didn’t know if he should feel flattered or hurt. God, he didn’t understand. Didn’t he understand more earlier today?

“Besides that~ you want to know how you really smell like now? Hmmm?~”

What was with him and scent? Alfred couldn’t help but dazely wonder that. Alfred nodded.

“Yes.”

“You smell like blood. Like garbage, but mostly blood.”

Blood. The word sent little flickers of memory dazzling in his mind. He didn’t like blood. He most certainly didn’t want to smell like it. He didn’t say anything about it though.

“Oh.” Alfred puffed out.

It was then quiet.

Within the now sudden quietness, Alfred found that his hand had drifted towards his other- towards his other hand's fingers. His hands always had a dull ache, almost as if something horrible had happened to them. Ugh. It was hard to remember… what Alfred did next somehow surprised him. He started to pick at the fur and flesh near his nails. He hardly realized quite what he was doing until he felt sharp prickles of pain spark through his fingers. He didn’t stop though. This pain… it was tolerable, it distracted him. It made his mind more distant- more so than he already was. He could hardly register the sting anymore, just the tug. Mystery at some point seemed to notice, but he didn’t comment, he just hummed. Maybe he was enjoying it. So he picked and picked and picked and picked. He picked until his last aware breath- right until he went unconscious for what seemed like the thousandth time.

————————————

“Alfie.”

Alfred hummed numbly in acknowledgement.

“Can you hear my heart, Alfie?”

Right then, Alfred’s head was curly placed against the feline's chest, while Mystery’s arms held him tight in front of him. Alfred tried to listen, but it was hard. His ears rang all the time now, plus it took all the strength in his body to even focus on anything but his own delirious feelings.

Alfred nodded almost unnoticeably. Mystery seemed to have felt it though as he sighed calmly. Huh… If Mystery had been dead before, why did he still have a beating heart?… 

“Let me hear yours.”

Mystery ripped Alfred up from his position and roughly pushed the frail canine onto his back. Alfred yelped at the sensation of his head smacking the floor, but said nothing else as Mystery pushed his head against Alfred’s chest harshly. Mystery seemed to lessen his aggressive force once he got Alfred right where he wanted him, now humming pleasedly.

“It’s beating so fast….” Mystery said breathily. “Are you frightened of me? Or just excited?”

Alfred didn’t know the answer to that question. He couldn’t find a way to answer. Mystery was too preoccupied with the sound of the canine’s heartbeat to care. Alfred opened his eyes then- he hadn’t realized they were closed- and looked down to where Mystery rested against him. He stared. He wasn’t sure why he did, but he did. He didn’t know what else he could do right then.

“Hey Al, wouldn’t it be nice if I cut open your chest and pulled your heart out?- All the blood pouring out… how soft it would feel…”

Alfred tried to picture it, but the image of Mystery’s desires made his stomach hurt.

“I know you’d like it too.”

Would he like it?…

“You would.”

He supposed he would then.

————————————

Mystery pressed Alfred’s face against the cold, hard wall harshly, hissing angrily. Alfred was silent even as dehydrated body forced tears out of his eyes.

“Always testing my patience. Always making me work!” The feline gritted his teeth as he pushed even harder. His hands grip digging painfully into the canine’s already sensitive skull. “Why can’t you ever be grateful!? Why do I have to remind you to do the simplest things!?”

Alfred only let out the tiniest whimper.

“Say thank you! Say it! I deserve to hear it!” The killer snarled as he pulled Alfred’s head back violently. “I’m doing all of this for you! Everything! And yet you still can’t thank me! You're so selfish!”

Mystery then slammed Alfred’s head back into the wall. Alfred felt a yelp fly out of his mouth before I was cut off by Mystery repeating the same motion as before and jerking his head back. Alfred felt a hot, warm and sticky substance dripping down his forehead, trickling down his face, into his eyes- mixing with his tears- and into his mouth, oozingily. Blood tasted metallic- held a tang.

“Thank you…” Alfred gurgled out.

“Again.”

“Thank you.” He was twitching violently now.

Mystery’s grip on Alfred tightened.

“Say it like you mean it, mutt.”

“Thank you, Mystery.” Alfred hiccupped, voice now shaking and wavering full of drugged terror. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

The phrase didn’t even sound like real words anymore.

“Thank you, thank you.”

Mystery dropped Alfred’s head and watched as it smacked the floor with a loud thump. Mystery grunted. Was he finally appeased? Alfred wasn’t sure, but he was sure that he didn’t stop thanking him. He thanked him even as his blood dripped onto the floor. He thanked him even as he shook uncontrollably, even as he cried, even as Mystery kicked him in the stomach afterwards, even as the feline left the room, slamming the door behind him. Even when Mystery was gone, he kept thanking him. It was the only thing he knew how to do.

————————————

“Shhhh shhhhh…” Mystery’s spoke, his now suddenly soft voice echoed through the room. The feline’s hand was currently stroking the top of Alfred’s head in a soothing manner. All while the canine’s head was resting on Mystery’s lap. “It’s okay, I forgive you…”

Alfred shuttered weakly with each stroke upon his scalp. He was forgiven? He was? He could hardly remember what he did wrong…

“You know I didn't want to hurt you… this is just what happens when you don't listen… you know this.” Mystery's soft voice continued on, his tone now reminiscent of a parent scolding a child. Alfred felt like a child right then… “and you were doing so well too!…”

The canine felt a twisting in his gut, as he continued to cry. Bad… he was bad… this was gross, but he was too far gone by this point to care, all he cared about was that he had apparently- no clearly did something wrong…

“You should have known to thank me. After all, I thought you were finally starting to appreciate all I have been doing for you…” Mystery then paused from stroking, and then abruptly proceeded to pull Alfred off his lap,and forced his glazed over- orange-eyed, teary gaze on his own-hetrocromatic ones. “Right?”

Alfred nodded weakly.

“Yeah!”Mystery nodded encouragingly. “That’s why you have to do better from now on. Good friends thank each other, right?”

Alfred nodded again.

“Words.” Mystery’s vocie lowered just a bit, as a warning.

“Yes, Mystery…” Alfred’s words slid off his tongue without much assistance. Mystery grinned happily, pleased by this.

Alfred was pathetic. Even with his mind not working, he knew this. He knew that he knew from the shame that lightly swuirled in his gut, the flickers of grossness he felt, the feeling- the aching- to not be hurt again. The affection that this monster gave him he once opposed… Like this… he accepted it. He didn't have any other choice.

Mystery then suddenly wrapped the canine in another embrace. Alfred instinctively reciprocated, and practically clung onto him. He had nothing else. Mystery was all he had.

“I’m sorry…” Alfred mumbled.

“I know you are.”

————————————

Alfred wanted to vomit. For the first time in what seemed like a year. he could think straight. There wasn't a wall blocking his senses anymore. Mystery wasn't with him today. That was the only reason he wasn't deep in delirious unawareness. It was dumb, but he missed the unawareness. He missed it so much. Only because it kept his mind from formulating images of dead bodies, and bloodcurdling screaming. It also prevented him from thinking about the fact that he couldn't remember parts of his own past, not anymore. When he tried to remember something simple as the family he apparently had, all he saw was fuzzy, distorted images and feelings. He couldn't recall something so simple as why he was locked in this room, why his head hurt or why he was so hungry. He couldn't fathom it, and it terrified him. Why couldn't he remember?!

