Chapter 1: Episodes 1-10
Chapter Text
Skim it if you don't want to read the comic but look out for the important parts! Every 10 episodes and whatever bonus chapters in between will be here per chapter, so these are episodes 1-10.
'This means thinking.'
"This means speaking."
* - These stars mean time skips, whether forward or back.
A raven-haired woman, with a scar that looked like an X on her lips, stood in a black void-like room. "I'm awake!" She stated, as her eyes shot open suddenly. Unfamiliar with her surroundings, she looks to her left, then her right. There were other people around her, all of different ages, genders, and nationalities. All of them were standing in a single file line that seemed to go on forever.
She taps the shoulder of the man in front of her. "Excuse me..." She mumbled. The man turned around, revealing his severely cut throat. "..yes?"
The woman's eyes widen in shock, a gasp escaping her lips. "..Miss? You like you've just seen a ghost." His head fell off of his neck, ripping. The inside of his neck was showing, only being held on by a small bit of flesh.
"Oh, he was beheaded." A woman from behind her spoke. As the dark-haired woman turned around, she saw the other woman's rotting and melting face. Half of it was left below her skin exposed, and it was sagging. A red hand rises behind the dark-haired woman, but she fails to notice it.
The woman with the melting face continues speaking. "Really, out of all the ways to go. Poor dear." Her eye fell from the socket. The red hand reached higher. The dark-haired woman began to speak again, terrified and confused. "Y-you're all-"
Her sentence was cut short by the red hand trapping her and yanking her into the floor.
She found herself being dropped to the ground with a thud. Red flowers and gravestones littered the ground below her. "Where... Am I?" She sits up, noticing more, larger graves around her. "Graves?"
"Isn't it obvious?" A voice says from behind her, shocking her slightly. Her head whipped in the direction the voice came from. There was a man, sitting on a gravestone of an angel holding a cross.
Well, he certainly wasn't human. He was practically naked, but from his hips down were black and so were his elbows and the rest of his arms. He had horns on his white hair and another pair that covered his ears, similar to ram horns. He had yellow eyes and yellow stitches on his neck. He also had fangs and some sort of symbol on his chest. A black diamond, with an orange-ish yellow circle in it, and a thick black X in the circle. He also had these thin black wings, three on each side of him. He had this insane look in his eyes.
"You're in hell, you filthy sinner!" The woman stood up, looking around in the distance, then back at the creature. "...Hell?" The creature hopped down to the floor, his arms resting on his hips. He started walking toward her, and her eyes widened.
'He's... Coming towards me... What do I do?' As he got closer to her, her mind started to race. 'Do I run? Fight? Can I even escape this place?'
He came to a stop in front of her and unexpectedly took her hand and shook it. Instead of the intimidating look he had previously held, it was a bubbly and kind aura. "I'm a huuuge fan!" He said, dragging his words. "Eh..?" She let out a sound of confusion. He started to shake her hand slightly more aggressively. She noticed he also had a tail.
"Oh my god, I've been waiting for you to die for so long! You're my favorite sinner!" The woman held a confused look on her face. The creature started ranting, while she continued trying to process what in the hell (hehe... Get it?) Was happening.
"And what the heck is with that hair? So bad! Did you stick your head into a woodchipper? You're so absolutely unimpressive! At least your body is in perfect condition, a small victory!" The woman gently pushed him away, stopping his speaking.
"Please, wait!" She took on a serious tone. "Does this mean... I'm dead?" The creature took an amused yet intimating look yet again. "I just told you that. You're seriously slow, aren't you?"
"I don't remember anything! What on earth did I do to end up here?!" The creature turned his back to her.
"In life, you were the worst of the worst. So much so, that I kept my eye on you in particular. I was going to send you to an eternity in the ninth circle but decided that your situation is perfect to fulfil a certain job for me. So, I decided to grab you straight from judgment. A sinner like you has no chance of redemption, anyway!"
"I was... That bad?" She says, her voice leaking with disappointment before her face went blank. "... I see. So, what is this job you have for me?" The creature got excited again.
"I want you..." He paused. "To become the Grim reaper!"
She looked blankly at him. "Won't there be some severe imagery issues?!" She says, pictures the skeleton with a scythe and dark black coat that the grim reaper normally represents, who looks nothing like the short black-haired woman she was.
"Hmmm, I guess you are kind of old..." He says, misunderstanding what she meant. She felt a little offended by the comment.
The creature became energetic yet again. "Anyway, enough of that! Let me explain to you the whole Grim Reaper shindig! The waking world is full of sinners walking around without a care. They'll be marked with an X, visible to only a grim reaper! That's where you come in - reaping the soul of a sinner will send them straight to hell, and all you need to do is kill one a day to meet your quota! Sound good? Let's shake on it!"
He rested one hand on his hip and held the other out for her to shake. "And if I refuse?" She asks. The creature smiles. Sinisterly. "Then your sentence in hell will begin immediately."
He snapped his fingers, and the woman appeared in another endless black void. She looked around, frantic. 'What? I can't... feel anything...' She tries to speak, but no sound comes out. She couldn't breathe, either. Her eyes fill with tears, and her hands wrap around her throat, checking for some sort of sound or movement. She falls to her knees. 'There's nothing here... Nothing...' She looked around again. 'I don't... Want... To be alone...'
The creature snapped again. With a gasp, finally able to breathe, she appeared next to him in hell, surrounded by gravestones and red flowers. "That is where you are to spend eternity. Oblivion." He says, and the woman's hands fall to her sides.
"Depending on a person's actions in life, a sinner will be sentenced to one of the nine circles." He looks at her. "You are to be sent to the ninth... A void of absolute nothingness... Where you will exist until the end of time itself." There was another pause.
"So, about my offer." She scoffed, scrunching her lips. "It's not like I have a choice." He sat down, that same smile on his face. "I knew..." A black and red energy-like thing came crawling towards her slowly. "... We'd come to an understanding." It snaked closer, splitting into two parts.
Her eyes widened as it reached her, and entered her through her mouth. "Accept this power and become a reaper."
Her clothes changed from the simple white pajamas she was wearing to a more complex outfit. Now, she had black pants and black boots on. A white tank top shirt was also sort of her outfit. A red X was clearly visible on the white shirt. She had fangs now, visible next to her scar, along with red eyes. She had small black horns on the top of her head, that mixed into her hair quite well, and a tail to match. She was wearing a big black coat with a hood over her shirt. A red bandana sat around her neck, it was soft and comfortable. It seemed she now and abilities, as black and red particles now emitted from her and she was using this power to hold a red and black scythe. "You're... One messed up guy." She says. He smiles sinisterly again.
"What did you expect? I'm the devil."
*
'Sonder - The concept that every stranger is living a life as complex as your own. You pass thousands of people daily, their secrets hidden by simply being part of the crowd. But now... I can see the mark. Every 'X' raises more questions than answers.. and gives me more opportunities to meet my quota.'
The woman stands aside, hiding her face in the red bandana tied around her neck to hide her face from the cold of the night. She watches people walk down the street, the majority of them having a red X on their chest, indicating that they have sinned.
'No one even notices me, everyone is so wrapped up in their own problems... Even though... I look ridiculous.' She looked down at her outfit, thinking back to when she was in Hell.
*
"What... Is with this terrible outfit..?" She asked, looking at herself. "That outfit was designed by an entire team of experienced professionals!" She glared at him. "Tell your team it looks like garbage." "If you don't like it you can wear our second design - the inspiration was 'Sexy Catgirl!'" Her glare hardened the more he spoke. "What am I, some kind of doll?"
*
Her mind returns to her present situation in the waking world.
"No, wait, why do I even care about that?! This situation I'm in is really fucking severe! I'm still not sure if this is real, am I dreaming?! She grabs each side of her hood and pulls it forward, not noticing the man that had appeared behind her.
"What did he say I have to do again? One a day? How do I even start?!" Listening to her talk to herself, the man smiled slightly. "And where am I gonna find a-" The man cut her sentence off, trying to get her attention. "Hi?" Her head whipped around to face him, a surprised scream escaping her. He chuckled and scratched the back of his head. "Wow, you were pretty wrapped up in thought there, huh?"
She looked at him. He had white hair and was in a pretty normal outfit with a really pastel blue T-shirt. "Oh, yeah... I was just thinking about my... Boss..." He took on an anxious demeanor.
"Ah! Anyway, I saw you hanging out and you didn't look busy, and uh, maybe if you wanted to, erm, go catch a bite with me?" She eyes him. 'This guy...' She eyed his sinner's mark which was very noticeable on his light shirt. 'Does not look like a sinner.'
"Sure, let's go." She says, walking by the man. He stands, before following her. 'I have to find out more..' She thought to herself, before finding a food place to eat at.
They ended up agreeing to eat at a ramen food place. "Thanks for agreeing to come out with me! My name is Jordan by the way, what's yours?" She pauses, looking at the ramen placed in front of her. Shit. "My name?... Of course, I have one of those..." She hadn't really thought about a name yet, and couldn't remember her own from when she was still alive. Jordan sat patiently, waiting for a response.
'Grim. No. Cross. Is that a name? Reaper... Ah... Uh..' She looked at the red X on Jordan's chest. "Scarlet!" She says, sounding unexpectedly loud and frantic. There was another pause of silence between the pair. "Wow, Scarlet? That's a beautiful name!" He complimented. "Oh, uh, thanks.." She said, unsurely.
He really fell for that?
Jordan started to try and start a conversation. "So, you were mumbling about your boss earlier, what was that about?" "Oh, yeah, my... Boss... I guess, to phrase it frankly, he gave me a lot of work with a ridiculous deadline... And is threatening to... Fire me. If I don't finish it. Honestly, I'm wondering if what he told me to do is even possible."
Jordan slurped a noodle. "Wow, I got lucky. You're a really strong person, aren't you?" She stares at him, narrowing her eyes. 'I... Don't see how this guy is a sinner.'
After they ate, they decided to take a walk around the city. "And he can be pretty annoying too, especially when I gave him a program that works perfectly and he tells me it's broken!" Jordan explained. "That's irritating. Clearly, the problem is on his end," Scarlet stated. "That's what I'm saying! But because he's my manager, I can't talk back!"
As he finished his statement, a different man bumped into Scarlet. He had red glasses and blonde hair, and tripped, before standing up and fixing his glasses. He and Scarlet looked at each other in the eye for a few seconds before somebody called out, "Chase!" The man, who Scarlet now knew was named Chase, turned around. "C-coming!" He ran towards the person who yelled for him. She turned away from him, back to Jordan. That man also had a Sinners mark.
'Why does everyone sinners look so innocent? There must be some kind of mistake..'
Jordan pulled out his cellphone, checking the time. "Woah, it's almost midnight! Time really does fly when you're having fun!" A voice came into Scarlet's mind. "Did you forget about our little deal? One. Sinner. Per. Day." Satan.
"My place is nearby, if you want to crash on the couch, you can!" Jordan piped up, reminding Scarlet of his presence. "No, it's alright. Just... Walk me home." She mumbled, brushing past him and walking down a dark alleyway. "Huh? Oh, sure, no problem..." They walked further down the alley.
'I... Don't want to kill him. He's done nothing wrong. This isn't fair. This isn't fucking fair. But.. If I don't.." Her mind went back to herself in the ninth circle. 'No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. You win, Satan. I'll kill him.' She turns around, using her power to make a scythe, and aimed it toward him.
Jordan's eyes widen in shock, fear, and confusion. "What... Are you..?" He took a step back, ready to make a run for it. Scarlet took another step towards him.
"I'm the grim reaper."
Scarlet made a dash for him. "What.." He reaches into his pocket, pulling out a pocket knife and opening it. "You're fucking crazy! Don't get any closer!" She gave him a bland look. Jordan held up his knife. "I don't know what's going on, but I won't hesitate-"
There was a clean slicing sound that rang throughout the alley. "To.." He quickly realized his torso had been separated from his legs. As his top half fell to the floor, he gave a disbelieving look in Scarlets direction. "I'm... Sorry..." Scarlet apologized. Jordan's top half skid across the pavement.
"The.. Grim Reaper..?" He mumbled to himself. "But.. We're on the same side.." His eyes rolled back into his head as he lost consciousness. As they both got transported back into Hell, Satan started to speak.
"A sinner like you wearing a cross around his neck... How ironic!" Scarlet hadn't noticed it, but he wore a cross necklace.
Jordan stood in a dark red lake, skeleton bands reaching above the water, frozen, his hands cuffed together. He looked around. "Is this... A dream? Did you really kill me?" He asked Scarlet who was standing behind Satan. Satan smirked, and Scarlet nervously played with her hands. "You... Were marked... And you were just there! I have to kill one sinner a day, and... You... Were the easiest target."
Tears started forming in her eyes. "I... Was a target? Ha..ha.. You bitch.. I should have slit your throat the moment we walked into that alley.." He said, insanely. Scarlet stopped, confused by his words. What?
Satan smirked, looking at her with that same crazed look. Why did everyone seem to have that down here? "I told you, X marks a sinner. The sinner you have brought me... Lures women into his apartment with his beautiful face (Kinda fruity, Satan). He is a serial killer. He has killed ten women. You were going to be the eleventh. But because of your unique circumstances, the tables have turned..."
She shot Jordan a glance, he looked completely and utterly insane. "Why? Why murder? I mean.. What's the point?" She regretted ever saying sorry to the bastard. "I'm selfish." He held his hands that were bonded with chains forward. "I like the high of watching the blood drain from a beautiful woman." Hands rose from the lake, ready to grab ahold of the deranged killer.
"This filthy world has gone to shit, anyway! Why can't I have a little fun with it?!" The pair of hands wrapped around his neck. "We're all going to fucking die sometime! No one cares anymore!" More hands rose from the lake to latch onto him.
"You're disgusting." Was the last thing scarlet said to him, as the hands finally grabbed the man. "Seriously? You took me on a date, lured me into an Alley, and murdered me." As he went under the water, he said his last words. "What's the difference between you and me, Scarlet?!" He was submerged in the lake.
"The sixth level.. Sinners drown for an eternity at the bottom of this ocean, dragged down by their sins." Scarlet remained silent. "Scarlet?" She inhaled, her demeanor becoming unnerving. ".. Satan. If that man was only sent to the sixth level... Then what the hell did I do?!" He smiled.
"Telling you would just spoil all the fun." She returned back to the dark alley she had killed Jordan in. "I'm... Back?" She looked at her hands, as if checking if this was real to begin with. "Did that actually happen? Did I really.."
She glanced next to her, where part of Jordan's body lay. "I actually.." Her eyes widened, the weight of what she just did smacking her right across the face. "Fuck! His body is here! I really...!" She sprinted down the alley, turning the corner to go back onto the street.
However, she quickly came to a halt when a gun was placed to her forehead. Chase, the blonde man with bright red glasses was holding the weapon, and he narrowed his eyes. Her eyes widened. Did she already get caught? How would she even get out of this situation?
*
"You.. Are a puppet!" Satan said, enthusiastically. Scarlet gave him an unsure look.
"With a demon inside of it!" He waited for her to say something, but there was just a really long pause of silence. Scarlet adjusted the bandana around her neck. "...you say this like I'm supposed to know what it means." Satan shrugged in playful annoyance. "God, you really are so dense! Fine, if I have to spell it out for you!" This guy...
"You. Are. Dead. Your body is probably off rotting in some ditch. Now that's an issue! You're just a soul now, with no corporeal form you can't access the land of the living." He put a hand to his chin. "Luckily for us, I am Satan. I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Using my abilities, I crafted a flesh puppet for your soul to control. It looks exactly like your old body, being inside it should feel no different than being alive." He gestured to her body.
"... And it is just as fragile." He held his arm out to her. "I may have granted you the pleasure of becoming a Grim Reaper, but you can't get reckless! Your puppet can get injured, just like any other toy! If you destroy that puppet, you better kiss your sinners quota goodbye! It's damn hard to kill someone with a broken body!"
*
Scarlet looked back at Satan's words as she looked at the man holding a gun to her face. She narrowed her eyes at him. 'Shit... A gunshot would still definitely kill me... Should I try and kill him? No, he'll probably just shoot...' She grimaced at the thought of dying a second time, even if she couldn't remember the first.
The man looked at her for a moment, and she stared back at him. She finally took the chance to look at him fully. He was wearing a white shirt and a black tie, as well as khakis and a black belt holding them up. He had black shoes, and a cloudy dark blue coat that almost went down to his ankles.
He sighed, before taking the gun away from her head, pointing it upwards. "..sorry." Scarlet looked at him, bewildered. "..sorry'?!" He almost killed her, and he just says sorry?
He put his gun away and put his hands into his pocket. "Yeah, I acted without thinking. It's just.." His expression changed from suspicion to worry. "I saw you and that strange guy come into that alleyway earlier, and I ran in here because that's a really dangerous situation for a woman.." He narrowed his eyes at her. "Speaking of which.. Where did he go?"
Scarlet tensed up at the question she didn't say anything for a few seconds and he started talking again. He used his index finger to push his glasses up, higher onto his face. "I heard a scream and now, the scent of iron in the air... Or is that blood?" He glanced at her, and yet again suspicion outlined his features. Her eyes widened.
'I have to kill him.' He was facing away from her, she started to form a scythe when he turned around to face her. "He attacked you, didn't he?!"
The sudden blame towards Jordan surprised her, and she halted. "I'm a detective. If that man hurt you, I'm going to have to ask you to come with me to the police station to file a report." Scarlet thought about what he was saying.
'Wait.. Is this guy really that... Dense? Well.. The detectives in this city are incompetent enough that a murderer was just wandering the streets, picking you random girls..' She thought about Jordan. Fucking bastard. 'Wait.. I can take advantage of this.. Gaining the trust of a police officer... Could lead to a steady stream of sinners... I'm sure they wouldn't mind me taking some suspects off of their hands.' Scarlet smiled, then took on a 'distressed woman' act.
"S-seriously, I get away from that psycho and I run headfirst into a gun.." She looks down, messing with her bandana yet again. She then starts messing with her jacket. "A-Are you really a...detective? You're here to help me...?"
Chase looked down slightly, scratching the back of his head. "Sorry about that, I was just a little on edge about the situation.." He pulled out his badge, holding it up for Scarlet to take a look at it. "The names' Chase, rough introduction but I'm here to help you." She smiled, satisfied that her plan was working. "I'll be happy to cooperate in any way possible." Chase smiled with the same satisfied look. "Of course. It'll be helpful to the both of us."
He stood looking down at Scarlet, and she stood looking up at Chase. It was silent for a moment.
'What... An idiot..' They both thought, thinking that they had the upper hand.
*
Scarlet followed Chase as he walked through the city, trying to get through the crowds of people on the streets. 'So... He's a detective. And a sinner.' Scarlet stared at the back of Chase's head as they walked to the police station.
'Just how corrupt is this police force, that a sinner is allowed to be a detective? I guess it doesn't really matter, it's a win-win for me. If he ever tries to turn and hurt me like Jordan did, I can get my daily sinner out of the way.' She smiled, her guard up, ready to use her ability towards him at any time.
'Let's hope you're useful enough for me to let you live, you filthy sinner.'
Eventually, the two arrived at the police station. There was a red sign with 'YNPD' on the front. They walked inside, and the office area was very spacious. There were about 4 sets of seating areas with six chairs, 3 on one row and the other 3 back to back with them. There were about 11 people in the area, including Scarlet, Chase, and the desk staff. Two people sat at a long wooden table with papers and computers in front of them. Scarlet assumed they dealt with reports and checked the locals in for whatever reason they needed. She and Chase's shoes made a clicking sound as they walked across the wooden floor.
People in the office started staring and whispering as they walked across the room, clearly about them. 'Why is everyone staring at us now? Wait.. They're all looking at me, aren't they?' Scarlet's heart started beating faster. She got out of the situation with Chase and his suspicions, could she really get out of this one? Well, there could be another reason. She looked like a stoner and a criminal mixed, and she was also being walked into a police station by a detective.
She pictured how she must look to some people. She pictured herself, smoking, holding up her middle finger and saying, "I told you it wasn't a phase mom!" Her face scrunched at the image. 'And now I'm being escorted to the police office! This is really bad!' She pulled her hood down to cover her entire face as they walked.
'Satan! This is your fault! This stupid ass outfit!' As they walked further into the office, the people around them started speaking more, and it was clear what they were saying. "What's he doing here? He doesn't even care... Does he have any shame?" Chase seemed slightly hurt by the comments, his face grim, but he ignored them.
As they came to a waiting room, Chase turned around and smiled at Scarlet. "Hey, can you wait here? I need to get the paperwork together." Scarlet started messing with the ends of her hair. "Oh.. Yeah, sure." Scarlet was left in a big room with a comfortable cushioned couch against one of the walls, a painting above it, and Chase walked down the hallway connected to the room.
Scarlet str down on the couch, next to a little boy playing on a switch. The little boy eyed her, and turned to face her. "What cartoon is that costume from?" Scarlet, disappointed, put her head in her hands and sighed.
*
Chase stood in front of a door, looking at the plate on it. It read, 'CHIEF DETECTIVE' in big letters and 'Veronica S. Carter' in smaller letters below it. Chase inhaled and grabbed the doorknob. "I'm coming in." He opened the door, looking into the room.
It was a typical office, a desk with papers and files and books on it, and couches and simple decorations around the room. A woman sat at the desk, a paper in front of her and she held a pen, obviously in the middle of work. She wore a white button-up shirt and had a black and gold jacket draped over her shoulders, and had orange eyes. She seemed surprised by his visit.
Chase stepped in and stopped in the doorway, closing the door behind him.
"Chase... What the hell are you doing here? Did the receptionist really let you just walk in? You can't be showing up around here anymore." Veronica stated, covering what she was working on with her hand. Chase walked up to her desk, looking at a file on it. The papers inside were slightly ajar, showing bits of the case. Case X. There was a photo on the page, and it looked exactly like Scarlet. Bingo.
"Are you even listening to me, Chase?" He walked over to her and set his hands on her desk, leaning on it slightly. "Chief, I want access to case X." The woman looked startled at his request. "How did you... Wait, no, that doesn't matter. Of course, you can't access it. You are not a detective anymore." She put her hands together in front of her.
"That's exactly why I need access to this case. No one has been able to solve it, right? Give it to me. I'll solve it, and prove that I'm invaluable to the force." Chase's blue eyes were filled with determination. Veronica sighed and stood up. "It's really not that simple, Chase. I had to work hard to cover up your actions. You'll probably never be allowed back."
Chase looked at her. "Chief, you don't understand. I have the suspect for case x sitting outside of this door right now." He said, talking about Scarlet. Veronica looked even more bewildered than before.
"Chase, what are you on about? That's impossible." Chase started to get irritated. "The lady in the case! She has a scar on her mouth! It's unmistakable, I have her out there!" He pointed a finger towards his lips, where Scarlet's scar was, then set his hands back down on the desk. He calmed down slightly, and Veronica sat back down. "Chief, please, give me a chance to-"
She cut him off. "Chase! There is no suspect in case x. There is only s victim. The only thing in it is an autopsy. The body is at the morgue."
Chase's eyes widened, and he stood up fully. "Seriously...? But they look exactly the same.." He runs his hand through his hair. "I... I just.." His eyes start to water, and soon tears are flowing down his face. "Y-you know this is my dream. To be a detective give me a chance to redeem myself.. Mom..." His mother sighed. "Seriously, where did you learn to fake cry? Cut it out." She grabbed a folder off of her desk and handed it to him. "This is no case x, but you can start here. It's a case.. That I picked out specifically for you."
*
Chase exited his mother's office, walking back into the room Scarlet was waiting in. 'That took a while...' Scarlet thought as she noticed him entering the room.
She stood up, standing behind chase as he stopped in the middle of the room, facing away from her. "So, uh, did you get that paperwork?" She awkwardly gave him a small smile and wave, but they quickly vanished. "That won't be needed." He turned slightly to glance at her. "You and I... Let's talk."
The two of them left the police station, quickly finding themselves in a similar environment to the one that they had previously first met in. They both stared at each other, both having their arms crossed.
"So, what's your name?"
There was a pause of silence.
"Scarlet."
"Alright Scarlet, tell me... Why did it smell like blood in that alleyway?" Scarlet moved her hands to her side awkwardly. "H-he attacked me. That's why you took me to the police." She needed to get better at her lying skills. She hadn't really thought about it, she should have whilst in the waiting room though.
"You're not visibly injured, how could the scent of blood have been so strong?"
"What are you implying?" She asked him. "Well..." He looked down. "It's just suspicious..." Scarlet felt herself becoming impulsive. Did she have to kill another guy? Again?
Chase put a hand to his chin. ".. How you have the same face as the woman in case x." All of the emotions Scarlet was feeling quickly went away from shock by his words. "I lied to you. I brought the to the police station because I thought you were a suspect in a certain case.. But she's dead, and her body is at the morgue." Scarlet's eyes widened.
'My body??'
Chase ran a hand through his hair. "Despite that, you still look exactly like her. Something isn't right about the situation."
"How did she die, the woman who looked like me." She finally had a chance to figure out what had happened to her, and why she was in this mess. What had she done? "I have no idea. I don't have access to the case. It's top-secret, and it would be incredible if anyone managed to solve it... And I... Am determined to be the one to solve case x. And no matter how I look at it, you're entirely too suspicious. I can't legally arrest you, but... Until I'm entirely sure you're unrelated to case x, I can't just let you walk away."
"...I see..' They both stare at each other for a few seconds. "Having the same face as someone in such a prolific case... Is very problematic for me." Scarlet's hand wandered up to her lips, touching the X-shaped scar that lay there. "... And since I can tell you're not going to let me go, maybe we can make a deal." Chase lowered his head slightly.
"I'm listening."
"I'll stick around you to prove I'm innocent. I can even help you with case x, if my face will be of any use. But in exchange, you need to help me find something that I lost."
"And that would be?"
"A secret. For now." Scarlet extended a hand towards him. "Do we have a deal?" Chase looked at Scarlet, then at her hand. He reached out and shook it.
"Deal," they both say, simultaneously.
*
The moon had a red glow to it, and a person sat on top of a building, watching the two converse. He had a pink bandana wrapped around his white hair, and it held up in the shape of rabbit ears. He had black shorts and a white shirt, as well as pink gloves. He was wearing a black cloak with pink on the inside of it. He also had a white mask that had a ':3' face on it.
He pulled out a cell phone and took a photo of Chase and Scarlet as they shook hands. "How long are we going to watch them?" Someone from behind him asked. "As long as it takes." The person who asked the question smiled.
*
Scarlet and Chase were walking, Scarlet was behind him. "Why... Did you... Follow me to my apartment?" Chase asks as they stop in front of a door. Scarlet rubbed her face. "Oh, I did it without thinking."
"Please think more often. Listen, I'll give you my phone number and we can meet up outside the police station later. Just go home." Scarlet gave him a blank look.
"I don't have a phone."
Silence.
"Or a home."
"That's the saddest thing I've ever heard." Scarlet turned around, starting to walk away. "It's fine. I'll just go sleep on a bench." Chase went to stop her. "H-h-hold on a minute! A-are you crazy?! That's really dangerous!!"
Scarlet turned around, giving him a small thumbs up. "I'm glad we agree. Thanks for offering me a place to stay out of the kindness of your heart."
"Wait-" Chase pushed up his glasses with his hand. "Seriously... Ugh, alright, fine. I can keep an eye on you this way. You better not be allergic to cats, though." Chase opened the door to his apartment.
On a bed in the middle of the room, there was a hairless cat with crossed blue eyes and messed up teeth. It had a dark green sweater on, with a star on it and in the star read the words 'special girl.'
'That's... A cat?' Chase picked her up and held her up right next to him to show Scarlet. "This is Lightstalker, banished of the void. Say her name with respect, her comfort is the most important thing to me."
Looking around the small apartment, Scarlet could tell before he even said anything. On a small table with an alarm clock, there were other sweaters for the cat on it. On a desk where a computer and mug sat, there was also a framed photo of Chase and his cat with matching sweaters. He looked really happy in it.
Scarlet smirked. 'This guy... Is a turbo-dork.' "Alright, you can sleep on the floor," Chase said as he grabbed some white blankets and pillows. "My place is small, so don't expect anything more than that."
Scarlet, who was looking around his room, touched the wing of a pretty big figure. It was sharp. "Yeah, no problem. I don't sleep much, and I'll be gone a lot anyway."
Chase walked over to Scarlet and swatter her hand away from the figure she was touching. "And don't touch my stuff! It was expensive!" Scarlet rolled her eyes. "Alright, nerd."
Chase's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "D-do you usually invite yourself into people's homes and judge them based on their private possessions?!" "I dunno, do you usually point your gun at random girls in alleys?" She put her hand up to her head and pointed at her temple, imitating a gun to her head.
Chase sighed. "Alright, listen. We're not friends." He rubbed his eye underneath his glasses. "I'm using you to solve case x and you're using me to find your... Thing. Don't overstep my boundaries.
He grabbed Scarlet's wrist. "And don't think..." He pulled out a pair of handcuffs, cuffing one side to Scarlet's wrist and another to a handle on a cabinet next to her and his bed. He locked it. "...That I trust you, for even a second."
Later that night, Scarlet sat on the floor as Chase lied in his bed. 'I think he's asleep...' She grabbed part of the handcuff around her wrist and pulled on it, cutting the circle in half and breaking the cuff. She checked to make sure Chase was still asleep, then left his apartment.
Scarlet walked around the city, in isolated areas, looking for lonesome sinners. She spotted a woman with long, wavy light brown hair. She was smoking, and was in a waitress outfit. Must have just gotten off of work. She had a sinners mark. Scarlet started walking towards her, and, upon hearing her footsteps, the woman opened her eyes and looked at the Grim Reaper.
Her eyes widened in shock as Scarlet continued walking closer to her.
The woman took a stance, ready to run away from the strange thing she was experiencing in front of her. Scarlet looked at her sinner's mark. "How convenient." The woman, frozen in shock, let the cigarette she was smoking fall out of her mouth.
Scarlet swung her scythe towards the woman, and the woman swerved right on time, the scythe cutting off a chunk of the woman's hair instead of her head. The woman, coming to her senses, turned around and started sprinting down the alley. Scarlet chased after her.
The woman kept running. "What the hell even is-" her sentence was cut off by one of her heels breaking, her ankle rolling and interrupting her steady running pattern. "Wha-" she fell on the ground face first and quickly turned around to see Scarlet above her.
Scarlet held up her weapon, ready to bring it down on the woman. Her eyes started to water. "Wait, please.." The woman started crying. "A-are you from the red spades? Please, I never did anything to you..."
"I don't know what any 'Red Spades' are... But you're definitely a sinner."
"W-what do you mean I'm a-" the woman couldn't finish her sentence as Scarlet brought her scythe down on her, and it went through her. The two girls were sent to hell.
"The sinner you have brought me.... Is so boring." Satan complained, lying face first in a pile of grass. They were in a rocky mountain area, just like earth but with no other sign of life besides the three beings and the plants around them. There was also an eerie red glow. "Eh?" Did he always have a problem with who she kills?
Satan turned his head to look at her. "Seriously, this is the best you could manage? The first level is soooo unexciting."
"W-wait, what do you mean? I brought you a sinn-" Scarlet was interrupted by the woman screaming. "Whereeee ammmmm iiiiiiii?!?!?!" She cupped her face with her hands. "Is this a joke?! A gameshow?!?! What the hell is happening???? I seriously did nothing wrong, what the hell did I do to deserv-" the woman's rambling was cut off by Satan, hopping up off the ground.
"You've completely earned your place in hell, you filthy sinner!" That woke him up.. He really likes tormenting sinners.
"You are a woman who has worked at a five-star restaurant for 15 years.... With a love for Escargot! Every single day you would eat one off of a customer's plate.... Totaling more than half a million dollars in stolen snails!" Scarlet gave him an 'are you fucking kidding me' look as he explained the woman's sin.
"Thus, you have been sentenced to an eternity in the first circle. Your punishment..." Satan pulled out a snail, holding it in his right hand and pointing at it with his left. "An eternity of being chased by this snail! If it catches you you'll itch like crazy!"
There was a moment of silence between the three spirits. "Is.. That it..?" The woman asked. She had expected much, much worse. "Run before I change my mind." The woman quickly turned and started running in the opposite direction.
'..can something stupid like that make someone a sinner?' She thought to herself as she watched the woman's retreated figure. Satan set down the snail and it slowly chased after her. "The first circle is barely different than limbo... Soooo unexciting. There are a lot of people here, but this circle is so huge you probably won't run into one. The punishment of the first circle is simply, loneliness."
"So if there's a hell and a limbo... Then there must be heaven too, huh." Satan put a hand on his chin. "Yeah, yeah. A sparkling heaven full of angels and crap like that." Scarlet sat down on a rock nearby. "And a god?"
Satan looked at her from the corner of his eye. "...yes, there is one of those, too." "Alright. So.... Are there like... Reapers in heaven? But for good people?" "..archangels. Instead of an x to mark a sinner, archangels can see a halo to mark a virtuous person. They can ascend those virtuous people straight to Heaven, if they wish. But honestly, you probably won't run into one. They only come down if they have a good reason to. And you're more like coworkers, than anything..."
"Sins, virtues... I don't get it. It seems so random. Like that woman, how on earth would she be a sinner for eating snails?" "She's not a sinner because she ate snails. She's a sinner because she stole. Those snails had an agreed upon monetary value. She stole day after day, totaling up to thousands of dollars in poached snails. In the end, the Mona Lisa is just a canvas and paint, right? Yet anyone who destroyed it would be a criminal. Humans have put value to it far beyond what it literally is."
"Yeah, but there's only one of those. There are millions of snails just sitting around." Satan smirked. "With that logic, killing humans isn't a problem. There are so many of them just lying around. This is a hell for humans, and thus, I judge sins based on the values sustained by humans."
"....and you really enjoy it, huh? You're...pure evil." Satan smiled sweetly again. "Ahh, Scarlet. If you talk to me like that I'll totally fall in love with you."
She scrunched her face. "Disgusting." Satan leaned in closer to her face. "My little toy is so judgmental. Remember you're an unforgivable sinner in the deepest circle of hell." Scarlet looked down. ".. You keep saying that, but I'm having a hard time believing I'm the worst sinner."
"...you're not the worst. Don't think you're so special. There are other people in the ninth circle, some of whom have done worse than you. Serial killers, scummy businessmen, world leaders... All the kinds of people you'd find in the ninth level."
"Alright then... Who was the worst?"
"The worst sinner... You won't find them in the ninth circle. Not even that punishment is enough for them. I took care of them myself."
*
Scarlet went back to Chase's apartment and stood in front of the door. '.. Why is it every time I get an answer.. I'm just left with more questions?' She thought as she opened the door and walked into the apartment.
Chase, who was peacefully sleeping, started to slowly wake up. He opened his eyes and sat up, only to be met with Scarlet and Lightstalker watching him. He screamed in surprise. "Hhhhow did you get out of the handcuffs?! And why are you watching me?!" Scarlet shrugged. "I was waiting for you to wake up."
"Okay.. And the handcuffs?" Scarlet held up the broke cuffs. "I-Im kind of surprised I'm still alive." Lightstalker reaches for the broken chain of the cuffs, trying to play with it.
Scarlet sat down to watch TV as Chase went into his bathroom to get ready for the day. As he got dressed, he pulled out an orange pill bottle. He took out a red and blue half and half pill and took one, then put it away. As he did all of this he could hear the show Scarlet was watching in the other room. "..and every day we pray for some kind of....salvation, maybe. Being driven mad by the state of the world.. Many find it hard to keep a calm mind. Even sometimes, I find myself wondering if I should let it all go and give into my most primal desires. To steal, to kill... What does it matter, anyway? One day... We're all going to die." Chase opened the bathroom door and walked into the room.
"What is this creepy-ass show?" Scarlet asked herself as she changes the channel. "Scarlet." The girl, who was sitting on the floor in front of a table, turned to face Chase. "I want you to come with me today." "Eh? To like, a case? I mean, sure-"
Chase reached into his holster and pulled out his gun, handing it to her. "And I want you to hold my gun for me." Scarlet looked at the gun outstretched to her, then to Chase. "Are you a dumbass? You barely know me. I could easily kill you with this." "If you wanted to kill me... Something tells me you wouldn't need a gun."
Scarlet smiled, taking the gun from him. "You have a point."
The two left, Scarlet following Chase's lead. He lead them to an apartment building, and they stopped in front of a door. Chase knocked on the door and they heard it unlock on the other side, and it opened just a crack. A woman with light pink hair peaked out slightly to see who it was. "Hello.."
Scarlet was watching Chase to see what he did. He put his hands out beside his face slightly, like he was giving someone a high five, but his fingers were spread apart on both hands. He was really energetic and bubbly to the woman, not like he was 5 seconds earlier when he knocked. "Hiiiiii! I'm a detective sent from the police department- my name's Chase!" Scarlet gave him a weird shocked look and the woman fully opened the door, she was wearing a black tank top. "Ah, yes, of course... Come in."
Scarlet and Chase walked into the room. It was small but nice, there was a lack of furniture, however. There was a small table in the middle of the small tiled floor, Scarlet assumes that's where she ate. It is connected to a living room and a kitchen. It looked really, really clean. Everything was shiny and sparkling, she could smell cleaning products. "Woah, such a nice place!" Chase was starting to freak her out.
"Do people even live here? It looks way too clean." She asked, looking around. The woman got really defensive. "I-I clean when I'm anxious! My son is missing, have some understanding!" Chase gave Scarlet a terrifying glare. "Oops.."
'W-wait, Chase, she's a sinner! But I can't tell him that, can I?'
"I'm soooo sorry, please forgive my uhm, coworker, here! She's new and thinks she's the next Sherlock! She definitely won't be opening her mouth again!" Chase aggressively put a hand on Scarlet's shoulder, more like a slap.
Chase sighed, taking on a more serious tone before speaking. "To tell you the truth, I lost my daughter when she was only an infant. It's why I chose to work on the case. I understand the pain you're feeling. That's why I want to help you." The woman eyed him suspiciously for a moment, before crossing her arms with a worried brow.
"I-I see. It's alright. Come, sit down, I'll make some tea."
All three of them sat at the small table in the room, it was low enough for them to sit on the floor instead of chairs. Scarlet and Chase sat next to each other, the woman across from them.
"...so he just disappeared on his way home from school a week ago?" "Yes, I've been worried sick." Scarlet internally rolled her eyes. 'So worried you took a week to report it, huh..' "Oh no, what's your son's name?" "Elijah."
"And his age?" Chase asked with a smile. "Mmm.... He was about six." Chase's smile dropped quickly. 'He just got really serious...' "What do you mean... He 'was' six?"
The woman's heart rate picked up. Shit. "Why are you using past tense? Isn't he simply... Missing? Unless.. You killed him." The woman put her hands together nervously, fidgeting with her fingers. "N-no.."