He tore at his hair, now silently screaming at himself, tossing and turning on the floor. All his mind permitted him to know was that he was a killer, and that Mystery was bad, but also good somehow- that he was hurt by him, but also kept alive. He knew he might have had a life outside from here. He knew he had been drugged at some point. He knew that horrible things had happened to him by Mystery, and he knew for sure was that things were different before. Everything else was missing or so blurry he couldn't grasp it.

He hated this. He wanted to bust his head open. Nothing was making sense. His stomach twisted and tightened over and over. He didn't know what to believe, he didn't know if everything he knew was a lie. Murderer murderer! Just like Mystery, a murderer! His brain taunted him for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. Clearly those words were true if he could remember killing somebody.

Floods of thoughts assaulted him. tiny, awful flashbacks stabbed his brain. Distorted words of the murderous feline echoed in his head like a unwilling mantra. Alfred wanted it to stop. He’d do anything to stop thinking. He wanted it to all end.

Alfred, if he had any strength in his muscle atrophied arms, would have hit the floor over and over, but all he could do though was cry and scream silently, ripping at his face and his arms, melting down like a child. Why had he allowed this to happen to him?! Why did he feel so out of control?! Why?! Why!? Fucking god! He choked on his own air he breathed. More flashbacks crept though. Two children, A ram's dangling eyes, the screams, Mystery yelling, pain. Everything blurred together. He couldn't tell what was reality or imagination. The drugs did more than just obscure his mind in brain fog. It messed with his own memories. He couldn't anything anymore, could he?

Did he even have a wife? Wait, could he even remember her name? He clawed at his throat as more panic seized him. Please no, was his family real!? Was he wrong about Mystery?! Was anything real? He couldn't get a hold of himself. He wished he could, something told him that he used to be able to. God no no no! He wanted out, but what if there was nothing beyond?

He didn't know what possessed him. He shot up on his aching, cracking feet, ignoring his weak, trembling, hurting body, as well as ignoring how his face pulsed with pain from the beating that might have happened either a day ago or a month ago, as he suddenly ran at the door and slammed into it.

“LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT!”

Alfred slammed his head over and over against the door, hoping that the impact would break the wood. All it did was make him panic more and cry out more.

“MYSTERY! PLEASE LET ME GO LET ME GO!”

Alfred felt Crazy. Maybe he was crazy!? Was this a withdraw? Was he withdrawing!? The cainine backed from the door, eyes twitching left and right. His hands then shot up to his metal ears and started tugging and ripping at them. Pain, pain, pain. Why was he doing this? He didn't know. He truthfully didn't know. He couldn't think. All he could do was try to tear himself apart. None of this was rational. Anybody could look at him and think he was overreacting, right?

He wanted to remember. he wanted to forget.

The pain- the hyperventilation was too much. He passed out.

————————————

He deserved this. He deserved to be here. Mystery was right about him. Alfred thought about this in great, non-drugged detail as Mystery sat next to him. Mystery in both his memory and in the real world constantly reminded him of being a monster, of being deserving of the pain, and now he was certain to believe it. Mystery was the only consistent thing left in his world…

After what happened likely yesterday, all he could focus on was how much of a pathetic, dumb thing he had become. How dependent he was on the feline, and how much of a bad person he was. He had nothing in his memory to disprove it. He was awful. He deserved this.

Alfred was jolted from his thoughts as Mystery leaned his head against Alfred’s shoulder. It hurt. It really hurt.

“Al… i’ve been thinking…” Mystery paused to yawn, as if he was tired. “Wouldn't it be nice if you had eyes like mine?”

“Eyes?…” Alfred asked dumbly, his voice quiet as if he feared speaking too loudly would upset the older male.

“Yeah…” The purple feline pulled away from Alfred’s shoulder, to the canine’s mild relief, and turned to softly grab the side of Alfred’s face and turned it towards him. The action startled him, but he didn't say anything, he didn’t stop him. Mystery took the time to use his thumb to oddly rub near the corner of his left eye, as if mesmerized by it.

After that, Mystery said nothing more. He pulled away again, as if he hadn't said a word and proceeded to nuzzle himself against the canine once more. Alfred stared at the wall in front of him, trying in vain to understand what Mystery had meant, and what he had just been doing. He didn't understand, yet nowadays he hardly understood a thing.

Oddly then, Mystery stretched and stood up from his position on the ground. Alfred watched in surprise. No, he didn't want to be left alone again, Where was he-

“Don’t worry, Alfie! I’ll be back soon! I’m just getting restless~ be a good boy and wait for me!” Mystery didn't wait for a response as he then swiftly walked towards the door, closed it tight and left. Why had Mystery left? Why in such a hurry? Alfred bit his lip.

He hated being alone now. He knew this. While he didn't like being near Mystery, being alone made his skin crawl, made him on the verge of tears as he heard voices and saw the visions of the dead children that consistently haunted his memories. He looked away, cringing miserably.

He was gross for wanting Mystery to come back.

Alfred whimpered, and curled up into himself pathetically. He wanted to leave. He wanted his maybe-real family, he wanted his real friend. He paused. Real friend. It was at the tip of his tongue. He was missing something. His eyes widened, as something in his brain snapped into place.

Kao.

Where was Kao?

Why hadn't he heard from him in so long?

He was remembering things now. As if Kao was the key.

Is he alive?

God. Something else snapped into place.

The memories of entering the facility flooded his mind.

everything within that moment snapped into place. His past, yet still blurry and unfocused. It was still there, and clearing up more with every moment.

Kao.

Mystery.

Something nasty in his gut told him that something was wrong. He hadn't seen or heard from Kao in a long moment, he wasn't even mentioned once by Mystery either. Where was he? Was he safe? What was happening to his friend? Another question popped in his head. Was Mystery leaving connected to Kao? No… he sometimes left the building, but… his nerves said that this time wasn't the same. He left too quickly, too abruptly. Restless, he had said… Alfred suddenly wasn't sure why, but he felt clearer than he ever felt. Something changed. It was caused by fear. Something was wrong. Something had been very wrong from the start.

“Kao?…”

Chapter Text

Chapter Forty four

-

Kao knew Mystery was done with him by the way he grabbed his clothes and left the room in a storm. He knew it by the way the door locked shut with a nauseating click. He knew by the way Mystery’s loud, unrestrained footsteps receded, and by the way the magical restraints left his wrists and whatever limbs the feline wanted to restrict for that day- and dissolved. It was in those brief moments that the ram would be able to breathe a sigh of relief.

Since the map incident happened, the rate, length and severity of each session had increased significantly. Mystery hit him more. Mystery yelled at him more- forced him to endure more. It happened nearly everyday now, and He was always now left bleeding from some part of his body.

Oddly, what Mystery was trying to do was break him- he knew that for a fact, but it wasn't breaking him, none of it was. The only thing broken was his body, but his mind?… not even close. If anything, he felt more raw determination than he had ever felt. It was also in these moments that he learned to embrace the hate and anger. Understanding and acceptance was no longer allowed here.