Chase slammed his hands on the table. "Then why are you fucking stuttering?!" The woman was silent. "Answer me!!! How did you kill him?! Did you drown him? Toss his body in a river? Praying he rots away before anyone can find his remains?!" The woman was still silent. "You bitch..."
Chase reached his right hand to his side, and Scarlet heard shuffling. "Chase!!" He looked at Scarlet, seeming to come to his senses. "... This... Seems a little.... Unprofessional."
'Oh my god, he just snapped! He was reaching for his gun, wasn't he?! If this guy actually attacked her and ended up in jail, he'd be totally useless to me!'
They all sat in silence for a while, before Chase started sitting up. "Let's go." He and Scarlet got up and left the woman sitting on the floor, tears forming in her eyes. As they walked down the hallway, Scarlet called at the back of Chase's head. Her attention was caught off guard by someone coming out of an apartment in front of them as they walked.
Chase noticed it, too. The person had an odd vibe to them. They wore a simple black tank top with a sinners mark. They wore a dark green scarf with neon green x's scattered on it, and they (Insert haircut) and an undercut. Their hair was black with dyed green highlights in it, and they were very vibrant. Scarlet felt weird being around them. Like they were similar in some way, but she couldn't put her finger on it.
They were wearing a neon green headband, and it had fake deer Antlers on it. They also had a thick green belt on, but their pants didn't have any loops. Scarlet only saw it because it was both bright and unusual.
Scarlet and the suspicious person made eye contact. She narrowed her eyes at them, and as the person walked past them they gave Scarlet a smile and a small wave, before walking past them. They were really happy, but she still got a weird feeling about them. Scarlet shrugged, continuing to follow Chase.
Chase stopped in front of a door, and Scarlet stopped behind him. "Scarlet. Do you... Like video games?"
They went to Chase's apartment and Scarlet found herself sitting in a gaming chair in front of a computer, Chase leaning over her shoulder.
'I.. I just impulsively told him that I like video games to calm him down but... I don't think I've ever played one...'
"So this game is called Fatecraft! I play it a lot, uh, that's not too important.. But, I think it'd be fun if you made a character!" Chase had a smile on his face as he awkwardly tried to make Scarlet forget about what had happened at the woman's apartment.
The game sat in front of Scarlet. On the side of the screen, there were options, the top one was selected and was marked 'FATECRAFT,' with a red symbol next to it. Below it was one marked 'AKUMA' with a pink symbol next to it, and below that was one marked 'HOMEROCK' with a dark blue symbol next to it. Above those were different things to select, like 'games,' 'friends,' and 'store.' Fatecraft's name was at the top, below it in small letters was 'Options, redeem code, customer service' and each could be clicked on. Below that was a photo of a character, it had three wolf heads on it with red eyes. Strange. Next to that was an option to see the community guidelines, as well as the friends that were online. There was a loading button at the bottom of the screen that was at 100%, and a green play button next to it. Scarlet was hovering over the play button.
Scarlet clicked play and it brought her to a place to make her avatar. The avatar she had currently was basic, with pink hair and a brown crop top with brown pants, like they were really dirty. On the side of the screen, she could choose the sex, which was set at female currently, then she could pick different races and class. "So here's the character selection screen! I recommend for beginners to make a warrior human since they're pretty standard.."
Scarlet scrolled down to the third option in the race category, which was a zombie. "Oh.. You want to be a zombie? Well, that's okay too." The character now had long strings of purple hair, decaying skin, and black clothes. Scarlet went to the class section and scrolled down, choosing the class 'necromancer.' Now the zombie had a purple dress and black cape. "A zombie... Necromancer? Erm, edgy but alright. Well, the last step is to name your character..." Scarlet moved her cursor to the area and started typing.
GRIMREAPER666_
She chuckles to herself slightly at her name and character. Chase eyes her weirdly. "I... Feel like I just learned a lot about you.." Scarlet spawned into an outside area, and there was her profile and a blue bar and a red bar next to it that was full. There was a character in front of her character, and it seemed like an MPC dwarf. It had a '!' On top of its head. "So you just spawned into the world! Accept the quest from that dwarf." "I don't want to do that. I want to fight someone."
A character came running to Scarlet in the distance. "...oh no, a high level is coming..." "A what? Can I fight that?
The player came up to Scarlet and stuck the sword they were carrying into Scarlet's chest, a big '-100' in red appeared above her and the red bar went down and turned grey. "Ah, he killed you."
"Wait, what? What?! Whattt?!?!?!?!?!?!" Scarlet turned to Chase. "Why is he allowed to do that?!" Chase looked at her, shocked by her outburst. "Well, you can kill other people in this game, and he's just so lot higher level than you..." "So how can I kill him?" She was lowkey terrifying at this moment. Chase feared for his life more than this morning when he woke up.
"Uhm... You'll need to play more to level up, so you can enter endgame content and get good equipment..." Chase answered her in a small voice, shrinking into himself. She was scary, could you blame him? Scarlet started aggressively typing on the keyboard. "Teach me." Scarlet looked at her for a second before smiling, feeling a little happy again.
"S-sure! So, to start off, let's take that quest. You'll need to kill five boars right away."
"Five boars? What do they need me to kill five boars for?"
"Boars contain bacon. Delicious bacon."
"Oh, I understand..."
Chase kept explaining the game to Scarlet, and after a while, they moved to different topics. "So... Why did you bring me today?" "Ah, yeah, it uh... Didn't go as planned..." Chase said, looking away from her slightly, sort of as an eye roll. "There was a reason I brought you, but... I ended up losing my temper." He seemed slightly salty, before closing his eyes. "... It was just so obvious that she killed her son. And honestly... People like that should be burning in hell." Scarlet looked at him with slightly wide eyes, before smiling. "I see..."
*****
11:38 P. M. The woman sat cleaning a plate in her sink, in the dark. She walked to her front room by the table to tidy up when there were a few knocks at the door. She looks scared that someone was knowing on her door so late in the night. "....who...."
END OF CHAPTER/EPISODE 10
Chapter 2: Chapters 11-20
Chapter Text
The woman looked through the peephole in her door, seeing Scarlet outside of it. "It's that rude girl from today. Where's the detective?" She saw Scarlet's eye slightly glowing red through her hair. (That normally happens when she uses her demon energy thing or is about to, I just haven't mentioned it yet, my bad.) "..and what's with her eye?"
The woman slightly opened the door, enough to peek her head through it and speak to Scarlet. "...what do you want. I don't want to talk to you. Bring back that detective instead." Scarlet grabbed the handle of the door, slamming it open. The woman took a few steps back. "W-what the hell do you think you're doing?!" Scarlet rose a hand next to the woman's neck, forming her scythe.
A tear fell down the woman's face as she felt the scythe pressed to the back of her neck. "I'll see you in Hell." Scarlet moved the scythe forward, cleanly cutting the woman's head off. They were both transported to Hell.
They all seemed to be in an area with a lot of ropes and such hanging around, the air was a deep blood red. Black crows, hundreds of them, flew around the area.
Scarlet looked past the woman and at the view. They were standing at the edge of what seemed like a cliff.
"Parents are wonderful, you know. More and more potential sinners are born into this world, for me to eventually sentence.....But parents who kill their kids? Those are my f a v o r i t e."
The woman stood on a Rocky terrain, a noose around her neck limply, in the same white simple clothes and bonded hands as the other sinners that had been sent to Hell. "Hell?" "Not just hell, the fifth level of hell... You disgusting sinner. You'll hang here until the end of time. Birds will gather and eat your flesh, picking you to the bone. Your grotesque body will hang until your flesh slowly grows back, ready for the birds to return for another meal. A perfect resting place for you, little miss filicide." The woman was silent before she started sobbing.
"He was going to die anyway.... He was sick, I couldn't afford the treatment. He was suffering so much, and I just wanted him to die quickly..." "You 'wanted him to die quickly? Are you kidding me? Is your idea of mercy to strangle him, chop him up, and flush his little pieces down the toilet? Seriously? You think you can lie to the devil himself?!" He reached out a hand to her. "You're a dirty sinner until the very end."
'... So that's it, huh? Just another crazy murderer?' Scarlet looked away from her. 'What a disgusting woman-'
"... I was... Going to be someone." The woman looked up with teared filled eyes, more running down her face. "When I was younger, I wrote a story...about a girl who could grant wishes." The woman looked at her hands. The woman reflected on her past when she was a child.
*
"She keeps writing about dumb fantasies! You put these ideas in her head!" "Me?! You're the one that took her to see that cartoon! You're always doing things with her without asking me!" Her parents were arguing.
"My friend was in literature club... He insisted on reading it."
"Is.. Is it alright?" The boy set the story aside and looked up to her. She noticed he was crying. "It's... It's really good! A-Ana! You have to enter this in something! Show it to a publisher! Anything! The world needs to see this! Your story is amazing!" He shook her shoulders while trying to convince her.
"Ana." She looked at her mother, who was holding an open envelope and a letter. "We got a letter. You entered a contest, didn't you?" The girl turned around, ready to fight her case. "Mom-" "You won." The girl's eyes widened. "If you can consistently make money like this... We'll allow you to go to university."
The woman started sobbing more, remembering how all of her papers came home with an F circled in red ink in the corner. Every. Single. One.
"I barely managed to graduate."
"So, what are you planning after all of this?" Ana's friend asked her. "I don't know...stay with my parents, I guess." He smiled at her. "Wellll, I was going to begin a start-up game company, and it just so happens we need a new writer..." Ana looked at him with shock, then a smile graced her features.
She no longer smiled when she told her parents. She sat with a bloody nose, her parents in front of her. "Give you money to run off somewhere to play games?? When are you going to grow up?! You nearly failed college! You never won another contest! It's time to give up and settle down! You've had your fun. Let us set you up with ____ so you can become an adult." "But I don't want to get married or have kids-" "Shut up! Stupid, stupid, stupid! Every woman does! Your sister has three and she's overjoyed!" "Ana, just listen to us. We know what's best for you. We love you. "
"Why wasn't I strong enough to say no...? I didn't... Feel anything.." She asked herself in pity.
She thought back to when she got married. When she was pregnant. When she gave birth. How alone and unhappy she was. When her husband left her. How she asked her parents for help.
"Help with raising your son? We have no time! We have to take care of your sister! He probably left you because you're so hopeless! Besides, why were you stupid enough to have a kid with him if he was so unfaithful?! You stupid, stupid girl."
She remembered when her son came up to her.
"M-mommy... I don't feel so good.."
He had thrown up blood. Straight blood.
"Where... Is that happiness...I was promised?"
The bills were half a million dollars.
She stood over her son with a cord in her hand.
"He was going to die.... So slowly. I couldn't afford it. It was the only way out. For the both of us. So yes, I'm a sinner and a fool. ...that's my truth. If either of you meets god... Just... Tell him... I'm sorry."
The rope around her neck yanked her backward off the rocky terrain for her to serve her sentence.
*
The early morning streets were bustling with people, per usual. Scarlet walked through the streets, thinking about the woman who she had just murdered. She felt bad for her. She went through so much... Scarlet touched the top of her bead slightly. 'That woman... She's a sinner, but... Her life was fucked. She felt like her only option was the kill her son... But murder is still an unforgivable sin.' Scarlet stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, staring at the hand she had used to kill her. 'Did either of us have a way out of the mess we got ourselves into?' As Scarlet looked up, her eyes widened in disgust. The city didn't look as pretty as it used to.
'Has the world always been so ugly?'
Behind her, she heard a lady scream. "My purse!" A person in a black coat dashed by Scarlet, the woman's missing purse in hand. Scarlet stopped for a moment, watching his disappearing figure. She slowly followed after him.
There was a rattling sound as the young man dumped out the contents of the stolen purse onto the floor. "Shit... All that lady had was junk." He rested his cheek on his hand. "What a waste of time." Scarlet walked into the alley he was in and stood behind him. "Hey... Do you have a family?" He turned around to look in the direction of the voice. "Did you steal that to feed them? To feed yourself?"
Scarlet's hand was dripping black. The man's eyes widened. "W-what the fuck!?" Scarlet's face was partly covered in a black and red glitching material. It looks like it had simple, scribbled red eyes drawn on it. "Or are you really just some cartoonist sinner with no depth?" He turned around, his hands on the ground as he scooted away from her. "D-Don't get any closer, you freak!"
The side of Scarlet's face that had the demon on it came outwards, like a mouth with sharp teeth. "Ah, what do I care? I'm still going to kill you. I don't have time to be following some arbitrary moral compass. One sinner... Per day...." The young man pulled a gun out of his thick coat. "W-what the hell are you talking about?! Stay back!!" He held the gun up to aim at Scarlet, but his hand was shaking. "A gun?" Scarlet kept walking closer, her demon energy emitting from her began to grow larger, going around the two. "That's dangerous."
"A... A..." His voice wavered. "Monster.." There was a bang, and the bullet went through Scarlet's face, the half that the demon was emerging from. It went back to its disfigured shape quickly. "... That didn't hurt at all." The young man, now frantic, started rapid firing at the 'monster.' Scarlet kept walking closer, not even flinching. He started crying. "What.." He presses the trigger over and over again. "... Even are you?!" A bullet went straight toward Scarlet's face, and she used her demon energy to go in front of her face and stop the bullet. It crumpled and fell to the floor. The demon was now covering her other eye. "Did something just happen? I can't fucking see. God, what am I waiting for, you're a sinner!" She zoomed towards him and he fell back, scooting away again.
"W-wait, please, I-I'm just a dumb kid! I-I'll never steal again, rea-" Scarlet's energy created a scythe that went straight towards the boy, going right through him. She retracted her weapon. "Not enough." She brought the weapon back down. She retracted it again. "Not enough!!" She kept stabbing the boy, over and over and over again. "I'll scrub every one of you sinners from the face of the planet. I'll save myself from hell...and make this world a better place." She turned around. "Starting with that detective."
Scarlet left the alley, and from the shadows came two figures. The green-based person from Ana's apartment and the pink-based person from the roof. The green one knelt down over the mutilated body. "Someone was a little trigger happy." They said with a smirk, starting to collect the items on the floor and put them back into the purse. "They both were." The pink one said, picking up the now empty gun, which was full when the boy started firing, and gesturing to the empty shells on the floor. The green one picked up the purse, putting it on his arm and stepping over the body. "I'm gonna go return this," They said to the rabbit, whom nodded. "Meet you back in 10."
*
'What a filthy, filthy world. How long will it take me to kill all of them? To pour salt on every one of these snails? Infected... Infected... Disgusting...' (In case you don't know what's happening her demon is out since she lost control of her emotions. She had no control.) She came to a stop in front of Chase's apartment door. 'DIE.' She grabbed the handle to the door, and turned it, opening the door. She slammed it open, only to quickly come to her senses, her demon retreating.
Chase stood by his bed, a pair of jeans on, him shirtless, a sweater halfway over his head. He was obviously changing. Lightstalker was on the bed next to him. "... Chase..." Chase, the sweater over his head and one arm in it, halted. "Wait, Scarlet?" He frantically tried to get his sweater on. "Oh my god, can you knock?!" He fell over, letting out a grunt as he tried to fit it over his head.
He finally for his sweater on and sat up, looking at scarlet. "D-did you see my nipples...?" "Yeah." Chase put his hands over his sweater where his nipples would be. "Y-you can't just walk in you know!" Scarlet walked to the computer. "I really needed to use your computer."
'What...what that? Just a moment ago, I felt like ripping out his spine... I barely remember.. It was such a primal feeling...' Scarlet sat on the computer, and Chase sat on the floor by the table on his phone. Chase glanced at Scarlet, then back to his phone. "I do wonder where you disappear to." Scarlet stopped playing the game and looked at Chase, then put her hands together and rested her chin on them. "... Chase, do you think murder can ever be justified?"
Chase's eyes widened and he narrowed them at Scarlet. "Yes." Scarlet pushed the chair out from the desk and turned it to face him. "You responded quite... Fast.."
"I've thought about it a lot. What about you?" "Not sure. Killing someone makes you a killer, too. But you know, maybe in the right situation.." Chase rested his head on his hand, shoulder on the table. "I don't agree with your first statement. You can have a bed of flowers, and a single weed can sprout and strangle the flowers around it. Any responsible gardener would rip the weed from its roots, instead of sitting around hoping it'll turn into a flower." "It's awfully bold of another flower to think they're the gardener." "It really isn't. Society has a system like it, for flowers to judge the weeds. I'm part of it, as a detective. There are too many things wrong in this world. Cults, criminals, and gangs.. The Red Spades, for example." Scarlet's eyes widened as she remembered what that one woman had said to her.
"A-are you from the red spades? Please, I never did anything to you..."
'That name again...' "Why did you ask such a weird question?" "The quickest way to get to know someone is to ask hard questions, is all." "... Alright." Chase went back to his phone for a minute or two. "You should take a shower." "Well, that's rude." "You smell like blood. Again." Chase looked at her with narrowed eyes. Scarlet widened her eyes, and Chase looked at his phone, acting as if that was a completely normal thing for her. Well, technically it was.
"You know, if you have a part-time job as a butcher, you can let me know! Nothing wrong with manual labor!" Scarlet stood up and scratched the back of her head, trying to play it cool. "Woaahh, haha, was it that obvious? You got me! It's just such a lame job!" "I knew it, the hours were so weird, and you were so sneaky! You should have told me from the start!" "I really should have, you're so right! I was just so embarrassed!" They started laughing and it eventually died down. "Well, if you insist, I'll be borrowing your shower!" Scarlet said, quickly making her way to the bathroom. She shut the door and leaned against it.
'I need to kill him after he solves case x. He's suspicious of me... But isn't acting on it to keep me around, out of self-interest. When we lose usefulness for each other, I need to make the first move.' "I guess I should wash my clothes too.." Scarlet said as she slipped off her jacket. She slipped the bandana around her neck off of her as well.
"I really haven't showered since I've become the grim reaper, huh...." Scarlet pulled her shirt over her head but stopped. "Wait.. What is that?" Looking at herself in the mirror, she saw her torso. There were scars littered all over her stomach and chest. Her legs sort of wobbled, and she started to feel sick.
'Who the hell am I?'
*
Scarlet slammed the bathroom door open, revealing herself wearing a light blue cat hoodie and some pants. The hood had cat ears on it. "Why is everything you own so ridiculous. Seriously." Chase looked confused and Scarlet walked towards the computer chair. "I washed my clothes. They're drying in there. This is the least stupid thing I could find." She sat down in the chair awkwardly. "D-did you think before you put that on? You shouldn't wear random clothes from the guy you just met. It'll make you seem like my girlfriend." Scarlet laughed a little. "Pppffttt, that'll never happen!" -10 HP.
Chase gave her a dirty look. "Not that it matters to me, but why exactly did you have that reaction?" "Being in a relationship probably means love, and love is inconvenient. A chemical reaction, that if I ever had the misfortune of experiencing, I could easily reason myself out of it. You'd have to be a complete idiot to not think about it rationally."
Chase was a little hurt by this comment. "Wow... How.. Fucking naive." Scarlet was shocked by his outburst. "H-hey, don't be so emotional. You're smart, right? Logically, it's just like coming over a fear of heights." "...and you're speaking from experience?" "Well, no, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to-" "then shut up." Scarlet had never really seen Chase so upset. He stood up from the table. "I'm going to bed. We're going to stop by the office tomorrow. Just keep your mouth shut until then."
****
Scarlet and Chase walked down the streets, neither of them saying anything.
'Man, he's so moody. This guy is too emotional! Why would he get offended over that?!' Scarlet put her hands on either side of her head. 'But most of all, why do I feel so bad?! I don't give a shit about this guy, I'm just using him!' She looked up to the sky, hands still in the same place, letting out a silent groan. 'It's not my fault! How was I supposed to know it'd upset him?!' They kept walking for a little while until Scarlet got the courage to speak. "C-Chase." Chase stopped and turned around the face her. Scarlet was trying to smile kindly, but it was not working and she made a weird, strained face, like she was holding in a fart. Chase cringed at the sight. "I-I-I'm s-sorry ab... About y-yesterday." Chase tried to stifle a laugh, but it didn't work, and he burst out in a fit of laughter.
When he calmed down, he rubbed his eye. "Really, what is with that strained face?" "W-wait, don't laugh, that took a lot of effort to say.." "I know, I know. Despite everything, even someone like you apologizes to me." They both looked at the sky and a bit of wind brushed past them. "Scarlet. I'll tell you something about me."
*
Chase led Scarlet to an alley, and they both sat against one of the walls. "So, why are we... Here?" "..I wanted to explain my reaction from yesterday to you. So I took us into this alley." He had an accomplished smirk on his face. "We always end up here, somehow." "You said you wanted to know more about me, right?" "Ah, yeah." 'I just wanted to know how you got that X, but if you're going to give me free information...' "Okay.." Chase, said, before falling silent.
"This happened.. A while back." Chase looked back to a late spring, where he had on khakis and a light blue button-up shirt. He also had a leather bag around his shoulder and the same blonde hair. He stood on a path and there were bright colors of nature all around him, including bright green trees and grass and flowers around him.
****
Thanks to my friend for helping me out with this chapter, I greatly appreciate it! :)
“Back in college..” Chase remembers how happy he was all the time, a smile on his face. Trailing off into his own memory whilst telling his story. Scarlet couldn’t help but smirk and try to hold in a laugh. “Wait, why are you looking at me like that?” Chase barks. “I’m imagining, like, some kind of cartoon for girls.” She laughs at the thought.
Annoyed, Chase looks at her. “Do you want to hear this or not?”
“I do, I do! Sorry! Keep going!”
Drifting back into thought, Chase describes the story. The feeling glows of soft yellows and oranges. In this soft scape, Chase is young and full of life. Wearing a button-up polo shirt, with the top unbuttoned and a satchel bag hanging over his shoulder. A Brunette girl, much shorter than him, bumped into his side as he was walking.
“On the first day, I ran into a girl.”
*
“Hey!!!” She shouted, offendedly. "--Oh…” “...Sorry…” He seemingly mumbled. With an angry, yet flushed face, she shoved him aside. Running away, she yelled, “W-watch where you're going, idiot!!!!”
*
“I was instantly enamored,” Chase says presently. "All she did was shove you and call you an idiot,” Scarlet responds judgmentally. "Yeah, but she was hot.” Scarlet retracted all her emotions as he said that, weirded out.
“I kept running into her.” He began. In thought, he pictured numerous scenes of the short girl scrambling away from him, angered and flustered each time, never willing to talk to him. "I wanted a reason to talk to her, so I found one.”
*
Sitting at the end of a classroom table, with a book in hand, he met with the girl. “Y...You like 18th-century literature? And you want to join my club?” The girl said in awe, it seemed as though she was the only member of said club.
“Yes.” 'I hate it..' Chase’s thoughts echoed through his mind, which felt hollow at the moment.
*
“The perseverance of a male in heat is kind of impressive,” Scarlet remarked blankly. “Yeah…”
*
With cheerful chirps, the girl rambled on her fixation. "You’ve never read any of Jane Austen’s works?! Seriously?” “Ah, it’s… Been on my to-do list…” “I knew you looked like an idiot! You aren’t a real enthusiast until you’ve read her work!” “Oh… Well, maybe you could teach me about it?” They conversed.
*
“I ended up learning a lot about her. She was genuinely smart and interesting. A little rude, yeah, but… I could overlook it. -- I mean, that was part of her charm, right?”
Pushing himself back into his memories of the girl, Chase continued on. Chase and the girl were sitting outside, still on the school campus, next to each other on a bench.
*
"So, in chapter five, there’s a part where her uncertainty about the situation is symboli--” The girl was cut off by another student.
“Woahh, _____, Is that you? I haven’t seen you in years!” - “Oh, is that your boyfriend?”
Chase perked up. “Oh, Hi! Yeah, I’m her boyf--” He began, only to be cut off by a fist plummeting into his jaw.
“KYAAA, SHUT UP!!” The girl growled. A bit of blood seeped out of his mouth next to where he was struck. "That… kind of hurt.” He grinned, trying to laugh it off as an accident. Angrily whipping her head around at him she snuffed, “T-Then don’t say such embarrassing things! Besides, are you really going to complain about being hit by a girl?!”.
“...The rose-tinted glasses started to fade,” Chase admitted woefully. He described certain moments with little detail, many of which upset him to say out loud.
“Wow, are you really that stupid? Why am I even dating you, Idiot.”
“...Sorry.”
“Can’t you think for a second before you talk?! The only thing that comes out of your mouth is shit!”
“...Sorry.”
“Ugh, you’re bleeding after such a light hit.”
“...Sorry.”
“What a pathetic man.”
*
“...In the end, she broke up with me. I never could stand up for myself. I consider myself to be a pretty logical person. But… Emotions blinded me.” He concluded. Scarlet looked at him in thought, then it returned to her.
“...Being in a relationship probably means love, and love is inconvenient. A chemical reaction that if I ever had the misfortune of experiencing, I could easily reason myself out of. You’d have to be a complete idiot to not think about it rationally.” Scarlet’s eyes widened upon remembering what she said, it felt like a wave of guilt flowed through her body
Not looking over to see her reaction, Chase continued on. “Anyway, it was unfair of me to snap at you without you knowing that bit about me, so my bad if I… Overshared---”
“I’m sorry!!” Scarlet said, loudly, cutting Chase off. “Huh--” “Seriously!!! I feel like such a dick…” She muttered, burying her face in her hands. “I don’t even have experience with that kind of thing, and here I am talking out of my ass..”. Chase looked over at her, surprised, once he gathered himself quickly, his eyes softened. “T...Thanks. Despite this entire situation, you’re pretty genuine, aren’t you?”
They sat side by side in the alleyway, pure silence echoed for a mere moment as Scarlet thought to herself. 'I don’t think he’s lying to me. He’s a sinner but… I don’t think he’s like Jordan. There must be something I'm missing. The story of his sinner’s mark is definitely more complicated than I'm assuming.' She looked up for a moment.
The tranquility of thought didn’t last however, despair infected her eyes as she looked at a symbol painted on the alleyway wall in red. It was a fascicle of small red spades, all forming a large red spade on the wall. She felt anxious, however, she scowled her eyes when looking at the spade. 'I remember something.'
Scarlet stared at the wall with wide eyes. Her memory was still extremely vague, but, she remembered something about a person picking something up. Who, and what they were picking up, she couldn't recall at first. However, she realized it was herself picking something up in the area. What it was? She could only guess.
She shakily tried to stand up. "Scarlet?" "I know where they are..." Chase started to stand up. "..what? Who is 'they?'" Scarlet started walking down the alley. "...Scarlet! Hey! Are you listening to me?" Chase started to run after her. "W... Where are you going?! Wait for me, you're too fast!" Scarlet kept running.
'I'm moving without thinking.. But.. It's this way! I can feel it! No, I can remember it!' Scarlet kept running, Chase following. He was out of breath. "Listen, I'm a detective, I'm not really built for this kind of exercise! So, if you could learn to talk again, and tell me where-" Chase came to a halt, nearly running into Scarlet on the way. She was facing a door. "A door?" Scarlet held her fist up to it. "I've been here before."
She reached and was about to knock when it slammed open. A man stood there, in a simple blue shirt and jeans, a sack over his head with eyes cut out so he could see. He had a sinners mark. "...you again." Scarlet looked at him with wide eyes, and Chase glanced between him and Scarlet. What was happening again? He needed a refresher.
"You know the drill. Blindfolds. Both of you." He held out two black pieces of cloth. "If ya wanna see the boss." They both put the blindfolds on and walked in. Chase was taken in a different direction than Scarlet. As they walked down the corridor, Scarlet felt unnerved.
"Where did you take my friend?" "He's being held in a side room. He's not allowed to see the boss." "And you're not going to touch him, right?" "...depending on how well you behave." The man led Scarlet in front of him, into a room. It was silent for a moment. "Leave us." A woman's voice said, and Scarlet heard footsteps leading out the door, presumably the man's.
"Take that blindfold off now." Scarlet put her thumb under the blindfold and lifted it off her head. There stood a woman, with a long sleeve and followed white shirt, a black and gold corset, and skirt. She was old, obviously, she had grey hair. Next to her was a person in a :3 mask, wearing a lot of pink and black. He looked a lot like a bunny, with a pink cloth standing up like one. The lady crosses her arms. "Wooow, look what the cat dragged in. It's been so long.... I thought you were dead." Scarlet narrowed her eyes.
'Is this.. The leader of the Red Spades?' She looked at the one in pink. He didn't have a sinners mark. 'That makes sense but... Who is that non-sinner?' The woman smirked. "You do realize the trouble you're in?"
"I don't. I came here for answers." It wasn't a lie. "Sure. You'll get your answers.. After you pay your debt." This irked Scarlet. "Debt..?" The woman smiled. "What? You think I'd just forget? Five million. Pay up." Scarlet's eyes widened. "W-wait, five million?! What the fuck did I do to owe that much?!" What had she done? "Playing stupid won't make it go away. I'm going to get my money one way or another. If I can't get it in cash, I'll just take your body." Scarlet thought for a bit.
"You have no idea who you're dealing with. Tell me who I am." The woman smiled in amusement. "...are you referring to your little detective friend? Trust me, the police won't care if he's dead either." ".. I'm talking about me... I'll get my answers from you in hell." Scarlet formed her Scythe, taking a stance.
The woman was more amused than before. "Oh, what's this?" Scarlet sprinted towards the woman, and she swung her scythe down into her, but the bunny grabbed it and stopped it in its tracks, and the woman took a step to the side. What the hell? Scarlet stopped, and the boy just stared at her through the mask. "A reaper, huh.."
"....how did you-" The boy made a fist, cracking the scythe Scarlet made with her energy into small particles within a second. Scarlet's eyes widened. 'What?' The boy stopped, before his hand went forward, grabbing Scarlet's face. "You're a bad person, aren't you?" He asked, and Scarlet could feel his hand on her. The gloves were rough.
He pushed her forward with his hand, and she went flying into the wall, about 30 feet away. She slammed into the cement wall, creating a dent in it. The impact hurt like a bitch. She slid down the wall, slumping to the floor, trying to process what just happened.
The boy started to make his own weapon with his hand, holding it up elegantly. "..boss, please get back." "What the hell are you?!" Scarlet asked him. The phrase was familiar, as all the sinners she had killed so far had asked her that very same question, and now she pondered it. What is he? The particles and energy of his power circled around him. He held his arm up.
"The same as you."
Scarlet started to get up, forming a scythe in her hand again. "...You mean you're a--" He quickly dashed towards her, a fist made in his right hand. She realized quickly, since he was quite far away, and held out both her hands, her scythe formed and out, ready to use it as a shield of some sort. He noticed this. "Didn't you learn anything?" He wrapped his fingers around the middle and it shattered just as quickly as the first time, if not faster. It was almost immediate.
He grabbed her face yet again and held her up to the wall, her body going limp. He grabbed her wrist with one hand, still pinning her to the wall with his hand. "Stop taking out that annoying weapon." He stated, before ripping his arm back, tearing Scarlet's right arm off in the process. It was incredibly quick and oddly.. Painless. Her eyes widened seeing her arm in his hand. 'My arm?'
The back of her head started getting that same, black glitchy and tingling feeling as before, but it wasn't too bad quite yet. It spread fast, however. 'I can't feel--' He threw her body back before she could think anything else, let alone speak or make any sort of action to fight back. She slid across the ground. 'What do I do.' Her mind finally realized the situation she was in. 'What do I do?' She sat up slightly, seeing the 'reaper' coming towards her yet again. Fuck.
There was a sort of.. Demon? Behind him. It was shaped sort of like a poorly drawn rabbit, with the same :3 face on it, just as his mask had, and it was black and neon pink. His mask seemed crazier than normal. Maybe it was the primal feeling Scarlet had, making her imagine things. Like drugs. She had that feeling over nearly half of her face now, as she looked at the thing coming towards her.
'I can't beat him.'
Scarlet started to stand up again. She quickly turned around. 'I need to run.' It was her only option. If she didn't, he would kill her. She only ran for about 5 seconds when the bunny-like reaper appeared in front of her, but upside-down. How did he get to her so quickly? He was so far away when she first got up.
He dropped in front of her, making her stop running to avoid hitting him. She was still frantic, and her eyes widened even more, if that was possible. "Now you're running. That's annoying me." He grabbed her left ankle, wrapping his hand around her boot and tearing her leg off. He tossed it to the other side of the room, then threw Scarlet again.
She slammed into a wall with less force than before, sliding down it. 'Is it really going to end like this? How.. Can I get away?' He started walking towards her again, and she glanced at him through her hair which was slightly covering her face. 'There must be a reason he's wearing that mask. Do I still have... That?' She reaches down to her side with her remaining hand, and her face was over half-covered now. She still had it.
"Brook. That's enough. I don't know if she'd be more useful dead just yet." The leader if the Red Spades stopped him. "Ah, why didn't you tell me that before I ripped off two limb-"
Scarlet, whom had reached for the gun and drawn it, shot 'Brook' in the side of his head, right where the strap that held on his mask was. She had broken the strap. The mask fell to the floor. Brook turned towards her, and it was clear he was irritated. "Did you think... That a bullet was going to hurt me?!"
Scarlet, who had used her distraction to her advantage, was now sitting on an open window sill. "Not really." She fell backward, out of the window.
*
Scarlet dropped out of the window. Looking down, she saw a young high school student walking down the alleyway, looking at her phone. She was a sinner. Scarlet formed a scythe in her hand as she fell. 'I have one shot...' She kept thinking to herself as she started getting closer and closer to the ground.
She successfully sliced through the girl as she fell, and they were transported to hell before Scarlet hit the ground.
Brook looked at the window with wide eyes. How could he have let this happen? "Well damn, you know the rules. No going out without the mask." The leader said from behind him. "Ermmm, maybe there's some duct tape around here..." He slightly rolled his eyes, looking back at the window.
"Nah, I'm tired, I'm going to update my blog." He pulled out his phone, flopping on the floor. "Can a grim reaper even get tired? Furthermore, isn't she the same thing as you?" She asked with a scowl. "I shouldn't even have to ask you to go after her!" She threw her hands up slightly in frustration. "Don't you need to fight for reaper dominance or something?!"
Brook looked at her oddly. "What? That's not how it works." She rolled her eyes. "Well, I'd know how it worked if you actually told me." "I don't have to chase her. She'll be back for that blonde guy." He held his phone up slightly, still on the floor, showing her his screen. There was a small cat keychain hanging from his phone case. The photo was of Scarlet and Chase on the night they first met, in the alleyway shaking hands.
A notification popped up on his phone. Someone commented on his blog. The leader saw they had a bright green profile picture. "Is it that deer again?" Brook looked at his phone and sighed. He clicked on it.
"Sounds like a fun day! We should meet up for ice cream later :D" - Xx69_D33R_69xX
Brook smiled very slightly, but it faded just as fast as it came. He started typing.
"No" - ChocoBunnyBrook7
He scowled at the username that they had chosen for him. He cursed the app he was using for not letting people change their usernames. He turned his phone off. "Maybe I should chase her."
His phone dinged again, but he didn't turn it on to check and put his arm over his eyes.
*
In Hell, Scarlet fell to the floor, still missing two limbs and half of her face having a demon covering it. "It.. Hurts.." She wanted to yell at him. How could he not have told her? "Satan!!!"
Satan, who was talking to the new sinner that had just arrived in Hell, turned to her. He dropped the leaf he was holding up to the girl and pushed her so that she could start her sentence in Hell. . "What the hell happened to you?" He smiled while saying this, clearly amused.
Scarlet was somehow managing to stay upright. She was bending over, slightly hiding her face. "Why..." She looked up at him, the demon covering her face leaving her body slightly, still disfigured. It looked bad. "Didn't on you tell me... There was another reaper..." Satan smiled wider. "You didn't ask." This smartass.
"Shut the fuck up. I'm so fucking tired of your shit. Do you think you're funny?" "Seriously? You're losing control over this?" The demon kept growing bigger, more parts sticking out. It was still very disfigured. He couldn't tell what it was supposed to be. "All you do is fucking talk! I'm tired, tired, tired of you!! Shut the fuck up! I'll.. Fucking.. Kill you..."
Satan smiled, his own demon (or Satan) abilities coming out for him to use, which were just black arrows with a mustard yellow around them, sending them towards her. "Watch your language." One of the arrows zoomed towards her, piercing right through her stomach. Her limbs were back now, and so was her sanity. She slid back for a second on the ground, trying to catch her breath.
Her eyes widened and she patted her head with her hands, checking her leg. She rose quickly. "I'm fine?"
"I can repair that body every time you return to Hell. I've done it before." Satan said matter of factly, a hand on his hip, the other held up on his side. "You just have to be careful that you don't injure yourself so much that you can't move. You got awfully close. One more limb, and you would have either been unable to walk or unable to hold your weapon. It's awfully hard to kill a sinner while crawling."
"It would have been nice if you gave me the specifics earlier." Satan let one hand fall to his side the other on his chin. "Honestly, it should be a pleasant surprise. That body is the least of your worries, anyways. You let the demon inside of you completely take over for a moment. I had to smack it back into submission with that little stab." "The WHAT inside me?"
Satan looked to the side slightly. "The demon.." He muttered, as if telling his mom something that was important that he didn't mention. He practically was, but Scarlet wasn't his mother. Scarlet felt herself losing control again. 'Actually, should I have intervened?' Satan turned around and thought to himself.
The demon inside Scarlet was out, again. "You put a fucking demon inside me?!" "Can you please stop that?" Satan yawned, stabbing her a little bit again. "Why are you surprised? I told you this already. I wasn't using a euphemism. I literally put a demon inside of you. It's rattling around in that body of yours with your actual soul. It's what gives you your reaper abilities." Scarlet remembered when what she now knows as the demon had gone into her mouth when she first came here.
"Usually you're the one driving your body, but that demon is always there. Waiting." Scarlet couldn't help but imagine tiny little flames, herself as red and the demon as black. The red flame was at the wheel, the black one in the passenger seat, nagging to start driving. "If your emotions are unstable, your demon will start to take control. It feels nothing but primal instincts; fear, anger, rage...." The black flame pushed the red flame out of the way, as the red flame started to feel overwhelmed, and started driving crazily, unlike the red flame, which was normal.
"Your body will respond in turn- most likely unreasonably, and violently. It depends on the situation, and the emotion that triggered it. You losing control from anger means you'll lash out, but its response to something like fear would probably be to shut off your nerves and run." Scarlet thought back to when she killed that kid in the alley, and when she tried to run away from Brook when he ripped her arm off. "It's an animal, basically. Fight or flight. And if it manages to take total control, you're screwed. Good luck wrangling power back from that thing." Scarlet's eyes widened. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"Then what about that reaper I just ran into?! He had his demon thing out, and he was completely calm! And he didn't even have a sinners mark! That makes no sense! How is he a reaper?!" Satan leaned back slightly. "Oh, you ran into Brook? Good thing it wasn't the other ones." "There's more of them!?" Satan smiled and leaned his head on his hand slightly. "You're a little confused, aren't you? Well, since I'm such a nice guy... I'll tell you more about the other reapers."
*
"... I'll tell you more about the other reapers."
Scarlet perked up a bit. "Of course, I want to fucking know!" Satan turned away from her, his hands out as he walked away slightly. "Well, since you asked so nicely! So, other than you, there are three." He held up three fingers to her.
"You must have run into Brook earlier... If you're talking about the one who wasn't marked as a sinner." "Yes, the one that looks like a rabbit! Why the hell couldn't I see his sinners mark?!" "Why would you see a sinners mark?" He shrugged. "He doesn't have one."
"What? How is that fucking possible?! He's a grim reaper!" "... And? Are you really so simple-minded, Scarlet? Becoming a grim reaper requires exceptional circumstances. A non-sinner becoming one shouldn't be out of the question. We all have our little deals." Scarlet glared at him.
"So the reason he can control his demon so well, is because he's not a sinner?" "N-o-p-e! He has his demon in a complete chokehold. He's been a reaper for a long time." He put a hand on his hip. "You're a brand new reaper. You'll be able to kill humans without issue.... But with your pathetic control over your demon, any of the reapers could wipe the floor with you. Brook is one of the newer of the three. I'm still so surprised he attacked you so aggressively, but he's always had his own strange set of rules for himself. Just count your blessings if you've got on the bad side of the oldest reaper. Thankfully, he's far more predictable than Brook, so I don't see him attacking you unless you get in his way. The other reaper came just barely after Brook, but they are far more... Trained, I should say, than him. Better weapons, better flexibility. They won't attack you unless you get in their way, so I don't see it happening anytime soon. You have a long way to go before you can stand toe-to-toe with any of them. What a pickle you've gotten yourself into." "I pickle YOU'VE gotten me into." Scarlet corrected.
"....I got you out of the ninth circle in exchange for this job. Every mess you get yourself into is a fault of your actions in life that gave you that sinners mark, and the echoes of your past that catch up to you. And, you know, you can't hide here forever. You'll have to go back to the waking world eventually." Scarlet's mind wandered, then halted.
'...Chase! Wait.. Will I even be able to save him? I don't stand a chance against Brook... If I run into him again, I won't have any backup plans. But, the Red Spades have Chase. My best lead on figuring out who I was when I was alive.' Her mind went to when he told her about his ex. 'And... I'd feel bad for leaving him there after he trusted me with his past!'
"Satan, I've been suspicious of this for a while, but... Does time move differently in Hell than the waking world?" "Yes, time moves slower in the waking world while you are in hell." "...and I assume that I can't die in Hell, since I'm just a soul..." "... Yes, that is also true, otherwise it would be a little difficult to torment souls for all eternity. What's with the barrage of questions-"
Scarlet formed her weapon and charged at Satan. She tried to slice through him, but he stepped to the side slightly and she missed completely, falling over. "...What are you doing?" She sighed. "Fight me."
"Ohhh, what's this all of a sudden?" He was amused at her outburst. "I'm weak. You've told me that much. I don't have much control over my demon, and I'm a brand new reaper. So I need to start getting better, right fucking now!" She formed her weapon again, starting to charge at him. "The more difficult the enemy, the faster I'll improve. And I can't think of anyone stronger than the devil himself... Unless you're actually scared about fighting me." Satan smirked. "How interesting. Alright. I'll play with you for a bit." He snapped his fingers, the arrows appearing above him again.
"I'll fight you, but..." More arrows came out from behind him. There were now seven instead of three. His eyes widened and the smile he gave her was terrifying. "You're basically like a fly to me, you know." Scarlet ran towards him again, looking up at him as she did so. "You're the only option I have to train against. Besides, like I said before, I'm going to learn most from the hardest enem-"
All seven of the arrows impaled Scarlet at once from different angles. She threw up blood before they retracted and her body was healed. "Do you think a real enemy is going to wait for you to give a speech?"
There were now five arrows. He put an arm over his eyes, his other hand holding up five fingers. "This time, I'll count to five. One..." "Shit!" Scarlet cursed under her breath (not so much) as she began to steady herself and stand up again. "Ah, I'm bored." The arrows slammed into the ground surrounding Scarlet as she ran.
She kept running closer to Satan and the arrows kept coming down around her, but she managed to avoid them somehow. She gripped her scythe and crouched, launching off the floor and ready to hit him. As she got close an arrow blocked her. She just now noticed Satan had his eyes closed. "Can I open my eyes now?" Satan shoved her away from him. 'He's not even looking?!'
Scarlet landed on the floor. "Your movement is predictable. You attack head on every time, like a novice." 'Head on every time, huh..'
She raised her weapon and kneeled, aiming for his feet, but Satan used an arrow to raise himself off of the ground. "Additionally, you have zero awareness of the enemy's skill set. You also swing your weapon around like a giant sword. You have a scythe. Try and be a bit more creative. Think a little bit, Scarlet." Satan raised his left hand and an arrow followed his movements, charging at Scarlet. It wrapped around her and threw her.
She slid across the landscape and looked back to see seven arrows coming toward her again. She ran back at him again, dodging the arrows. As she ran an arrow came straight down at her from above her, and, per Satan's orders, Scarlet was creative (sort of). She put the end of her scythe slightly in the ground, the blade raised, and the arrow ended up being cut in half by the blade. She then jumped to attack him head-on, using one of the arrows as her support. Just as she was open to hitting him, he opened his eyes.
"Nice try." An arrow went straight threw her, and she was now farther from him and suspended in mid-air. "Even when I'm holding back, you can't land a single blow. You really are so... Weak."
*
Scarlet found herself back in the waking world in no time, crouched down at the area she would have hit the ground. Her body ringed with the pain, but it wasn't there. She just remembered the feeling. 'I just... Might be able to save him...'
Chapter 3: Episodes 21-30
Summary:
Episodes 21-30 of the WEBTOON 'I'm The Grim Reaper'
Chapter Text
Scarlet crept down a hallway, which was extremely worn down and dirty, as if it was abandoned. She stopped before turning the corner, hearing two voices. Sneaking a peek, she sees they also have sacks over their head with eyes and a mouth cut out, bright red sinners mark on their chest in front of their clothes.
"Did you check out the hostage in the other room?" One of them asked. "Yeah, yeah! It's that cop who was in the news a while back, right?" "Definitely him. He's a lot nicer than the articles made him out to be, though. Totally charming." "Do you think he wants to join us...?" "I mean it's either that, or he dies!" "That's true..." There was a small pause of silence. "Do ya think he's single?" Scarlet could tell the other was rolling her eyes. "Shouldn't you wait to see if he lives before asking that?"
'They're definitely talking about Chase. I think. Well, if they're on guard here, he's probably close...' Scarlet turned the corner close by, finding a stair casing and walking down it. It, too, was like the rest of the place. Rundown, as if it were to break down any minute. As she was halfway down another flight of stairs, she saw a doorway without a door. People were in there, speaking.
"And how does that make you feel?" She stopped. 'Chase?' She leaned against the wall near it, hiding, trying to hear more and see inside. "Well, honestly, kind of unappreciated." There was a big man sitting in front of him, a sack over his head like the others. Chase had a black blindfold on, his hands behind his back, sitting on the floor facing the doorway.
"I totally understand where you're coming from. I felt the same way at my old job." "Oh, you can relate...? Seriously, just because I'm strong I get the grunt work, and I never get long breaks..." "And you're really dedicated to the Red Spades, too, from what you've told me. You genuinely deserve a promotion or something." "...wow, you really think so? You're so nice to me, even though I tied you up..." "Hey, don't worry about it. Orders are orders. I don't hold anything against you."
'Chase is completely playing that guy... He's smart... It gave me enough time to-' "Hey, can I ask you a question? How did you know the person that I came with? The one with black hair?" Shit. "Ah... Her... Yeah, she used to come by a lot- sometimes at this location. She'd always have private meetings with the boss." "Private meetings.... So I assume that means that you don't know what she came for, specifically." "No idea. Nobody knows but the boss. But she'd always leave with a box, about this big..." He held his hands in front of him for size comparison, just smaller than a shoebox. It was futile, since Chase couldn't see. "I see... And I'm guessing that's all you know?" (You ain't see shit you have a blindfold.)
"That's all I know... Like I said, I'm the grunt, so I get all the dirty wor-" There was a thud as the man's head fell to the floor. Scarlet stood above him, a scythe in her hand. She almost felt bad for killing him, but it was necessary. 'I had to kill him... Thank god Chase is blindfolded.' "Did... Something happen?"
Chase asked. Scarlet moved to go behind him. She lifted him with ease, bridal style. "Yeah, I'm getting you out of here." "Hold on- wait? Scarlet? You came... Wait, no, what about the guard?" "Chase, can you just shut up? I still need to get us out." She walked towards the exit quickly.
'I need to escape here fast, before..' And other variations of that were all that went through her head as she ran around, looking for the way out of there. She turned around, seeing the familiar pink fake rabbit ears and pink gloves, one of the hands holding a phone.
Well, fuck.
Brook gave her a look that was unphased, as if saying he did not have time nor patience for this. He put his phone away and pushed himself off the wall. Scarlet saw his glove turn black, as if it was emitting the demon energy. It must have been his hand. "You have loud footsteps." Scarlet looked at the window behind him, determined to get Chase- well, to get them out of there.
She put Chase suddenly over her shoulder, and he let out a surprise "Woah!" Her hand was basically on his ass, but she tried her best to ignore it. This was necessary, not anything else.
'I need to be more creative about how to use my weapon...' She reached her other hand out, forming her scythe again. 'And I should keep in mind how Brook fights - up close, with his fists.' She focused on him as he charged at her. When he got close enough she raised her weapon and also charged at him. 'Now!'
As Brook reached out to grab her, she slammed her half-made weapon into the floor, using it as a pole to jump over him. He looked up at her, slightly surprised. He hadn't expected that. She shot out of the window, successfully with Chase still over her shoulder.
She landed safely on the ground, looking up, but she saw someone. The same person from Anna's apartment, dressed in green. They eyed her head to toe, and looked at Chase, before shrugging their shoulders and walking past her.
They walked to the entrance, opened the door, and there was Brook, pacing in the walkway some doors away. "Suppose you almost had them, huh?" They asked, walking towards him. Brook scoffed. "You saw them? The least you could do was help get 'em." The one in green shrugged. "Oh well. Not my problem. How about that ice cream?" They asked, pulling a wallet out of their pocket.
Scarlet kept making turns until she was a pretty decent length from the area. 'He didn't follow me... I guess my gamble paid off. He can't go out in public without the mask. I can probably... Put him down..' Scarlet glanced at Chase over her shoulder. 'He's been awfully quiet...' "Hey, Chase, we're safe, I'm going to put you down now." She told him.
"Nice and gentle..." She said, putting him on his feet. He was slightly stiff, but still quiet. "Ta-da!" Scarlet raised her arms out slightly, then put them down. He still didn't say anything. She looked to his hands, still behind his back. "Oh, uh, the ropes! Sorry!" She walked behind him. "Let me just... Grab my scissors.." She put her hand out and formed a shard, using it to cut the ropes binding his arms. She walked back in front of him but he still didn't say a word.
"Errr, want me to take off the blindfold too?..." She asked, reaching to the side of his head to lift it up. He wasn't wearing his glasses. She slid it down and he had this grim look on his face, his head slightly down, but still, the man said nothing. What was up with him? "Oh, uhm, here." Scarlet reached into her pocket, pulling out his gun and handing it to him. "You can have your gun back. I used a bullet."
Chase suddenly had a furious look on his face as he grasped Scarlet. "Wha-" She tried to speak, but Chase tackled her and slammed her to the floor. She noticed he took the gun from her, and pushed it against her cheek. "Who the fuck are you?!?!"
Scarlet remained silent.
"Do you think I'm an idiot? That I'd just overlook everything?" He leaned in closer to her and her face turned to the side slightly. "I know that you kill people. That man in the alley... You murdered him right before I found you." Scarlet thought back to Jordan. "...but that's not all. Nothing about you makes sense. You broke the handcuffs I put on you, without any tools. You're constantly drenched in the scent of dry blood, to the point where you don't even notice.
".. And you're somehow connected to the Red Spades, even though you don't seem to even understand what they are. You get us both into a mess, but still somehow manage to escape, while carrying me. I didn't see anything, but your strength and agility are completely unnatural. You haven't killed me because you're using me. Yet I feel like..." He thought back to when she apologized before she saw the wall in front of them. "....Scarlet... Who are you?" Tears were starting to form in his eyes.
"I don't know. I lost my memory. I'm using you to help me find it. You told me I look identical to the woman in Case X.... And that's the closest thing I have to figuring out who I was. I have no other leads. I'm sure you're smart enough to not discount any possibilities, Chase. It's probably crossed your mind that I could be her. Perhaps."
"You can't remember anything?" "The only thing I've been able to recall is a faint memory of going to the Red Spades. It's why I unintentionally took us there. It was the only thing I could remember, and I was desperate for any information. I had no idea they were a criminal gang." After a moment, Chase lowered his hand and the gun onto the concrete on the side of Scarlet.
".. Alright. Well, explain to me why you killed that man in the alley." "He's the one that took me into that alley, intending to kill me. If I hadn't killed him, he would have murdered me." There was a pause of silence. "Alright, then. My last question." He looked back to playing Fatecraft. To the apology. "You've been playing me the entire time, haven't you?" Scarlet's eyes widened. She turned her head to the side.
"No, Chase. I'm a bad liar.
"If we met outside of these... Circumstances... I think we could have been friends." "I thought we were." Scarlet's eyes widened again, and she finally looked at him. She reached a hand to her face to rub the bridge of her nose.
"N-No. Chase... By the circumstances, I mean.. Well...I'm the gri-" "Ahh, this pose is uncomfortable. I'm getting up." Chase said, and Scarlet felt him move off of her. He was straddling her before. He sat down on the ground next to her. "That entire time I was expecting you to shove me off and beat me up. The gun doesn't even have any ammo left, I only had one bullet in it." He spun the gun around on his index finger.
Scarlet sat up. "Uhm... Don't you have more questions?" "Well, about your super strength or how you're a literal murderer? Nope. No more questions. I got the essential information. You are aware of your relationship with Case X, and you're probably not going to kill me. Yet. As for you.. Maybe you're some government experiment, or anything alien. I have to be open to the possibilities. I'm the best detective there is. It'd be a shame for you to just hand me the answer to such a great mystery."
*
The sound of the keyboard clicking in the silent room was loud. The bright screen of Fatecraft lit the room up slightly as Scarlet killed a pig in the game. 'What an awkward week...' Scarlet though, thinking about the past few days.
*
"Hey, Chase, where are you going?" "Out. I'll be back later." - "Hey Chase, wanna play some Fatecraft today?" "Busy, sorry." - "Chase-" "Now's a bad time."
*
Scarlet put her head in her hands. 'Awkward! Holy fuck, it's so awkward! I want to just disappear!' In the game, the pig jumped at Scarlet, -20 damage in red appeared on the screen as her character stumbled back slightly. "...God damn it...." Scarlet slumped in her seat, then got up and lied on the floor close by, facing the wall.
'I feel kind of awful.... Killing sinners every day without a word...I've really been....alone...' She put her hands to her face again. 'Completely alone....' She closed her eyes, and soon the image of herself in the ninth circle appeared. She sat up with a gasp, realizing she wasn't actually there and still in Chase's apartment. She drew her legs closer to herself, hands up to grasp her hair and she slumped down. "Fuck! God damn it!"
She fell to the floor, trembling again. '....I can't be alone...' Sitting up, she stared at her hands. She felt something paw at her, and looked past her hands to see Lightstalker. She stared at her for a moment, before quickly swiping down and pulling the cat into a hug. She let out a small meow but made no move to get away from Scarlet.
She sat like that for a while until there was a beep, which shocked her so much that she jumped, Lightstalker jumping off of her and landing on the floor swiftly. There were more beeps and Scarlet looked back to the computer, which was still on. She sat back on the chair and looked at the screen. She had died.
In chat, it said her username and said that she died, then, a few messages were below it. The username from who was sending them was ASHENFALL. "Hey. I've noticed you've been dying a lot... Need some help?" "Hm.... A stranger is messaging me..." She started typing to reply back. "I am new. I am playing on a friend's account." "Oh, I see. And you picked a zombie necromancer. That's rough. They're an erratic class." She narrowed her eyes. 'This guy seems to know what he's talking about...'
"Can you explain" "Sure, I don't mind helping a noob." 'What's a noob?' Scarlet tilted her head. "So, you're having trouble because you don't understand your trees. As a necromancer, you have two skill trees. 'Humanity' and 'Necrosis.' These two trees do not increase your base power, but they do increase your character's grasp over the darkness inside every necromancer. Humanity is the tree where, in lore, your character has complete control over the darkness inside them. They can use any part of their body at their bidding, albeit weaker than the other tree. They exchange power for control." Scarlet looked back on Brook, and herself. This sounded awfully like being a reaper.
"In this tree, you'll still have control over your character. But, if you want raw power, you'll have to relinquish your control. . To the necrosis tree. Here, you will lose most control of your character, but you will still be able to utilize unparalleled strength. You might just end up killing your friends, is all. The darkness inside will take over you."
"Lose control completely, huh..." Scarlet muttered under her breath. "You can't assign skill points to either of these trees. It's like one long scale. And you'll tip back and forth depending on your actions in this world. " "....I assume you're a necromancer too, since you know so much about them?" "Yes. I'm also a zombie necromancer. I have been for a while. So is my friend." "...And what tree do you prefer?" "Necrotic. 100%. It's why I have to whisper to you. My character is currently rampaging through the city. I don't have much control atm, so I just started to check out the people online in the starting zone."
Scarlet swallowed thickly. "So, are you going to kill me?" "Of course. I kill everyone eventually." Scarlet leaned forward. 'He's talking about the game...but it's still giving me a bad feeling.' There was another beep, and a character had joined. Deerascended. They started typing, but before Scarlet could see what they said, there was a slam behind her and the light turned on, surprising her. She spun around quickly, seeing Chase by the door, giving her a shocked look.
"Ah, Chase." She said, somewhat dryly, and she leaned on the arm of the chair. Chase stepped across the room, keeping his eyes on her, and stopped in front of her, his hands in his pocket. They looked at each other for a while.
"Hey.. You... Feeling okay?" Chase crossed his arms and looked to the side, before looking back to her. "....When's your birthday?" "Ahhh... I don't remember. We kind of had a big fight over that." She said, sounding more excited than she had intended to. He was finally talking to her.
"...I didn't forget. I was just double-checking.... Today is mine, I was going to go out for a bit, but I felt a little bad leaving you alone," He said, scratching the back of his neck. "So.. Maybe... We could pretend that it's yours too?"
After Chase's proposal to pretend it was Scarlet's birthday, they went out.
Scarlet didn't know where they were going until they were at an amusement park. There were a lot of people walking around of all ages, some with sinner's marks and some without. There were giant structures everywhere, and places that sold things like food. Scarlet was awed at the sight. Her eyes were sparkling as she looked around. "Wooooow! This... Is an amusement park?! Can I really get on the rides?! But... Where did Chase go?" She looked to her side, trying to find him. With no sign of him, she turned around and started walking.
'Uh oh, I don't really know how to navigate through an amusement par-' "Scarlet!" Scarlet turned around to find Chase in a white and black T-shirt, holding two things. They were held on cones and were fluffy, one pink and one blue. "...Where are you going?" He stood in front of her. Scarlet stared at the things in his hands with her eyes narrowed. "What are those poop-looking things?"
"Wha- I got this for you! Say thanks, it's food!" Chase held out the blue one to her. She took it, and looked at Chase suspiciously, then looked back at the thing in her hand and licked it. Her face immediately lit up. It was sugary and really good. She started to stuff it into her mouth from the front. "Woah, slow down, Scarlet! Well... I'm going to assume that means you like it. Are you ready to go on a ride yet?"
Scarlet, whose cotton candy was halfway in her mouth, nodded enthusiastically. "There's a ton of really exciting ones I wanna go on." Chase pointed to his left. Scarlet looked to where he was pointing, spots of cotton candy on her face. "Oooo!"
Per Chase's request, they rode this thing called the carousel first. It had a bunch of animals on poles that went up and down as it spun and played music. Scarlet and Chase sat on a set of horses, one of the only ones. Scarlet was unimpressed, but Chase ("Yay! I'm glad I got the horse!") Was obviously enjoying himself.
Next, they went on a small airplane thing that spun around in a circle. Again, Scarlet was unimpressed, but Chase ("woaah, we're going fast!") was having fun. They also went on this thing called the teacups, where they sat in a teacup and it spun. Chase was having fun, but Scarlet had her head back. It was boring.
"Ahh, that was fun! What's next?" "Can we go on something.. A little more exciting?" "Wha- those rides were plenty exciting! What did you wanna go on?!" Scarlet pointed up at the Ferris Wheel, which she had had her eye on since they had driven into the parking lot an hour or two before.
Chase looked up at it. "So, Scarlet... I have this fear..." Scarlet wanted to go on the ride anyway. "Of heights." He said as he put his head in his hands, trying not to look down. Scarlet was looking past the door with awe.
"We're getting higher! We're actually going up!" Chase groaned in his hands as he tried his best to keep looking down. "Unfortunately.." Scarlet looked out of the cart, enjoying the view. It was sunset now, and across the water, near the Ferris Wheel, she could see the city and the buildings. Birds were also flying everywhere. "Whenever I see something..." Chase slightly looked up at her.
"Usually it feels familiar. I know what a building looks like, or what a gun is, but sometimes... I'll see something that's totally new. Like this." She gestured to the sunset. After a small moment of silence, she turned to look at Chase. "Happy birthday, Chase! I was kind of worried that after the day we fought, things would stay like that permanently. I don't know anyone else. I'm alone. So even if my only friend is a detective who is using me to solve a case....I'm still grateful." A small smile graced Scarlet's lips as she brushed some hair out of her face.
"I'm happy that we came here." She gave him a bigger smile, which took him off guard. It was a genuine smile, one Chase was not used to seeing. "Yeah.... I'm happy too."
Chase and Scarlet were walking down an empty dark street. Scarlet was in front of Chase, a smile on her face remained from the day the two had spent together. 'I'm... In a really good mood! Is this okay? Am I allowed to be happy in my situation?' Scarlet asked herself, looking down at her hands. She had almost forgotten about her situation, and had when they were at the amusement park. 'After all.... This is just a distraction...'
She got so caught up in her thoughts that she has stopped walking, and Chase noticed. He walked towards her and tapped her on the shoulder, making her jolt in surprise. Scarlet turned around to look at him, and he didn't say anything. "What's up?" Chase remained still for a few more seconds before he smiled. "Hey, remember what I said earlier? About celebrating your birthday too? Well, that was for a reason. I got you something."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a phone. Scarlet looked at it for a second before realizing what it was. Her eyes lit up, but she was still surprised. "W-w-wait! Hold on! I can't accept something like this- phones are super expensive!" Chase's smile dropped with a fake look of dismay on his face. "Awww... Well, it's non-refundable.. Well, it can't be helped." Chase gently tossed the phone into the air. Scarlet panicked immediately, clasping it between both of her hands above her head.
She brought it down and looked at the screen. "Ah, so you did want it. It's all yours. Besides, you needed one eventually. Basically, everyone has a phone. It'll be way easier now if I need to contact you since we're both always out and about..." Scarlet felt her face heating up and reached a hand up to grab the top of her hood, pulling it over her face. "Thanks. I've never gotten a gift, so I don't really know how to respond... Really, thank you." Chase looked down slightly. "...no problem."
Chase stood in an alley by himself. He punched a concrete wall, hard. "Ow! Shit! Fuck, why did I do that?!" He pulled his fist towards her. "Why does she just trust me?! I couldn't even look her in the eye..." He put his hands in his pockets and pulled out his own phone. He opened an app, and on his screen appeared the home screen. "TRACKMATE - START - EXIT"
'The plan worked perfectly.... But if I click this button...' "I'll really have given up what's left of my humanity in search of the truth...But is the truth really necessary here?" '...I know she's a killer... But, so am I. Do I really need to know the person she is now, to solve case X? Or.. Am I just stubbornly trying to prove to myself that I haven't lost my skills..' "Of course that's it." Chase looked skyward. 'If her current identity was imperative for solving case X... She would not be using me to solve it. She'd figure it out herself. I'll do anything to solve case X. But stooping this low won't help me. She trusts me. And for that, she's an idiot.' "But she's an idiot that's grown on me." Chase sighed, before clicking exit. "For now, I don't need to resort to this." Footsteps crossing the alley on the other side of him came into his hearing. He turned around, seeing the same person wearing neon green walk by, not even glancing at him. Chase felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. That person really was odd.
*
In an alley a few blocks away, a man with long hair hunched overtook a few heavy steps. Blood dripped from his face as he walked in a zig-zag line, before there was a crack and he stumbled sideways. He leaned against a wall slightly. " 'What am I going to do...'
*
"Whereas I play a paladin, which is a warrior with healing abilities. Lore wise, most are lawful, and purge the forces of evil.... Like zombies and necromancers." "...Hey, that's what I play." "Yeah. If I met you in-game, I'd kill you immediately." Chase said with a grin. "Wha- You know I'm only level 27!" "If it's red its dead. That's how I play." "But that's so mean! You know I get killed all the time!" "Don't hate the player, hate the game." Chase used his left hand to wipe his hair away from his face.
"I'm going to throw you in front of a bus." Chase just smiled and put his hands behind his back, prideful. "Hey, hey, hold on. In a video game, you'll just respawn in ten seconds. In real life, you know... when it's over, it's over. No respawns." Scarlet crossed her arms and looked at him. "I-I mean, no shit captain obvious-"
Something shattering caught both of their attention. There were more noises of things falling and hitting each other. A limping man walked out of a small window of a shop, hunched over. His shirt was stained with blood from his stomach and he was carrying a bag. He started walking in the opposite way of Scarlet and Chase, limping. "...A robbery?" Scarlet narrowed her eyes. 'We're clearly standing here, is that guy an idiot?'
"I need to deal with this." Chase started walking forward, toward the man, and Scarlet widened her eyes. "Wait, Chase!" Chase stopped. "S...should I stop him? Are detectives even equipped for a live burglary?" '...I have a really bad feeling about this...' She started walking faster to catch up with the man who had turned the corner. He was walking awfully fast for his state. Scarlet finally turned the corner and stopped walking so fast, since her footsteps were so loud. She heard the man muttering, "..Will this be enough... Will this be enough.." over and over again. He paused, his hand wandering to his wound. He then brought it up to look at his hand.
"...Blood...I'm bleeding...? What am I going to do..." Chase and Scarlet came to a halt behind the man, Scarlet practically hiding behind Chase. Chase held his gun up. "Drop whatever is in your arms and put your hands up." Scarlet watched the man closely. 'I probably shouldn't interfere... after all, this is his job... He remembered to get more bullets for his gun, right...?' She glanced at Chase holding his weapon before looking back at the man. "...Put my hands up?" The man dropped the bag, and money spilled out. "Or what?" He started to turn towards them. "You'll kill me?" He turned around to look at them fully, and Scarlet's eyes widened.
He looked bad. Like, really bad. His mouth and nose were bleeding. His eyes looked like they were going to pop out of their socket, and blood was dripping from them, too. Chase seemed unphased by it. "...If you cooperate, I can help you get medical attention." "Yeah? And who is going to pay for it?" "Now is not the time to worry about that. If you don't get medical attention within the day, you're going to die." The man was very upset, putting his arms out as he yelled. "You think I don't know that?! I don't know what fantasy world you're living in, but no one is going to give me treatment for free!" If possible, his eyes became even wider.
"Besides, trust a cop? You bastards are everything wrong with this shithole of a city... It's teeming with crime, and you just stand aside and watch us rot!" "...I know. I'm trying to fix it." "Hah... Starting with me, huh... I killed two already to get this money.... What's one more..." The man reached into his pocket, and Scarlet, noticing this, started to dash in front of Chase.
Before he could process what had happened the man had pulled out a gun and already shot it. Chase seemed to accept the fact that he wasn't going to get out of the way in time rather quickly, but Scarlet jumped in front of him just in time. It went through her forehead, and as she didn't have time to catch her balance, she fell sideways.
'There are a few things I've learned over this past month. First off, the nature of sin is complex. I met Chase immediately after Jordan. My assumption was that he was just like my first sinner. Evil. But over time, I discovered that rarely are sins so black and white. With that in mind, somewhere along the line, I guess I decided to trust Chase. He was a lot of things, but he wasn't evil... Though, I'm still unsure if he actually won my trust, or if it's because I have no one else. Regardless, in this split second, my unconscious mind decided he was worth taking a bullet for. A bullet won't kill a reaper. Even if we're chopped into little pieces, we'll still be 'alive.' And of course, I'm already well aware of this.'
Chase's eyes widened as he watched Scarlet's lifeless' body fall to the floor next to him.
'But to Chase... I just died.'
****Dramatic Music****
For some reason, Scarlet didn't feel like getting up for a second. Chase would know she wasn't human. She would have to explain. Would she even be able to? And so, she lay there, motionless. Chase lowered his gun and reached for her, slowly, gently. He swallowed thickly. Blood was dripping from Scarlet's forehead. "S-Scarlet?" There was another bang and a bullet went past Chase's head, narrowly missing him. Shocked, he looked back to the man, who was still holding up the gun. The man started shooting over and over again. Chase tried his best to keep moving around, dodging all of the bullets as he moved closer to the man.
He was angry. He was really, really angry. He kept running at him. Eventually, when the man tried to shoot, there was just a clicking sound. He had run out of bullets. Chase remained unscathed. He held the gun up next to him. "I-I'm out of bullets?!" He turned his attention back to Chase, and his eyes widened. In the time he was looking at his gun Chase had caught up to him and was standing over him with his gun raised to hit him. Chase brought it down hard and it hit the man's cheek. There was a loud crack.
Chase lifted the man up by his shirt. "You killed her." The man didn't say anything. "So I'll kill you." There were more cracks as Scarlet came to. 'f-fuck... When I jumped in front, I knew I wasn't going to die or anything...But at the exact same moment, I remembered Chase doesn't know who I really am... So I kind of just kept falling and pretended to die. But now... what do I do?' There were more sounds of things cracking and being hit as she lay there. 'I could just tell him that I'm okay.. But how?! Should I just sit up and yell at him?! I guess that's my only option... But that's so awkward... I can't even see him right now... what's even going on over there?! Is Chase really beating the shit out of that guy?' Scarlet tried her best to look from the side of her eye without moving her head. Chase kneeled over the guy, his entire right hand full of blood.
She moved her head slightly to see, and Chase stood p over the man, his bloody hand falling to his side. Scarlet went back to her original position and closed her eyes, frozen. She heard Chase's footsteps walking closer to her, before he dropped next to her. "Why did you do that... What kind of an idiot jumps in front of a bullet for a suspicious guy she met a month ago.... A suspicious guy, and a worthless detective. That girl with the X on her face, who I was so suspicious of... Turned out to be a better person than me.." There was silence for a while. "You should have just let me die. I wouldn't have cared. Why did I keep a gun on me, with only one bullet?... I told myself if I was ever going to use it again, I'd only need one shot to get the job done. I figured it'd only take one to kill me." Chase looked up slightly and Scarlet opened her eyes ever so slightly to see him.
"It's just hard to accept...That there's nothing I can do to fix this shit world by myself.." Chase looked back down at Scarlet. He looked at her face. "..I suppose I should get her body taken care of." He stared at her for a second more. "I'll get the blood off your face..." Chase said, reaching for her face with his right hand. He barely touched her when she lifted her hand to grab his wrist and stop him from doing so.
Chase's eyes widened in surprise. Scarlet used his hand to help sit herself up. "You're going to wipe the blood off my face... with your bloody hand?" Chase didn't respond, too shocked to speak. He just looked at her with wide eyes. After a minute or two Scarlet felt really awkward and looked to her side. Chase quickly pulled her into a tight hug, causing her to let out a noise of surprise. "Uh...Uhm.." Chase shoved her away. "You're alive.... Even though you got shot straight in the forehead..." He removed his hands from her shoulders and Scarlet looked down. "I don't think that this can be a secret anymore...
"I'm the Grim Reaper."
Chase stared at her, again with wide eyes. He looked like he was contemplating life. "What the hell does that even mean--" There was a groan from the man still on the other side of the alley. "He's still..." Scarlet stood up suddenly. She formed her scythe and sliced the man, killing him. She looked back to Chase. "...I'll see you in a second." She vanished. Chase looked at the area she had been standing at just 2 seconds ago. "S-scarlet?" Scarlet re-appeared in the same place, the wound on her forehead gone. "Chase... We need to talk."
**
They both wanted to find a secluded place to talk. A place where they could converse without any interruptions and nobody hearing them, since it was a serious topic. They decided on a creepy beach just outside of the city. It was completely deserted, and the land was almost flat, so they could see if anyone was coming toward them from a very far distance.
"This beach is awfully empty.." "..People don't tend to leave the city... And I figured we needed somewhere we could be completely alone. There's no one out here but us and the birds." "Honestly, I don't even know where to begin.."
Chase crossed his arms. "Okay. Then I'll ask the questions. What is a Grim Reaper?" "Agh, that honestly doesn't make it any easier! Alright... Well... You know what a Grim Reaper in general is, right?" "The skeleton guy in a cloak who comes to take the souls of dead people? I'm familiar, but you don't really fit the bill." "I thought the same thing, honestly.. but..." Scarlet formed her scythe out of thin air again for Chase to see. She felt the need to prove it.
"That's what I am. As a Grim Reaper, I must seek out sinners who are marked with an X. My duty is to kill one per day, and send their souls to an eternity in Hell...Or else.... I will be sent back to Hell, myself. Because in life... I did something terrible."
"...In life?"
They were now standing about 6 feet away from one another, facing each other. "...Chase... I'm dead." Chase looked unnerved, but said and did nothing. "But... Whoever I was before...is a stranger to me. I have no memory of my previous life. Despite that, I still have to pay for her sins. It's why I need my memories back. I have to know who I was. I need to know what the fuck I did to be sentenced to the ninth level." "What do you mean by.. the ninth level?"
"Hell is divided into nine levels. The higher the number, the more severe the sin. The first level is just a vast empty field. It stretches on forever, so the punishment of this level is simply loneliness. However... The further down you go, the worse the punishment gets. If you kill one person, you'll be sent to the fifth level, where sinners hang from nooses and are eaten alive eternally. The final level is the ninth level, where I was sentenced. The ninth level... is just a void. It's nothing. It was pitch black. There was no light. I couldn't hear, see, or smell anything. But... I felt so, so alone. And scared."
It wasn't like I could sleep and just dream myself away. I couldn't even close my eyes. I'd never see anything again. Never do anything again. Never speak to anyone. All I had was me and my thoughts. I have no idea who I was or what I was like... But I knew that I couldn't be alone. But that is my sentence. Nothingness, for eternity. It's not like the sun could burn out and end my existence billions of years into the future... that was it. ..That was it... To escape this, Satan offered me a deal. Become a Grim Reaper, every day, I can kill one person, and simultaneously postpone my sentence another day."
"..Satan?" "Yeah, Satan. Ruler of Hell. He is the one who made me a Reaper. He.. Has a few reapers. Four, including me. I'm the weakest one, according to Satan." "Three others... Have you met them?" "I met one. He's working with the Red Spades. The others are still a mystery. He seems to be after me, because I was apparently involved with the Red Spades in life... My life is still a mystery. The Red Spades is only a smaller piece of the puzzle...But since you know I'm dead...Maybe that puzzle will get a little easier."
Chase was silent, and he looked down and then back up at Scarlet. "..So what your saying is... The woman in case X is literally you. You have the same scar because that is your dead body." "That is correct. Chase... Does knowing all of this change your opinion of me? If it does, you can just walk away. I won't hurt you. It'll be much harder for me to figure out who I was by myself, but.. I'll understand your decision. But if you could at least think about it... I know it must be a lot to take in, but I promise I'm not hiding anything else-"
"Scarlet. You're telling me that not only is there a Hell... There is a Satan... And you work for him as a Grim Reaper...And the reason for that is because in a life you no longer remember, you committed a sin so bad that you were to be sent to the deepest level of Hell... And you also happened to be the dead woman in Case X, the case that has puzzled the entire police department. Seriously, Scarlet?" Chase grinned.
"I feel like I just won the lottery."
"...What do you mean by that?" Scarlet asked, her head tilting slightly in confusion. "..Well.... Things are starting to finally make sense. You see, Scarlet... I was starting to lose hope. Everyone finds their meaning in something. And for me... In the wake of this terrible, crumbling world... I found my meaning in my ability to change it. But as soon as I found it, I lost it. You see- I'm not really a detective. At least, not anymore. I got taken off the force about two years ago. Being a detective was my chance to clean this filthy world, and it was taken away from me. .....It meant everything to me, and I lost it. I didn't have a reason to be alive, really. But, I also didn't have a reason to be dead. But, when I least expected it.. That reason to live that I had been looking so hard for bumped into me on the streets."
You. Your scar. Case X. It was like a spark that ignited a fire in my soul. I couldn't put together how you could possibly be related to a dead woman, but this single string was all I had. I owe you.... honestly, Scarlet. If it had come to it, I was willing to kill you. To solve case X, I was willing to do anything. Even something as despicable as that. Without a doubt, finding the truth to this case would... no, will get me back onto the force. Besides, I had no doubt that you were a murderer. It would have been an eye for an eye. Getting back onto the force would give me the ability to save more lives. Your death would have been ultimately worth it....so. Would you take a bullet for me now?"
Scarlet looked down slightly, then back up. "Well, hearing it so honestly is definitely shocking. But it would be hypocritical for me to judge you for that. Considering... I was prepared to kill you, too. Maybe we're both disgusting people." "...No. Just me." Chase crossed his arms in a somber sort of way. "The person standing across from me took a bullet for a worthless, traitor 'detective.' Your situation was forced upon you. I chose to become this person. Even if you try to tell me that your situation is punishment for your actions in life, those are actions you don't even remember."
Scarlet turned her head away from him. "Please stop talking like that. I kill people." "...You kill sinners. And sinners are bad people. By killing them, you're making the world a better place. Sinners are bad people. The world would be better off without them. ...Honestly, I'm kind of jealous. If I had that kind of power...I'd make good use of it."
Chase looked out at the water. "It's a little bit more complicated than that. The sinner's mark doesn't care about the circumstances of a situation. It only cares that someone committed what Hell considers a sin. Doing something as petty as minor theft will be counted as stealing, and if the amount you steal goes high enough, you'll get a mark."
The sinners mark also does not care about your personal beliefs. It works on its own rigid system, apparently averaged out by the values decided by humanity as a whole. It doesn't care how right you think you are. It doesn't care about the events in your life that led you to the sin. It doesn't care about the nuances of your moralistic system. Even if someone is already going to die, if you killed them, you will be marked. I have no way of knowing the situation behind someone's sin, either. I'm just killing these people to survive. I'm not a good person, at all."