Kao also fought more. Even though Mystery made him suffer more for resisting, he just kept kicking, biting, screaming. Kept using his weak, yet painful power against him. He’d feel triumph when he'd cause Mystery trouble, when his kicks and shocks caused him pain. He held a enjoyment of making Mystery struggle. He wasn’t sure why he hadn’t started being this big of a nuisance before. Sure, it made things worse for him, but it felt good to fight, it felt worth it, so he just kept doing it.

But now he could rest. He could breathe. He could let himself cry for a minute before returning back to a sense of equilibrium. These initial moments of the reprieve were the finest. He didn’t have to worry about his next steps, or anything else. Only himself. Just himself. Everything else would wait for him.

Then when those moments past, the other part of himself came out. The one that would now make himself slowly, achingly stand up, and start thinking hard and serious again. The part that would still make him practice what he had learned because deep down, even though he kept failing- he knew his gift would help him in the end.

It wasn’t just Alfred that kept him going now. It was the odd, new sense of spite too. He wanted to prove Mystery wrong, to prove he was more than what he was used for- More than weak and defenseless. He wanted to be stronger than the sorrow and hopelessness that was increasingly trying to worm in his brain. He wasn’t going to let people- Mystery, decide what he was capable of.

Kao now in this moment took in a deep breath, feeling the air push into his lungs. He stretched the aching parts of his body. He located his clothes, and with care, put them on. Kao took a few minutes to pace around the room to help wake up his pickling legs. Finally, Kao looked towards the door and began to think, just like always.

What Kao thought about was subjective, but it was always important. Some thoughts were about him and Alfred finally being free, of them finally being able to see their family. Some thoughts were more realistic, about the limited ways they could escape, how they'd distract Mystery, if they could…

Kao would always find some issue with each little plot he formulated, each idea. Only one person could come out of it truly unscathed. It was always one of them who failed to survive. Always something that made his imaginary plan fall apart. Nothing could possibly work with both of their lives still intact. At least… according to his mind. Any grain of hope that he felt for escape was fading, and fading fast.

But it wasn't hope in of itself that was dying, it was mostly, and truly hope for himself that was was melting away- melting in acceptance towards one particular fact he found himself drifting towards more and more.

He wasn’t coming out of this alive, was he?

Yes, that was what he always found himself wondering. It wasn’t an unwarranted thought. Mystery was violent, cruel and inconsolable. If he had it his way, neither would see the light of day. He had successfully done so. Both Alfred and Kao had been trapped for almost a year now, and they were still not even close to finding a way to escape.

Kao in these moments realized that the only way that anybody could escape was only if there was someone to truly distract the feline… for however long it took. In their situation, only one could possibly make it out of the fray. Kao knew that he wasn’t going to let Alfred take that spot- that risk. No. Kao knew it was up to him. After all, it was Kao’s foolish mistake that landed them all here in the first place. One tiny weak moment that had pushed them to this hellhole. It was his fault, and his only.

He wasn’t getting out of this. He now had accepted it. He now knew that the only way for Alfred to be safe, to survive, to return to his family, was if someone- namely Kao, was the one to risk it all, and save them. Nobody else was coming.

Alfred deserved to live.

Kao felt his mind drift to the thought to Howaito. He knew by some compacity that his brother would miss him, as would Yuki, Shai, and absolutely Alfred, but he knew that they would soon move on. After all, grieving isn’t forever. He would know. He hadn’t thought about his parents in years. Thinking about it now though did rise negative feelings. No. He couldn't be swayed.

Alfred needed this. Alfred had a wife, a kid, and has many opportunities in life he has yet to explore. He deserves to live. Kao inhaled a breath of air as he turned over his thoughts in his head. Yes. Alfred should live. If Kao managed to survive everything Mystery threw at him- it would be a bonus, but if not… The ram felt his stomach tighten…

Kao made himself walk over to the closed door. He felt prickles of pain along his back, legs and arms, felt as his muscles screamed at him with every inch he moved. He stared at the door as if it was his enemy- Perhaps it was. He then placed a hand on the doorknob and twisted it. Still locked. Kao felt no worry. He knew what to do now. He practicd for this, this very moment. He then sucked in another large breath as his grip on the knob intensified. He allowed himself to focus on his determination and anger, and with a strong push- the door was shot with a electric shock. It was strong enough that the door seemed to shake. His goal wasn't to blast the door into smithereens, no. It was to unlock it. Simple as that. As he expected, it worked. The door clicked in a broken sort of way as the entrance opened just a tab. After shaking his hand off, ge took a step forward. He listened closely. Kao knew by the sound of his footsteps if Mystery was around. He could tell- he could feel his presence now. It wasn’t something he ever thought was possible before. It was quite likely to ve one of his now awakened immortal gifts…

After popping the door the rest of the way, Kao looked from left to right before pushing himself to start walking. He needed to find Alfred. He had to say one last thing to him. He didn’t know when he'd have a chance. He could only hope that Mystery had left the building. He didn't want to deal with the feline again today. Don’t worry, Al. I will fix this. I will fix all of this.

————————————

Kao fluttered past the kitchen as he gazed one last time at his surroundings. He was moving out today. It was all thanks to Alfred and his family…

His eyes fluttered from one object to another, tenderly attaching fond memories to each one. The tea keddle… it was the same one Yuki had used while she discussed her work at the café with him for the first time. He had listened intently as she had waited by the stovetop for the sound of a shrill whistle to interrupt her. It was the same moment that taught him how to make coffee of his own, not that he'd make coffee for himself truthfully. Howaito would be the one to indulge in that kind of bitter delicacy.

The island countertop held memories of the family through each meal, how Shia would babble on and on to himself as he learned more and more words, how Shai would banter with Howaito and her father, Alfred, playfully and warmheartedly. Kao would sit with everyone, eating the most filling meal he could ever desire, feeling a sense of comfort that he hadn’t had since the days with his mother and father before they passed tragically. Kao refused to think about them now, he had Alfred and his family. That was all he needed…

There were other memories within this house, some were the exciting kind, like the living room which held those moments of joy as he watched his first ever movie with Alfred and Yuki, Shia's room where he watched the kid play with his toys, and even surprisingly got pulled in the game itself. Some memories were More quieter, yet nonetheless wonderful, such as the day when he had been in the bathroom where Yuki gave him his first haircut or when he would wake up to a plate of freshly cooked breakfast next to his makeshift bed. Even the outdoors held nice memories. Kao always spent extra time with Alfred in the sun, talking or just sitting in silence. All those moments were special to him…

Now it was all reaching an conclusion. He was finally going back into the world again. He’d soon depart from this kindly home and into a new chapter of his life. While he was joyous, he still felt a sense of somberness. He was going to miss this… would he ever see them all again? Would they even want to? He knew it was foolish to ask himself such saddening questions, especially since Alfred nor his family ever shown anything that could ever suggest total abandonment. He still couldn't help it. He knew there wasn’t many people who could be patient and kind like them without expecting something hefty in return. He was secretly waiting for the catch- the price- for the kindness he was bestowed.