"I see... I see." Chase muttered, looking down. "...So... I have a sinners mark, don't I, Scarlet?" Chase looked up at her, an odd look and smile on his face.
*
"I have a sinners mark, don't I, Scarlet?"
Scarlet remained silent. "Yes or no?" She inhaled sharply. "Yes. You do have one....I don't know how you got it, Chase. I just see that you have one." He didn't say anything. "Chase?" He looked to the side. "...It's just disappointing... That the divine set of rules laid out for this world have deemed my actions sinful." He crossed his arms.
"I've been wondering how you got the mark since we first met. The more I've gotten to know you...The more it makes sense. But at the same time... Doesn't. ....Maybe... You could enlighten me." She returned her eyes to him. "...Alright. I owe you the truth."
*
Chase stood next to his mother. They stood in the one-way mirror at the man sitting by the interrogation table. He had a hat and overalls on, as well as boots. "Let me go in." "Absolutely not. It took two officers to get you back under control during the last incident. If you don't watch your temper, you're going to do something you regret." Another officer came inside the small room they were standing in. "...Chief. We can't get anything out of this guy. His plea remains the same."
Pardon him for the murder of his wife, and he'll tell us where his kids are. We only have 40 minutes to decide or they're going to die." Veronica crossed her arms. "..This piece of shit is wasting all of our time. Playing this kind of game with his kids' lives, taking all of our recourses... We don't have time for this. Accept his plea-" There was the slamming of a door. Veronica turned to the direction of the sound, her son no longer standing next to her. "Chase?!"
Chase stood in the room with a metal pole in his hand and shoved it into to door handle to stop it from being opened. He stepped towards the man and took in his posture and looks. His hands were in between his legs like he was sitting on them. He was sitting straight up. His boots and the legs of his pants were very muddy. He was looking down slightly. Chase narrowed his eyes, before sitting down across from the man. They were both silent for a while. "So ya gonna take my offer? Or let them die?" The man looked at Chase from below his hat, not moving his head.
Chase closed his eyes, his arms crossed, before he put his hand out and one hand brushed through his hair. "We're not taking it, obviously." He put his hands down. "Your little game is completely fake. Kids like you watch too many horror flicks." "Shit-ass detective aren't ya. I've got decades on you. I ain't no 'kid.'" "You may not look like it, but you definitely have the mental age of a preteen. Putting a timer on the lives of your hostages is about the dumbest thing I've ever heard." Chase grinned, then shrugged.
"And really, it takes a real genuine idiot to think that kind of plea would even work. Like we'd just let you walk out of here even if we agreed to that kind of plea deal... How do you think the law even works? Pathetic." "Yer big talking me. You wouldn't still be interrogatin' if you were just gonna arrest me."
"Oh, I'm not interrogating you. I'm just stalling. The guys outside still believe your kids are off somewhere, minutes till death. I jammed the door for a reason, you know. I'm the only one who knows you're lying, so I'm just here to waste minutes until your theoretical timer is up." "Wha- yer the biggest idiot of them all! If they die it won't just be on me- it'll be on you too!"
"Feel guilty over kids that don't exist? Yeah, I'll lose a lot of sleep over that." He pushed his chair out. "It's over. Give up. You killed your wife and this is your pathetic last-ditch attempt at escaping the consequences. Even I could have come up with a less cliché story. You're one of the stupidest criminals I've met thus far on the job. At least your incompetence made my day a bit easier."
Chase could tell that he was pushing the man's buttons. He looked up, finally. "You're a fucking idiot. Those poor little girls... They had to see daddy cut mama's throat open, and even after that, they still trusted me... I didn't have to fight them, they just obediently followed me... Daddy is their whole world, after all. Even as I lowered them down, they didn't let out a single peep of resistance... Just imagine... Those two kids in the cold... waiting.... slowly realizing that daddy isn't coming back.."
They open their mouths to scream, and nothing comes out... And as the last breath comes into their lungs... They realize the daddy they trusted more than anything really did want them dead, just like mommy... They're going to die, all because a shitty detective thinks he's sharp." Chase stood up, slamming his hands on the table. "Ah? When I put it like that, do you finally believe me? Are you ready to accept my offer?"
Chase swiftly pulled out his gun, pointing it directly at the man's forehead. "No. You've told me everything I need to know." He looked at the man with great resentment before he fired. Blood splattered all over the wall behind the man and he fell off his chair and to the ground. Blood started to splatter on his face as Chase kept shooting.
*
Chapter 4: Episodes 31-40
Summary:
Episodes 31-40 of the WEBTOON I'm The Grim Reaper, (as well as a bonus chapter/scenario by myself) made by Graveweaver.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Chase lowered his gun, but kept staring at the man. There was slamming before the metal bar fell from the door and Veronica slammed the door open. She looked at the place the man had been sitting, and where the man's corpse now lied, and her eyes widened. She looked back to Chase. "...What have you done..." Chase didn't say anything for a long while.
"Go out, turn right. Walk for a block. Take a left on 42nd Street and walk three blocks. There's a park, with a small fishing reservoir near the back. Look for an abandoned car. They're there. Under the water. You probably have 15 minutes." He faced his mother, who stood there awkwardly for a moment. "What? How the hell do you know that-" "Chief! Fourteen minutes!" She looked at him, shocked, before pulling her walkie-talkie up to her face.
"All units, please immediately head to the fishing reservoir three blocks from the station n 42nd street. Everyone needs to keep a lookout for a vehicle parked near the reservoir. If found, check the water near where it's parked for two children. She put her radio back in her pocket, then looked back at Chase. She was very upset, emotion clearly visible on her face. "Alright, Chase. I made the order. Now, explain how you know they're there."
Chase looked back down at the mangled body of the man on the floor. "The first hint I got was his boots. Muddy. It hasn't rained at all recently. He was also wearing fishing waders, which is an unusual piece of clothing for someone to own. But those two things instantly hit me as suspicious, combined with the strange time limit he had apparently put on the deal. Since he had his hostages on a time limit, like something a criminal genius would do in a movie, I figured he was someone who had an overinflated ego. So I decided I would just try to get him to talk as much as possible. I'd insult his intelligence to get him to respond. And it worked. He gave me the piece of information that tied everything together. "...As the last breath comes into their lungs..." That was all I needed to know. He had the girls underwater. They were hooked up to air tanks, hence the suspicious time limit."
"Alright. But that doesn't explain how you pinpointed a location. Did you just guess?" "Of course, I didn't guess. The location became obvious with the information I listed before. He walked in through the front door and gave us a time limit. I know that the typical air tank doesn't last more than an hour so he couldn't have walked that far. This goes back to his outfit. The strange fishing trousers. Clearly, only someone who has experience fishing would own those, and it just so happens there is a fishing reservoir a few blocks away. I've passed it many times. And there's no way he dragged them there without a vehicle... But there's no parking anywhere around here, so he definitely just abandoned it at the reservoir.
The two stood in silence. "...Even if you're right... You can't come back from this, Chase."
"He deserved to die."
His voice was cold and emotionless. His mother had never heard him talk like that before, and it was honestly scary. "...Chase... No one deserved to die!! They deserve punishment to the fullest extent of the law. Not death." Her voice was rising, and so was his. "He's a murderer! They're all murderers! Anyone who bears a threat to the innocent has no right live! That's the point of us! The law! If we can eradicate all of the filth of the earth, no one else will have to die by their hands!"
"And we can make that happen but not by death! We will imprison them and have them pay their debt to society! Our ability to look behind our primal urge for revenge in the form of murder is what makes us better than them! We, as a society, have risen above our carnal desires. We've created the law to rise above being mere murderers of murderers! We are better than animals! We are humans!"
There was static coming from her radio before a voice of an officer replaced it. "Chief... come in, chief. We found them. They're both alive." Veronica looked down at where her radio was before looking back at Chase, whom was looking to the floor. "Well... I guess I'm an animal." He said quietly, pushing up his glasses.
*
"...So, Scarlet... You are the Grim Reaper. You are the ultimate authority on if someone deserves death for their sins. Was I justified in killing him?"
"...Well... I think... That we're the same. I still don't know how I feel about... Taking the lives of sinners. I don't know where the line is. What justifies murder. But maybe... You can help me figure it out."
"The world has gone to shit. Selfish nihilism has stained humanity, and those of us who wish to purify our society are greatly outnumbered by criminals. There are hundreds of thousands of people who will never face justice. ...But I'm still going to try. So, Scarlet... I have thousands of unsolved cases, many of which include the likes of unforgivable sinners. I want to eradicate them from this world. Will you help me?"
Chase and Scarlet walked in a comfortable silence towards a huge house.
*
"Prior to being removed from the force, I downloaded the entire criminal registry off of the government servers. It contains every case submitted to the police department from its inception to my dismissal." Chase held up the phone for Scarlet to see. There was an old guy on the screen and all his information next to it.
The reason most of these cases are dismissed is the same reason that getting these files was so easy... The police force is incompetent."
*
Scarlet knocked on the door twice. The door opened and a lady was standing there. She must have been a maid because of her outfit, but she was very pretty. Her hands were elegantly together in front of her. "...Hello. The master is going to sleep shortly."
Scarlet sprinted forward, quickly taking the lady into a headlock. "Huh-" Scarlet squeezed her enough and she passed out, so she set her on the floor gently.
*
"The first case we'll be 'investigating' is one that I was looking into before it was dismissed. The suspect in this one bribed a few higher-ups to suspend the investigation indefinitely. I have no doubt in my mind that he is guilty. But for some other cases, the truth might be a bit more complicated."
*
They continued walking farther into the mansion, and there was an old guy ahead of the hallway they were in.
*
This case will be a good test run. Before deciding if you should reap them, let them explain their circumstances. Since even if I think they are guilty and you tell me they have a sinner's mark, it doesn't take circumstances into account. So if they tell us a reason that would justify the mark, such as perhaps killing someone who assaulted them... Then we'll let them live."
*
There was a crunch as Scarlet pushed the man down onto the floor, her boot on his face. She stood over him. He had a sinners mark, and he was really creepy looking. And bald. "Wha- who are you? What do you want?!"
"William Fischer. I was assigned to your case years ago. You've scammed thousands of people out of every cent they own. Your investment scam was a total fraud. You specifically targeted desperate and poor people, promising them millions to bail them out of their situation if they gave you everything they owned. This is your single chance to explain yourself.
*
"I mean... the idea of lettings them explain themselves is good and all...But what if they just lie?" "Yes. That will happen. That's what I'll be there for. I'll be able to tell you if what they're saying is true or not, based on their voice and body language. I'll be the brains and you're the brawn, basically."
*
"I-I mean, when you say it that way it sounds like I'm evil! I'm not, really! I'm just a businessman!" He turned his head. "L-Listen, I didn't lose their money intentionally! I'm just a bad investor, I was in over my head. I'm a good man, please! I had t find a way to make money to support my family! I-I'll even give you money, if that's what you want! Don't hurt me!"
Scarlet glanced at Chase from behind her. "According to your case file, you don't have any immediate family. And even if you did, it doesn't justify it. Your actions definitely had a domino effect... I wonder how many people starved? Died from lack of medical care? Killed themselves? I think you deserve to die."
"Of course, I am just a detective. You are the Grim Reaper. I'll present my opinion, but you are the one who should decide if they deserve to die or not. After all... You're ultimately the one killing them."
Scarlet was quiet for a moment, as if thinking, before her hand came out and she formed her scythe, blade up. "I'll see you in Hell." She brought down the handle of the scythe to his face, stabbing and killing him.
"Since I know the address and personal details of every suspect, it should be very easy to get us alone with them. Using this method... It'll be extremely simple to get you one sinner a day. There are thousands of cases, so we won't be running out anytime soon. But, by the time we do... Hopefully, by then I'll have solved case X, and gotten back on the team. I haven't forgotten about it. We're partners now. We'll figure it out together. Using both of our skillsets.. One by one... We will cleanse this world of filth."
*
Over the next few days, they killed someone every day. In many different ways. There was a lot of bloodshed.
*
"...You have been sentenced to the second level... As punishment, you will be locked forever into an exact copy of earth... Without a single sign of life. I've taken the liberty of starting you deep in the glaciers of the coldest place on your planet... So have fun swimming somewhere where you won't freeze for eternity, you disgusting sin-"
"...Scarlet. Scarlet where are you going, c'mon, this level is pretty cool." Satan's voice turned into a whine as Scarlet started walking away from him and the sinner that was drowning in the ice water. "I've seen this level many times. It's not new." "Thaaaaaaaat's why I brought us here! To the Arctic! Isn't it cool lookin'?! You haven't seen this!" He whined. Satan jumped in her line of sight and she turned away from him again.
"Scarlet! Scaaaarleeet! C'moooon, I'm not gonna let you teleport out till you pay attention to me!" He turned his voice into a less playful and whiney tone. "Hey. Hey. Scarlet. Hey." Scarlet kept ignoring him. "Hey. Hey. Hey." His voice now held a fake somber tone. "...You're almost acting like... You have someone you can't wait to get back to."
This caught Scarlet's attention, and she stopped dead in her tracks. "Ooooh, did I guess right? Scarlet, I knew you were a bit stupid... But getting attached to someone who is alive! Now that is just idiotic!" Scarlet still didn't want to turn around and look at him, so she didn't. "I'm not getting attached to him. I'm using him."
Satan put his hands to his face in fake awe. "Whaaat? 'He'?! Don't tell me I'm not the most important man in your life anymore?!" "Bacteria is more important to me than you are." "C'mon Scarlet, now isn't the time to sweet-talk me! Tell me more!"
God, he was being so annoying. She just wanted to leave, so maybe she could just keep ignoring him and he would give up. But she knew it was too good to be true. "You won't talk, huh? What about I make a guess? He's a cop, isn't he?"
"Why do you think that?"
"...Well... When someone is brought to Hell, I have clairvoyance toward the situations surrounding their sins. And every single sinner that you've brought me recently...Was caught by the law, though they were not pursued. Before, You'd just bring me random ragtag sinners and you'd seem oh-so-surprised at their sins." She kept ignoring him.
He leaned forward to Scarlet's side, into her peripheral vision. "...Wouldn't it just be so tragic... If I ordered you to kill him?"
"..I'll admit, it'd be mildly inconvenient, since he's so helpful for finding sinners. But at the end of the day, he's just a tool. So, I'd do it." Satan looked closely at her face, looking for a lie, before standing straight up again. "Boring." He put a hand through his hair and then crossed his arms. "Alright. I'll let you leave. Bring a more interesting sinner next time, plea~se." "Sure."
As soon as Satan had left, Scarlet brought her hands together, a look of dismay on her face. She was sweaty. She hated lying.
Satan was sat on the edge of a small cliff. "She's such a bad liar." He looked down to his lap, one of his arms out and resting on his knee. "...How rude of her..." He lifted his head. "To think she's allowed to keep things from me. I always get what I want. For now, though, It'll be much more fun to let her get attached to this person... I'll let her continue as normal. It'll make the moment where he finally does all the sweeter. But... I still want to figure out more about this guy. And fortunately, I know just the rabbit."
*
"We need them, Brook. Just call them. You can work with them more than you already have." The leader said to the reaper who was on his phone. He rolled his eyes. "No." "Come on, Brook! After you kill her they can go on their merry way! You can keep up at... Whatever the fuck is going on with you both," She insisted, her heels clacking throughout the room as she walked back and forth. Brook sighed, pressing a few buttons and a dial tone came up. It was answered within seconds. " Bun-Bun~! How nice of you to call!" "Don't get your hopes up," Brook said, putting them on speaker. "Deer. We need your help with the new reaper. Come work with us." The leader said.
There were rustling sounds and silence. "Hello?" The leader said after a minute. It was silent for another minute and Brook sighed. "If you don't answer I will hang up on you," The door to the room opened quickly, Deer on the other side with their mask on. "Well, if you insist." The leader smirked and Brook rolled his eyes again, falling on his back with an exaggerated groan. "I can see why you annoy him," She said, putting her hand out for them to shake, which they did.
*
The area where the Red Spades was based looked abandoned and like it was falling over. In a room, the leader stood with Brook by her side, Deer vaguely lingering on a nearby wall and observing. They had insisted they were here for the new reaper and wouldn't help with any other issues in the Red Spades organization that didn't put themselves and Brook in danger. They also wanted to see how Brook worked, after not having had a fight with him for at least 5 years. They just needed one sinner for the day, which they could do. About 10 feet in front of them stood a woman with freckles and green hair. She was wearing scrubs, so she was obviously in the medical field somehow. A man was on each side of her, placed as guards most likely.
"...If you want me to continue supplying the Red Spades with painkillers... I want 20% of all your total profits. All of them." She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at the leader. "I know that we're your only supplier. And that our painkillers make a large part of your revenue. So it's not fair to us. Twenty percent is fair." "...No?" "...So you're going to just go ahead with losing my entire supply line." "No, I won't be doing that either. A lot of people will suffer if they can't purchase painkillers from us. Some might even die. And a dead customer doesn't spend any more money." She stated with an amused and smug smile.
"So we just can't have that." "Exactly. so you have no choice but to take my offer, or else you'll lose business." The leader shrugged her hands. "Nah, I'm gonna go with option three. Brook, get rid of them." "...Huh? You're sending your kid after me? You're a fool. If you don't want to accept my offer, we'll be cutting business and taking our leave."
"No, you won't."
The woman crossed her arms, giving the leader a look that said 'I don't believe you.' The leader pointed at the side of the woman. Brook was no longer next to the leader, Deer no longer leaning on the wall. "Turn around." The woman didn't turn, but she looked to the side slightly. Her eyes widened and her arms dropped as she turned her head to look at the bodies of her guards standing there, one without a head, the other without a torso.
"...W-wait... H-How? How did.." She turned back to look at the leader, only to be faced with Brook and his, now fixed, mask. Deer stood behind him, rubbing the side of their mask, where a patch of blood had hit it. There was a crunch as he killed her, and he soon found himself in Hell without his mask, facing Satan. He looked to the side for Deer, who was not there with him.
"Brook." Brook looked at his surroundings. "Can I leave?" "You want to leave already?! But you haven't seen daddy in so long!"
"'Daddy?'" Satan cupped his hands and put them over his chest. "Yes, yes! Daddy is so proud of his big strong son for bringing papa two sinners in the same day!" Brook held a pained expression on his face. "Please stop." "And since you're such a good, perfect boy..." He ignored Brook, "...Papa wants to ask you a biiiiig favor!" "I'm begging you to stop talking." "So, my dear little Brook, could you please... Tell me everything you know about the Red Reaper."
Brook's eyes widened slightly. "..You mean Scarlet?" "Ah, yes, so I guess you got very familiar with her when you ripped her limbs off?" "The boss ordered me to attack her, I wasn't pursuing her. You know I don't attack random sinners anymore." "Right, right. I do wonder how long you intend on keeping up your deal with that mortal.." "As long as possible. I can't trust the sinner's mark. Some people have complicated circumstances. But every sinner the boss orders me to kill is a bad person. I don't feel guilty. Go ahead, Satan. Tell me. Is Scarlet a bad person?"
"She took the deal to escape her sentence to the ninth level of Hell." "So, I was right. The people sent to the ninth level are always bad. But then that raises a question for me. Why her? Though the ninth level is incredibly rare, I've never even reaped someone to be sentenced there, it's not like she's the only one... So... Why did you make her a reaper?"
"Her sin is exceptionally unique, and better yet, she doesn't even remember it. Her circumstances are perfect for something I need to be done." Brook deadpanned, sharing a look with Deer. "That legitimately tells me nothing, Can you be more specifi-" "Aaaagh, enough, Brook! I was going on about how you're such a good boy, then you go and interrupt papa for so long!" 'This shit again.' "Listen, Brook. I need you to tell me everything you know about her and what she's doing in the waking world. That's an order, by the way."
Brook put a hand on his hip and tilted his head at Satan. "Why don't you just ask Deer?" "I did, but they refused to tell me anything. He isn't as good as you are~" Brook sighed. "..Well...We... Have been watching her for a while. Since the beginning, probably... and every time we see her, she's with this man." Satan's eyes widened, just as his grin did with this answer. "Tell me more.."
*
Scarlet sat in the gaming chair near the computer in their apartment, playing Fatecraft. Chase sat on the floor at the small coffee table in the middle of the room on his phone. There was the clicking of the computer, which slowly started to get louder and louder, and quicker until Scarlet was slamming on the keyboard as she stood up. Chase quickly looked up at her. "...Having a heated gamer moment?" Scarlet turned to look at Chase, still visibly upset.
"I! Spent! Seven! Hours! Farming iron ore! And I'm just trying to get into the main to sell it!" She brought her hands up to grip her hair. "B-but this stupid Ashenfall guy! He's camping at the entrance and one shotting everyone! I've been trying for an hour! AAAAAAAAGHHHHHH!!" Chase gave a nervous smile at her breakdown. "I understand, but don't you think it's strange that this stresses you out so much compared to being a Grim Reaper?"
"I'm not stressed." "You almost smashed my keyboard." "I do that all the time." "Only when you're playing Fatecraft..." Scarlet crossed her arms. "Well, I've had a while to get used to the whole Grim Reaper thing. There's not much stressing left to do, I just have to accept it. Besides, you're one to talk. You've taken everything I've told you incredibly well. I expected at least one mental breakdown." Chase looked at her before leaning on the table, putting his arms on it as if reaching for the other side of the table to grab something.
"...Well... There are some revelations that are easy to digest, and thus, easy to properly react to... But I think that learning about the reality of Heaven, Hell, and eternal punishment... Is probably the most Earth-shattering thing someone can be told. No amount of freaking out will ever help me come to terms with it. So I just skipped straight to acceptance." He leaned his head down on the table.
"Oh. Yeah, that makes sense." Scarlet looked down at him. "I've had three mental breakdowns." "Tight." Scarlet smiled slightly before sitting down at the smaller end of the table to the left of Chase. He kept staring at her, and she stared at him. Chase, not being able to handle to silence, lifted his head.
"So... are those things on your head horns... or, like, tufts of hair?" "..They're obviously horns." "'Obvious'? I thought they were weird hair flicks until just now!" Scarlet grinned. "That would be stupid." "I thought they were stupid." Scarlet kept her gaze and smile fixated on Chase for a small moment before bringing her head down and slamming it on the table with a thud. "-Wah!" "Feel them."
Chase looked at her confused. "...Feel your... Horns?" Scarlet lifted her head to talk, "Yes! They're not hair, and they're cool!" "...I mean, I believe you without touching them..." She laid her head back down on the table, and Chase stared at her horns with an uncertain look, before reaching across the short space to touch one of them. His face lit up at the feel of them, they were rough and it was weird. "Woah...cool." "Told you." She lifted her head again with a smile.
"I used to hate them since they made it so obvious I wasn't human... But now that I have a friend I can show them to I kind of like them." Chase looked at her surprised before smiling gently. "..I'm glad to hear that. I do have a question, though.." Scarlet lifted her entire body off of the table to sit upright. "Is that... The only reaper thing you have? Other than the red eyes and fangs, that is." Scarlet froze. Why would he ask that?
She turned her head away from him. "..W-Well.." Her voice slightly quivered, and her face was turning slightly red. "...There is... One more thing... It's... really kind of embarrassing though... But I guess it's better to show you now if it accidentally pops out..." Chase looked at her with a scared but curious expression. "..Give me a second." She said bitterly, reaching down to her back and tugging at something, before she pulled out a long thing with a sort of spike at the end. It was a tail.
Chase's eyes widened even more, if possible. "...I keep the tail tucked away since there is no way to play it off. And it's annoying because it does this without me even trying to move it." Scarlet let go of her tail and it started thrashing up and down, like a dogs' does when it's wagging. Chase kept the same expression as he tried to process what was happening. She looked oddly like a cat, and he pictured her with cat ears and a cat tail instead of devil stuff as she spoke.
"And plus, it's really uncomfortable to keep hidden. I think I'd like to have it out when I'm here." Her voice was still bitter, but all Chase could see were sparkles. "That'd be fantastic." "Oh... Uhm, great. But... 'fantastic'?" "Don't worry about it." "Alright..." Scarlet remained silent as Chase watched her, desperate to change the subject. "S-so.. what is our next case?" Chase snapped out of his gaze. "Oh, right."
I was actually thinking that, today... I should continue investigating the case assigned to me by the department. You know, with that Ana woman." "..Oh.." Scarlet looked down. "...That may be a problem, Chase.."
"...I killed her. I took your words as permission." She looked up at him.
'There was a reason I brought you, but... I ended up losing my temper... It was just so obvious that she killed her son. And honestly... People like that should be burning in Hell." Scarlet smiled. "...I see."
"It was... Definitely stupid of me, looking back on it... But, at the time, it felt like a free sinner." "...Well, that will be a bit of a problem. I did condone it, though. But I was also just speaking impulsively. I think those who bring suffering to children are absolutely unforgivable... But after spending some time with you and learning about the nuances of sin, I would have at least wanted to hear what caused her to do something so sickening." Scarlet remained silent.
"..So, what were her reasons? I assume you heard when you went to Hell.." "It... Was a little complicated." "Just tell me."
"She made a lot of bad decisions because of pressure put on her by her parents. They wanted her to settle down and have a child, instead of pursuing her dreams. She caved to them, and had a kid. Her husband left her, she had no income. Kid gets a disease that is terminal, no way to afford treatment. She kills the kid to end his suffering, and to free herself." Scarlet explained, then watched Chase closely, waiting to see what he would say.
"So, she did deserve it. I don't know what I was expecting." "...That's it? You don't think the situation is too complicated to pass judgment?" "No. She killed her kid."
"Yes... But her kid was going to die slowly. She ended it sooner. Do you think her kid should have suffered?" "I think it shouldn't have ever gotten to that point. Every decision she made was her own. The woman would have never had to face that situation if she hadn't made a million terrible choices beforehand. And, no, I don't think her shitty parents or husband are free of sin either. They're terrible, too. I can sympathize with her, absolutely, but in the end, she made the choices. Her parents might have disowned her, sure, but that doesn't force her to do anything. Being weak-willed is no excuse to bring an unwanted child into this world, or to take them out of it."
"...So... You're saying that the kid should have suffered and eventually died, instead." "Wrong. You seem really hung up on the idea that this woman oh-so-nobly chose to become a sinner to grant mercy to her suffering child. If she were actually so willing to sacrifice her own well-being, she would have found some other way. It's true that we live in a shit society with no easy way to help the kid, but there are many steps before murder. Loads. Asking friends. Even theft is understandable in this situation. Hysterically begging on the streets is preferable to murdering an innocent child."
She was probably looking for an excuse to wipe away her mistakes, and she found one in the form of the disease. So instead of working hard to find a solution, she just killed the kid because she never wanted him anyway." "You're making a lot of sense but... I can't be as confident about it as you." "Well... You're the one in charge here. If you don't think she's a sinner, you don't have to kill her."
"..I did already."
"Oh, yeah."
Her being dead does complicate the investigation, but... I'll adapt. I'll report that she was murdered, and continue the investigation as such. We'll have to find someone to pin her death on, since I need the case completed to get back onto the force.. And something tells me there will be no problem finding a sinner close to her that we can frame."
*
Scarlet and Chase went back to Anna's apartment, Chase looking around as Scarlet sat down at the small table they had talked at the last time they were both there together. "..I can't find any blood. You cleaned this place up pretty well." "Yeah, I spent like an hour cleaning up. That's my least favorite part about this reaper thing... And I already hate all of it. This one was particularly easy, though since she had... So many cleaning products..."
"Wonder why... In a normal situation, even if her body was found, nothing would have happened. The department gets at least ten corpse reports a day, the investigation backlog is impossible to get through. But, since I was assigned to his case, things are a little different. Where did you put the body, anyway?" He glanced at the fridge. "Don't tell me you put her in the-" He said, reaching for the handle. "Chase. Don't open that." Chase looked from Scarlet to the fridge and freezer.
"..I didn't think you'd actually stick her in the freezer. But I guess it makes sense..." Chase glanced at the alarm clock that was still active on the counter. 12;:38. There was a small white piece of paper underneath it. Chase reached out to grab it. The card read; '1/2 2/2 3/2 etc.' in small writing at the top, and 'RS/ACES' in bigger letters in the middle, and '45 E LINCOLN' in smaller letters below that. "...Is this a drug deal?" Chase asked himself quietly.
Just then, there was a knock at the door, and both Chase and Scarlet turned to look at the door. "...Chase..."
There was more knocking. "..Should we answer the door?"
There were more knocks at the door and Chase looked at it cautiously, and Scarlet looked at it in a sort of determined way. "...What do you want me to do, Chase. He reached into his pocket, but didn't pull anything out, his hand remaining in there. "Hopefully, you won't need to do anything. They don't have any reason to be suspicious of us. We are just investigating. But if, for some reason, they make a beeline for the freezer... Just restrain them, and we'll figure it out."
More knocking came from the door and Chase walked towards it and opened it.
On the other side there was a man He looked young, probably the same age as the woman in the freezer. He had piercings in one of his ears and orange eyes, as well as sage green hair that was slicked back. He was wearing a black and orange hoodie. He looked surprised to see Chase there, his hand faltering from the position it was when it was ready to knock on the door again. "Uhm... Is this... Ana's apartment?"
"..May I ask what your relation to her is?" "W-wait, hold on! That should be my question- Why are you in her apartment?" Chase reached his hand to rest on the doorframe, blocking the man from coming into the apartment, and he sent a slight glance towards Scarlet. Scarlet narrowed her eyes closely at him. 'This guy doesn't have a sinner's mark... So who is he..?'
"...He doesn't have one." Chase gave her an annoyed look as the guy kept talking. "Hey, are you listening to me?! Why are you in Ana's house?!" Chase turned back to the man. "Chase. Detective. Me and my partner are currently investigating the disappearance of the woman and child who are living in this apartment."
The man's eyes widened more as he tried to process what Chase had said, before he lunged forward and put his arms on Chase's shoulders, gripping them tightly. "What did you just say?!" Scarlet scrambled to get off the floor. He kept his hands gripped on Chase's shoulder, still frantic. "W-Where is she?! Have you found her?! I knew it... I should have come earlier!!! Please, tell me she's okay! You have a lead, right?! Please, I'll help in any way you need, I'll-"
Scarlet grabbed the man's face with her hand. "..Do anything.." She slammed him to the floor, getting him off of Chase. "..Don't touch him. The man was silent, Scarlet's hand covering his eyes as he was pressed against the floor. "...You said this was your girlfriend, right? Dude, nice." He held a thumbs up from the floor. "...I said, partner. Like, working partners.. Uhmm... Scarlet... That wasn't really necessary. He just seemed a little shocked. I doubt he meant to hurt me."
Scarlet looked from Chase back to the man and stood up. "..You're right. Sorry." The man sat up. "Alright... Let's start over. What is your name, and how do you know the woman who lives here." The man rubbed the back of his head. "Bro... I think that chick knocked out my last two brain cells... Give me a sec. Sorry for grabbing you. I'm just a little... freaked out. My name is Liam. I... I'm friends with Ana. We've been friends since we were kids, but... The situation is a bit complicated. Fuck, I knew it, I know I should have checked in on her earlier... I had so many chances... God damn it..."
"..Sorry to hear it. We'll be continuing our investigation now, though, so I'm going to request that you leave us to our work." The man stood up. "W-wait! Hold on, take my number! I'll do anything to help the investigation, seriously!" He pulled out his phone.
"H-here, let me just put your number in my phone..." Chase noticed his hoodie. It was black, and there was an orange design in the middle of it. Fatecraft. "Cool jacket." Liam looked up from his phone and at Chase.
Ooh, are you a Fatecraft fan? You know, I'm the lead writer for that game! I can get you some cool in-game stuff if you want!" Chase smiled slightly. "Thank you for the offer, but I've never heard of that game." "Whaaa, that's so cool!!! Woah, Woah, seriously? /You/ write the game?! That's so awesome! I play a ton!" Chase gave her a look, not that she could see it since she was practically glowing in front of Liam. 'Scarlet no-' "Ah, you're a fan? Just give me your in-game name, and I'll be happy to give you some loot! Anything to not get slammed into the ground again!"
"Sure, yes, here's my name in-game!" "Nice! Can I get your phone number too, just in case there's an issue?" "Oh, yeah! Here, I'll type it in!" Chase internally facepalmed. He didn't have a good feeling about this.
They both walked down an empty alley, Scarlet on her phone. Chase could hear sounds from it, like notifications. ?...Be careful, Scarlet. Don't get close to that guy." "...Why? He's not a sinner." "It's... It's not that. Couldn't you tell? Liam is in love with that woman. That woman, Ana, who is now hanging in Hell... He isn't a sinner, which is precisely why you need to be more careful. We won't kill him, so he'll inevitably find out that Ana is dead, and dealing with innocent people's emotions can be... rough."
He'll have to come to terms with not only her death but also knowing that she killed her own child. And if you get close to him... He'll use you for emotional support, since you are involved with the case. And all f that is just very messy, and you might not react well. So the best option is to stay completely detached. I understand... In any other circumstances, you, me, and Liam could probably be good friends. But with the path you and I are on... We don't have the luxury of normality." "You're completely right. I didn't think about it."
"B-But, hey! That doesn't mean you can't make new friends, this guy is just an exception. What about that Ashenfall guy on Fatecraft? He seems fun!" "No way. He kills me way too much." Scarlet said bitterly at Chase's attempt to make her feel better. "Ok, well, enough of that. Let's change the topic. We have a lot of work to do, really soon. While looking through Ana's house, I found a piece of paper."
Chase thought back to the paper he found under the alarm clock.
"1/2, 2/2, 3/2, RS/ACES, 45 E Lincoln. On the 2nd of every month, it seems like she had some kind of deal with the Red Spades at that address. I'm assuming the "Aces" part is either a specific group within the Spades, or a code. It's a perfect opportunity for us. We can infiltrate this meeting, and gather information on the Red Spades to figure out how you were involved with them." Scarlet narrowed her eyes at him. "That's not going to work. The second anyone from the Red Spades sees me, the other reaper will show up."
"Oh, don't worry about that. Scarlet won't be showing up. Ana will."
*
The familiar abandoned building was once again in Scarlet's presence. "...You didn't show up last month. We thought you died. You're lucky we had nothing else to do today, or we just would have skipped." "Heehee, well, we needed to make our quota, too..." The two Red Spade members spoke. "I guess I can't be too mad at you though, you look like you've been through hell... Like, you're super pale. Did ya catch somethin' bad?"
Scarlet looked up at them through her mask, sweating. The wig she was wearing resembled Ana's hair very closely, but it was also very uncomfortable.
"...You'll dress up as Ana, attend the drug deal, and get as much information as possible. This is the perfect chance to try and find out where their sales records are located. If we can find those, we can figure out why you're so deeply in debt with them." "Okay. Let's just assume that the Red Spades members are completely blind and can't tell it's just me in a wig- you're overlooking one key oversight. I'm stupid." "You don't need to be smart. All you need to do is talk. Say weird things. Anything that could provoke some kind of reaction. I'll be hiding within earshot- You'll be able to count on me to remember all the information. And if they figure out it's you, and the meeting starts to go south... Well, it's up to you on how you should deal with it."
'Just try to provoke a reaction, Scarlet...' She stared at them. "Yeah, sorry I was late, my son died." She said nonchalantly, and both of them deadpanned at her. "Y-yeah. He got sick. And I didn't want to get you sick. So that's why I'm wearing this." "Well, that sucks! But If you need some meds, we are still behind quota for the week..." "Yeah, you'll get over it. Hundreds of people drop dead in the streets every day! Just glad it wasn't me!"
"..You can get me medication? Won't that take too long?" "Too long? Nah! The warehouse is down the street!" "Oh my god, shut up! That's top-secret, you'll get us fired, or worse!" The other scolded him for letting that slip. "What, don't yell at me! She's a sick mom, that's not even a threat!" "It doesn't matter if she's not a threat! That's where we keep all the records!" Scarlet watched the two yell at each other. 'This is going oddly well..'
"Okay, okay, let's just stop! We still have to complete the transaction for the dream foil! Dreamfoil is $30. Cheapest anywhere. After we got this transaction done, we can talk about the meds." '$30? I thought drugs would be expensive...' Scarlet ruffled in the cloak that was around her, covering her outfit. The man looked at her. "..You're forgetting something, you know..." Scarlet looked up at him.
"...no, I'm not forgetting anything... I have the money." "..The code. You haven't told us the code." The woman stated. "..o-oh, right... the code... It's just... so obvious I've told you a million times. I didn't think I needed to tell you it." Scarlet said, trying to get out of the situation. "...And me telling you it is just gonna take up more time, so..." She looked to the side. "..Let's just... complete the deal and I'll be on my way.."
"Why ya acting so damn suspicious? If ya don't tell us the code, then by the Red Spade rules, we'll have to get rid of ya." The man put both of his hands in the pockets of his jacket. Scarlet remained silent and they started walking toward her. She was ready to form her scythe, her energy being shown clearly. They stopped.
"Turn around, walk away, and pretend I was never here." She instructed.
The woman's eyes widened and she turned toward the man who was still in his original place. "Call the boss! Now! It's--" Her sentence was cut off by Scarlet behind her, slicing at her. The man's eyes widened as he turned around and began to run away. "Fuck! Shit! Fuck!!" He reached into his pocket to grab his phone and started calling this boss, his hand on his head as he ran. "Pick up... Pick up!"
"Hey, the boss is out right now. What's up?" Brook asked from the other side of the phone. The man stopped in a room out of Scarlet's eyesight he hoped to catch his breath and talk. He turned behind him and Scarlet was walking towards him, scythe in hand. "T-The.. Grim Reaper is here.." The man said with wide eyes, his voice trembling. She quickly stabbed him. '..Well, that could have gone better... But I guess I got two sinners out of the way without any issues-'
"..Did you say.. The.. Other reaper is there?" Scarlet turned towards Brooks's voice coming out of the phone. 'That voice... The Rabbit Reaper!' "We're coming for her now," Brook said. Scarlet stared at the cracked screen of the phone on the floor, choosing to ignore the fact that he said 'we.'
'The...Rabbit Reaper knows that I'm here... If I run, would I be able to get away? That might work... He might get confused because of this outfit...I think that's my only option... If I fight him, there's no way I could win-' Running footsteps from behind her broke her of her thoughts. "Scarlet!" Chase was running up to her, she knew as she turned around. For a second she thought it was Brook. "Are you alright?"
Scarlet's eyes widened. 'Fuck! I forgot! Chase is here!' "Ah! Well, you seem fine, but that guy isn't doing too good." (No wayyy really?) Scarlet remained silent. What was she supposed to do? "You know, you did a pretty damn good job. They spilled some excellent information!" Chase smiled at her. "I knew you were going to do great. Now we can pinpoint their location, since they told us the approximate distance of the warehouse from this spot. However, there are still a few things we need to sort out. Like... Finding out your name, for example."
..But you can leave that to me. You've done more than enough here, it's my turn to help you out... Scarlet? Are you paying attention?" Scarlet pulled down the mask that was covering the bottom half of her face. "..Chase. I want you to listen to me. Remember how I mentioned there are other reapers? One is on his way here, and he wants me dead." Scarlet grabbed her wig off, dropping it on the floor and starting to take off the cloak around her. "...Since he knows we're friends, you're in danger. He might take you hostage, or he might just kill you. You have a sinner's mark, don't forget that. I'm still not strong enough to beat him. He has far more experience than me. But right now... It's inevitable. I will let him find me. But I'm not going to let him find you."
We're going to go outside. I want you to walk left, and never look back. Find a public area with lots of people. You can use the information you got here to further investigate the Red Spades. Maybe you'll be able to corner their leader on your own. That should be enough to get you back on the police force. You're extremely reckless and impulsive, Chase. Try to control that a bit more if I'm not there to cover for you."
Chase stood, thinking. "Why are you talking like you're not going to come back... " "..Because...I'm not sure if I will."
*
Chase had left the alley near the Red Spades as fast as Scarlet had instructed. She sat in the alleyway, waiting for Brook. It was all she could do. It only took a few minutes for her to hear footsteps behind her, but there were two pairs. What? Was the leader with him? She didn't turn around to check. "So, you're not going to run this time?" She could feel Brook behind her, watching her.
When she turned around she saw Brook, along with another person. The same person that was wearing neon green. They had a mask covering their eyes and nose, their mouth still very visible. "If I ran, you would have found me anyway." She said, eyeing the stranger. "That is true. We've been watching you since you became a reaper. We could have found you at any time." Brook stated, his hand coming out slightly to gesture to the person next to him.
"Who is that?" She asked, turning her head fully around to face the two. The stranger took a few steps forward so that they were a little closer to Scarlet than Brook and leaned forward, reaching out a hand that had a black glove on, the palms were green. "I'm Deer. Another reaper. Nice to meet ya!" They smiled, waiting for Scarlet to shake their hand presumably, but Brook swatted at theirs and they put it down, crossing their arms and scoffing.
"Why. Why have you been watching me?" Brook looked at Scarlet. "Because you're a reaper. That's rare." "Duh." Deer mumbled after Brook had finished speaking, and Brook looked from Deer back to Scarlet. He seemed as if Deer was annoying him, even though they were working together. Were they friends?
"Satan hasn't appointed a new reaper for a hundred years." "Why hasn't he appointed any new reapers?" "...You ask a lot of questions."
"Because I have a lot of fucking questions, Brook!" Scarlet yelled at him.
"Of course, she would have questions, Bun." Deer nudged him at the same time in a quiet voice as Scarlet yelled.
"Please, listen to me! You guys are the only people I can hope to get any answers from! I woke up in judgment with no memory whatsoever. I was taken to hell without ever knowing what my sin was. And despite this, I have to repent. Kill a sinner a day. And now I even have you, more reapers, after me. And fine. I'll deal with all of this. I have no other choice. But I still want to know why! Why all of this is going on! What I did to deserve it! Please... Just for a moment."
Try and sympathize with me. You're the only one who I can hope to reason with." All three of them sat in silence, glancing at one another. "...New reapers aren't appointed often because every single one has an exceptional circumstance." Deer started, setting their arms down. "Satan doesn't care about getting sinners into Hell. Every mortal dies eventually, and will find their way to their eternal sentence. All Satan cares about is himself, so, he picks reapers based on what piques his interest the most. I don't know anything about you before your death, so I can't tell you why you were picked." Brook finished for them, and they threw him a glance before turning back to Scarlet, a smile still on their face.
"..Why were you picked, then?" Scarlet looked to Brook, then Deer. They didn't say anything, and Brook reached a hand gesture out like he was holding a ball above it. "I asked if I could switch places with someone in Hell. Satan agreed... But, since I don't have a sin, I couldn't be sentenced. I had to become a reaper instead. See, Satan didn't pick me because I would be an efficient killer. My situation interested him, and I had to be a reaper due to the circumstances." Scarlet glanced at Deer. They shrugged.
I was supposed to be in the 6th circle, but I had connections with Brook in life so he made me a reaper to fuck with him. I can only tell you about our own situation. I was the newest reaper before you, and I have only been one for about a century. Ashe is impossible to talk to, and Wrynn and Damien died before we found out what they did."
"..I haven't heard of the ones who died. How did that happen?" "Well if we're being technical, they didn't 'die' as a reaper. They just missed their quota, and Satan sent them back to their circle in Hell." "Yes, yes, I know. There are a lot of possibilities. But I'd like to know exactly why she wasn't able to kill a sinner that day."
"All Satan told us...Was that she got eaten." Deer said after a moment of silence. Scarlet gulped. "How would that even happe-" "Scarlet." Brook interrupted her. His energy was being emitted, and so was Deers after they realized what Brook was doing. "..Talking to you was a mistake. I feel like we could be friends. And I know better than to have things like 'friends' as a reaper. Especially when it's 20 minutes until midnight."
Brook got in a stance that told Scarlet he was ready to fight, and Deer stepped to the side. Maybe they just weren't much of a fighter. "Brook! Please, we don't have to fight! There's plenty of other sinners to take!" Scarlet yelled at him. "You're right. I don't need to fight you. But the boss wants you dead or alive, and we have a deal with her. The members you killed informed us of your location, so now we have an obligation to fight you. I'm sorry, Scarlet." Brook jumped up. "Killing sinners is my job."
Brook launched towards her and her eyes widened. "..Fuck!" Her arm flung to her side, forming her scythe, and she raised it, jumping over Brook again. "Seriously? Again?" He asked her, grabbing her leg again quickly. The same trick wouldn't work on him twice. Deer watching the both of them in awe, a smile dancing on their lips. He yanked her down and smashed her against the floor, making her cough blood. Brook was about to go down and punch her, but she formed a piece of her scythe in front of her and he grabbed around it. It didn't shatter immediately this time, though. "Hm... So you can wield your weapon without me shattering it now." He observed.
"..Has that detective helped you feel a little more human?" Deer said, walking to the side of the pair. "Don't you dare fucking hurt him." Deer's smile had faded when they asked the question, but it was back on their lips again when Brook spoke. "You're an idiot for developing an attachment to a mortal." "I don't care!" Scarlet yelled back at him, shoving him off of her.
Brook hopped away from her. "If we're ordered to kill the detective... Then we will." "Why?! He's not involved with my debt!" "He's sticking his nose into the Red Spade's business. I'll receive an order to deal with him eventually, I'm sure. Besides, I'll have no issue killing him. He's working with a reaper, so there's no doubt he deserves to die." "What?! But you're also working with a sinner!"
"Oh, the boss? Yeah. She's the worst." Deer stifled a laugh from behind Scarlet. "When I'm done with her, I'll reap her too. You can't say the same for that detective." Scarlet sprinted towards Brook. "You're only able to hold onto your humanity when you depend on someone else. We can do it all on our own.. and that's why we're stronger than you." Scarlet swung her weapon at him, and he barely dodged it, holding it beside him. "Your swing has gotten stronge-" Scarlet gave a powerful uppercut to his jaw before he could finish his sentence, his mask breaking.
A few seconds after she felt something go into her shoulder and she turned her head slightly, seeing a neon green and black arrow in her shoulder. Deer was holding a bow made from their demon energy.
When she turned back to look at Brook, his face looked angry as he lowered his head to look at her. She could see a vein in his forehead. He gripped around her throat, lifting her up. "That was a neat trick. Stealing my technique. You really put a lot of power into that blow, too. It genuinely hurt. You probably thought it'd knock me out, but not quite. However... I was thinking of fooling around until you gave up and ran away.."
Scarlet's eyes were brimming with tears, as she was unable to release herself from his grip. "..But you've gotten stronger, and that means you now pose a legitimate danger." She raised her hand to form her weapon again, but another arrow went through her wrist at the same time and Brook tightened his grip on her neck, a deafening crack ringing in her ears.
Her demon was creeping up on the side of her face. "I knew it. You still can't control your demon. You get into a bad situation, and it starts itching out. I don't think you realize how dangerous you are, Scarlet. You have the capacity to kill this entire city. You have shown me that you have the capability to get stronger.. which would be fine on its own. But with your ability to control your reaper skills, combined with that pathetic control over your demon..."
He remarked as her demon was covering her neck completely, coming up on the other side of her face now too. 'I don't want to go to Hell.' "The second you fully lose control of your demon, you'll go on a rampage and kill sinners and non-sinners alike." Barely any of her skin was visible now. 'I don't want to go to Hell.' It was louder. "I'm sorry, Scarlet. I'll be dismembering and decapitating you, so that you can't reap a sinner until tomorrow. Then you can serve your sentence in Hell."
Deer was still behind them, looking at Brook. His face was very determined. 'No.' It was even louder. 'I don't want to go to Hell.'
Her demon shot out quicker than Brook could process. "It completely took over in an instant-" Before he knew it, the hand holding Scarlet up was sliced from his body.
Notes:
I just want to gush about how ATTRACTIVE Chase and Brook are. Melts
Chapter 5: Episodes 41-50
Summary:
Starts where we left off at Brook and Deer fighting Scarlet.
Notes:
We change POVs halfway through this chapter to make it easier to follow along.
Chapter Text
Brook's arm flew in the opposite direction, his glove off and part of the sleeve still attached. It landed on the floor with a splat, and Deer looked at it. Brook brought his other arm to his now empty shoulder, leaning forward. He looked at it, only now processing what had happened. "I-It's gone? B-But..." H-how did she..." He turned back to look at her. "...No..." A bead of sweat fell from his face. Scarlet had fully transformed into her demon. He couldn't make out what it was, it was coming from everywhere in spikes. Her clothes were still on and intact. It was disturbing.
She seemed like she or it was trying to talk, but it just made sounds. "Fuck... this is exactly what I thought was going to happen." It said something again, but it wasn't heard. It seemed to become more aggressive, taking a much bigger form. 'That initial blow was shocking, but I can easily dispose of her now that I know what's happening... The demon fully took over her in a matter of seconds... How pathetic... But that's irrelevant. A loose demon with no control is stupid and weak. I'll just need to land one good strike.'
The deformed demon started walking towards him. Brook raised his remaining arm in front of him, staring at the demon in front of him unphased. The demon made a screeching sound, charging at him at full speed. Brook's eyes widened looking at part of her demon, which had penetrated through his hand and glove. '..How the fuck.. did she break through my demon energy?!'
It screamed again, trying to push forward. The spike going through his hand was dangerously close to his neck now, and she kept shoving. He trembled slightly, shocked. The rest of her demon coming from where her head and neck should be going around him, like teeth. A green arrow went right through where her face would normally be, but she just ignored Deer completely as they kept firing arrows. 'I...I can't... Hold...'
She pushed forward again, the spike through his hand going through his throat. He let out a gasp, and she dragged it down still inside of him. 'I... Can't.. push back... is this.. the strength.. of a demon unshackled from humanity?' The demon sliced through his torso almost completely, and he looked at her surprised. His shirt was soaked in blood, and he brought his leg up to kick the parts of her that were still clothed. There was a crunch. A part of the demon wrapped around his leg, and an arrow went into his knee. "Sorry! My bad!" Deer yelled from behind Scarlet. 'Fucking Dumbass..'
The demon yanked Brook, tossing him far to the side. He skidded across the pavement, still on his feet. His leg was crumpled in on itself, standing there. It was just the bone now practically, and it quickly ceased to work. Brook collapsed to the floor. Deer was mumbling curse words to themselves as they kept firing in vital points where it would kill a person, but Scarlet's demon seemed unphased as she kept advancing towards Brook. 'She crushed the bone... I won't be able to stand anymore... my right hand is wrecked... I can only move two fingers... and my left arm is gone completely...'
He was in trouble. He doubted Deer would be much help since they were of similar strength. They might be able to avoid being hit by the demon, but if they tried to attack it wouldn't end well. He watched as it kept advancing towards him, trying to say something. Several green arrows were sticking out of it. Brook tried to scoot back slightly on the concrete. "..Look at you... I can't even tell what shape your demon is supposed to be. You have no more humanity. You're only an agent of death now." It took a step towards him. "You shouldn't have toyed with her. You should have just killed her." Deer yelled from behind again, their bow nowhere in sight. Brook shot them a glare.
"Now.. when you're done with me, you're going to begin your rampage. And you're going to kill everyone. Sinner's mark or not. No one is going to be able to stop you." The demon, ever so close now, said something. Then it screamed and came down on Brook, tearing him limb from limb. As it was finished, it turned around. Deer hid behind a garbage can, but they accidentally hit it and it made a noise. The demon followed the sound, dragging them out and dismembering them as they pouted in defeat.
*
Chase sat in the crowded street, looking at TrackMate on his phone. "Scarlet... I'm not going to let you deal with everything alone." He stated simply, before pressing start.
(You know it's bad when Graveweaver doesn't have the author's note. Just sweating.)
*
Deer and Brook's severed limbs lay spread out around the alley. Deer and Brook's heads were next to each other so that they could see one another out of the corner of their eyes. "So... does this mean we're fired?" Deer asked, breaking the silence. "Would you be serious for one second?! This is extreme." Brook raised his voice. "Sorry, sorry..." Deer looked to the opposite side.
"Of course not, I already got my sinner today." "Shut the fuck up!"
*
Chase's footsteps went farther and farther away from the crowded streets while he looked down at the phone in his hands. He had been jogging for a while now. He hadn't even realized he wasn't walking anymore. "H-How the heck did she get so far away..." He panted. Nobody was around him now, just the sound of his breathing. Turning to look up ahead, he stumbled a bit, eyes widening.
Heads, arms, and legs, from the waist down to the waist up were scattered around the entire alleyway. That's why it had been so quiet... The sweat on his face became more noticeable as he looked at all the bodies. "D...Did the other reaper do this?"
Chase carefully walked past the corpses, not a single one was still alive. A blood path was made out all over the floor. 'Why... Are the bodies ripped up like this...' He gave them a small glance. 'Reapers only need to kill one person a day... Or at least, Scarlet does... So, why are there so many bodies...' He stopped dead in his tracks when he heard sounds ahead and stopped to listen. The sounds of things ripping and snapping were loud.
He looked ahead, but nothing was there currently. "It's... close..." The phone in his hands dinged twice. A robotic and feminine voice spoke from it. "Your target has been located! Thank you for using TrackMate." He looked to the side. "...No..."
He pushed through, walking forward very slowly to listen. Turning the corner, the sounds became louder, of things being ripped apart and bones cracking. Then he saw Scarlet. "...What..." The figure, who was turned away from him as it ripped a person's limbs off, turned to look at him. It had Scarlet's clothes, but it didn't look like her. It was like the energy of her demon but disfigured with these weird red eyes all over it.
"...Happened to you..." It tried to say something, but Chase couldn't make out what it was supposed to be. "...Scarlet?" It turned to him fully with its body. Her hands were normal, holding a severed head in one and a foot in the other. They tried to speak again, but he again couldn't tell what it was.
"I-I can't understand what you're saying..." It repeated itself, more louder and stern this time. Like it was yelling. It let out a shriek of some kind, then leaped at Chase.
Its hand was like its head now, and it swiftly grabbed Chase around his mouth and threw him to a wall. He could feel his nose bleeding as he slammed into the wall and he groaned at the impact. A hand slammed beside his head and he squinted to look at it, then looked forward. The energy was practically surrounding him now, and he could tell it was ready to kill him with no hesitation.
"What's... wrong with you...?" It said something again, distorted, but he could tell the first half. "YOU." Then something he couldn't make out, but one of its fingers went out and it was sharp. It pushed it into his stomach and he hurled forward slightly.
"Scar...let..." He reached out his hand to touch her shoulder. "I-I don't know what's happening... But... If you're somewhere in there, Scarlet... Please listen to me... I have an X on my chest. The actions I've taken in my life have made me a sinner, and I accept that... With every person I help you kill, I understand that my sentence in Hell grows more and more severe. But I don't care. I don't care, Scarlet. Because this world is dying. The world is going to end, you know... In thirty years, we'll all be dead..."
It seemed to stop, like it was actually paying attention. She was still in there. "...Death far outnumbers the birth rate. Humans drop left and right because our society is fucked to its very core. No one cares. Nihilism and apathy have taken over. No one can do anything to make any significant change, so they too either become a victim or spiral into the cycle that is leading to our end. There are more murder cases per day than could ever feasibly be investigated, hospitals are corrupt and only treat the most wealthy, and the justice system turns a blind eye to those perpetuating this norm for a few bribes... But people just continue to live. Because there is nothing they can do about it, and life is meaningless. Even my life... Is meaningless."
...And because of that... I want to use my meaningless to try and fix this bleeding world. If I can slow the creep of inevitable demise down by a month, or even a year... Then I'll have defied whatever notion has told humanity that our actions are futile. And in the end, I'll accept my punishment for defying God's will to end mankind and serve my sentence in Hell. Because I've always known, that when it comes time for me to die... You'll be the one to kill me, Scarlet. I accept it. You are my judgment. B-But..."
He raised his hand higher to touch the side of her face. It was tingly, the best way he could describe it was static. He leaned his head forward slightly. "When you kill me..." He lowered his voice. "I want you to look me in the eyes... and tell me that we did everything we could... Scarlet..."
The demon dissipated, slowly going into shape. Half of Scarlet's head was visible now, then her whole body had returned to normal. She looked confused, then wide-eyed as she looked at Chase. "...Chase?" He smiled. "...There... You... Are..." He was whispering to her, hand on the side of her head, looking into her eyes, before he went limp and slumped over her shoulder.
"...Chase..?"
*
Scarlet slammed the door to their now shared apartment behind her, sprinting into the room with Chase in her arms. Pulling the sheets of the bed back, she lowered Chase onto the bed.
For a moment she just looked at him. His unconscious body was limp, bloody. How she managed to avoid attention on her way up here, she didn't know, but somehow she did and now she didn't know what to do.
He was still breathing, coming in and out of consciousness with pants, which she heard. '...I did this... And all those people in the alley... I killed them, too... My demon, it... It took over me because I'm weak...' Lifting a trembling hand, she reached out to Chase on the bed. 'H-he told me the hospital is impossible to pay for... T-that's how that Ana woman ended up so far in debt... Is Chase going to die?... Isn't that what I wanted originally, though?'
She thought back to when they had first met. Wow, it felt so long ago. '...I knew I had to kill him eventually. I wanted to kill him... Then why... Am I crying?'
She just now realized that her face was streaming with tears, her vision becoming blurry as she sniffled and put her hand back to her side.
"I'm sorry!" Scarlet broke down, falling to her knees with her head in her arms on the side of the bed. "I'm so fucking sorry Chase! I didn't mean to hurt you! Please!!! Please don't die!!! I don't know what I'll do without you!" She looked up, holding her hand to her face. She reeled back from the bed, a hand gripping the sheets as she looked down, the other just barely away from her face.
"I don't have anyone else! I don't want to be alone!" She brought her hand off of the bed, looking at them. "How can I save him?! All I can do is kill! I'm a fucking monster! What do I do!? What do I do!? Please, someone, something, tell me what to do!"
She sobbed into her hands. After a few minutes she saw, well, remembered something. Like, a glitched version of herself. Jerking upwards, she tried to focus on herself and remember. It looked like her, but a doctor. "You know how to save him." She said.
Scarlet sat up straight. "...I do." She realized.
Getting up, she rustled around the room, searching drawers and cabinets until she had the things she needed laying out in front of her. Thread, needle, scissors, matches and tweezers, gloves on her hands. Removing Chase's shirt, she did it all without thinking, semi-cleaning his wound. Taking a match, she lit it, putting it up to the needle and bending it in a half-circular shape.
Scarlet used the tweezers to stick the red thread through the eye of the needle, tugging it to make sure it was in place. Looking down at Chase's unconscious body again, she took a deep breath and inspected him, talking to nobody in the room but herself. "The tool missed his internals... though it took a lot of pressure to get the bleeding to stop. I disinfected and cleaned the wound, so it should be okay to move forward now..."
She held up the needle in her hands. "...And begin sewing." She rolled her sleeves up to her elbows, reaching to the table again for the tweezers, then lowering them to Chase's wound.
"Lift the skin carefully..." She grabbed the scissors, holding the needle with them. "...A-And insert the needle at an angle..." It was like second nature to her, even though in the life she has remembered and only lived for a month or two, she hasn't touched a needle. Yet, her voice was shaking, but her hand was steady.
Lowering it into him, she began sewing his wound shut. Finally finishing, she tied and cut off the last stitch after what felt like forever. Standing up, she looked at Chase again. He hadn't moved or woken up, but he was alive.
Realizing what she had just done, she sweat-dropped. Her eyes widening, she reached her hand down to tug at the bottom of her shirt, seeing her old self again, when she was alive. She pulled her shirt up, looking at the scars that littered her torso.
"See?" The woman asked, finally. "It's like second nature to you..."
*
The alley where Deer and Brook's body parts lay was empty and silent, the bickering between the two the only thing that could be heard.
"Then I went and bought some cereal at the supermarket because I realized I was out, so-" "I don't care about what you did yesterday!" Brook snapped at them. "You don't even need to eat. You're already dead." Deer rolled their eyes. "So? It tastes good,"
The two reapers stopped speaking when they realized they were transported back into Hell. Satan leaned down, picking up Brook's head in his hands, holding him up, and looking at him, then glanced at Deer and back to Brook. "What a pathetic sight... Two reapers that have been reduced to nothing but a couple of heads... And failed to make their midnight quota. Looks like your time as a reaper is up, little Brook."
"I already got my sinner today," Deer butted in from the floor. Satan looked down at them. "You did? I don't remember." "I did! The serial rapist! The one who kept yelling at you!" Satan held an amused smile, ignoring them and looking back up at Brook. "How awful that poor sister of yours will feel, having to be sent back to Hell for eternity..."
"You won't return me to Purgatory. Just grow back my body already." "Mine too!" Satan's face morphed into a deranged, wonky smile with wide eyes, throwing Brook's head to the ground. He winced, his face becoming mushed as Satan stepped on his cheek. Deer rolled their eyes. 'What's the point of that?'
They watched the situation Satan was pissed. "Don't fucking talk back to me." "Ooohhh, Brook's in trouble~." Satan looked to them, a more pissed look on his face making them press their lips into a fine line, muttering a "sorry, go on."
"You are my reaper. I own you. And today, my little toy, you failed me." Brook narrowed his eyes, staring at Satan. "I've killed extra sinners plenty of times." Deer could tell he was nervous. They have known him for over a century, after all. Knew him well enough to be close to him and decipher his looks. Shoving the thoughts out of their head, they turned back to the conversation. "...And, besides that... Taking away my job as a reaper would be much less entertaining for you. Am I wrong, Satan?"
Satan smiled, taking his foot off of Brook's face and reaching down to grab the pink cloth wrapped around Brook's head and hair, holding him up so their faces were a foot or two apart. "You're correct. I just wanted to scare you a little bit... In case you were thinking that you're allowed to start slacking off."
Brook and Deer's body was surrounded by their demon energy color, neon green and pink, their bodies regenerating as Deer was still laying on the floor. Satan didn't let go of the cloth above Brook's head. "This little toy still hasn't finished serving his purpose for me yet."
Brook raised his hand, his pink gloves on his hand again, and smacked Satan's arm, making him let go of his makeshift ears. "It's not like going back to Purgatory would be that bad. The slow life was definitely more my pace." He reached his other hand out, still glaring at Satan, out to Deer to help them up. They took it, standing up and giving him an appreciative smile. Brook glared at them, hard, wiping his hand on his shirt. 'He probably hadn't meant to do that. Instincts, maybe.' They thought.
"I like it more than having to deal with unbearable reapers and my shitty boss." "Ah yes, but then your sweet big sister will have to go back to hanging away for eternity..." Brook put both his hands to his sides, staring at Satan dead-paned. "Yeah... 'sweet'." He looked to the side a little, grimacing.
Satan smirked. "Anyway... What the hell got you two in that sorry state?" Deer smiled, letting out a little laugh. "Wanna take a guess?" Brook asked, turning to face him again. He put his hand to his face and looked down, thinking. "She actually fully lost control, huh..." "Yeah, bug surprise. She's incredibly unstable. If you were aiming to create a reaper who is emotionally volatile under pressure, you picked the perfect woman." "Aww, I'll take that as a compliment towards my choice in reapers."
"You should have seen how shocked he was!" Deer folded forward in laughter, covering their mouth. Brook shot them another glare. "I hadn't expected her to lose control that quickly." "Obviously! She was strong, too." Brook turned away from both of them with a sigh.
"Just send us back, We have nothing else to report. I'd rather go out there and get my limbs plucked off like a bug again than continue talking to you." "Speak for yourself," Deer muttered, walking up next to him and turning to Satan with a nod before they both vanished.
Satan looked at the empty spot the two were just standing in. "Ahh, he's in his rebellious phase... But that's alright. Because Brook will serve his purpose eventually."
*
The clicking of shoes echoed throughout the large, colorful chapel as someone walked through it. Rainbows and pastel colors were everywhere in sight, the woman's hair blowing behind her.
Her dress swooshed behind her, the cross accessories on her headband swinging along with her long blonde hair as she walked. Her outfit was a dark blue dress, the skirt only going about halfway to her thighs, a white bit covering the top and slightly around his neck. She had white gloves on, with yellow embroidery around the edges. Black leggings and white high heels.
Wings emerged from the back of her outfit, where there were already holes in her outfit for the exact purpose. They grew to full size, fluttering in the air and a few stray feathers went everywhere. 'What am I going to do...'
*
The gentle wind was blowing in the vast forest. Snow was covering the branches of the dozens of trees around, layers of it on the ground and the lake and rivers half frozen. The sky had a cloudy, early-morning look to it.
Chase walked, barefoot, in the snow, further into the trees with no idea where his destination was. The sound of snow crunching under his feet was comforting. For some reason he wasn't cold, only wearing a long-sleeved white shirt and pants, no socks or shoes.
Looking up at the sky, it had begun to turn pink. Squinting his eyes, he looks at the dozens of trees that towered above him as snow fell. "It all looks the same..." He muttered to himself. Turning to look to his side, his voice dropped in volume again. "...And I've been walking for days."
Bringing his hand up to his side, he felt his torso, which was the only color in sight; his shirt was drenched with red. Blood, he knew. "...Am I dead?"
Looking out again, there was a clearing of rough ground with snow covering it all. "I wish Scarlet was here. She would know. Maybe she has some crazy good reaper nose that I didn't know about and could sniff us out of this forest, back to civilization... Ahh, she probably can't do that." He smiled at the silly thought, uncertain.
"I guess I just miss her." He looked down at the snow. It was a while before he spoke. "...Am I becoming weak again?" "You've always been weak." His eyes widened at the voice behind him, the only small indicator of life that he had seen or heard in days. 'That voice...'
He turned around sharply, seeing a black crow perched on a branch in a high tree. It was unsettling, the red eyes of the small creature as it looked at him. It tilted its head to the side. I always knew you wouldn't be able to make it out in the real world."
Chase settled down, letting his body relax. "Well, you're wrong. I'm not weak." "Hekhek. I'll be honest. You got very close to being strong. But now you've developed an emotional attachment to your little murder tool." "She's not a tool. She's my friend, and we have overlapping interests."
"That's why you're weak. She should have always remained a means to an end." The crow's beak seemed to become distorted, a curved smile carving into it as it kept growing. "When you think of someone as a friend rather than a tool, you have to acknowledge their humanity and let them into your heart... And they'll crush you from the inside out. They always do."
The water from the rivers had turned red, Chase noticed. "The only truly flawless fortress is one with no weaknesses. no doors. No way in." Chase narrowed his eyes at the bird, a hand on his hip. "If there's no door, then I can't get out." "You idiot, you're not supposed to get out! You stay inside! Alone! Forever! That's where it's safe! That's the only way you'll never be hurt! Things like friendship and love will only weaken you! It'll make it more difficult when you have to cast them aside to do what must be done!"
The crow's head jerked up as it continued to screech to Chase, its voice becoming more frill and its beak becoming larger and sharp and distorted.
"I'm not going to cast Scarlet aside."
"I can make pragmatic decisions for the good of this world, and value Scarlet at the same time. These are not mutually exclusive things." "...What if Scarlet exists to the detriment of the world? You saw her true form. You saw those bodies." The bird's beak unhinged and grew, like a snake's jaw, the eyes becoming distorted red swirls. "She's a murderer! She's going to kill every day, for eternity! She's what's wrong with the world!"
Chase grabbed the crow aggressively with his hand from the tree, returning it to normal, and stopped its yelling. He held it out, still squeezing it with his hand. "Then, I'm a hypocrite. Nothing new. We will become the last villains on Earth. Then she'll kill me. And after that, it's up to her to decide what she does. My job will be finished, and I'll go burn in Hell." He squeezed the bird harder.
The bird started melting slowly in his hands. "Love makes you weak. You loved your sweet mother too much, and that's why you couldn't kill me. And because of that... your siblings are dead..." Its voice deflated as it did, before Chase was left staring at his empty hand wrapped in some sort of black liquid, that of which the crow was previously made of.
"You lost the right to call yourself my mother a long time ago." He muttered under his breath, putting his hand to his side. "I've grown. And the person I am now wouldn't hesitate to kill you. Too bad you're already dead..."
*
The world around him faded before all he could see were branches and then darkness.
Chase groggily opened his eyes, moving slightly. He saw Scarlet, a hopeful look on her face and a twinkle in her eye, and Lightstalker with the same look. He narrowed his eyes at the odd sight. What?
"Chase! You're awake!!" Lightstalker rubbed against his chin as Scarlet leaned down, he heard rustling, like she was searching for something. "...Scarlet? How... How long was I asleep?" She popped up again, eager, with something in her hands. "Three days!" She seemed shocked he was awake, snapping open the box in her hands full of food.
Chase carefully sat up, Lightstalker still perched at his side carefully, trying to get his attention. "...Didn't you stab me? How am I alive?" He stared blankly at her for a response, even as she shoved a cookie in his mouth. "Y...Yeah. I did stab you. But I took you back here and sewed you up. There's a lot that I need to talk to you about. But... You just woke up, so don't worry about that! Just eat and drink something!" She shoved a few more cookies in his mouth and he tried to say something that was muffled by the cookies, and she shoved a bottle of water at his chest.
They sat there awkwardly in silence as Chase ate the food he was given, finally swallowing it. Chase watched Scarlet look down at the bottle of water wrapped in her hands.
"...Scarlet. Let's just talk now."
*
"She ripped you to pieces?!" The leader snapped at Brook who leaned awkwardly on the stone wall behind him. Deer sat on the floor, scraping rocks on the dirty stone. "She lost control of her demon. There's nothing we could have done." Deer said from the floor, falling back to lay on it. Brook scrunched his face. "You should have just killed her before! You're stronger than her anyway! You shouldn't have failed!"
Deer stood up from the floor, stretching. "Look, lady." Brook sent them a warning glare, which they ignored. "You don't understand reapers, I get it, but you can't just boss us around. There's nothing we could have done, end of discussion. If you want her gone so bad do it yourself, or stop complaining and let us do our jobs." She remained silent, staring at them for a short moment.
"If you're gonna keep bossing me around without understanding shit, I will walk out of this door right now." Again, she didn't say anything, giving them a deer-in-the-headlights look.
"That's what I thought," They muttered turning around. "I'm gonna go order some Indian food. You coming?" They turned to look at Brook, who shrugged, following them out with a, "We'll be back tomorrow."
*
"...Sure... What do you want to talk about?" Chase brought his arms behind him, giving him support to keep sitting up. He wasn't shirtless anymore, wearing one of his blue long sleeves shirts, and he was covered in his blankets.
The image of Scarlet, the disfigurement of whatever she turned into, whatever she was as she held a head and severed foot and ankle was stuck in his head. It made his stomach hurt. Or maybe that was because of the wound, he didn't really know.
"...What happened to you? In that alley?" Scarlet was silent for a moment, holding out her hand to give Chase the bottle of water, which he reached for. "I'll tell you, just drink some water first. If you don't drink, you'll die..." She paused, looking to her side.
"Because you're human."
She looked forward again. "...A reaper doesn't need to drink. I'm not human. My body is... nothing. It's a puppet, animated by my soul. What that means... Exactly... Is that you can pluck off my arms, or rip out my heart, and I'll be "alive". My soul is just animating this pile of flesh. But, I'm not alone in here... There's something else inhabiting this pile of meat, with my soul."
Chase couldn't help but imagine Scarlet's body with a demon, the one that he saw in the alley, taking over every bit of her besides where her white soul sat in the middle where her heart was.
"A demon. This demon is powerful and gives me my reaper abilities... But if I start to lose touch with my "humanity", the demon will take over completely... And I won't be able to regain control until something connects me to whatever it means to be human." Chase stared at her, trying to process her explanation.
"...Something that connects you with what it means to be human..." Scarlet remained silent, waiting for him to go on, but he was waiting for an answer. "...So, what is it?"
Scarlet shifted, bringing an arm to her face, touching her lip with her finger. "Uh, well. How can I say this..." Chase looked to the side, waiting for her to say whatever it is she needed to. She put her arm down, biting on the inside of her cheek, her face flushing and her cheeks becoming pink with embarrassment. She turned to look at Chase, finally. "Y-yeah?" He asked her.
Her face became a darker red as she tried to work up the courage to say it. "...It's you... I-I think you're the only thing that can pull me back from my demon..." Chase's eyes widened slightly. Scarlet turned away from him again. "...You did it twice. You probably don't remember the first time, but my demon took control, and when I saw you... I came back. And of course, three days ago... Your voice managed to reach me... I don't think anything else could have gotten me out of that state..."
She turned front facing the wall to the other way, so Chase was looking at the back of her head instead of the side of her face. "So, yeah. I'm sorry... That... I'm dependent on you, in that way..."
Chase's face flushed as well. "...I'm the link to your humanity..." "Yeah... I'm sorry." Chase narrowed his eyes. "Why are you apologizing?" "Well, it's a lot of trouble for you. We are supposed t be working together, and now you have to make sure my demon doesn't take over... I know that I'm just a tool-" "Hey, stop!" Chase interrupted her.
"Scarlet! You're not a tool! Don't say that ever again!" He threw his hand out in an angry gesture. "We work together, but more importantly than that, you're my friend! I don't have any problem helping you with that demon thing at all, that's what friends do for each other- ah..." He bent forward, holding his torso as the gestures finally got to his wound.
"Chase! Don't overdo it!" Scarlet reached out to him. "You're still healing..." He panted slightly. "I forgot... You stabbed me... H-How am I alive...?" "I-I told you, I sewed you up. You need to stay still so that the stitches don't rip open..." "Wha- You were serious? Where the hell did you learn to do that?"
"I dunno, I just remembered how to do it." She remembered her live self telling her what to do. "...In my past life, I guess I sutured a lot of wounds... SO it felt like second nature..." "Wait... Hold on... You remembered something?" "Yeah, but that was it. I still don't know who I was." Chase sat up fully again.
"I'll find out who you were, Scarlet. I haven't forgotten. I promise you." Scarlet turned to face him again. "Y-Yeah. Thanks. Uh, s-so, how did you find me anyway? When I was a demon?" "Ah... Yeah. A while ago when I gave you that phone... I installed a location tracker onto it." Scarlet's head whipped in surprise to look at Chase.
"I took you to the amusement park to manipulate you into trusting me, then presented the phone as a gift. I wanted to use the phone to investigate who you were further. The blood, the disappearing, the murders. I thought it was okay to do because you were a murderer, and manipulating murderers in any way is fine. I went through it logically- do the ends justify the means. And my answer then, was yes. But, the circumstances mean nothing. What I did was wrong. I manipulated you and tricked you. I'm sorry. You're under no obligation to forgive me. I did a lot of things to manipulate you, Scarlet. I'm a bad person, as you're well aware. But, I don't want to be that person with you. You're important to me.
...I want to ask you a question. But before I do, there's been something on my mind for a while. Regarding you. That I want you to know before you answer." "...Yeah?" Chase inhaled deeply. "So... There's this popular ethical dilemma It's called "The Trolley Problem." He brought his knee up to rest his arm on.
"It goes like this... There is a trolley coming down the tracks. Ahead, there are five people tied down, unable to move. You're standing a long way away, next to a lever. If you pull this lever, the trolley will switch to a different set of tracks, with only one person tied to it. So you have two options in this scenario. You do nothing like a coward, and five people die. Or you can pull the lever, diverting it to the one person, and have a net gain of four lives."
Scarlet narrowed her eyes. "There's only one correct answer to this problem. You pull the lever and reduce the overall loss of life. It's obvious. I never understood why this was even an ethical dilemma... Or so I thought." He closed his eyes for a few seconds, opening them again.
"I'm a pretty pragmatic person. I've always taken pride in my ability to overlook feelings for cold, hard logic. Emotion and attachments have always come around to bite me in the ass. They've historically held me back from doing what needs to be done. So, I abandoned that. thinking of the world in a formula of "make the decision that prevents the most suffering, no matter what is easy. It's robotic. But humans aren't purely logical beings. And I think I've ignored the emotional side of myself for too long... S-since I can't logically figure out why I like being vulnerable with you."
His face flushed again as he looked to the side and down. Scarlet raised an eyebrow at this. "So, g-going back to the trolley problem thing. I would always pull the lever to the track with one person, to save the five people... Unless. The person on the track... was you..." Scarlet's eyes widened slightly, the blush on her face returning and her mouth dropping open in shock. Chase was boiling at what he just said, his face a bright red as he was suddenly aware of Scarlet's gaze on him. "S-So!" He continued, trying to get past it.
"D-d-d-d-d-d-don't get me wrong, if it was anyone else, I wouldn't give a fuck, I'm still the same Chase." Was it hot in here? "A-and the reason I told you all that is to b-be totally honest with you. About everything. When we met, we didn't trust each other. We used each other. But things have changed... A lot. What I did back then is still wrong. And I'm sorry. I will never do it again. I will always be completely honest with you, from now until forever. And it's up to you if you want to believe me or not. You don't have to forgive me if you don't want to. If you want to leave, and never talk to me again, that is absolutely understandable."
Scarlet looked down a little, her hair falling in front of her face. "...So... Just let me know," He mumbled, looking to the side again.
She turned back to him after a moment of thinking, giving him a closed-eyed smile. "Of course, I forgive you, Chase. You keep phrasing it like I'm some paragon of mortality that you took advantage of... I'm awful, remember?" She brought her hand up to graze her lip with her finger again. "I murder. I kill. I'll do anything to not get sent back to the Ninth Level. In the end, we're just two really bad people. And maybe, that's why we need each other. Since, each other... Is all we have."