Kao sighed before turning towards the door that lead to the outside world. Could he do this? Was he able to be an adult? He didn’t get much of a chance to learn…

“Hey kiddo!”

Kao jolted in the air in suprise, nearly colliding comedically against the ceiling above him. He jerked his head behind him and saw Yuki smiling up at him fondly. Kao embarrassedly fluttered back to the ground, clearing his throat a little.

“Hey… sorry about that, ya startled me.”

“It’s okay! I shouldn't have crept up behind you anyway.” Yuki replied swiftly and calmly. Her arms were behind her back in a endearing sort of manner. “Are you doing alright?”

Kao hesitated for just a moment before responding.

“Yeah! I’m doing fine… just, looking around a bit.”

Yuki nodded, seeming to look sympathetic.

“Yeah? Are you thinking about the move?”

How Yuki could perfectly guess his worries was beyond him. Maybe it was obvious from the start. He wasn't exactly the best at hiding things…

“A little… i’m just gonna miss it here, is all.” Kao replied softly, now starting to look away from Yuki’s gaze. “I enjoyed being able to be apart of your home.”

“I understand. It makes me happy that you are comfortable here, but don’t think that just because you move out that we cannot stay in touch.”

Kao lifted his gaze back towards Yuki in suprise.

“Wait, really?”

Yuki nodded genuinely.

“Of course! You are apart of our lives now, and you are special to us, especially Alfred.”

Kao couldn't help but feel warmed at the thought of being so appreciated so wholeheartedly. He hardly done a thing to deserve it. He still received it nonetheless. It was… so nice…

“Speaking of which, I do have something for you.” Yuki chirped as she then moved her arms from behind her back and pulled out a smallish, white, plastic bag. Kao looked at it curiously as she handed it to him. Yuki nodded at him, signaling he could open it. So carefully, Kao plopped the bag down on the floor, and opened the top. The ram felt a sense of building excitement as he dug past the white wrapping paper and pulled out a article of clothing. Kao’s eyes widened at the sight. It was… a hoodie. Not just any hoodie. It was a pastel brown hoodie with two darker strips of brown on each sleeve. It was absolutely beautiful.

“I wasn't able to get any accurate measurements for you, but I made do with what I already knew. If it doesn't fit, let me know, and i’ll try again.” Yuki hummed softly, smiling even moreso than when she was at the start. Kao in response to all of this felt himself get choked up. He, of course, tried not to shed any tears, as he would never be able to live it down if he cried in front of Yuki. His voice couldn't hide his emotional state though.

“I-It’s… so beautiful… I cannot believe… thank you!”

Yuki giggled.

“Of course, you deserve nice things. It was about time you had something to keep of your own.”

Kao understood what she meant. For the entire time he had lived with them, he had only wore the clothes that were given to him by Alfred, Yuki, and some of the old hand me downs that Shai had offered him. (Shai’s clothes- only because of his shorter stature). None of the clothes he wore were genuinely his to have, but things had changed. This hoodie… it was his! It was only his to wear. Nobody else had worn it.

“Thank ya…” Kao repeated again, his voice now practically a whisper, his voice now taking on a heavier accent from the emotions that now engulfed his being. This was the best gift ever.

“Please feel free to visit, okay? Our house will always be open to you, no matter what.” Yuki then said warmly, still seeming to watch fondly as Kao admired his gift.

Kao nodded, pulling the hoodie tight against his chest, His entire being full of gratitude.

“I will… i promise.”

Yuki giggled softly, clearly pleased by the ram’s response.

“Good! Now how about i make you and your brother a nice meal before you both head out?”

Kao laughed softly with emotion, completely and truly overwhelmed by every drop of appreciation, and care these people have given to him. There was no way in any, shape, or form, that he'd ever take it for granted.

“I'd like that.”

-

Updated refs for other characters here:

(Feel free to seek my other art on bluesky if you enjoy it!)

Chapter Text

In The Past (Part 5)

1996

-

Alfred and Jeremy sat close to one another. Both silent. Only the sounds of the birds and the wind occupied the space. Jeremy wasn't reading today. He hadn't read anything in a while. Alfred wasn't talking much, just sitting with unease. In fact, over time it seemed as if Alfred was growing more and more quiet, more tense, more nervous…. more unhappy. Jeremy couldn't do anything about it. All he could do is keep Alfred from leaving.

Leaving. Yes. Jeremy found himself forcing- no, convincing the canine to stay with him longer, Sometimes past 7pm. He wanted to keep him close for longer. Maybe 9pm? Longer? Alfred always hesitated, always protested, using his parents as an excuse to leave. Jeremy though, wasn't going to let his neglectful parents pull them away anymore. So he kept pushing- Kept using words that he knew would make Alfred stay.

“I’ll be all alone…”

“Do you hate me that much?”

“If you cared, you would stay.”

“You are a awful person if you do this…”

“What if something bad happens to me?”

Jeremy knew it was wrong. He knew he shouldn't do what he was doing. His books, they taught him what was right and wrong. The villains, they always did these things to the innocent protagonists. He knew better. He couldn't help it. He couldn't bare it. He wasn't the villain. He was just doing what was best for his friend. He was just trying to protect himself…

Besides, it worked. Alfred always stayed longer. Always gave in. Jeremy always felt a rush of relief… Of course, in the end, his actions always led to a consequence. Alfred wasn't comfortable anymore. In fact. He looked like he was growing… well… dim. Was that the right word? Well it was close. Alfred didn't jump next to him anymore, didn't squeal when they played games. Just silence… Just… scary… silence…

It was for the best though, right?…

It was better than what home was like now…

Things… things had changed with his father. He couldn't understand what, but he changed. He yelled more, burned him more, and he started pacing, and muttering, and jumping at the slightest of sounds. He had stopped going to work. Arthur had even stopped making food. Jeremy was scared before, but this was worse.

Arthur had started locking the doors from the inside, trying to keep the young feline locked away. It would take so long to escape. He’d always be caught as he found ways to leave, and he'd be beaten even more. Jeremy at least would be able to run to the meadow to escape for the day… at least for those moments he could be free of hours-long suffering… But once the day was over though… he would have to go back home, where Arthur waited for him…

As these days went on with Arthur’s changing behavior, Jeremy’s skin would begin to ache and sting more often. His appearance, was less than wonderful now. The scrunchie he had used to pull his hair up in his usual neat ponytail was gone, leaving his hair wild and free, and… ugly. His usual outfit was torn and stained, all of his outfits were… Jeremy these days started acknowledging the scars he now held from the burns, and the wounds his father had inflicted on him over the years. Jeremy stopped studying. All of this was because of Arthur. Arthur had changed. Something changed. He wasn't this bad before. He hadn’t been…. 

————————————

Jeremy watched anxiously as Arthur paced in front of the kitchen, muttering incoherent words. The young feline had just snuck home after being with Alfred, he… he thought Arthur would be sleeping by now…

Arthur snapped his wild eyes on his son. He was twitching in a awful sort of manner. His knuckles shifted. His tail lashed.

“You are spying on me for him, aren't you?” Arthur growled at him.

“W-What?” Jeremy stepped back. Who was ‘he'? Why was his father looking at him like that.

“You are… and you thought I wouldn't catch on, did you?” Arthur started stalking close to Jeremy. Jeremy kept trying to move away, heart pounding in his ears. “Or maybe you just want to look at me and laugh- going tell your leader you have been running off too about everything, hm?”

“N-no, d-dad- I-”

Arthur lunged at him, grabbing at his hair, as Jeremy tried to run away. Arthur's grip was rough and painful as he pulled the younger feline’s face closer to his own. Jeremy openly whimpered in fear.

“I’m not going to let you or that bastard take this all away from me, you hear, brat?” Arthur snarled before grunting and yanking Jeremy’s head towards a nearby wall to slam it.

Jeremy lost consciousness.

————————————

Going home for this reason scared him; More than it used to. Being alone… scared him. He couldn't bare the silence. Alfred started to consume his thoughts more and more. It was as if the world kept reminding him of Alfred….

Alfred was his solace. Alfred was all he got. Alfred was the only one who could understand. Alfred never hit him, never yelled. Alfred was kind, perfect. Alfred was his. He needed to protect him. He needed to.

“Jeremy?…”

Jeremy pricked up, and looked eagerly towards the quiet canine.

“Yes?”

“I think… I think I need to go home early this time… for real.”

Jeremy froze. His eyes widening. His body began making almost invisible tremors. He always felt this way when Alfred threatened to leave.

“Early?” Jeremy unknowingly moved closer. “Why early?”

“I just… I can’t keep doing this anymore. I can’t…”

“Yes you can!” Jeremy protested, his voice pitching up erratically.

“No! I can’t… My parents- school- I am falling behind!” Alfred replied with just as much urgency. He was starting to stand up. He was trying to leave.

“Forget about them!” Jeremy then snapped out, shaking his head rapidly. He was still getting closer. “Everyone is just messing with you! They are trying to ruin our lives! Don’t you see? This is what they want!” Jeremy started spewing out.

“J-Jeremy…?”

Alfred had now slowly grabbed his backpack and began to move away quicker. Was he frightening him?! No. No! He can't leave! He can't! He couldn’t be left alone again.

Jeremy jumped onto his feet and lunged at the canine, grabbing a hold of his arm tightly. He could feel his nails digging deep into the boy's skin.

“YOU CAN’T LEAVE!”

“Jeremy!” Alfred yelped in pain, trying to pull away. There was fear in his eyes.

“YOU CAN’T LEAVE ME HERE ALONE! NOT AGAIN! PLEASE!”

“L-Let go! Stop! Your scaring me!” Alfred then screamed out, tears welling in his eyes. Jeremy couldn't stop. He didn’t know how. Jeremy fell onto his bruised knees, still gripping hard onto Alfred like a lifeline.

“Your parents are monsters! They are trying to tear us apart! Don't leave!” Jeremy pleaded. “Let's just run away together! Nobody would ever find us- and- and we would be happy! Nobody could ever hurt you again!”

“R-Run away!?”

“Y-Yes! Please! let’s go together!”

Alfred’s stared back at him, tears still sliding down his cheek. He had never seen him look so horrified before. His grip tightened on the fragile cainine's arm more to the point where he started to draw blood. He could feel the warm, oozing liquid on his fingers.

“JEREMY! YOUR H-HURTING M-ME!” Alfred tugged harder and harder in a panic, now a hyperventilating mess. It was almost like that one day the feline had yelled at him. It was the same fear, now it had returned… Alfred was… scared of him. Of him… him… Jeremy suddenly released Alfred, causing the younger boy to stumble back and grab at him arm in pain. He never realized how strong he was compared to Alfred…

“I’m sorry…” Jeremy’s numb voice echoed out into the world. He was trembling, still kneeling. His mind was racing. He didn't know what to do. Alfred wasn't staying. He was leaving for real. He didn't know how to stop him now. “Alfred… please…”

Alfred, still trembling and sobbing continued to retreat towards the direction of his house. His gaze full of terror and shock. He didn't say a single word. His arm… it looked bad. He hadn't noticed how hard he was gripping him.

“Alfred, please… My dad is going to kill me. Please don’t let me die…” Jeremy shuttered, as he begged in murmurs. “I didn't mean to, you know that, right?…”

Alfred took another step back.

“Please don't hate me….”

Jeremy watched as Alfred kept creeping away. He wasn't slowing down. There wasn't any hesitation. He was losing him. Jeremy felt as if he was choking to death.

“Please tell me you don’t hate me.”

Nothing.

“TELL ME! GODDAMN IT!”

Alfred flinched sharply, recoiling away from the devastated feline. That seemed to be the last straw as Alfred took off, running fast with his backpack…

“ALFRED!” Jeremy screamed, trying to stand up and run after him. “ALFRED PLEASE! I’M SORRY I’M SORRY! DON’T LEAVE!” Jeremy could never run fast, not even in his younger youth, so his running was in vain. Alfred disappeared. Jeremy felt himself crumble. His mind was spiraling downhill, as visions of his dreaded father poured into his head. No no no no no no no… he didn't want to be left alone! He didn't want to go home! He didn't want Alfred to leave! Come back come back come back COME BACK! But no matter how much he pleaded, nothing changed. He was still all alone. He would still have to go home.

His parents… Jeremy snarled in his head, his pitiful loneliness shifting into a deep rage that he always tried to bury inside. His parents… they kept taking Alfred away from him. They were brainwashing him too, weren't they? Didn't they realize that they were ruining their son’s life?! Ugh… they were monsters, just like his father. Just like them. Jeremy shakingly stood up. Did they beat him too? Did they burn his flesh raw? Alfred never said much, but maybe… maybe that was the reason he was so quiet! It was a cry for help! Jeremy had always tried to convince himself that his… idea, was bad, and that he was bad for even indulging in the thought of it. He tried to convince himself not to do it, over and over and over, but now he had no reason to worry. Alfred was for sure being hurt. Jeremy felt his nails dig into the palms of his hands… the ones he now tightened into a fist. The anger boiled in him. It caught him off guard. He wanted to shove this awful feeling away, but he couldn't.

The only thing that could bring him down from this furious high, was the thought of Arthur, and just thinking about him made his burning emotions wither away, and be replaced with hollow fear. Without Alfred to distract him, to comfort him, to give him a reason to stay, anything… he would be left with the fear. He would hold that fear in him until the moment he would have to return home… when all the bad things started. Jeremy spiraled so hard that all awareness around him disappeared.

Jeremy had scratched the skin and fur on his arms raw by he came back into reality. It had been hours… the stars were out. The feline shivered in that realization. Alfred really didn't come back… now he had to go home where his father now waited. It must be midnight by now… maybe a greater power from above would bless him this one time and make Arthur be asleep. Please….

Jeremy walked himself to his home, crying and sobbing with each step. His mind was stuck on a loop, ruminating over Alfred’s fear- the abandonment, and the memories of what Arthur had morphed into in such a short amount of time… he was never this bad when Lilly was around… or was he? He couldn't figure it out…

While Jeremy was drowning in his own mind, the world around him wasn’t. The night atmosphere was at peace, the small bugs chirped and hummed gently as the stars obliviously sparkled in the moonkissed sky. Light dewdrops were already beginning to settle on the delicate blades of grass below. The air itself seemed to sing of serenity. Jeremy was all but aware of this. All he felt was bone chilling numbness, and his own now drying tears sticking on his face.