She rested her hands on the edge of the bed, turning back to look at him again.
*
Scarlet sat on a bus that was going through the city. Looking out of the window near her seat, she watched as she passed the city.
'I'm a Grim Reaper. Major wounds are generally no problem, as long as I can make it to Hell. I'll get healed by Satan and be on my way. But Chase is just human.'
As the bus came to a stop, Scarlet got up and exited it, walking down the sidewalk.
'If he gets hurt, it's a big deal. He needs a lot of time to recover.'
She kept her gaze focused and determined, ignoring the people she passed as she kept moving to her destination.
'...And, for once...'
She crossed the busy crosswalk, trying not to run into any of the people and students in front of her.
'...I find myself taking care of someone, rather than killing them. It's a funny idea. The Grim Reaper, running out to buy a different kind of soup every day...'
She approached the shop with a smile.
'...And today, I'm getting something really special.'
*
Scarlet tapped away on her found, sitting on the floor at the edge of Chase's bed. He lay with his covers up to his face. "...Did you get a sinner today, Scarlet?" Scarlet glanced at Chase, momentarily pausing her game. "Yeah, I went after one of the guys on the list you gave me. The one whose mom disappeared. I really do wish you were there. your affirmation gives me a lot of confidence to go through with the reaping. The guy really did just club his mom to death because he didn't want to take care of her in her old age. He deserved to go to Hell..."
There was a small pause of silence. "Ah." Scarlet turned her entire body, sitting more upright to try and get a look at Chase. "...You okay? Usually hearing about a sinner being a terrible person and going to Hell gets you in this smug mood... Like..."
Scarlet lifted both her hands to her face, making circles with her index finger and thumb to imitate Chase's glasses, then took on an odd voice as an imitation of him. "See, Scarlet. I am smart, can't you tell by my big red glasses? Of course, he was a sinner. I figured it out from the bead of sweat on the lower right side of his face in his mugshot."
Chase didn't reply, still turned away from Scarlet with the bedsheets up to his face. Scarlet shrunk a bit from the position on her knees at the end of the bed as she watched him. "...When I was a kid..." Chase began, and Scarlet's eyes twinkled slightly and her pupils grew at her interest.
"I had this delicious soup. It was a family-owned business, located across the city. They made the broth by boiling chicken bones for 48 hours... and hand-made the rice noodles in the back of the store... I only... I could have it again... But I'm far too weak to go get it myself... Woe is me... Will I ever taste that delicious soup... Who knows..." Scarlet's eyes grew again.
"The address is on the tip of my tongue... It'll take me about 10 seconds to recall it..." Scarlet, hearing this, shot up again and started to get ready to type the address into her phone. "...1337 South Menethil road... that's all I can remember..." Scarlet typed it all into her phone quickly.
"...Uh, Chase, I have something I need to do really quick." "...Why, what's up?" Scarlet scrambled across the floor from the bed to the door, grabbing her boots and wrestling with herself to get them on. "Uhhh, I wanna go double-check what color the sky is." "...It's blu--"
Before Chase could finish his sentence the door slammed shut as Scarlet left the apartment.
Chase remained silent in the bed for a few more moments in silence, before lifting his body and bringing a hand to rub his face. "Ahh... She's too nice. I knew she'd want to go get the soup." He lifted his hand away, a few drops of blood on it from his nose as he glanced at the closed door. "...I don't even think the address exists... Sorry, Scarlet. I... Just... Really don't want you to see me bleeding."
*
"So... I'm across town... But the address Chase gave me doesn't exist." Scarlet's finger held over her phone as she furrowed her eyebrows at it in confusion. "...Maybe the location closed, since he did say he got it when he was a kid..." Her eyes widened slightly in disappointment as she put her finger down. "...That sucks... I don't want to come back empty-handed, either. If I knew what kind of food he was talking about, I might be able to find something similar..."
"Grim Reaper! Heeey, Grim Reaper! Over here!" Scarlet stopped her rambling at the sound of the person yelling, her eyes widening in panic. She turned around sharply with a tugging feeling at the bottom of her stomach. How did they know?
Liam stood in the street in the same orange and black hoodie and jeans he wore when they met at Ana's apartment, his hand raised in the air as he waved at her. "Heyyy, Grim Reaper! Over here! It's Liam!"
'Liam... What are the chances of running into him again?! But, more importantly...' She sweat-dropped. 'How the hell does he know I'm a Grim Reaper?!'
"Wohohoahoaha, funny meeting you out here! That's crazy! I sent you a bunch of cool things for your character on Fatecraft! Did you check your mail?! I never got a response!" He held his arms up and slightly bounced on his feet in excitement. "I also tried whispering to you tons of times, but you never replied to me! Even though you were totally online! It almost felt like you didn't want to talk to me, but there's no way that's the case-" "Liam." Scarlet interrupted him.
"...Why are you calling me... The Grim Reaper...?" Her eyes were wide and cold, making Liam's eyes widen as well at the glare he was sent. He got a bad feeling from her like something was erupting inside of her. He held a worried expression. Why was she being so crude? It reminded him of red. "I...Isn't that your Fatecraft name? GRIMREAPER666?" Scarlet calmed down a little.
"I-I never learned your name, so... I'm sorry If you didn't want me to call you by your Fatecraft name..." He fidgeted with his hands nervously in front of him. "O-Oh, right! Yeah! U-Uh, no one calls me that, so I got a little confused! My real name is Scarlet. Call me that instead." She gave him a small smile, feeling slightly like an idiot.
Liam nodded at her a few times. "Of course, of course! Scarlet it is! That's a pretty cool name, you know! It matches your goth aesthetic! I was thinking the horn and fang implants were pretty cool too!" Scarlet's eyes widened slightly again. 'I forgot to put my hood on?!'
"I think it's really great that we live in a society that encourages individuality!" Scarlet tugged her hood on to cover her horns, putting her lips into a fine line. " Sorry, I'm trailing off! What are you doing out here? You look super lost!" Scarlet smiled nervously at him again. 'This Liam guy... Is so good-natured... I almost feel bad for not yet being able to tell him the truth.' Taking another glance at him, he was smiling sweetly at her.
"...Well, I'm looking for this soup place, but the address doesn't exist. So now I guess I'm just trying to find something close to it." She looked at her phone again. "I've never heard of it before, though... Chase mentioned something like... Boiling bones for broth... and noodles made of rice?" She looked down and narrowed her eyes, realizing how odd the recipe is.
Liam stood there for a moment. "Oh, Pho! The soup you're talking about is called Pho!" He placed his hands in his pockets. "I can find a really good place for you to get some of that! Just, if you're okay with it, in return... If I could get an update on Ana's disappearance..." He still held a very small smile, looking down to the floor with a sad expression. Scarlet couldn't help but feel bad for him since he had never done anything wrong.
The footsteps of Scarlet and Liam's feet echoed around the empty street. "...And then, while he held the knife to my neck, out of nowhere comes another guy with a knife! Right from the same alley, the first guy came from! And he stops, looks at the dude who is mugging me all confused, and says, "Hey, George, that was the guy I was planning on robbing! What the hell are you doing on my turf?!'" Scarlet glanced at him from the corner of her eyes as he told the story with a smile.
"And the guy who is mugging me gets pissed off, and turns to point his knife at the second mugger- and they start fighting each other! Like, imagine my luck! Soooo, I booked it! I got away, no problem! And boy, did I count my blessings! That's the third mugging I've somehow wiggled my way out of!"
Scarlet looked to the floor slightly, her eyes drooping as she followed Liam. "...You talk about it so casually. Is getting mugged really that frequent?" "...Huh? Haven't you been robbed once or twice? It happens pretty often..." "Uh... Well, I've seen plenty of muggings. Just never been robbed. Guess I'm just a little luckier than you." Liam turned around to face her with a smile.
"...Or maybe it's just your goth aura! I'm pretty intimidated and I'm not even a robber. I can't imagine how they feel, haha!" Scarlet tilted her head slightly. "A-Ah, yep, my... Goth aura..." They kept walking in silence down the street as the sun started to set, Scarlet occasionally looking at Liam, who was walking with a smile on his face.
After a few moments, Liam spoke up again. "...Um... so..." He looked to the floor, a small smile still on his face with a sad expression. He looked at Scarlet again, his smile fading. "...Are there any updates on Ana?" Scarlet looked up to the sky slightly to watch the birds above them. "...No." Liam turned back to face forward. "Ah." There was another long moment of silence.
"...I've known Ana since we were kids. We were always best friends. She had a really hard childhood. I tried to be there for her as often as I could but at the end of the day... I couldn't make her parents stop treating her so badly. I tried to reach out and help her as much as I could, but... At the end of the day, she chose to follow her parents' wishes. All the help in the world means nothing to someone if they don't want to help themselves... She threw away her dream of being a writer and decided to settle down with a man she had never met... I knew she didn't love him. It was going to take time for her to realize it, and build the courage to take action on her true feelings." Liam looked to the floor as Scarlet watched him speak, intrigued.
"All I could do in the meantime was make sure she had a place to go when she made that decision. Somewhere to pick up where she left off in pursuit of her dream. So, I worked tirelessly to build my own career. If I could make it, then I could use my success to give her a stepping stone into the industry. It's a long story so I'll spare you the details, but I did it. Became the lead writer for Fatecraft, after the current lead passed away. But the entire time that I was working towards that goal, Ana was drifting away from me..."
They had stopped walking, Scarlet barely even noticed. "She barely picked up her phone. Her replies over text got shorter and shorter. And she gave me less and less information about what was going on in her life... Until she stopped talking to me altogether. And after a month, I decided to track her down and make sure she was okay... And here I am." He turned and gave Scarlet another sad smile. Scarlet stared at him.
"I guess finding her is just another little hiccup in this lifelong journey. But it's alright." He looked up again, a smile on his face. Not a sad one, but a hopeful one. "She's somewhere out there. I believe that I'll find her." Scarlet narrowed her eyes. He wasn't going to find her. She knew that. How could she even bring up the point to him? She was dead. She was gone and she was never coming back and he was so hopeful and so in love with her that he would never believe that.
"Liam." "...Yeah?" "I'm going to be a little harsh for a second. Things aren't safe out here. We're living in an extremely dangerous time. Seriously, just a second ago we were talking about how you've been mugged three times recently. That's not a coincidence." He turned to look at her fully now, eyes slightly wide. Scarlet reached up to touch her scarf. "...And it's been over a month since she disappeared, so... Have you considered... That she might be dead?" She looked to the floor trying to hide her face. Liam's eyes widened as he stared at her.
He turned to face away from her and forward again. He gazed up again. "She's not dead. You're making sense, and I appreciate your honest thoughts... But I know she's out there." "Why can you be so confident about that?" "Because I made it this far!" He turned his head to look at her again. "I've managed to not only live... But to accomplish goals that seem impossible, time after time." He turned his body to face her.
"I've survived everything that's happened in this world. I became the lead writer on Fatecraft. Ana kept talking to me despite everything, and sure enough, the ungrateful husband left the picture. It's more than a coincidence. It's more than luck. It's fate." As the sun set more, shadows were cast upon Liam's face, it freaked Scarlet out, his eyes wide as he went on about fate. He looked insane.
"Everything worked out perfectly because God wants me to be together with her." Scarlet held her gaze firm. "This isn't a book, Liam. Events don't happen because they're leading up to a specific outcome. Life isn't like that." "...Well, my life is different. I know she's out there. I just wouldn't feel this way if it wasn't true."
*
Chase panted slightly against the pain as he leaned over the counter in his bathroom. The sound of bottles clinking against the flat surface filled the room as he lifted a bottle of pills. "That was my last pill..." He muttered under his breath, his nose was still bleeding. "...And I missed so many days because I was unconscious. F-fuck... The stab wound still hurts like hell, but... I'm just gonna have to grin and bear it and go get a refill... Or else that injury is going to be the least of my problems..."
Chase huffed, leaning against the wall. His arm was pressed firmly to his abdomen, putting pressure on the wound. He was dressed in his white shirt and floor-long cloudy blue overcoat and business pants, black tie, and red glasses. He narrowed his eyes as he huffed again, trying to keep his breathing steady and looking at the floor.
"...F-Fuck... The stand wound really hurts," he said to nobody but himself. "I-I'm definitely not healed yet... Walking all the way here was exhausting..." He threw his head up to the wall to rest it. "God damn it, Chase. Get it together."
He let out a deep breath, standing upright and ignoring the shape pain that shot through his body. He shivered slightly, taking a step. "Easy..."
He stood there for a while until he heard footsteps coming down the alley he was standing in. Glancing up it, he saw his mother approaching, her heels clicking against the concrete, black coat over her shoulders, and arms folding in front of her. She stopped, watching him. "...Hey, chief."
Veronica pressed her lips into a fine line, unfolding her arms and tossing Chase the pill bottle she was holding. Chase caught it with both hands against his chest, falling back slightly as if it was unexpected. He turned to look at her with a small smile.
"...Thanks. There's no way I'd be able to afford this on my own..." Veronica crossed her arms again. "You can't afford anything. You're unemployed. I still wire you money every month, you know." Chase gave a nervous closed-eyed smile. "...O-Oh, I actually didn't notice." "How the hell do you think you were paying rent?!"
He gave another wonky, closed eyes smile. Veronica looked to the floor. "...So thoughtless... But you're my son, it's my responsibility to take care of you." Chase's face dropped slightly before he gave a somber smile. "It's not your responsibility, though... You don't have to do anything for me." "Stop that, Chase. I chose you to be my son. I made a decision to love you. Don't you think that's just as meaningful as if you were my biological child?" His smile dropped again.
"You've been through a lot, Chase. The things that you survived in that home..." Chase tilted his head down. "You had to become so strong, at such a young age... But no matter how strong you were, every kid needs a parent. They need to be loved. So implying that I'm not responsible for you because you're not my 'real' son really hurts. You'll always be my little boy."
Chase watched her speak. "Your little boy is a murderer. Any sense of purity that you saw in me as a child is gone." Veronica let out a long sigh. "I try to have one conversation with you without bringing up that event, and you just go ahead and do it anyway... I swear, even if I just asked you about the weather, you'd start waxing off about global warming or something... Listen, Chase. Though I'll never agree with what you did, I do understand why you did it after I watched the playback.
The man taunted you, and he probably reminded you of your biological mother. I'll never truly understand how you're childhood affected you... But I can imagine it makes some situations unbearable. But only I can sympathize to that degree because of how well I know you... And regardless of my sympathy, you killed a man who didn't need to die. Your reputation is unsalvageable. A detective killing a man in cold blood was just too juicy of a story for the media to ignore." Chase hummed in response.
"...It's disappointing. My case was only sensationalized because it was so easy for the average person to understand. A detective with a temper shoots the man he's interrogating, all on camera. It's simple. Recognizing that there's an intrinsic problem with law enforcement that causes hundreds of thousands of deaths through negligence and bribery... Isn't a very clickable headline. I can't blame the media for not wanting to cover that, though.
Whoever wrote it would be assassinated, and their murder investigation would be waived away with a paltry hundred thousand dollar bribe. I understand you're a good person, mom... maybe too good... But you can't possibly believe that this corruption can be weeded out by you alone." Veronica put her arms down. "...Maybe I won't be able to. But... I'm going to at least try." She crossed them again, giving Chase a look of determination. He watched her for a moment before throwing his arms up in a shrug.
"Alright, whatever. Though, before I go, I have an update on the case you assigned me. Or rather, a conclusion to it." She put her hands on her hips. "...Yes?" "That woman you had me investigate... was murdered. I found a slip of paper in her house scheduled a monthly deal with the Red Spades. I guess that she ran out of money, murdered her kid because he was too expensive, then missed her payment on the drugs... And they killed her like they always do."
"Ah, how convenient for you." "I have the note from the Red Spades... And her body is in the freezer. No bullet wounds. You can check. In case you think that I did it." She gave her son a disbelieving look. "I know that the department has a non-interference agreement with the Red Spades. So the investigation is effectively closed. I did what you told me to do, chief. So, please. Give me access to case X." She narrowed her eyes at him.
There was a long pause.
"...Her name was Ante Nora. Female. Black hair, black eyes. Five-foot three. 15 pounds. Birthday, June 6th. Age 28 at the time of death. And that's all I'm going to tell you. The rest is classified." "I need the rest. What do I need to do to get it?" "Something amazing," Chase smirked. "Alright. I have something in mind."
"I didn't give you a case to pursue." "Won't need one." She furrowed her brows. "I don't know what you have planned... But even if you did this amazing thing, and get access to case X... It's not going to be enough to return to being a detective. " Chase looked to the floor, then back up at her. "I don't want to come back to the force. Ever. I just want to solve case X. It's for someone very important to me."
*
Deer spun a pen between their fingers, dropping it for the umpteenth time and making an echoing clatter throughout the room. They sat up from where they lay on the desk and swung their legs over, reaching to grab the pen from the concrete floor. Sitting back up, their eyes glanced across the room. Brook was sitting against the wall, typing away on his phone, as he had been for a while.
"The guy's smart," They muttered under their breath, laying back on the desk. Brook looked up at them. "Hm?" "The blonde guy," Deer said again. Brook only hummed and looked back down as the room filled with awkward silence again. Not so awkward anymore. "He'll know," They continued. Brook hummed again, still typing. "Are you even listening?" Brook hummed again, paying no mind to them.
Deer sighed, hopping off the desk. Their feet slapped on the cool floor, making Brook look up at them, finally. They flicked the pen in his direction and he moved to the side so that it hit the wall and not his face. "What was that for?" Deer crossed their arms, shrugging. Brook looked at them for a while longer before looking back at his phone.
*
"Okay... What about 'Ante Nora Woman.' Or maybe 'Ante Nora Female, Black Hair, Black eyes, 28 years old?' 'Ante Nora murderer?' 'Ante Nora Businessperson?' 'Ante Nora Doctor?'" Scarlet shot out suggestions from over Chase's shoulder as he typed in the search engine on his computer. "'Ante Nora super cool badass magical Necromancer?'" Chase shot her a glare. "Scarlet, we tried all of these already. I really don't think we're going to find anything from woogling your name." Scarlet gave him a look of despair.
"...I thought you could find the answer to anything on woogle..." "Well, you can find the answer to almost every common question, but not really specific or personal things... I figured it was worth a shot... There might have been a chance that there was a news article or something... To be fair though, we don't have access to as much information as we used to... Records of you in life could have been lost relatively recently... But even when I looked through the records I took on my phone, there wasn't a single name that was even close to-"
A loud clanking sound interrupted his explanation, and he stopped to look at the computer where the sound was coming from. There was another sound, then another, before Scarlet realized what was happening on the computer.
"FateCraft!!! Someone is killing me in FateCraft!!" The sounds continued as she shoved Chase out of the way of the computer, reaching for the mouse. "Wha- You had t open the entire time?!" "Of course I did! If I log out, then I'll lose my experience bonus-" A groaning sound came from the computer. "Was that dying sound of you or the guy you were attacking?" He looked at her.
Scarlet turned to look at Chase with wide, dead eyes. Red letters appeared on the screen saying 'YOU DIED'.
Chase tilted his head with what he thought was a comforting smile. "Ahh... Unfortunate..." Scarlet didn't blink, still having wide eyes and staring straight at him, hands-on keyboard. "It's... That ASHENFALL guy again... No matter how hard I try, I can't beat him..." She squinted slightly, still not blinking. "...And every time he kills me... He sits and stands on top of my body... why does he do that... And no one seems to be able to kill him... I really want him to die, just once..."
Chase watched her for a moment before smirking, brushing his hand through his hair. "...Well, I guess it can't be helped, then..." He trailed off. Scarlet's eyes were still wide, but hopeful as she watched him. He smiled at her. "...I'll use my full power to avenge you, just this once. You have to give me my chair back, though." Scarlet just realized she was practically leaning over him. "Oh, right, sorry."
Scarlet turned to the computer to watch as he logged out of her account and into his. 'You know... I've never seen Chase's FateCraft character before...'
He kept typing away on the keyboard. "I've tried to stay away from FateCraft recently... Not that I have much of a choice, considering how much you use my computer... But in the past, after I became unemployed, FateCraft took over my life."
He had finally signed into his account and clicked 'ENTER WORLD' on his screen. "So, Scarlet!" He widened his eyes slightly. "Level 50! Maximum Diplomacy! Unparalleled Holy Magic! The former most popular support character on the server!"
On the screen, he showed the back of his character, and from what Scarlet could tell from this view it was a pretty woman. She was wearing a long, dark blue dress and a light blue corset, with long sleeves, and something on her shoulders the same color as her dress. Her hair went a little past her shoulders and it was white, and she also had cat ears.
Scarlet's eyes sparkled in interest and anticipation as she looked at her. "Behold, the product of my year-long depression!" He turned the camera perspective to make the front of the character visible, and Scarlet could positively say she was disappointed. It was not a woman but looked a lot like his cat, Lightstalker, in a dress and long, white hair.
The pug face and large, crosse, blue eyes were there. It seemed she was wearing a sweater similar to the blue wool one Scarlet had first seen Lightstalker in. "Lightstalker, Banisher of the Void!" Scarlet deflated slightly on the floor. She turned to look at the cat on the floor, who was cleaning her lower half with one leg up in the air. "You... really love your cat, don't you...?" She smiled slightly, still unnerved.
Chase turned to look at her. "Yep! What do you think?" "...You did such a good job of making her in the game that it's kind of scary. But can you hurry up and explain to me how you're going to beat ASHENFALL?" She scowled slightly saying the username. "I can barely ever even get in range of him... And when I can, my attacks do hardly any damage..."
"Well, he's probably just a better player... with more gear as well. But you two are also the same class-two damage dealers. I play a Paladin, specializing in support. My character is somewhat fragile, but she has a lot of skills that can manipulate specific aspects of FateCraft. I'm going to use my abilities to try to get ASHENFALL out of the Rampaging State."
There was a pause.
"Why hasn't anyone else tried that yet?" "Because Nobody ever wants to play support..." Chase's character walked around for a while and Scarlet watched her. "...He's close..." She stopped. "This city is in ruins... ASHENFALL is definitely around here." The wind blew in the game, making Lightstalker's hair blow.
Chase pressed a key on the keyboard and Lightstalker raised a hand elegantly, a forcefield-like circle forming in front of her. It make a looming sound as she did so. "This holy skill makes me invincible for a decent amount of time. However, I cannot use any damaging skills whatsoever." "What? Then how are you going to kill him?" "...Is that the only way you deal with things in this game? I'm a support, so very rarely can I rely on brute force to deal with an enemy. I have to get a little creative."
Lightstalker kept walking throughout the ruins of the city. She stopped when Chase saw a character ahead of him.
It was stubby, and had giant wings that looked like bones with blue bandages wrapped around each opening. It had armor all over it, no neck and it was leaning backward, like a zombie. The head was black and a wide smile with a lot of teeth, as well as glowing blue eyes. All of the armor was blue, there was a spike of it on top of its head and it had very long, white hair that went to its feet.
When the head turned to look at her, and it declined slightly. It looked more menacing this way, more so than before, and the teeth opened. The inside of the mouth was also a very bright blue, and mist escaped from the mouth of the character. "Woah... He looks pretty cool..." Chase muttered. "Please just get rid of him."
Both of the characters faced one another. "He may have let the Necrosis take over him completely, but I am a Paladin... An agent of humanity! Aaaaaaand I spent 3 months grinding undead mobs just to maximize my holly tree so that I can use the ultimate spell!" He pressed another thing on his keyboard and Lightstalker raised a hand into the air. There was a shing sound and a sparkly, colorful light appeared in her hand. "Behold! The Sanctification of a Holy Paladin! 'Return Humanity!'"
She threw it towards ASHENFALL with a thunk. She held up both hands in triumph, but the spell just disappeared with a pop. The shield around her faded. ASHENFALL formed a blue and black sword, and Chase sat back with his hands in his lap as there were slicing and cutting sounds from the computer. Scarlet deadpanned.
"He's ten levels higher than me, so he just resisted it..." Chase said sheepishly as he glanced at Scarlet, who also glanced at him tiredly. "So why did you even try?" "...Well, I thought if it did work, I'd look really cool..." "Oh my god."
The character stood over the body for a moment without moving.
ASHENFALL: YOUR CHARACTER LOOKS STUPID AS FUCK.
Chase stopped to read the message and shot up in his chair, slamming his hands on either side of the desk and causing Scarlet to jump back slightly. "That is where I draw the line. I'll start playing again. I'll level up. I'll get good gear. And I will defeat ASHENFALL."
Chase sank back into the chair and put his head back onto it. "Oh. Oof. Ouch. I got a little too worked up." Scarlet smiled slightly. "You're gonna take another two weeks to heal if you keep doing dumb shit like that." She rested her head in her hand, her elbow on the desk. "Are you sure you're going to be okay for tomorrow?" "I have to be. We can't wait any longer. The Red Spades probably know that we know where their records are. They might be in the process of moving them to a different location. We can't risk it. I need to find out why you were in debt with the Red Spades."
Scarlet paused. "You're right... Honestly, though... Chase, it was nice. To be able to just play a game and forget about everything we've gotten ourselves into. Even if it was just for a moment..."
Chapter 6: Chapters 51-60
Summary:
Episodes 51-60 of the webcomic 'I'm The Grim Reaper', implied male reader insert x Brook.
Notes:
I changed a few things. Thinking something will be in italic. I also switch to the second POV in the middle of this chapter, because Deer is on screen much more and it's easier for me to write it like that. Seem more like an x reader than an OC now, no?
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Scarlet and Chase walked down a dark alley with their hoods up. The sounds of their footsteps echoed throughout it as Scarlet glanced to her side.
Chase wore a dark blue hoodie, the inside being a neon dark blue. His undercoat covered his neck, with a dark blue neon pawprint on the side, and his mask had dark blue neon whiskers and a nose on it. Scarlet was in a large black cloak that went down to her ankles. She glanced at Chase.
"...So, why do you get the cool outfit and I get the trash bags?"
"It's not a trash bag, it's a cloak. And you wanted it, don't blame me. I just threw on whatever covered the most skin... Not my fault that my closet is impeccably styled with blue cat patterned outfits."
"Right. Blue and cat-themed. Definitely doesn't stand out at all." She gave him a small smirk.
Chase put both hands in his pockets and leaned back slightly to get a look at her since she was a few paces behind him. "...Scarlet. Honestly, I'm more worried about you sticking out. You're the one with the debt. I'm just the bumbling sidekick. Though I suppose our only potential danger would be those other reapers. Are you sure they're gone?" He narrowed his eyes at her.
They stopped walking. "I don't have any memory between when the demon took over to when you helped me come back. I assume that I ripped them into pieces like the bodies in the alleyway. Satan evaded all my questions, but he seemed kind of annoyed. He usually doesn't get that way, so maybe Brook and Deer were really stripped of their reaper abilities. But Brook's situation is different since he isn't a sinner, so I don't know. But I kind of feel like if they lived, he would have come after me again... Since their boss wants to catch me..."
Chase kept walking and Scarlet followed a few paces behind him again. The image of Scarlet's reaper flashed through his mind for a moment. "...I can think of a few reasons they wouldn't want to pursue you again..."
"Huh?"
"Ah, don't worry about it. There are bigger questions to tackle. What exactly is the nature of their deal with the boss of the Red Spades? It seems so strange." "Ahh... I mean, it's kind of like what we have going on. The boss tells them who to kill, they kill them. They say that anyone who gets involved with the Red Spades is a bad person, so they don't mind killing them."
"But they don't mind going after you, even though you don't have any memories?" "I'm a reaper... I kill a lot. I'm bad. The Red Spades criteria aren't exactly incorrect..." Chase hummed thoughtfully, looking to the ground. "'Anyone who deals with the Red Spades and has a sinner's mark deserves to die' is a very, very strange morality system to have. There are certainly people who are driven into a corner who do business with the Red Spades. I doubt they deserve to be reaped.
"I mean, that's just what they told me. Their intentions aren't going to change the fact that they are working with them, anyway... Since the possibility of running into him is still on the table, do you have any kind of plan? I don't really know how to deal with him other than fighting back, maybe you have a better idea."
"...Well... I'm mostly betting that we'll be in and it before the Red Spades can respond. After all, they might not even be at this location."
"But if they are?" Chase closed his eyes.
"Well, I guess one could be there and the other at the main location, in case you came back..." Scarlet scrunched her nose thoughtfully.
"No, I don't think so. They sort of have this... thing... going on." At the look Chase gave her she shrugged. "In most situations, there isn't an easy answer for everything. You just have to calculate the odds and determine if the risk is worth the reward." Chase continued, reaching a hand up to adjust his mask.
"In this case, the reward is impossible to obtain anywhere else. Knowing why you're in debt is priceless, and could really help us understand who you were. The consequences, however... You could probably always get away. I could die, but that's not so bad."
There was a pause.
"That would be awful."
"Depends on how you look at it."
Scarlet glared at him. "I won't let it happen."
-----
Chase and Scarlet stood on either side of a door covered in stickers and graffiti. They listened for a while before Scarlet spoke up, quiet.
"...This is it? How did you know this was the place?" "Public registration for this building said they manufactured pool noodles locally. No one is buying pool noodles in this city." Scarlet smirked slightly. "O-okay. I guess that makes sense. But what's the game plan? How are we going to find their transaction records?"
"I go in first. You follow me. I've investigated countless buildings before, I'll be able to find the records room. Once we find it, I'll go in and locate your record. It'll just be faster if I do it. You'll need to stand guard in the hall. But, uhm... Since I know how to find your record fastest, and you're better at standing guard, I'll need to make sure that your sales history is actually there." Chase looked to the floor. "If you're uncomfortable with that, I could grab the record and we could go, but that is a little risky since the record could be misplaced. But I don't want you to feel -"
"Chase." She gave him a small smile as he finally looked up at her. "It's fine. You can read it. I trust you." He narrowed his eyes, then nodded. "Good to hear. Let's go." Chase opened the door and started running inside, Scarlet close behind him.
'The Red Spades probably keep paper records so they can get rid of them at any time... They know putting them on a device would leave the file open to duplicates... If I had to guess, they probably keep the records on the first floor for ease of access and transport... At the innermost point of the building.' Chase thought as they ran through the halls, looking at the rooms.
He turned the corner where he thought the records would be and stopped in his tracks, eyes widening. Two people stood a little ways away from him. A woman with her back to him, her long, blonde hair in a high ponytail behind her. She had a bright blue scarf, a black crop top, black jeans, and black boots.
The man next to her wore a black plague mask, black hat, thick black boots, black jeans, and a cloudy blue long-sleeved turtle neck. 'Fuck! How are we going to get around without one of them screaming?''
From behind him, Scarlet sprinted forward, knelt, and jumped toward the duo. She kicked the woman in the side of the head harshly, and, as she made eye contact with the man, he froze, eyes wide. She swiftly wrapped her arm around his neck and squeezed hard. It didn't take long for his body to go limp, and when it did, she turned to a frozen and shocked Chase. She brought her index finger to her lips to warn him to be quiet.
They kept walking forward slowly, and they didn't have to go far before Chase caught sight of a door. Next to it, on a plaque in blood-red letters, read, 'RECORDS'. He brought his hand up behind him and spared Scarlet a glance as she stopped. She nodded her head, turning around to keep watch in the hall as he approached the door. He opened it gently, and within the dimly lit rooms were piles upon piles of books and folders. 'What? It's so disorganized...' He narrowed his eyes and the floor creaked as he took a step further into the room.
'Fuck. I wasn't expecting something easy, but just stacking the records on top of each other? That's... Impressive levels of disorganization.' He looked around. 'Still, though. There has to be some pattern in this chaos. If it's not alphabetical, then I might be able t find a glossary based on transactional dates...' He stopped in alarm as his eyes caught sight of something on the floor. A blue book, slightly open in the middle of the floor.
'Why is that one just laying there? Don't tell me...' He walked towards it and picked up the book, holding it out to read. "ANTE NORA" in jagged, red letters on the cover. He narrowed his eyes and sweat dropped. Opening the book, he looked at it for a while. "What... Why is it all just-"
He was cut off by a gloved hand grabbing his chin harshly, jerking his face to the side.
______
Scarlet stood waiting as she peered down the hallway. 'It's been a while... Should I go in? Wouldn't it have been just as effective if I was inside...?' She turned around. 'I need to check.'
Before she could make a move someone spoke behind her. She recognized that voice...
Her eyes widened as he turned around sharply.
The Red Spades leader was walking toward her in a very formal outfit. She wore a long-sleeved white collared shirt, her sleeves poufy and pulled to her elbows. She wore long black sleeves underneath it. A black vest in front of that, and a long black skirt with a slit in it swooshed behind her, revealing her pants. She walked towards her with a hand on her hip.
"...Brook and Deer have him. You're coming with me."
Scarlet's eyes widened. "They were waiting! It was a trap!" She muttered under her breath. She immediately formed her scythe.
"You don't have them with you. I can kill you in an instant."
"Ah ah ah, bad idea. If I die, they'll immediately know. I ordered them to kill your blonde friend if anything happens to me." Scarlet calmed herself down, still throwing daggers at the woman in front of her. She was not going to let her guard down, no matter what.
"They can hear whatever I'm saying right now. If anything goes South even a little bit, they're going to break that detective's neck." She brought her arm up to tap the side of her face, next to her ear, then smirked. Scarlet narrowed her eyes at the woman.
"...I'll cooperate..." She said slowly, cautiously.
"Ah, that's what I like to hear. Now, please, Miss Nora. Come with me. I have something to discuss that may interest you."
------------
Chase was thrown against the wall on the floor, a thud sound echoing throughout the room. He lazily opened his eyes. 'Man, I'm tired of being held hostage.'
He glanced a few feet away from him, where Brook and Deer stood. Brook held a close eye on him, watching, but Deer was kicking a small stone on the concrete floor and looking at their nails every few seconds in between glancing at the Reaper next to them. Brook inclined their head slightly when he noticed that Chase was looking at him, narrowing his eyes.
"So you're the Rabbit Reaper, huh? I've heard a lot about you..." Brook didn't respond, but Deer's attention lifted from whatever was on their mind to watch the interaction. "I see why you got that nickname. You look like a rabbit." Brook's eyes widened only just, as if he was offended. Deer smothered a smile. It was silent for a few more moments.
"You're talkative."
Brook seemed even more upset the more he spoke, and Chase sweat-dropped.
He looked to Deer, whose eyes were already on him. "You're Deer, right?" His eyes flickered to the fake antlers that were on his head. "Guess you all have ears of your demon, huh?..." He muttered.
Deer opened their mouth to speak but Brook elbowed them in the gut, making them cough and give him a dirty look. Brook turned to face Chase. "Aren't you supposed to be smart?"
Deer snorted, still slightly bent over.
"Huh?"
"Ya'know. Because you're a detective."
"I mean, that's true. But what makes you think I'm not smart?"
"Because we made it really obvious that you were walking into a trap. We told most of the Red Spades members to take the day off. And we put that stupid book in plain sight." Deer said obviously, as if they were talking about the weather.
Chase closed his eyes, feigning dismay. "Yeah... The book laying out was a bit heavy-handed, if you ask me..."
"And you fell for it."
"I sure did." "Of course he didn't," Chase and Deer said in unison.
Brook ignored them, still looking at Chase. "So you're an idiot." Chase didn't respond for a moment. "Am I an idiot if I fell for it on purpose?" Brook thought for a moment.
"Depends on why you decided that was a good idea."
"Because I wanted an opportunity to talk to you two, Brook. Just me and you guys." Brook and Deer shared a glance as Deer shuffled on their feet, barely noticeable, towards Brook. Brook looked at their feet, then back at Chase, but didn't take a step away.
-----------------
Scarlet followed The Red Spades leader up a stone staircase, as she had been following her around for a while now. Her eyes followed the leader ahead of her as she walked, scared to look away or let her guard down. When she was led through a doorway, the leader turned around with a warped smile to her. "Here is good." Scarlet knew she was imagining it, but it looked as if the sinner's mark across her chest had darkened to a darker shade of red.
She glanced around the room, then back to the leader.
"Why did we have to come to this room?"
"Just making space,"
Scarlet squinted at her. She didn't have a good feeling about this. "So, Scarlet. Would you like your debt to be pardoned?" "Depends on what got me into that debt in the first place."
The leader smirked. She reached a hand up to her collar, under her shirt and thing that went up above the back of her head and neck, to rustle with it and find something. "I knew you'd ask." She pulled out a box, a bit smaller than a shoebox. It reminded Scarlet of when the man working for The Red Spades had described it to Chase. "So I grabbed you another of your usual. This one is on the house.
"Be careful, it's going to be a bit messier than you're used to..." She held it out to Scarlet, who was a few feet away from her. Scarlet looked down at the box with wide eyes. There was no way it was going to be this easy, right? After all this trouble it was just going to be handed over what she had been buying in her past life? Did she want to know? What was going to happen if she took and opened that box?
She risked it, reaching out and clasping a firm hand on the small box.
Holding it in front of her with both sweaty hands, she stared down at it. She squinted her eyes. "This box looks familiar... And it feels cold... Just like I remember... But... what is inside..." She thought aloud.
The leader watched her, amused, as she lifted a trembling hand to grasp the top half of the box and lift it to reveal what was inside. Her heart and stomach felt like they dropped into the Ninth level itself and from the corner of her eye, she saw the leader give her a deranged smile as her eyes widened, a gasp leaving her lips.
The box instantly fell from her hands in her shock and panicked state, making a sound as it hit the floor. She brought her hand away from where it had been holding the box as she watched it fall to the ground. "No... W-why did I need... that?!" She asked, watching the box as blood splattered the floor, leaving a trail where the bloody and cut-out heart had rolled out of it and onto the floor.
____
Scarlet could feel herself starting to shake as her hand remained held up hesitantly. She took a step back, frozen in place. "A heart... Why did I need... W-wait... no... Did I-" The memories start returning in blurs, just as they had when she and Chase had started getting into this mess after he told her about his ex-girlfriend.
She was herself, and she was bloody. The thought that she could remember, that she could find out more - it had her halting. She stopped trembling, trying to pay attention to what she was remembering before she forgot again. She needed to know more.
"What do you mean... You don't have one?" She asked the person she was speaking with. The person seemed familiar, but she couldn't make out the face. Not all of the details. They were glitched - distorted. Could it be her making deals with the leader that was in front of her in the present time? "We're out. You, of all people, should know they only last for six hours outside of the body... And you didn't contact us ahead of time." She could feel herself getting irritated. She was wearing a long, white robe that went to her ankles. It was difficult to tell if it was actually bloody or not. "I didn't have any prior notice. It's an emergency." The person - woman she was speaking to smiled. The same smile on the leader in front of her. It was her. "Ahh. Well, that is unfortunate. But, you know our policy. We need orders placed two days in advance. "And besides, you were already lucky that we had the other organs on hand..." She was angrier now, narrowing her eyes. "I need it. By tomorrow." She insisted. The leader smiled. "Rush orders cost quadruple." She could make out more of her features now. She had a different vest and white-collared shirt. She could vaguely make out two cherries on the vest. She was getting nervous, more anxious, and it wasn't hard to figure out why. Quadruple - that must have been how she was getting into debt. "It's not like I have a choice," She decided.