Eventually his steps grew slower as the distance between him and his home grew shorter and shorter. The closer he got, the worse feeling he got. His body wanted to hurl right there and then. His skin was slick with sweat- (his arms of which was starting to sting from the salty sweat oozing into the still fresh, and jagged cuts on his arms as well). His heart pounded. His head felt dizzy. He couldn't even cry anymore. Tears couldn't be formed from the sheer agonizing anxiety he was now faced with. What was Arthur going to do to him this time? Jeremy winced at the reminder of the burnings, the beatings, the screaming. God… nobody’s father should be so horrible… there was no way this was all real…

Soon, he reached the doors. The scary doors… the doors that his mother forever left him from, The doors that his father locked, the doors that he walked into just minutes before enduring a nightmare. The feline sucked in a shaky breath as he gingerly turned the knob… opened the door just enough to slip in… and finally crept in. He closed the door extra quiet, as he looked all over. A sudden burst of relief washed over his senses. Arthur was asleep. He was spared. He was going to be fine. Jeremy exhaled, and started moving carefully through the mansion, aiming to scurry into his room and barricade it to the best of his ability before he slept that night.

The dark, silent mansion seemed to hum with the feeling of warning that Jeremy was all too familiar with. Oddly though, this time felt a little different. It felt more suffocating than usual.

“You snuck out again.”

Jeremy yanked his gaze towards Arthur, who was currently suddenly standing behind him as if he had spawned there just seconds ago. Jeremy’s heart caught in his throat, as he gazed back at Arthur in fear.

“you never learn.”

Instantly, he felt burning. Jeremy tried jumping away, but the fire was already on him and ripping through his skin. He was screaming, but he couldn’t register it. In the blaze, he could hear Arthur, monologing, and speaking in ways the young feline could never understand.

“You went and told them everything, didn’t you?!- Told them all my secrets?!”

“I knew you were always a traitor to your own kind, you sniveling snake!”

“I should have known you'd run off to see them again!”

What was ge talking about? Why was he screaming at him about people he didn’t even know? He wasn’t a traitor! He couldn’t understand!

Arthur's flame that had bloomed on his shoulder- Where the fire started- had now practically engulfed his being in blinding, unimaginable agony. The world around him was just fire and more fire. A ringing seemed to fill his head. Jeremy collapsed onto the feelingless floor, writhing and making awful little noises as his vocal cords burned away.

“First it was Lilly, now you.”

What?…

Jeremy’s right eye was completely visionless at this point, just a melting, bloody mess dripping down his face as he weakly tried to stare at his father. What did he say about his mother again?

“I hope you burn in hell with her, Jeremy… This society doesn't have room for traitors and brats anyway.” Arthur snarled, as for the first time in the young boys life… within the gleam of the white and red light, he saw his father's eyes… they were blue.

Blue. Just like his own.

Blue like his mother.

His mother.

As Jeremy breathed out his last speck of breath, his last thought was on one thing, and one thing only.

Arthur killed his mother.

————————————

Jeremy gasped, bolting upwards from his now sudden lying position on a unfamiliar hard ground. Disoriented, Jeremy looked around. (Abet with a single eye…) He didn't recognize anything that he saw, it was all just a wide expanse of dark gray. Cool mist seemed to coat the entire expanse, wetting the feline’s fur just a little, or well, he could assume it was cool… Where am i…? Jeremy wondered quietly to himself.

Jeremy stood up on shaky legs. His breath was heavy. Was he dead?… Was this the afterlife? He took a few steps forward in this new space. This…. Place… was empty… Was this the place where all the bad people went? Jeremy shivered. He wasn't bad, even if his thoughts proved otherwise. He didn't want to be in the bad place…

This feeling of nervousness towards the world around him would soon shift towards himself. The memories leading up to this point were slightly fuzzy, as if he had truly just woken up from a deep sleep. What he knew for sure was that his eye was missing, that his skin wasn't charred anymore, and that he couldn’t feel any pain. His body felt normal, yet not normal at the same time. It felt like it was in a state of perpetual floating, a lightness only equivalent to being in space.

The young feline reached and felt the hollow space where his right eye used to reside. His stomach felt queasy. He was supposed to have an eye here. His weary fingers dragged along his face, to his heaving chest. His single blue eye traveled along his form, examining the damage, or lack thereof. Everything seemed fine. His clothes and his missing eye were the only telling of what happened to him before. Not even blood could be seen.

“Hello, young mortal.” Spoke a echoing masculine voice. Jeremy jolted, and looked behind him. A tall, gray-furred, dark clothed figure stood before him. One hand free, the other holding onto a large dark black and gray scythe. Jeremy stared at this figure, tried to understand who this being was. This new person tilted his head in a odd way before speaking again. “You may be scared, but I assure you, I mean no harm.”

Jeremy didn’t relax. In fact, he tensed up more. This person- man… who was he?… The being then gestured with his free hand for the young boy to get closer. Jeremy was tempted to get farther away instead. He didn't trust this person- not when he looked so… odd, and not when appeared put of nowhere. Jeremy wasn't sure what to do. So much had happened, so fast…

“Who are you?” Jeremy croaked out, his eyes narrowed, but held fear and uncertainty simultaneously. It wasn’t unseen by this ghost-like being.

"I Am Skull, and I am here to take you to the afterlife.”

Everything snapped into place. Skull… Skull was a Shinigami. Skull had a scythe. Shinigami take people to the afterlife. This was what his mother had meant before…. Jeremy was…. He was dead. He had died. He had died by his own father's hands. The same hands that took his mother.

“No…” Jeremy’s stance faltered as his eyes widened and his voice grew almost inaudible. “No… no. No!” Jeremy yelped out, shaking his head fervently. “I'm not dead!”

Skull looked back at him, his now noticeable green x-marked eyes full of sympathy. It was as if he had seen this all before.

“I know this must be hard for you, but unfortunately, you are dead.”

Jeremy gritted his teeth, as panic seized his mind. He wasn't ready. He wasn't ready to die! What about Alfred? Oh god… What about Alfred?! He couldn't abandon him! He still needed to help him! A flash of anger filled his senses upon the recollection of Alfred’s vile parents, but it was promptly forgotten as Skull seemed to start approaching him slowly.

No. He wasn’t going to die!

Jeremy suddenly turned away from Skull and began running in the opposite direction. His breath hard and heavy as he tried to escape death itself. He couldn't tell if he was even moving. Everything around him was the same. He didn't dare look back. he needed to find a way out! He needed to escape! All thoughts of anything else didn't matter anymore.

Even as he ran desperately. Skull just kept walking towards him as if he was used to it all. Jeremy wasn't going anywhere. Skull was only getting closer. No no no no no no! Jeremy tried to run faster, but all that did was make him trip and fall hard against the hard, mist-covered ground. All the air in his chest was knocked out in a pained huff. The young feline desperately tried to pull himself up to his feet, but found that his own body wasn't cooperating with him. No… please! Jeremy felt the horrid feeling of reality sinking in. This was really it for him, wasn't it? Jeremy stared out ahead of him, and found himself thinking about being dead. Wouldn’t he see his mother again? He would see her soft blue eyes, her long flowing hair, and her warm, gentle voice. His real, good mother… For the first time, he would be happy. He would suffer no pain. It would just be him and his mom.

Something though hardened in him. No. Any pleasant visions of him and his mother were melted away by the sizzling anger that took over. Arthur. Arthur was the one that deserved this, not him. Not Lilly. He wasn't done. He wanted to make Arthur pay. He wanted to beat him to a bloody pulp, just like he had done to him. He wanted to stomp on his aging body, just to hear him plead and scream for him to stop, just like he once did. He wanted to do so many vile, disgusting things to Arthur. He always had, but now, he didn't try to fight those thoughts. He wanted Arthur dead.

But Oh… this was all such stupid thinking. Who in their right mind would trade away their only chance with reuniting with a lost loved one? Who would be so foolish as to fight a deity of the dead? Jeremy of course. Even he, himself, knew that he couldn't be reasoned with logic anymore. All that fueled him was the anger. There were people he needed to make suffer.

Skull was oblivious to the feline’s internal thoughts as he stepped just a few inches away from the fallen over young male.

“Please don’t make this harder than it has to be.” Skull sighed softly, peering down at Jeremy with a disappointed gaze. Jeremy though wasn't listening. He was now fixing his eyes on the sythe that happened to be next to the Shinigami. It was only held by one hand. He could grab it. Jeremy didn't think before pushing all his strength into kicking his feet into the Shinigami's legs. At the same time, the feline grabbed the bottom of the weapon and yanked it towards him. The combination of both actions caused Skull to stumble and lose balance in shock. His grip on the scythe released for only a moment, which was plenty of time for the boy to have the chance to pull it all the way to him. Jeremy at this point had finally shot to his now slightly tired legs. Jeremy’s gaze was narrowed, and his teeth bared as he pointed the sharper end of the weapon towards Skull, who was now realizing what had happened.

“What do you think you are doing?!” Skull yelped out, his voice losing any calm composure it once had. “You have no idea what you are doing with that thing! Give that back!”

How pathetic. You sound like a child. Jeremy in his darkening mind thought to himself. It was funny… adults could easily act all pathetic and demanding when their power was stripped away from them. Why was he afraid of this creature anyway? What real power did a Shinigami have anyway apart from their scythes? Was this weapon all the power he had over him? If so….

“No. Tell me how to get out of this place.” Jeremy growled out, now finding his body shaking.

“You cannot get out of here, you are already dead!”

“TELL ME HOW OR I WILL KILL YOU!” Jeremy screamed out. Skull remained silent, he didn't move. His entire being screamed of fear. Jeremy liked it. It felt good to make things cower. He realized this now. He didn't have much time to enjoy it though as Skull seemed to then lunge at him. Was perhaps his silence just a ploy? Jeremy found himself being knocked off his feet as the Shinigami fought to control the Scythe again.

“Stop fighting this!”

Jeremy didn't listen, he just kept a hold of the weapon, and fought back. He kicked at Skull, tried slashing him, tried biting him even. Skull was still stronger. He could feel his strength waning. He was stupid to even try. His grip on the scythe was weakening. Skull was winning. It was only the thought of Alfred that gave him some sort of fuel, no matter how small.

Skull nearly relinquished his grip on the scythe as he then spoke again.

“There is nothing you can do now, kid! Just let go!”

Oh…. oh how Skull was wrong. Skull was stupid to think that words like that would magically make him reconsider. He had things to do. Nobody was going to stop him. Never again. A thought overcame Jeremy’s mind within at dark instant, and he then shoved himself against Skull- another action the immortal being wasn't prepared for- and once he had an opening… he swung his arms, and slashed into Skull as fast and hard as he could. This time the blade went through… just as Skull tried lunging back at him. Jeremy’s face was immediately warm with black blood. It splashed across his face, and into his mouth. It pooled at his feet. The slashed body immediately collided into him, causing the feline to jump away frantically.

The moment was then over. Skull was down. Jeremy didn't realize he had closed his eyes until he opened them again, and saw with his remaining one, the shinigami’s body. It was gasping and twitching. Jeremy was shaking, as pure, raw adrenaline rushed into him. He watched now in awe as Skull gargled, and weakly wailed with pain. Were Shinigami’s always this weak?

The feline walked towards Skull, scythe still in hand. He watched as his movements became more slow, until there was no more movement. Jeremy just stood there…. watching. He had just killed a godly being.

Jeremy didn't think as he dropped the scythe, and crouched down to grab a hold of one of the Shinigami’s eyeballs out from his socket and pulling it out. He gazed at it for a moment. Sharp, bright green. With his other free hand, Jeremy felt back at his own empty socket. Jeremy in that moment decided to lift the reaper’s eye against his socket and started to push it in. Jeremy knew he should be feeling something like disgust, but he didn't, he just continued on as if the action was normal. The eye popped in, with a sickening squish. It didn't feel like anything. He wasn't even sure what good it was to have done that. Was it some sick kind of pleasure? Maybe.

Jeremy picked up his new weapon and stood up, looking around. He was no closer to being free from tnis place than he was when he first arrived. He supposed he would just walk. This time, he wouldn't stop. No other Shinigami’s would interfere.

Just as he took his first steps, he was overcome with a sudden stinging that ensnared this entire body, radiating from his eye socket to the rest of him. Jeremy grabbed at his face and screamed. This was worse than being burnt alive. What was this!? The sound of his screams raddled his brain. Was he dying again?! As Jeremy collapsed to his knees, his vision faded.

He lost consciousness. Again.

————————————

When Jeremy awoke again, he was met by a blue, cloudless sky. Grass was all around him, tickling his face. It was immediately apparent that he could see now. Huh?…. Jeremy slowly sat up, and looked around. He could see? He wasn't in the strange misty world anymore? It was… it was home? Jeremy reached up to touch his face again, tracing over where his eye had been previously injured. Now it seemed as if it was perfectly healed. Wait… what else had been fixed?

Jeremy stood up. All tiredness was washed from his body. He felt lighter, more lighter than he had ever felt in his life. His body no longer was covered in blood. He looked just like before he had been sent to that limbo-like place. That meant… he was alive! He felt a rush of excitement. It worked! Well… something worked! Something worked, and now he was back!

Now Jeremy’s focus turned to Arthur. That monster…. that man was going to die today. It had been decided. He wasn't going to cower anymore. Never again. His gaze jerked towards the ground where the Scythe from before lay. It had followed him… perfect. He picked it up once more. It was suprising how light it now had became for him. That wasn't important though. He had a to-do list, and Arthur was now on it. Something had changed. Jeremy could feel it. It wasn't just Arthur. It was him. Jeremy himself had changed. He couldn't recognize his actions. He wasn't the same… but he found that he liked it.