Realization dawned on Scarlet at that moment - she had been buying organs from the Red Spades, for whatever reason. That's where her debt and sinners mark came from. Her eyes, no longer wide with shock, shifted their gaze to the heart on the floor. She gently put her thumb under her hands, making a weak fist. Her other hand drifted to her side.
"I didn't just buy it once... I bought it over and over again..."
"You gave us a lot of business... Though, most of that business remains unpaid... But lucky you, since you've become a reaper. That has more use to me than five million dollars." Her eyes relaxed as she said this. "But what the fuck did I need so many organs for!?" Scarlet yelled suddenly, leaning forward. She couldn't kill the leader, she knew. She needed to restrain herself. For Chase.
"I-I fucking know I have these scars on my stomach, but why would I need more than one heart?! Why... Why would I need so many?! I only remember a little bit, fuck, why can't I remember it all, why can't I-" She rushed out quickly, but the leader shushed her.
"When it comes to reapers, information is far more valuable than money." She smiled behind her finger. "So I'm not about to give it out for free." Scarlet contemplated what she was saying - she wanted information.
"Well, I don't have information or money. So I don't know what you expect..." "The leader let her hand return to its place on her hip, where it seemed glued every 5 seconds. "You have reaper powers, though. Powers that could be of great use to me."
The leader watched her closely, and Scarlet returned it. "Join The Red Spades, Scarlet." She said bluntly.
"No." Scarlet didn't hesitate, but the offer still had her on her guard. Her eyes were wide, with shock or rage she couldn't tell, and her reaper energy was in flakes around her, as it normally was before she lost control.
"Ah, ah, dear. You should let me finish. Let me lay out what I'm going to offer you. Let's smart small. If you work with me, you'll never miss a sinner. You will receive one every day, right after midnight, to ensure you have the rest of the free." She held her other hand up with her index finger out. You don't have to worry about hunting them down, getting them alone, or being seen. We'll put you and them in a closed room. You don't even need to clean up. That will be a job for the lower members of The Red Spades."
Scarlet narrowed her eyes at the leader as she spoke.
"You'll be set up this way for a very long time. Even when society collapses. The Red Spades will survive, and we will find a way to bring you sinners. Your debt will be completely dissolved, and you'll be provided with any possible thing you could want. The Red Spades can get you anything." Scarlet frowned at her. I can't work with a group that is as evil as-"
"Evil?" She interrupted.
She seemed to have been slowly turning around throughout the conversation, so slightly that Scarlet didn't notice. "Are we really going to get picky about murder?" Scarlet paused. "I minimize the harm of being a reaper by only taking out people who are actually sinners."
"You don't make that choice yourself. Don't lie. You do it because the detective tells you to." "No, I don't!" Scarlet screamed at her, leaning forward again.
"I don't have to kill the sinner he chooses if I don't agree!" "Oh? And how many times have you disagreed with him?" The leader turned back to her, crossing her arms. Scarlet paused.
"Ahhh. Everyone in this world defers to someone, It's nothing to be ashamed about. Just let me give you directions instead since you don't seem to be making your own decisions." She brought her arms out in a sort of shrug.
"And to make the deal even better, I promise you that if you join The Red Spades, Chase will never endure harm once during his mortal lifespan. He will be protected." Scarlet sweatdropped.
"I'd like that, but Chase would never just sit down and do deals with The Red Spades."
"Oh, no, no, no. He can't stay in this city. Plus, it's far too dangerous here. He'll be taken to the other side of the plant, to a much safer city, with some bodyguards. People usually can't get in there, but I'll make it happen. He'll stay there for the rest of his life. Far away, not sticking his nose into The Red Spade's business, and completely safe from crime."
Scarlet didn't know why, but for some reason, her stomach dropped ad her heart rose into her throat.
It was like her breathing was obscured by sandpaper.
She looked down to the floor. "So... I'd never see him again?"
"You won't. But really, if you choose to keep him here, it shows you don't really care about that boy..." She brought a hand up to thoughtfully scratch her temple.
"And so you should have no problem working with me instead." Scarlet slumped forward slightly. "I... I don't know..." She had never felt as vulnerable, small, and hopeless as she did right now. It wasn't a nice feeling. She only really had one choice to make, a choice she didn't like at all.
"I can't just-"
"Ah, ah, ah! Wait, Scarlet. I haven't told you my most valuable piece of information! The jackpot of this offer!" Her lips twisted to a smug, sinister smile. One of her eyes widened more than the other. She looked creepy.
"I know what you did, Scarlet! Everything! Every last bit! You were special. You did business directly with me every time you came to The Red Spades. Only I know... because of the nature of you, I didn't even let Brook into the room. Your past, your sins, your whole being. It's all safely tucked away in my brain. And let me tell you... If you think you can conclude anything from these little crumbs I've given to stir your appetite for the truth, you're dead wrong. The answers you're looking for have been erased from the public record. You have no idea the power that the people above all of us hold. But my power can grow to reach theirs if I can have you... Remember, if you deny my offer, I will have that detective boy killed instantly. And If you think of trying any funny business after the deal... He will also die. As far as I'm concerned, there's only one logical answer here. So, Scarlet... What will it be?"
She really didn't have a choice. She didn't want to be separated from Chase, for him to live like that, but what would she do if he died? How could she get out of this?
______
You tapped your foot against the concrete of the floor one, two, three times, to at least break a bit of the silence echoing around. Your eyes drifted to the reaper next to you, his shirt flying off his chest with the breeze. Your eyes wander to the pink marks lining his abdomen and going up and down, also on his arm. It wasn't as if you had watched him for decades. You practically had it memorized. He watched Chase with a glare, but he didn't seem to be wavering in the slightest.
"You purposefully got caught so that you could talk to us?" Chase closed his eyes, nodding. "Yes." He clarified.
"That's an idiot's gamble," Brook muttered, and you caught him sneaking a glance at you. His body went to turn, and he hesitated, looking back to Chase. "Our orders could have been to kill you." He snapped sharply. "Or worse." You piped in, taking a step forward. The conversation the three of you had rang in your ears as Brook glared at you but made no move to make you step back and get out of the way.
____
>past<
"I know how to handle it, so don't butt in. It'll be fast anyway." Brook instructed, twirling a stick between his fingers. You drew a smiley-face in the dust and dirt on the cement floor. "Why can't I talk to him?" "You might let something slip," The leader said as she walked away. Brook waited until the sound of her shoes walking completely faded before leaning into your side, making you look at him like he was crazy. "Are you sick?" You said loudly, and he brought his hand up to cover your mouth and half of your face.
"We can't get sick, moron," he said quietly. The fabric of his glove covered your face and you brought both hands to grasp his wrist, pulling his hand off of your face but not letting go. His hand went slightly limp and curled into itself, but he didn't move. He narrowed his eyes at you.
"Here's the plan," He started, looking to the doorway and leaning in closer to whisper it into your ear.
-
>present<
The plan was already going off course, so it was just time to see how it played out.
"Is it an idiot's gamble if I can't lose?"
Chase looked up to the both of you, his eyes darting from you to Brook. You raised your eyebrows. Where was he going with this?
"Best case scenario, I get a valuable one-on-two meeting with the incredibly elusive Rabbit and Deer Reaper. Or, even better case scenario, I die." You let out a snort, and Brook looked extremely shocked and upset. So moody all the time.
You turned to Brook laughing, setting a hand on his shoulder.
"He sounds like me," You wheezed.
Brook swatted your hand away, stepping towards Chase. You got over your giggling fit, standing upright and turning around to witness the situation. He leaned down to be at eye level with him. They just stared at each other for a while. Chase's eyes drifted towards you, and it took you a second to realize what he was silently communicating. You scrambled to sit next to Brook. He scooted just a few inches away from you.
"Fine. We'll chat. Not like there's anything better to do until I get the order to snap your neck." Brook reached out to him, hooking a finger under his mask to pull it down. "But if we're not wearing our mask, then you're not allowed to either." "W-wait, hold on, I'm wearing it to-" He stammered, but Brook had already pulled it down. He had a pure look of shock and confusion on his face.
Chase's nose was bleeding heavily. He looked away, seemingly abashed. His calm demeanor from seconds before had vanished and he slumped against the wall. "You're... Wait, why is Scarlet working with-" "She doesn't know yet," Chase interrupted. Looking to the side. You looked between the two of them.
"I feel like I'm missing something," You mumbled, looking to Brook for an explanation.
He ignored you. "She's going to find out in like a week. You're using her, aren-" Chase again interrupted him by ripping the ropes around his wrists, breaking them apart aggressively. You blinked at him. He brought his arm up to wipe the blood from his face.
"No. I'm fine. I'm on the expensive medication... The blood is because I missed a few days. Scarlet doesn't need to stress herself out about it when I can handle it. Either way, I'm going to tell her when I'm ready. But all of that is my own god damn business, rabbit."
You looked between the two of them again, slumping your shoulders forward. You squinted at Chase.
"What are you going on about?"
"I'll fill you in later. Okay, whatever, sorry." Brook added, looking away from Chase with a worried expression. You furrowed your eyebrows. "Shouldn't have made an assumption..." He muttered. Chase inclined his head, watching him.
You felt incredibly left out, for some reason. You moved your foot to nudge Brook's and he pulled his away. Pretending you hadn't noticed, you looked Chase's watching eye. "I didn't expect you to be apologetic. At least, not from what I've heard of you."
"He isn't..." You murmured. Ignored.
"Well I ripped your mask off, and then you were forced to give me an explanation. Even if I'm gonna kill you, it was rude." You smiled slightly, drawing lines in the dirt on the floor again.
"And attacking Scarlet on sight isn't rude?"
"If I'm... If we're ordered to do something, we'll do it. And you know, up until she went on that demon rampage, I was going super easy on her... I'd just toss her around a bit to get her to run. If I wanted her to actually 'die.' I would have cut the chase and ripped her head off of her body." You chuckled at the pun.
"Or you could just not work with someone who tells you to attack another Reaper." Brook glanced at you from the corner of his eyes. You were awfully quiet. He hummed, making you look up at him. Chase smirked, only for a second. You flicked a small pebble towards Brook and it landed next to his leg. He watched you for a second as you looked up to him with expectant eyes. He flicked the pebble toward you again lazily, and it brought a grin to your face as both of you turned your attention back to Chase, who watched the entire encounter.
"Really, Brook. I want to know. Why are you guys working with her? You have the power here." He tilted his head to the side in question. "She doesn't seem to treat you particularly well. You could just go on your own and kill rouge sinners." You leaned back, hugging your legs to your chest as you listened. You flicked the pebble again.
"The boss gives me people who are real sinners." He watched the pebble roll toward him.
"Do you really believe that, though? The Red Spades exists through ruthlessness. They continue to thrive in this world because they make sure they get their money, one way or another. You've existed for a while. There's no way the boss is actually fooling you into thinking everyone you're ordered to kill is a real sinner. Your real reason is much more selfish, isn't it?" He flicks the pebble back to you, and you grin again but don't flick it back.
Brook didn't respond but stared at Chase. His eyes flickered to you. "What about you? Why are you working for her?" He rested his hand on his leg, which he propped up. You shrugged.
"...Because he asked me to help," You moved your head to your right to gesture to Brook, and before Chase could say anything, Brook spoke.
"You're awfully nosy for a guy who's being held, hostage." You nodded, narrowing your eyes at Chase. It was obvious he had a plan. This isn't how you had expected him to act, honestly.
"Hmm? Me? Hostage? You know as well as I do that I'm not the one being held hostage here." Brook glanced at you and his shoulders tensed, as did yours. He definitely wasn't stupid. "I'm just going to stop dancing around it. You two are scared of Scarlet's demon. If you kill me, it'll come out in full force. And since I'll be gone, nobody can calm her down. That's why you set me right next to a window, and barely tied my bindings. You want me to escape." You side glanced at Brook. You thought it was a good idea, why wasn't he leaving if he knew he wouldn't be stopped? Did he seriously plan to just die here? Like you would actually kill him, but still...
"But you don't want to just let me go so that you have plausible deniability with the boss. So, now that we have that established, I want answers. Or else I'll just sit here like a good boy until someone kills me." He made eye contact with Brook, it was obvious the questions were for him. "Why are you a reaper? What on Earth could compel someone to choose this if they weren't a sinner? Furthermore, why would you indenture yourself with the boss?"
His eyes made contact with yours, then Brook, then yours again. "And what's your deal? You don't seem to take any of this shit seriously, and it's like you're not even fully part of the group. Like you're not... Trusted, or something. And you just do whatever he says and annoy him, even though he'll barely let you touch him," He gestured to Brook. "But you'll do anything he asks, including work with the Red Spades, just cause he asked you to? I want a full explanation."
You couldn't see Brook's face, and you leaned back to lay on the concrete. Small rocks dug into your back, but you didn't mind too much. You looked at the broken-down ceiling. You weren't going to tell him anything. That was your and Brook's business, and yours alone. Not his or anyone else's.
"It's not like telling you will change the way I feel," Brook started. You poked his arm. If he got sentimental you were going to jump out of the window. "I'm not trying to change the way you feel, Brook. But if I could understand it better... Maybe I can help you."
Brook leaned forward. "You... Can't even begin to understand the emptiness and anxiety of existing for an eternity... I was in purgatory, the place where people who were not particularly virtuous or sinful are sent. Purgatory is a vast stretch of nature, untouched by human civilization. There are many others around, chatting about their time in the waking world. By all accounts, it should be a perfectly fine eternity. No expectations, no work, and many others to speak to bide away the endless hours. But, I found myself experiencing an unbearable sense of melancholy. The kind of listlessness that seeps into your very soul... I need a purpose. True freedom, not bound by any sense of structure or expectation, is unbearably empty. I don't want to wander into the empty nothingness of forever. I want a path to follow. I spent a while there... Looking for someone, I suppose." He paused and pursed his lips, glancing down at you. You gave a small but genuine smile. "But they never came, so I set my sights on the one thing I was told to do until my consciousness fades away." You smiled slightly at the thought. He looked for you, you knew, he told you about it many times before he found out. "And I have no doubt the person I needed to find was in Hell. And I knew how to get there. It was like knocking two birds at one stone, because with them here, I could have a purpose, but if they weren't, maybe I could find something else. Or maybe I could find both. I did for a while, actually."
You tapped your sides in contemplation. You still do, and you know it. The thought rang out in your ears, but you stayed silent and watched Brook's face as he explained. "Purgatory was linked to the First Circle. Sinners couldn't pass into purgatory, but who is to say I couldn't go into the First Circle? This was my new path. To find Hell. I had forever too, so why not? So I walked. And I walked. And I walked." You thought about how long it must have taken, pictured him walking in a long white robe down path after path after path. What had he been thinking about whilst he walked? Had it happened to be you? His sister? His father? Even Vanessa?
"I don't know how much time passed. It could have been thousands of years. Or it could have been a day. All I know is, that I was growing closer and closer to my goal. To that scarlet sky of Hell. "
_
>past<
The leaves crunched under Brook's feet as he looked down, continuing to walk.
"Well, well, well." His head jerked upwards at the sound of a voice, something he hasn't heard in God knows how long. His eyes widened at the thing in front of him, with horns and large black wings but the body of a human. "Look what fell down the rabbit hole..."
>present<
"And that's all you're getting. I also have things I want to keep private. But all you need to know is that Satan gave my desultory existence a direction."
It was silent for a moment. You hoped he wasn't expecting an answer from you because you weren't going to tell him anything. Eventually, you heaved a dramatic sigh. "It's really none of your business, but I killed some people. My parents and some others, actually, then myself." You swallow. "It was a long time ago."
He hummed, and there was silence again.
"And the boss is just another person to tell you what to do since you can't make your own decisions."
"I don't know if that's true," Brook said dryly, finally turning to the side to glance at you. He stared at you, and you stared back. It was as if he was waiting for you to say something. "For example, if someone else came along to tell us the sinners that needed to die, to save us the effort..." You made an O shape with your mouth, sitting up. He narrowed his eyes at you.
"From someone on the side of Scarlet, who could prevent us from ever having to fight that thing again," You continued, looking at Brook then at Chase. "We'd consider it," Chase smirked. "Well, it's your lucky day. Since I happen to know a guy."
_____
"I'm waiting." The leader said after a long moment of silence. Scarlet bit the inside of her cheek her hands resting at her sides as she remained silent. Thinking. "There's no logical reason that you should refuse this offer." Scarlet dug her fingers into her palm.
"Just say it, Scarlet." Scarlet waited a moment. Glanced around the room. How was she going to get out of this?
"You're...right. It is Logical."
She formed a shard in her hand, which obviously caught the leader off guard. Her eyes widened, her smile dropped, and she hesitated, alarmed. She reached into the slit in her long skirt and pulled a walkie-talkie out from under her belt, getting ready to press the button just as Scarlet raised the shard, swinging her arm forward to thrust it at the leader.
It knocked the walkie-talkie out of her hand, making it slide on the floor with an odd sound. The leader's head whipped in the direction of where it landed and she made a dash towards it. Scarlet raised her hand high again and formed her scythe, much larger than usual, and swung it towards her. The tip of the blade of the scythe caught in front of her ankle as she ran and Scarlet pulled it backward, cutting her foot clean off. She fell to the ground face-first.
She lifted her head, an arm outstretched to the walkie-talkie as she struggled to reach for it. Scarlet sprinted towards her, pulling her up. She put a hand around her neck, the other holding a shard her scythe was cut down against her neck. She would pierce it at any time, and she couldn't call Brook or you for help. Chase was safe. She squeezed, just barely piercing the skin of the leader's neck with the shard. "You're gonna tell me everything."
The leader smiled, still watching her with wide eyes. "You were too slow!" She held up her hand, which had the walkie-talkie in it. She pressed the button, and yelled, "Brook!" Into it. "Kill the detective!"
Scarlet stopped her movements for a moment, cursing under her breath. Both women watched the walkie-talkie for a long while, waiting for the response. Was Chase already dead?
"Nah. We found a better gig. I quit." "Me too! It was nice knowing you, boss lady. Actually, that was a lie." Two reapers said on the other side. Someone snorted. Scarlet couldn't see the leader's face but gripped a hand around her neck tightly. "Underestimating Chase... Was a bad idea." She insisted, squeezing. She shoved the shard next to her neck again. "Now, I'm a little pissed off. So I'll give you a choice. Do you want to tell me everything you know... Before, or after I skin you alive?" The leader's pupils' shrunk as her eyes darted from around the room to Scarlet's face, lurking over her shoulder.
"It doesn't... make any sense... M-my offer... It was so good for you... There's no logical reason... to not take it... Not a single one... I don't understand..." Her voice wavered, becoming increasingly unsteady with every passing moment.
"Feelings aren't logical. So, where should I start skinning? Right here at the neck?" She adjusted the shard slightly against her neck. "...then I can go up to your face? Hmm, you're giving me a whole lot of time to think..." The leader looked around again. "I-I'll talk. It's n-not as easy as it sounds to cover." Scarlet was paying much attention to her voice that she didn't notice when she lifted a trembling hand to rustle in her clothing. "Our way of meeting wasn't conventional, due to your circumstances... So we had a room set up..."
From out of her clothing she removed a small, rectangular object. The top was clear and could be removed, and on the inside of it was a pink button with a skull and bones imprinted on it. "And I knew you wouldn't try anything funny because of your situation... And you also knew..." She flicked open the top of the remote and pressed the button. "That I had a backup plan for everything," She continued.
There was a loud bang and the remote in her hand seemed to blow up, cutting in half with the wires becoming exposed. Both Scarlet and the leader turned their heads in the direction of the sound, where a woman with grey hair, and a long, ankle-length black coat dripped over her shoulders, had a gun pointed right at them. Two men stood behind her with their guns drawn but not aimed.
"Put your hands up. You're under arrest."
"T-The police? But we have... a deal..."
The leader muttered under her breath. "Not with me, miss leader. I never accepted a single bribe. And after all these years... You're finally cornered."
A thought occurred the Scarlet after she recognized the woman. Veronica. Chief of police. Chase's mother. 'Chase! Chase must have called his mom directly!'
"Miss Nora. I will tell you one thing."
Scarlet looked down at the leader as she spoke. "The Red Spades only exist because evil is the only way to get anywhere in this world. The infection of human greed has already rooted itself deeply in mankind. And there's only one way to snuff out that infection..." The leader's mouth started to foam, dripping down her chin. "For every single one of us..." She went limp, her mouth foaming more by the second. "To die."
_____
Scarlet watched the swirling police lights from the cars, trying to avoid looking or making conversation with the older woman next to her. Veronica was also looking around, impatient to break the awkward silence. She glanced at Scarlet. Pursing her lips, she took in her appearance. Her hair.
'Are those... Horn implants? Is that style in with younger people...? Her hair is black, and the underside is dyed... that must take a lot of effort to maintain...' Her eyes, 'Red eyes... are those contacts?' Her face shape. 'She seems to be close to Chase's age...' Her clothes. 'She's definitely hiding some kind of goth outfit under here... It seems to be in line with her 'style'...' Shoes. 'Her shoes... She's wearing combat boots... Is this girl really a good influence on Chase?'
Veronica looked back up at her. 'And to top it all off, she seems to be some kind of combat genius... Considering that she managed to knock out two of the gang members, and incapacitate the leader... Chase is reckless, but their infiltration of The Red Spades didn't seem impulsive. This girl is the only person he brought with him... And the most confusing thing is that she really does look exactly like the woman in Case X. Chase was telling the truth. But I saw her body. There's no way this is the same person. Dead people don't just come back to life. As strange as it is, the only reasonable answer is that it's a coincidence. But I totally understand where Chase was coming from... Wait. He came to me months ago about this girl. So have they stuck together this entire time...? And... Wasn't Chase also going on about finding someone important to him?'
Veronica glanced forward again, realization possibly hitting her across the face.
Her thoughts went blank for a moment before she turned to look at Scarlet with a closed-eyed smile. "S-So! You're Chase's... Friend, yes? What's your name?"
"My name? It's Scarlet, I guess..." Scarlet replied, unsure of how to go about this. She didn't dare look at her face.
"A-Ah, okay. Well, nice to meet you, Scarlet. So... How do you know my son?" Scarlet furrowed her eyes, still not looking at her.
"We live together." Veronica gave her a small nod, still smiling, and turned away from Scarlet.
'I'll try to remember to call him more...'
"Hey, mom," Chase called out to her. She turned to look at him with a hand in his pocket walking towards her, being trailed by you and Brook. You were holding on to the back of Brook's T-shirt. You awkwardly pressed your lips into a fine line, hoping she wouldn't remember you.
"Would you let go of me?" Brook swatted his arm at you, and you kicked his shin. "Do you remember what happened last time I got arrested?" You whispered aggressively, giving Veronica a small smile before going behind Brook again. He rolled his eyes. "It's not my fault you were being stupid. That is the last time I will ever help you with anything, by the way." You hum, gripping his shirt tighter.
"Ah! Chase, good to see that you're safe." Veronica smiled at her son. "You made a really good decision calling me directly to deal with this... But we can talk about that later." Her eyes vaguely passed over you and Brook. "I'm interested in meeting all of your friends, instead! I notice that they all have... Such unique fashion choices!"
"The ones behind me aren't my friends," Chase said firmly.
"Hey, fuck you, you bastard!" "We could have killed you, you twat." You and Brook narrowed your eyes at him. Veronica held her smile the best she could. What were they talking about?
"Mom." Veronica stopped smiling to look at Chase, who pulled down his mask. You looked at Veronica, then to Chase, then to Brook.
"They do not look related," You muttered under your breath, and Brook smiled only just.
"You wanted something amazing in exchange for full access to Case X. This was it. This is the amazing thing. So, I demand complete access to the case. No more stipulations."
----------------
A man stood in an alley, smoking a cigarette. He hooked it below his index finger, blowing out the smoke from his mouth and letting his hand fall slightly. His long, dark hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, and his glasses slid slightly down his face. His rolled-up sleeves from his doctor's robe were slipping as well, with his other hand in his pocket. "Huh... That fortune cookie last week did say red was my lucky color..." He muttered under his breath as he looked at the floor in front of him
"Doctor."
He turned to look behind him, seeing a gurney being rolled towards him. A black body bag was strapped to it. He put his cigarette back in his mouth, hands on his hips as he watched it come closer to him. The person rolling the gurney towards him stopped in front of him, bringing his hand up to grab the zipper and pull it down, revealing the face of the former Red Spades leader. He inspected her face for a moment.
"Well, I'll be damned. So, what is this person's name?" "An unnamed Red Spades member." The nurse replied. "And if anyone asks about the leader of the Red Spades?" The nurse paused. "She disappeared, and passed leadership to someone else."
"Good boy, the deposit will be in your account tomorrow." The nurse grabbed the gurney again and started rolling it away, where he had originally come from.
He repeated his previous actions to blow his cigarette.
"Judah."
He turned his head slightly in the direction of a voice, where a woman with grey hair and a long coat slung over her shoulders was walking towards him. "Case X. I'm requesting full access. And don't give me any of your bullshit." She crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes. He removed the cigarette from his mouth. "I've never heard of it."
"I said no bullshit. I was there. I saw her body. I brought you the Red Spades leader. Is that not valuable enough for you?" Judah put his hands in his pockets and inclined his head down to look at Veronica over the brim of his glasses.
"No, it's not. You'll need to do more favors for me." He said lazily.
"Like...?"
Judah paused.
"Want a list?"
--------------
"Let me through."
"No."
"I demand it as Second Archangel of Heaven. Let me through."
Bernadette flew about 7 feet away from Celeste, a beautiful angel. She was black, with long, dark hair that was put up in braids on either side of her head and tied off with white ribbons. She wore a cloudy purple skort with black pins where her legs were. A white long-sleeved shirt with a brown cravat and shoulder pads on top of that, with her arms, folded neatly behind her back. A black cloak trailed behind her. Her cravat was pinned to her shirt with a brown key that had small, black wings. She had white eyes and freckles.
"...You demand it as Second Archangel? Well, I refuse it as first Archangel." Bernadette stomped in the air. "Enough! I demand for you to step aside!" She brought one of her hands out dramatically, motioning for Celeste to move.
"There is a reaper who is killing innocents! I require to speak to God to address this matter!" Celeste closed her eyes, determined to keep her patience. "God knows all. If God took issue with this, we would be instructed to take action. Please understand." Bernadette looked as if she was going to throw a tantrum, her face falling into a deep frown.
She turned her back to Celeste sharply.
"I don't know why I tried to reason with you, you're impossible. I'll deal with it myself."
"....Bernadette. Do not take any action beyond what is allowed of you." Bernadette turned her head around to look at her. "I will be doing whatever I see fit, to fulfill my duty as an Archangel." Bernadette returned to the floor, walking away from the doors and Celeste.
"Whenever that reaper lost control, I felt it. They had a horrible hold over their demon. Every powerful being should have felt their presence." She narrowed her eyes and kept her head held high as she walked. "I'll just wait for them to slip up one more time. I know their scent now, so I'll be able to zero in on their position." She picked up her pace. "The reaper... that smells of red."
_____
"I can get you full access to Case X, Chase."
"Thank you, mom. That's fantastic. When should I come to-"
"Wait. Let me finish. I can get you access, but I need to do a couple of favors for the hospital. They're... A little bit outside my comfort zone, and it will take a while. So, you need to do something for me, Chase. I need you to just sit still and wait. Be patient. No more risky stuff like that Red Spades infiltration. Sit still and let me do these favors." Chase, disgruntled, looked to the side. He didn't want to wait, he wanted full access for Scarlet. "Do you understand, Chase?" Chase stopped for a moment. He'll get it eventually. "Fine. I'll behave."
"Thank you, Chase."
"No problem, mom. Uhm... How are things going at work?"
"Oh! Uhm, things have... been going fine! Well, I mean. There have been some strange things happening. And way, way, way too much work for us to ever be able to investigate in a million years. But the good news is... Overall, crime rates are lowering..."
You zoned out of the conversation, letting your chin hover over Brook's shoulder as you tried to see what he was doing on his phone. He glared at you, leaning as far from you away as he could without literally leaning on Chase.
You rolled your eyes, looking forward at the cat that was on the table. Reaching out to pet it, she meowed and you grinned. You love animals.
"Huh... Well, I felt like we were having a nice conversation." Chase mumbled, looking down at his phone. You turned your head to look at him. "Oh well. You heard her, Scarlet. We're going to get access to Case X. We just have to wait a bit for the chief to work her boss magic. We have to lay low for a bit, and only go after the most inconspicuous sinners. Scarlet?"
You scrunched up your face and returned to looking over Brook's shoulder as he typed. He seemed so involved in whatever it was that he didn't scoot away when you rested your chin on his shoulder to look at his phone. You weren't paying attention to what he was typing as you looked around the room, enjoying the contact.
"Hey, are you still thinking about the stuff we found out at The Red Spades? Again, Scarlet, I'll never think differently of you for the things that Ante did. Thinking about what we found out without access to the entire case will just drive us in circles... So, let's not dwell on it until the chief calls me back-"
"Chase,"
You let out a sigh. Brook seemed to suddenly become aware that you were resting your head on his shoulder and he seemed like he was holding his breath.
"T-That's not it." I'm really just wondering... When we're going to acknowledge the rabbit and deer in the room?"
The cat rolled over in front of Brook, seeming to get comfortable. Brook was tapping away, the sides of his hair covering his face. You leaned forward slightly to see the other two people at the table, moving your head off of Brook's shoulder.
"I know it's kind of weird that they're working with us, but I promise you, this is the best option for everyone." He glanced at the two of you, as did Scarlet. You flashed them a toothy smile. They looked away awkwardly. Brook nudged you with his elbow and you leaned back.
"Rude,"
"Honestly, the way I managed to get through to them is one of the more impressive points in my career. Now that we're aligned, he can help you out with your demon."
They both looked at you two again. "Why does your dog look like a *******?"
"What the fuck did you just say about Lightie, you rabbit-footed bastard?" Brook stared unbothered at his phone and you stood up.
Scarlet put a hand on Chase's shoulder.
"Chase. Hold on a second. We don't want to start fighting already."
Taking a step over, you stood behind Brook and Chase. Grabbing Brook's shoulder you pushed him to where you were sitting, taking a seat between Chase and Brook. They both glared at you, but you just let a hand in front of you. 'Lightie' licked it.
"Yeah, be a good boy and listen to your girlfriend."
"Brook!"
Scarlet took her hand off of Chase's shoulder.
"Forget I said anything. Go for it."
"I-I-I-I can't a-anymore," Chase's face flushed.
Putting his phone down, Brook glanced past you. "Anyway. So. Since this is our new gig... I'm gonna crash here too, alright?"
"Hell no." Brook looked into his lap and you had to stifle a smile.
"Oh... I understand... You don't want me to get in the way of you two dancing the devil's tango, huh?" You snorted. Chase flushed even more. "W-w-w-we don't do that. We d-don't have that kind of relationship. Besides, you're just saying that to get me to agree to let you stay out of the pressure of deniability. I've been a detective for years, Brook. Your little games won't work on me."
"Oh, really? Well, I've been alive for more than a century... And I can tell from a mile away that you're in lo-" Chase reached a hand over you to slap it to Brook's mouth, stopping him from finishing his sentence, trembling slightly. "W-well, what a-a-about you two, hm?" Brook raised an eyebrow. "What are you on about?"
You grabbed his wrist, pulling it down so Brook could speak.
"A-Aren't you two together?" Brook's eyes widened and you grinned. Brook turned away from Chase. "Er, not anymore." He mumbled. You leaned your arm on him. "Well, we could always change that-" He pushed you back and you landed on your back on the floor, giggling.
"You two act like an old married couple," Chase informs, glad to have the attention off of him. You grinned up at the three of them, Brook's face a bright red.
"Hey. Uhm... Am I supposed to know how to dance? Cause I really don't wanna learn." You all looked to Scarlet, who was looking down at the table. You started giggling again.
"You got lucky, rabbit."
"Right, right. Whatever. Your emotions have nothing to do with me, so I don't really care. So let's just get to the things that do have something to do with me." He glanced at you, then Scarlet. Then narrowed his eyes.
He pointed at her. "We're going to teach you how to tame that demon. You're a walking time bomb Scarlet. And you don't know how to defuse yourself. You have Chase for now, but if anything happens to him, we're fucked. We have absolutely no time to lose. We're going to start training. Immediately."
Scarlet nodded and you all sat in silence for a bit, until you sat back up. "So, are we allowed to stay here?"
"I thought you had an apartment next to that one woman, Ana? I saw you walk out of one..."
You turned to look at her and stretched your arms. "I was staying with this old lady, working for her. I felt bad because I accidentally killed her son a few months before because I forgot to kill someone before. I just offered her the assistance her son used to give her. She was nice, but she died. So it was sold." You glanced at Brook. "If I did, you wouldn't need to stay here either. It had space for both of us, but I don't have money to rent an apartment." You explained again. Brook nodded.
"Whatever, fine, let's go. We can figure this out later."
____
You walked next to Brook, swinging your hands at your side as you followed his lead. Chase and Scarlet followed close behind.
"We're heading pretty far out of the city. I guess that's the smartest thing to do," Chase muttered behind you. You pulled your arms up and intertwined your fingers to support the back of your head, your elbows out as you walked. "You won't find a soul out here. No one lives outside of the city. The next Bastion is a thousand miles away..." A phone ringing made all of you either halt or slow in your steps.
You glanced behind you as the ringing continued, and Scarlet was digging in her pockets
. "...Someone's calling you?"
Chase asked in a disbelieving tone. His eyes seemed wide. Was he seriously her only friend? If she didn't have a problem getting attached to mortals, you'd figure she'd know more people. But, alas, seems not.
She got her phone out, sighing as she looked at the caller ID. She let it ring out. "It's Liam. I don't want to answer. I thought about it. And you were right. Talking to him was a bad idea... I can't handle the... guilt." You and Brook stole a glance at each other. This seemed personal. Shrugging, you stuffed your hands into your pockets and kept walking. Brook went into step beside you as the voices of the two faded out, then became louder as they kept walking.
"It's alright, give me your phone. I'll block his number for you. "
(Liam stood behind a wall, watching the four's retreating figures as they kept walking. "Scarlet feels... Guilty?" He looked down at his phone, thinking.)
Looking at your feet, you kicked a pebble along with your steps. You vaguely thought of trying to grab Brook's hand again, but, knowing how it would end, you decided against it. You grabbed the back of his shirt again instead, and he pretended not to notice.
The electrical wires and structures around the area gave them good cover, as well as the trees, in the vast area on the outskirts of the city. Chase perched himself on a pile of dirt to watch the situation, man spread as he folded his hands in between his lap and looked down at the floor. You and Brook stood a bit away from him, shoulder to shoulder as you both faced Scarlet several paces ahead of you. Every time a gust of wind or slight breeze flew past you, Brook's sleeve would brush against your bare arm. You had a habit of swaying when standing, as he had grown accustomed to. He didn't mention whenever your arm brushed against his shirt or his arm as you moved back and forth on your feet. He never has.
You looked down and kicked a pebble again, and it rolled far enough for Scarlet to reach it with her feet. She didn't kick it back, but you grinned and looked back up, ignoring how the other two reapers around you were glaring at one another.
"I'm starting to realize just how uncool I am compared to three grim reapers..." Chase muttered under his breath, not looking up. "Why am I even out here again?" Brook leaned forward slightly. He always did have bad posture when he wasn't trying. You leaned back to look at Chase.
"You need to be here. We're trying to provoke Scarlet's demon. If things get out of control, you need to pull her back. I thought you were smart," You muttered the last bit, pulling a smirk out of Brook.
"You know, like... You could run into her arms and embrace her, begging her to come back, because you totally couldn't live without-" "Shut the fuck up or I'll let her rip you apart first," Chase interrupted, looking up at both of you from under his eyelashes. Brook turned back to you and Scarlet with a fake face of dismay.
"Well, one of the points of this training is to stop us from getting ripped apart again. It's incredibly hard to get me to be assed to do anything, and in turn them, so you both should be extremely grateful."
"I'll thank you if it works," Scarlet says firmly from across the two of you.
"Well, then, let's not waste any time." Another strong breeze brushed toward you, making your hair blow in your face. You scrunched up your nose. "To start out, let me reiterate the obvious. The reason that the demon takes over you is because you have no control over your own emotions. When you start feeling overcome by fear, rage, or whatever other primal negative emotion... The demon energy inside of you gets much stronger. And this is how it takes over you,"
You nudged a crack in the dry ground with the tip of your shoe, trying to stuff it in. You were sure she knew all this, but Brook didn't speak this much too often, so you didn't interrupt him.
"Either you relinquish control by wanting to run away, or it just grows so strong that it takes complete control over your humanity. Now, this is where we run into a bit of a problem with us trying to teach you how to control your emotions. I have no idea how to deal with that." He turned towards you expectantly. "I have a few times. But, when I was, I still had the ability to think by myself. Even without control. I brought myself back by thinking about... Things," You didn't clarify, and nobody pushed you to tell.
Scarlet nodded in acknowledgment. Brook continued. "But that's just because I never had a reason to fear the demon or going back to Hell. If people die, that's just how it is, if I miss my deadline, Satan usually doesn't care. And worst-case scenario, I go back to Purgatory. No big deal. But you're Satan's little pet. You have the Ninth Level waiting for you." You chewed on the inside of your cheek.
"And you know, that one day, you will have to go back to it. You're simply postponing your inevitable fate. The end of this world is inevitable. Your sentence is inescapable. All humans will die, and the well for sinners will run dry. Even if humanity somehow carries on past its expiration, the energy of the universe will extinguish, and you will have to face its end. And when you reach that point, the wait until the end of the universe will be less than an atom on the radar of eternity. Your sentence of isolation is unfathomable to the human mind--"
"Brook!"
You tore your eyes away from Brook's face, which had been staring intently at Scarlet for the past few minutes he was talking, to look at Chase. He was still in the same position, looking down at the floor with his hands folded around his open legs, keeping them up. "Shut up." Brook tore his eyes away from Scarlet as he, too, looked at him.
"Scarlet can speak for herself. If she wants me to stop, she'll tell me."
"You're just taunting her." Brook deadpanned at him, his mouth pressed in a thin line. "How else are we supposed to get her demon out?" You muttered, kicking a bigger rock in Chase's direction. He didn't seem to notice.
"You know exactly what I'm doing. Calm down," Brook glanced back at Scarlet, then to you. With his head, he gestured to them. You looked at Scarlet too. She seemed unnerved, slightly and was looking in Chase's direction. Overall, the only change was her eyes and the way her shoulders slumped ever so slightly. "Verbal provocation isn't working very well," Brook whispered, just loud enough for you to hear over the wind. Brook squinted at Scarlet, and you followed her line of sight to Chase. Brook followed suit.