It didn't seem like long until he reached those same dreaded doors once more. Those doors were different too. They didn't strike fear into him anymore. They only just surfaced a sense of anticipation within him. The feeling was something bubbling and dangerous, he knew it.

Jeremy opened the door slowly with his free hand, finding it now easy to hear the once almost inaudible creak he could once ignore. Everything was silent and dark. It was as if nobody was there. Jeremy stepped inside and closed the door shut. He walked the errie halls, glancing back and forth. He held his new scythe tightly, just in case of another ambush. Nothing seemed to happen though…

Eventually the young feline made his way towards the spot he had been burned to death. Where he had stood right then was charred to a disgusting black color. In the center was a pile of ashes. His ashes. Jeremy winced just a little at the sight. He really had been killed… it raised a lot of questions about what he actually was now. Was he still dead? Or was he truly alive? Ah… it was too early for those questions. He needed to get going.

Jeremy decided to make his journey to Arthur’s office. There could be chance he was there. Perhaps he was mulling over his ‘victory’. Tch… Jeremy walked closer and closer, his thoughts full of all the things he would do to his father, all the things that he should have done sooner.

Jeremy turned a corner, and there he was. Arthur was sitting at his desk, idly scribbling on a sheet of paper as if he didn't just kill his son. Something about the scene made a burning feeling rise within Jeremy, Full of anger, but also hurt. It stung. Arthur never gave a damn…. he knew this, but seeing it again for the last time… it ate at him. Jeremy’s grip on the scythe tightened, as he gritted his teeth. He was on the verge of crying, wasn't he? He was, and Arthur still hadn't noticed that he was here. Fucking god… Certain that where he stood was the only exit, he stepped forward, a little closer.

“Hey.”

Arthur didn't look up. Did he even hear him? Jeremy shook with fury. He took another step forward.

“Look at me.”

Arthur lifted his eyes, and stared blankly at Jeremy, as if he wasn't actually there, all before a sense of recognition appeared in his gaze.

“How-”

Jeremy lunged at Arthur, not giving him a change to speak. He swung the scythe at him with all the power and fury in the world. Arthur just barely managed to dodge before getting hit with the deadly weapon. Jeremy howled and gave chase. Something in his body made him faster, more precise, less afraid. He had never felt more light in his life.

At some point, Arthur started barreling fire at him, hissing in anger with each stoke of flame. Jeremy didn't feel the heat, but he felt the prickles of sizzling embers as they grazed his skin. The flame started to spread once it touched the floor, now slowly creeping along steadily.

“I HATE YOU!” Jeremy found himself screaming out, much to his own surprise, as he dodged another billow of flame. “I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU SO MUCH!” Jeremy would then shoot forward with speed he wasn't even aware of, and proceeded to kick Arthur straight in his stomach, and sent the older man colliding into the wall with a loud painful grunt. Seeing how his sudden strength overcame his father filled himself with primal satisfaction. He only paused for just a moment, only to watch as his father struggled to get back up. It was easy to forget that he wasn't a real Shinigami sometimes, especially with his gifts…. It was hard to imagine that this man was far from youthful… but now…. Jeremy was stronger, Arthur was weaker. It was clear now.

Something snapped. Jeremy watched as he walked up to Arthur, past the building fire. He watched himself as he then punched Arthur’s face with his free hand. He heard the crack of his glasses…. the potential bone… Arthur screamed out, and tried to burn him, just like he always did. The fire that would make him scream and cry did nothing now. Sure, it burned, and it scalded him, but this time, he didn't cower. He let the pain control him in a new way. He punched Arthur again. He then stomped on his body as Arthur slid further onto the floor as he tried and failed to get back on his feet. All his pathetic body could do was try to burn him into submission. PATHETIC. The version of himself who would be hurt that way was dead… really, truly dead. Fire was nothing now.

“Jerem- sto-” Arthur gurgled as blood seemed to fill his mouth. Good.

“Stop?~ stop?~ awwww! Keep begging.” Jeremy cackled loudly. He felt high. He felt good. Everything he was doing felt good. He wished he had done this so much sooner. “You didn't stop when I begged you, did you?”

Jeremy stomped on him again.

“Did you stop when mother begged you?! DID YOU!?”

Arthur coughed. The cough was clearly the marking of a dying man, but all Jeremy heard was mocking. Mocking. Mocking. MOCKING.

“WHY DIDN’T YOU LOVE US!?”

Stomp.

“WHY DIDN’T YOU LOVE ME!?”

Crack.

“WHY ARE YOU SUCH A FILTHY MONSTER!!” Jeremy howled as he stomped again for the final time. He huffed and puffed. He was crying. He didn't feel the tears. All he focused on was the blood, his father twitching, and moaning out in pain. The little flames he tried to conjure in his palms were flickering and weak. He looked like a sick, little child. Yes. Jeremy was truly stronger than him. All it took was killing a Shinigami to prove it.

“Why did you put me though all this…? what could I possibly have done to have deserve this…?” Jeremy shuttered, his voice warbling. “I don't understand…”

Jeremy then lifted his scythe slowly. He watched as Arthur’s eyes widened in fear. Real fear. Arthur tried to scream out, but Jeremy was faster. He sliced his father's body in half. Blood sprayed out. It was just as much blood as Skull’s…

Arthur was dead. Jeremy knew it. No more screaming, no more breathing. Just his body, and the flame starting to eat away at it. The feline backed up From the scene. It was really dawning on him now. He had killed his father. He was gone. Forever. He felt joy, Immediate sorrow, and then numbness. He felt numb as he stared at Arthur's corpse. He felt numb holding the scythe. Everything felt numb. No more rush, just… nothing. The deed was done. Lilly would be proud of him. His mother's stuffering was over. His suffering was over. Now he could move on.

Jeremy turned away. He walked himself out of the mansion slowly. He memorized everything from the walls, the stairs, the kitchen. He didn't get to say goodbye to his room… but that wasn't important. He walked himself through everything just as the fire eagerly gulped it away. Smoke burned in his lungs, but he ignored it. By the time he walked out those now lonesome doors, the whole mansion was flame, lighting the sky with red, and black. Jeremy only looked back at it once. Only once, as he turned away for the last time, and walked into the grassy field, towards the path of his next targets.

As he continued on, he glanced at the bloodied scythe he still held. Two deaths from one item… looking at it made him feel just a little too queasy for his own comfort. He still… he still had a lot to figure out about his new gifts, on how to use his weapon properly… there was definitely a lot…. He wasn't entirely sure if he was ready to use his new weapon on his last victims… almost as if his subconscious understood his will, the scythe vanished into thin air.. Jeremy could only hope he could retrieve it again when he needed it.

Now that was out of the way, Jeremy could focus on the last thing he needed to do. He needed to save Alfred. He needed Alfred’s parents to disappear. Then him and the canine could be together forever, Safe from harm. The thought made his buzzing soul, flutter with excitement. Alfred Alfred Alfred Alfred Alfred Alfred Alfred Alfred Alfred….. Jeremy thought all of this in a cheery sing song, as he swayed along the way.

Alfred would understand.

Alfred would be happy.

Alfred would forgive him.

Alfred cared about him.

Alfred was his.

He was going to save him tonight.

Chapter Text