"Ugh, alright, this isn't going to work," Brook complained, bringing a gloved hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration. You moved some hair out of your face as you watched him.
"Blondie, go take a hike." You shouted to Chase. Brook looked towards him. "Literally."
You tugged on the bit of pink fabric hanging below his chin as it caught your eye. The knot on top of his head moved slightly. He swatted your hand away, taking a step to the side. You took a step to the side too, reaching to do it again.
"Don't do that!" "Why not? It's silky, you know," "Yeah, you tell me every time! I will cut your hand off again, do not test me," "I just wanna feel it, it's soft-"
Chase glanced up at the two of you as you bickered and cleared his throat. You stopped practically towering over Brook and reaching out to grab his chin as he crouched and stretched his neck away from you, one hand wrapped around your wrist and the other your neck as he tried to choke you. "Why should I?" You sighed, and the breath of air make the hair on Brook's face fall away from his eyes as he stepped away from you. "You need to brush your teeth," He muttered. "I do! And, because your presence is stopping her demon form from coming out."
Brook crossed his arms and nodded. "Normally that'd be great, but she needs to bring it out to learn to control it. So just go on a nice relaxing walk. It's only you and the birds out there, you'll be fine. You don't need to worry about her. If the demon comes out, we won't win the battle." You snorted. That was an understatement. "So if you start hearing guttural screaming and a bunch of red sparks, you should probably head back here."
Chase sighed. "Fine."
-----------
You and Brook waited until Chase was a safe distance away before turning back to Scarlet. "Just you and us, like the good ol' days. You're far too dependent on that detective. It's kind of pathetic." You nodded in agreement.
"Whatever. Can you just hurry up and teach me what to do without this edgy loner taunting? We can bring my demon out, but things are going to go the same way they always do. Badly."
"I was going to make a proposal on how we could do it before Chase interrupted me. So, continuing where we left off, you basically have nothing but emptiness ahead of you. Your emotions are unstable because this fate you have to deal with is unfathomable to the human mind. Everything I have to deal with is equivalent to a mild inconvenience. I've realized just exactly how much stress I need to put on myself to inch the demon out, but I never go past the point so that it takes control of me." Scarlet's eyes flickered over to you.
"I can't do that when my emotions are even semi-unstable, but I can when I'm not. So, in short terms, if I have my demon out and start to feel upset, it all goes to shit. Whereas, with you, your stress levels jump straight to 100 and the demon comes flying out. You need to do way better under pressure. So, basically, you just need to come up with your own method. Either learn to control your stress, or try to find an emotion more rooted in humanity t replace the primal emotion. You have to train your mind to respond in that way. It will take a lot of practice." You glanced at Brook as you spoke.
"I assume, I never needed to."
"And you have to learn to respond this way instantly," Brook added. "Do you understand? Scarlet...?"
"Sure, I get it."
"...Good. Remember, Scarlet. Respond... Instantly."
You began sprinting towards Scarlet, while Brook jumped up to appear behind her. He had already inched his demon out, and you did ever so slightly. There was no reason for you to bring yours out anyway, but nothing like a little more pressure, right?
He gripped Scarlet's hair as his demon sort of towered over them, and you stood in front of her with yours to make sure she couldn't just try to run this time.
You took a step to the side as Brook slammed her head into the concrete, leaving a pretty decent dent in it.
He pressed her head into the cement harder, making it crack more as she shifted to reveal a bleeding nose and wide eyes in your and Brook's direction. You smiled slightly as you watched Brook's concentrated face, the way his hair fell to cover his face in all the right places, then up at the demon towering over his shoulder. It wasn't unsettling to you. Just a rabbit with a funky face. It reminded you of when he worked as teenagers, or during...
You internally smacked yourself.
'I... I've never felt this kind of pressure from Brook before! I can't move at all...'
You brought your foot up to cover his hand, pressing her into the cement a little harder to irk her. She had to understand, to fight back.
"You're not going to be able to overpower us without your demon, Scarlet." You crossed your arms, leaning down slightly so she could hear you speak. So this is going to go one of two ways," Brook pressed his hand harder, and you followed suit. You imagined it didn't feel very nice, considering the amount of blood on the cracked floor.
"Either we crush your skull, or you use your demon to stop us."
You jumped back as the disfigured demon came around, Brook also lifting his hand and taking a step backward. You couldn't tell if it was facing you or Brook, who you could see furrow his brow.
'Scarlet! Come on, control it!'
It let out a shriek, which made you flinch. Your demon was long gone now. Turns out, it was facing you, and it turned around to look at Brook. It slashed towards him and you grabbed his wrist, whirling him around the side of the demon to pull him out of harm's way. Without thinking, he grabbed yours too, so you were practically hand in hand.
"She let it take over!" He yelled to you, dodging another attack and dragging you with him.
"Well no shit, sherlock!"
He cursed under his breath, skidding back with you. "We'll just have to try and stay away from her until Chase comes back," You whispered to him as the demon looked around for you. Both you and Brook halted in your steps, ignoring the demon that was growing larger in front of you, and turned around.
"Angel wings..." You muttered. Sure enough, in the sky were huge white wings, closed together, before coming apart slightly to reveal a girl in a formal outfit with long, blonde hair.
She spread her wings, moved them slightly, and, putting one hand out, the wings shattered into feathers.
"Is that an angel? What the hell is an angel doing here?"
Brook hissed at you. You pulled him to the side, in case she tried to swoop down or something, you wouldn't be hit. She looked determined.
"Bernadette..."
"What?"
"She came to me about murdering non-sinners that one time! Do you remember, I told you about it? The time I lost control completely and took too long to bring myself back?"
"That's her?"
He looked back at her, still floating in the air. You nodded, tugging him farther away from the angel and closer to the demon.
"Red Reaper. You have been found in violation of the will of God, due to multiple murders of non-sinners."
She brought a hand out to point at the demon. "I will be stripping you of your reaper powers, and returning you to your sentence. Stand aside, Pink and Green Reapers. I have no business with you." You glared at Bernadette before a grin appeared on your face. You turned around to face Scarlet's demon and said something distorted, it sounded like your and Brook's name. You turned back to the angel.
"Bernadette! How ya been?" She didn't reply, only giving you a very firm look.
"You've got to be kidding me," Brook mumbled.
____
"Step aside, Reapers. I must strip the Red one of her Reaper powers."
You felt Brook's hand squeeze on your wrist more. "Gonna be honest, you picked a real bad time to be poking into our business." He squinted at her. "Besides, how do I know you're not lying to us? You definitely are an angel, but I'm not dumb enough to think you're all goody-two-shoes-"
The demon from behind you let out a scream and you turned around to see it charging toward you. Brook pulled you backward, but the demon still managed to slice your arm pretty deep as you fell into Brook. He let out a string of curses, pulling you back up to stand on your own two feet, hands gripping your shoulders tightly. The demon landed on the floor a few feet away from you.
"Deer, Brook-" It said in between pauses. "Scarlet! Can you just get control of your fucking demon already?!" Brook yelled at her, and you pursed your lips.
"It can talk now..." You mumbled to him.
"What a pathetic sight." You whipped your head around to look at Bernadette. "I tire of this useless blather. If you get caught in the crossfire, that will be your own fault," She snapped her fingers, shards of... either glass or mirror appeared around her and in the air. Brook sighed.
"Fuck me."
You glanced at him from the corner of your eye, snickering.
" I've already done th-"
The demon lunged at you again and Brook skidded backward, out of its reach. He let go of you a little, causing you to stumble on your feet, before pulling you upright and wrapped his arms around your shoulders to pull you back again. It was like a hug, but the circumstances were not very nice.
He narrowed his eyes at you.
"Don't test me, because if I let go of you you'd probably be ripped apart again."
"Try me."
"I'm going to count to three. One..."
Brook sighed. "Save your breath, shiny. We're gone. Good luck,"
He took a step back, pulling you with him as you looked down at your arm.
"Wise." The demon said something, and you all looked at it.
"What on earth is Satan thinking... There's no way he would have given his power to someone so emotionally unstable unintentionally..." She thought out loud. Brook let go of you, sneaking around the side while the angel was occupied. You swore under your breath, moving your arm. There's no way you could shoot your bow like this, and you hadn't thrown a knife in years. Not to mention it was your dominant hand that got slashed. It was all up to Brook now, you supposed.
You could try if he really needed it, but would he really?
"He's up to something..." She continued. "Perhaps I should consider confronting him. Although, I can think of a few ways that could go wrong..." You smiled proudly when you saw Brook appear behind her in the air, probably jumping, ready to hit her over the head.
She turned around and her eyes widened when she saw Brook. There was a deafening crack as he kicked her in the back, sending her to the floor. You made a whooping sound, kind of cheering him on. Moral support, since you couldn't really do anything. Couldn't you?
She hit the dirt below, sending it up everywhere, and as she painted on the floor you formed a few small shards in your hand.
"How... Dare... You... You bastard Pink Reaper! I gave you the courtesy of announcing my attack, and you kick me from behind?!"
You made three small shards of green, sending them flying towards her with your finger. Only one hit her, stabbing her elbow, making her whip around to look at you through the dirt in the air. You kicked some up to hide from her, stepping to the side where Brook was ducking behind some trash.
"Show yourself!"
Thudding sounds echoed throughout the dusty area and she set shards of glass in the direction of the sound. A few of them impaled Scarlet's demon, causing it to let out a yell. You stood up, squinting in the dust to see what was happening. The demon had stabbed Bernadette, lifting her off the ground.
"Wha-" She brought more shards down onto the demon's back, successfully impaling her to the floor. There was no blood on the angel; must have had the power to regenerate, you concluded, stepping around the pile of trash with three green shards in your hand.
"Hold still." She instructed the demon.
Brook jumped up from behind the pile, rushing towards her. In a matter of seconds, he landed a kick to her spine again and you cheered slightly, throwing the shards at her. It cut her hair and calf.
"My aim isn't so bad for my non-dominant hand. I haven't thrown anything in at least 4 years," You declare loudly.
He got ready to throw another punch as she formed more shards in the air, impaling his arm. You both calmly looked at it as you moved your arm around, walking to stand behind her. You backed away as she formed more around her as if making a shield.
"Reapers, cease your aggression at once! This matter doesn't involve you! Why on earth are you even defending the Red Reaper?! Do you understand that by doing this, you are naming yourself an enemy of Heaven as well? Stand down immediately, or I will strip you of your reaper abilities as well!"
Brook sighed, and you snorted. "She almost talks more than you." He says to you, making eye contact with you through the shards. She whipped around to look at you.
"Do all angels talk this much?" You mocked offense, a sly grin forming on your face. "I'm not that annoying, Bunny,"
He moved his arm backward, breaking the shards that surrounded him. She was persistent, sending shards both your and Brook's way. He was able to break and dodge them with his hands, while you used other shards to make them ricochet towards her. "Pretty slow," You heard him remark.
She huffed, glaring at Brook. Brook looked at his arm, biting an edge of the shard impaling it, and pulling it out.
Okay, that was hot. And he was making eye contact with you as he did it, the tease. He knew what he was doing. You huffed, ignoring him. "Lucky." You held up your arm. "She got my muscles. I can't grip anything..." You mumbled to yourself. You glanced towards the demon, still stuck on the ground.
"Oops, I forgot your thing was in my arm," He remarked, the shard still in between his teeth. "Your skills are just so weak, it's hardly a bother." You felt your face start to flush, but ignored the feeling as you circled the angel at a safe distance to stand next to Brook.
"Alright, pretty boy," You scrunched up your nose. "Hey! Watch it," Her eyes switched between you and Brook. "Let's go," She challenged. She put her hand out to the side and stomped again, her wings emerging from her back, spread out. They were pretty, you had to admit, but also huge and inconvenient.
You and Brook both let out a deep sigh. This wasn't worth this much effort. There was a deafening sound from behind you and you turned around to see Brook's rabbit demon tower over all of you, letting out a squeak.
"Oh, we're doing that now? Okay," You agreed, looking around, unsure of if you should bring yours out. It wasn't really needed. Scarlet's demon sniffed the air.
"Brook-" It said a little more clearly, screaming and bending down, breaking the shards that were holding it in place.
It rushed towards Bernadette and you, and Bernadette looked alarmed. Brook's demon was gone before you knew it, and he put both of his arms around you defensively on instinct. "Scarlet, come on!" He yelled. That made the demon's attention turn to him.
"Scarlet!" You yelled as she rushed forward, sending her deformed and spikey hand straight towards Brook and you. Brook pushed you behind him. It impaled him as he grabbed it with the hand that was covering you. You grabbed her other hand that tried to impale you too.
"God damn it, Scarlet," You muttered as your injured arm gave out and she shoved forward.
"Why are we even trying to save you?" Brook questioned.
Bernadette pointed a finger towards the sky and several shards started flying down on all three of you as the demon yelled your names gravely. Brook looks up, sweating, at the shards raining down on both of you. You inhaled sharply.
"How the fuck are we gonna get out of this..." He muttered. "We always do," You supplied, grunting as the demon finally broke skin at your torso.
"Deer, rabbit... It's unfortunate you have decided to defend a reaper who takes the lives of innocent people," You grimaced at the use of your nickname from her. "I won't strip you of your powers, but I will be keeping an eye on you. To put it simply, it is my job to keep things in order. And that Red Reaper poses a catastrophic danger to the waking world."
"Oh, fuck off!"
You sighed dramatically, pushing against Scarlet and ducking so that the demon didn't stab you in the face.
There were footsteps in the distance as Chase sprinted towards the location of the incident, throwing himself in front of Scarlet.
Bernadette paused with her hand in the air, watching Chase with wide eyes.
"You... Why are you standing in front of them?" "Because if you want to hurt her, you'll have to hurt me too," Chase said simply, not budging from his position in front of Scarlet's demon.
"Yes, I can see that. That wasn't my question. Why. Are you. Standing in front of them?"
"Because she's my friend. And if you want to hurt her, you have to hurt me."
You swallowed hard, glancing at Brook. "No, no! You're not understanding! That reaper! The Red one! You understand she has no control over her demon?! And because of this, she has killed innocent people and will continue to do so. It's in front of you - she has no control right now. You're telling me someone like you excuses those actions?!"
Chase glared. "And?"
You grinned.
Bernadette snapped her fingers in a huff. The wings and shards around you all shattered. Scarlet seemed to start to come back. "Thanks..." Chase muttered.
"I'm not done with her. This is just... An unforeseen circumstance." She insisted. She brought her wings out and around her, vanishing just as she had appeared.
Chase looked at where she had previously been with wide eyes.
"That worked?" Scarlet groaned and Chase called out her name. Brook stood in front of her as she bent down and painted, looking unimpressed. You leaned on him, holding out your injured arm and inspecting it. Your torso was pretty scratched up too, and you were grateful that he reached out a hand to at least support you in standing up for a while. "I can't shoot my bow now," you whined.
"It's not permanent, dipshit."
Brook muttered, nudging you off of him but not moving his arms. You didn't budge.
"You pieces of shit, you pushed her too hard!" Chase shouted at you both. Scarlet interrupted him. "Chase! It's fine."
She took another moment to catch her breath. "Brook... Deer..." Scarlet reached up, fisting Brook's shirt in her hands aggressively and pulling him forward slightly. "I was barely conscious. I heard everything. Why... did you two protect me?" You bit the inside of your cheek, crossing your arms as Brook gave her an unnerving look.
"Who cares. You're fine. Isn't that all that should matter to you?"
"I want to know... If I can start to trust you." He looked uncomfortable. "I don't know why we stepped in, okay?" He insisted. "I just felt like it'd be stupid if you went back to Hell like a week after we decided to start working with you." Scarlet lifted her head to look at you. You shrugged. "I did because he did," You motioned with your thumb to Brook, who crossed his arms.
"Alright... But can I-" "No, you can't trust us." He looked to the side. Scarlet took a moment, letting go of Brook's shirt and standing straight up.
There was a long pause of silence as she looked at both of you, and you chewed on the inside of your cheek. "Thank you." She said, finally. You smiled at her as pink dusted Brook's cheeks and he refused to make eye contact with her.
"Whatever. Fuck you. I'm never helping you again."
"W-W-What! You piece of shit!"
You laughed. "You two actually get along really well, huh..." Chase commented.
You grabbed Brook's gloved hand, holding it up with yours. "What he meant to say was, you're welcome. You can count on us, no matter what he says," You added, glancing at Brook with a sly smile. His face flushed even more.
"Listen, we have bigger things to worry about." He said, swatting your hand away as you tried your best to hold on to his. Eventually, he did get it off, turning away from all of you. He turned back after a few seconds, his flush completely died down. "You said you were conscious... So you heard, right? The whole stripping you of your reaper abilities thing?"
You snapped back to what Bernadette had said. "Just so you know, I didn't have the slightest clue that Angels could do that. That was actually the first time I've even seen an Angel, so I'm just as in the dark as you. I'd love to ignore it, but we seem to have gotten ourselves involved as well by defending you." He stuck a hand in his pockets. "At the very least, we know that she has to win against us for some reason to take your powers. All the more motivation for you to hurry up and control your demon."
"H-Hold on. I think we're done with demon training for today." Chase cut in.
He rushed a hand through his hair again. "This Angel stuff is extremely important, so we can walk and talk... But we have about seven hours before midnight, so we need to get moving. You three need a sinner, and our job is gonna be a bit harder now that I and Scarlet can't afford to screw up, due to my mom working on Case X. Fortunately there are quite a few sinners, more specifically murderers, who are living on the outskirts of town. They are the safest targets. They require no questioning and are in semi-isolated locations. And who knows, maybe if you both keep delivering unmistakable sinners to Hell and prove you're doing your job, the Angel situation might resolve itself. A problem just going away would be really convenient right about now, honestly..."
"It won't just go away," You cut in. Chase raised an eyebrow and you took a deep breath.
"I've met her before. In the same situation, I didn't have control of my demon." You looked to Brook. "It was when... well, because of our..." You struggled to get the words out. "Our... Whatever, our thing. Argument. Falling out. Whatever." You made a gesture with your hands, frustrated that it was still so hard to talk about.
"Her name is Bernadette, and she's very persistent. I know she wasn't supposed to be down here without orders from God, and as far as I know, he's been absent for quite some time..." You thought, quietly. "She only stopped because I got control of my demon and nearly killed her, but she's improved quite a bit..."
"You never told me any of that," Brook commented as you started walking away. You turned to look at an isolated area, thinking you saw something orange and black but deciding not to comment on it. Probably a cat.
"We only saw each other once every like, 3 years after that. And we fought every time, it's not like we were sharing intel."
Brook sighed. "Whatever. Do you know anything else?"
You shook your head. "Not really. But it won't go away for a while unless she's sure and we can get someone to give her a good talking to. To make sure she stops doing it since Scarlet should have control by then." They all nodded, considering this as the topic changed. Scarlet and Chase started talking about a game they played as you and Brook walked a ways behind them in silence.
"You could have told me that before. That you almost went back," He muttered, looking at the floor with determined eyes.
"Would you have cared?"
No response.
"I don't think you ever stopped to think about my side of the story, however mature you used to be, or are now." You continued. "And I know you've probably been waiting for an apology, but I don't regret anything about what happened with you at all. I only wish I'd done it to her sooner," You confessed, kicking a large pebble.
In his silence, you glanced up at him. He was watching you with intense eyes.
You both slowed in your steps as Scarlet and Chase kept walking. "I don't want an apology," Brook said sharply, catching you by surprise. "I'm over it. It was stupid of me to be mad at you, anyway. I guess I was just..." He stopped speaking and you nudged him with your elbow. He looked back to the floor. "I don't know the word. Mad that you didn't tell me yourself? That I heard it from Satan?" You shrugged.
"He made me a reaper to mess with us. Told you to mess with us." You walked in silence again. "Can I ask you a question?" You inquired to him. "What."
"How long have you been over it?"
"A few decades ago... I think,"
"And you've been treating me like shit the entire time?" You ask in mock offense.
He didn't reply. "It became normal."
"Bullshit, there's more to it," He shrugged, smirking.
"I'll tell you someday. I'm... I appreciate that you're still here." He mumbles, face flushing again. You grin.
"There he is, the blunt Brook I know." You smirk and he closes his eyes.
"I'm a changed person."
"I wish you were still blunt with your feelings, you know. You were never good at showing them, but at least you... With me," You explained.
He hummed.
"Someday, maybe."
Notes:
Hope you liked this chapter! Sorry, it took me so long, I kept forgetting LMFAO.
Some authors notes from these chapters on my wattpad:
It is so difficult to figure things out in the environment of Heaven. Because, for one part when she started walking her feet had a reflection but it didn't look like she went to the ground on any of the panels, and when she and Celeste were speaking they looked like they were floating and there was no reflection where they stood? Like? I just went with it, obviously.
Can I just saw, Celeste is SO PRETTY. Like oh my god. Actualy goddess.
Chapter 7: Episodes 62-70
Summary:
Episodes/Chapters 62-70 of my fanfiction for the Webcomic 'I'm The Grim Reaper" by Graveweaver. I didn't write a chapter one because it wasn't important to Deer and Brooks thing, they weren't in the chapter.
Notes:
Chapter 1 was when Liam found Ana's body and stuff.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
"And so me, Scarlet, and Deer would have to train every couple of days until she gets control of her demon." Brook was saying as you all walked. "We all know that Archangel is after her now. We've got no time to lose. So, to propose a plan, we can spend 6 hours traveling, 6 hours getting a sinner, 6 hours training, and one hour for me to update my blog."
You nodded, bringing a hand to rake through your hair. "So that would leave us with five free hours, which, I suppose, is a decent amount of leeway time for any emergencies that show up."
"No," Chase spoke up firmly. Brook looked at him. "Eh? What's wrong with my idea?" You all stopped walking, and Chase looked at all of you with exhausted, wide eyes. "I. Need to eat. and sleep." He insisted.
Brook glanced at you, then at Chase. Dead panned. "Well, that sucks." "Yes, it sucks very much Brook. I haven't slept in two days because of all this shit."
"I hate when that happens," You chimed in.
"I thought you didn't need to sleep?"
"Doesn't mean I don't like to," Chase shrugged. "If you were so tired, why didn't you sleep while we were walking?"
"I have no idea if you're being a smartass, or if you've really been dead so long that you've forgotten how sleep works." "I think you're making excuses," Brook smirked.
"Wha- excuses?! I have to eat and sleep or I'll die!" You turned to look at Scarlet as you watched the two bicker.
Her phone started ringing, and she seemed shocked as she reached into her pocket for the phone. The screen read 'UNKNOWN CALLER' as you looked over her shoulder.
She answered it, putting it to her ear as you leaned over her shoulder to listen. "Hello?"
"Scarlet." Her eye's widened for a second and she glanced at you, back to the phone. "...Liam? How did you... I mean, uh, why are you calling me from an unknown number?"
"Because you blocked my number."
"I..." Scarlet trailed off, looking at you again. You frowned.
"No, I didn't-"
"I know you're a Reaper. And I know you killed Ana. I found her body. Come to the alley between 23rd and Maple Street. Bring the detective. Just you and him. It's the least you could do for me... After you killed the person I loved..." He hung up, and Scarlet looked at her phone. Brook and Chase were looking at you both, too.
"That was you?" You gasped. "What?"
"You're the one who killed Ana? I was planning to, but I stopped by and found her body in the freezer..." You trailed off. "I wonder what she did."
"She killed her son," Chase concluded, raising an eyebrow. You nodded. Scarlet motioned for Chase to follow her as they headed away, her explaining what happened as they walked to the directions Liam gave her. You stuffed your hands into your pocket. Pursing your lips, you looked around the empty lot, and Scarlet and Chase's retreating figures walked with large strides.
"So..." You started.
"So...?"
"Wanna go to the pet store?" He raised an eyebrow at you. "Why would we do that?"
You shrugged. "To look at animals, duh? I wonder if they have rabbits,"
You turned, looking into town.
"You always had a thing for rabbits, didn't you?" You grinned at him. "You know it."
______
You opened the door quietly, stepping inside and shutting it behind you. Walking through the house, you made sure to avoid all of the creaky floorboards and rooms that you knew people resided in or cleaned during these times.
You made your way efficiently through the house, getting to one of the top floors and making a beeline for the end of the hallway. Bending down to look inside the keyhole, there was a boy with white hair and pink eyes kicking his legs on a chair much too tall for him as he flipped a page in a book, his eyes scanning it for a few seconds before he held them closed.
Nobody else was in the room, you concluded, after watching him mess with the ends of his sleeve as his eyes went from line to line in the book. You turned the doorknob, rushing in and closing the door behind you. The boy gave a startled yelp and you rushed forward, shushing him.
"Y-Y/N? What are you doing here...?" You grinned mischievously. "Mother went into town. She said she was getting books for Alicia," You shook your head. "I think father was really mad when she left. He yelled at me to get out, and normally I wouldn't be able to since I'm grounded for what we did last week," You continued, glancing out of the window and then walking towards the boy, who folded the corner of the page on the book and shut it neatly in his lap.
He scooted over and you squished in next to him with a grin. "But he drank that weird-smelling stuff again and locked himself in his chamber, so I snuck out. I think he saw me, but he didn't care. I think it's only your family's problem with us hanging out sometimes," You thought aloud, spotting a plate of bread on the nearest table and picking it up, ripping a piece off. You motioned for the boy next to you to take it, but he shook his head, and you shrugged and ate it yourself.
"If one of the maids comes looking for me, they're going to be upset you're here again." He pointed out. "It's only Tuesday. We only get to hand out on Friday and Saturday, you know that."
"Oh, Alexander," You teased. "You're such a goody-two-shoes. That's never stopped us before and you know it. Plus, the maids and others have been very... Lean on the rules..." You trailed, looking Alexander in the eyes. "Ever since your father died," You clarified, and he nodded for you to continue. "I think they like when I come over. Because it makes you happy. You're always so grumpy all the time," He kept staring at you, and you brought out a finger to poke his cheek. The corners of his mouth came up involuntarily, and you both laughed as he pushed your arm away. You looked at the cover of the book in his lap. "What's that? I thought you had classes today," He sighed, opening it to reveal a beautiful painting of a young woman with a child.
"Instead of vocal lessons today, they wanted me to read." You nodded in acknowledgment. "Does it have something to do with the company? Leadership?" He shook his head. "I got to choose. I've read this one before, it's enjoyable. It's about a girl who seeks a relationship with the Prince, but his father, the King, doesn't want them to be together. He has this whole epiphany when he finds out she got pregnant, and they all live happily ever after." He concluded shortly, pressing his lips into a thin line.
You snorted. "It was the best normal book they had in this room!" He insisted, which made you giggle.
"No, no, it sounds good..." You trailed off, looking at a patch of sunlight coming from the window. "We should go outside," You declared, jumping off the chair.
"What?"
"We should go outside," You said more firmly. "It's nice outside. We can sit under a tree." You pointed to the book in his hand as he stood up. "You can read the book to me! Maybe if I prove that I can help you get your homework done without causing trouble, I'll get to spend the night," You said with a proud smile, putting your hands on your hips and making a proud stance.
Alex smiled at you fondly. "Okay." He agreed, walking to the door to slip his shoes on. "Just don't push me anywhere. Natasha will get mad if I have stains on these clothes, they're nice," He instructed as you jumped up happily, grabbing his hand, opening the door, and pulling him out.
You went the long way to avoid any workers, dragging him through each hallway and door quietly but quickly. You could have done this with your eyes closed, as could he since you had done it so many times before.
You stopped in a small room holding cleaning supplies, mops, brooms, extra clothing and sheets, and other things. You hurried towards the window, unlocking it and opening it. You cupped your hand for Alex to step on, even if he didn't need it anymore at the big age of 13, and he climbed onto the window sill.
Grasping your wrist to help you up, you swung your legs over and hopped down. The first time you had jumped from the first-story window you hadn't expected it to be so high up and sprained your ankle, but you were ready this time. Landing in a soft spot of flowers and leaves that you constructed last time you were over. Standing straight up, you gestured for Alex to join you. He tossed you the book, which you set on the ground, before hopping out of the window and onto the ground in front of you. You put your hands on his shoulders to keep him on his feet, beaming at him when he reaches down to pick up his book and makes eye contact with you.
You look around the vast field, spotting the biggest tree there that you always mess under in the seasons. You ran towards it, Alex following close behind. You made sure to go slower so he could stay caught up.
You smiled when you reached the base of the branches. "I wonder if Lucy is here today."
Alex shrugged, gesturing towards a small burrow in the base of the tree. "She's usually in there."
You hurried towards it, cautiously looking in as Alex situated himself on a patch of grass under the tree, in the shade.
"Hey, Lucy." You greeted the shy rabbit, who curled into the back of the hole as her babies squirmed to her. She was protective, you knew, and you didn't want to bother her, so you found a big leaf that fell from the tree on the ground to make a sort of door, then walked over to where Alex sat, watching you with a small smile.
"You just started the book, right?" You inquired, sitting next to him.
He hummed in confirmation as you lay down on your back, resting your head on his lap. His eyes looked down at you in a little shock, his cheeks dusted pink. "Read it to me, you could probably finish by the time they find us," You said simply, shifting slightly on his thighs and looking up at him. He swallowed, looking at the book in his hands. "Oh. Okay," He agreed, opening the books with delicate and careful hands. He licked his finger slightly, flipping the page. "Chapter One: Mariam. Thy town was dark, news of Prince Carson's fiancé's death still having an impact on the village..." He started, glancing down at you.
________
You somehow stopped yourself from dozing off, watching him as he read the first few chapters to you. You only moved when you heard the sound of Vanessa's voice calling from a couple of hundred feet away. "Young Master!" You both looked in the direction she was hurrying towards you in, and you sat up as Alex marked his page.
"You cannot run off like that without telling anyone," She scolded gently as she reached you, slightly out of breath. Alex nodded. "Apologies, Vanessa." Vanessa looked at you, finally noticing your presence. "Oh," She said as if your being there explained everything. It actually kind of did.
"Hello, Y/N, dear." You smiled at her. "What brings you here today? Besides..." She trailed off, looking between both of you.
You glanced at Alex and he crossed his fingers behind his book for you to see. You put on your best pitying act. You batted your eyelashes and made your voice higher and everything. "Vanessa, we were wondering, could I please stay the night?" She sighed. "We don't have time to prepare you a spare room..." She tried. "We can share a room! We do that more often than not!" You insisted, pouting. She gave both of you an exasperated smile.
"Oh, alright..."
"Yes!" You exclaimed, putting an arm around Alex's shoulder and pulling him into a hug.
"Just don't stay up too late. And make sure you finish your work!" She directed to Alex. He nodded as best he good as you squished him.
"Inside," She added. You whined, but stood up anyway, not wanting to push your luck. Pulling Alex to his feet, you kept glancing at him with a giddy smile as you made your way to the front of the giant house.
______
You steadily tapped your pencil on the side of the desk, casting your eyes around the room for the hundredth time. Same bland walls with boring paintings, same desks around the room, same man at the front teaching.
You never got tired of looking at the boy next to you, though, so that's where your eyes drifted. He looked at you, too, and you couldn't stop yourself from smiling. You didn't laugh this time, though, and Alex nudged your foot with his.
"And that's why both of you must produce a descendant to take over the companies," The man at the front finished. "I'm sure you both have already had classes on learning how to do that, but there are many other ways, such as adoption and surrogates. Though it is preferred to have a full-blood child." He gestured to the three books on the table you and Alex sat side by side at.
"This should teach you all about them, and what isn't and isn't acceptable with relationships." He continued. You raised an eyebrow. "So if I didn't want to get with a woman, I could adopt?" You sat up a little straighter at that question. "Of course! It is preferred to have a child of blood, but if there isn't one the closest thing to it would take over. Natasha was planned to lead until Alex was brought into this world." You nodded.
"So I could get with a boy and adopt a descendant?" You asked again, reaching out for one of the books. The man was silent for a moment. "Well, I suppose so. I don't see why not," He smiled at you. Alex stared at you slightly as you beamed, opening the book. "I'm gonna do that," You decided.
"Very well. Lessons are over for today." He said as Vanessa came into the room. You both nodded, standing up as you picked the other two books up and stumbled out of your chair hurriedly.
"Y/N, are you staying the night?" She asked, putting a hand on your shoulder as she went to take the books from you. You let her with a smile. "If it isn't too much of an issue," She shook her head, looking at the clock on the wall. "Not at all, honey. Neither of you has any classes for the rest of the day, so why don't you go to Alex's chambers and get ready for bed?"
_________
You brushed your teeth in silence next to Alex as he held a hair tie in his mouth, trying to put his hair up. You spit in the sink and rinsed your toothbrush off as you heard the elastic snap again, Alex muttering a curse under his breath. You set the toothbrush in the cup on the counter.
"Do you want help with that? Again?" You smirked, trailing into the room with him close on your tail. "I can do it by myself," He insisted. You snorted when the elastic snapped on his fingers, making him flinch and pull his hands away from his hair. "Come here," You insisted. He grabbed another elastic from the counter and handed it to you begrudgingly, turning around to face the wall so you could put his hair up.
You raked your hands through his hair, which was soft, like silk, and got rid of the tangles that lie within it. Putting it all in one of your hands you put it into a ponytail. "All done," You said proudly, falling back onto the bed to look at the ceiling.
The bed dipped next to you as Alex sat down.
You sat in silence for a while, until Vanessa came into the room to tell you both to go to bed. You sat down on the mattress on the floor that had been moved there with blankets, that you knew would be abandoned within an hour or two of the night, and soon, darkness fell over the room.
You listen to your and Alex's breathing in the vast room, the clicking of a clock somewhere in the background, and the rain outside sprinkling on the window lightly.
"You like boys?" His voice came from above you, and you turned your head to see him leaning over his bed, staring down at you. Swallowing the thump in your throat, you hummed in confirmation. "You never told me that," He frowned. You shrugged. "I didn't think it was important."
He rested his head on his hands. "Do you like anyone right now?" He inquired. You shrugged again, your face heating only just. Good thing it was dark. "Maybe," You dragged the word out and snorted. "You're so nosy,"
"So, you like me?" You inhaled sharply, narrowing your eyes at him. He watched you blankly, no emotions showing on his face that you could see. Eyes gentle. "W-What- Why would you - Why would you assume that?" You spluttered, sitting up slightly. Your faces were closer now, and he tilted his head so you were looking at him straight side up.
"Because you said you liked someone, a boy," He continued.
"That... That doesn't mean you," You said again, avoiding eye contact as best you could.
"I'm the only person of our age you interact with, Y/N." He pointed out, laying on the side of his bed. You looked up at him now, not able to look away from his eyes. "Oh," You thought aloud. He was too smart for his own good, you supposed, messing with a hole in the blanket.
The rain picked up outside and you watched the window, watching the raindrops race down the window and connect with each other. "Sorry," You said finally. He sighed heavily, sitting up and shoving his blankets off of him. "Come here," He instructed, and you sat up. Climbing onto his bed, you dragged your blanket with you, leaning against his headboard as he watched you.
Normally, you two would talk for a long while before one of you gravitated to the other bed and fell asleep a few hours later; never was there an invite, and never was there awkward silence such as there was in this moment. He sighed heavily again, slumping against you heavily and closing his eyes.
"You're stupid," He muttered against your arm.
You laughed, and both of you lay down under the blankets. It was warm, the rain still steadily beating on the windows. Alex turned to lay on his side, looking at you. "You know..." He started, then paused. You raised an eyebrow. "Me too," He said simply. "I always thought it was weird or something. We only have one book on stuff like that in the libraries, and I don't think it depicts it well at all. James told me better stuff about it," He said proudly. You nodded. "Oh." He nodded again, shuffling under the covers. His hand found yours under the blankets, interlocking your fingers together.
He smiled comfortably, and you ignored the drumming in your ears as you closed your eyes. You couldn't sleep for a while, but Alex had fallen asleep quite quickly. His breathing slowed into a steady rhythm, and the movement of his thumb on your knuckles stopped to a standstill.
Over the hours of the night, you both gravitated towards one another, waking up in a tangle of limbs and hair. Not that either of you minded. At all.
______
You walked down the long driveway with a small jump in your step. Humming, you ran your thumb over the handle of the basket in your arms. Looking up to make sure it wouldn't rain, you raised a hand to the doorknob and turned it slowly.
Opening it and stepping inside, you looked around the empty room. You set the basket on the small table near the door, next to a plant. Venturing farther into the house, you looked into each open door in turn before coming into one of the main rooms on the first floor. Vanessa hummed quietly as she folded clothes from a basket on the floor. You knocked on the doorframe quietly, causing her to look up. Her face bloomed into a smile as she stood up off of the floor.
"Y/N! It's so good to see you!" You smiled at her as you walked further into the room. She opened her arms and you hugged her. "How are things at home?" You smiled the best you could. "Same as last time I visited, Vanessa." She nodded, then started pinching your cheeks. You let her. "You're growing too tall for your own good," She insisted, and you laughed. "Alexander should be finishing up with his lesson now," She said. You nodded.
Two minutes later Alex walked into the room. "Alexander! It's about time you showed up. You should really have that lesson moved into the other building," Vanessa insisted. Alex locked eyes with you and smiled. "Yusef is very hard to persuade," He conceded.
She smiled brightly, grabbing a jacket from the edge of the sofa and thrusting it into Alex's chest. He took it, draping it over his arm. "You two better get out of here before something comes up," She said, ushering you to the door. "Only God knows how much time you have,"
______
"You said you baked these yourself?" He asked as he sorted through the basket. You nodded proudly. "They look better than last time we had a picnic..." He mumbled, inspecting a biscuit. "That's what happens when you practice, Alex. Not everyone is a gifted kid," You teased, poking him in the cheek. He grumbled something under his breath, shoving your hand away.
"I was giving you a compliment," He said in defense, grabbing a cookie from the basket and taking a bite. His eyes lit up. "Does this have raspberries in it?" You smiled. "I knew you'd like them. Alicia started a garden at the start of spring, she said I could use some of them." Alex nodded, taking another large bite of the cookie.
You looked over the small park as two girls walked past, giggling. "No, she looks like her name would be Amelia." One of them said. "No way! Her name would be a month, but a summer one. Like April, or May!" Another girl ran past them, waving at you. "My name's actually Elle," She yelled at the girls, who turned to each other. "I was closer!" The second girl said. "No! That's not even close to a summer month," The first one yelled, chasing the other towards a family grouped together far away from both of you.
You thought for a moment. "I wonder what we look like to other people. What name would I be?" You wondered aloud.
"I think you look just like your name," Alex put in from beside you. "Really?" He nodded. "I think you look like..." You paused.
"Brook."
"Brook?" He repeated. You hummed in confirmation. "I don't know why. Maybe it's just your facial structure," You said, reaching a hand out to grab his chin. His cheeks flushed slightly as he looked at the family, where the two girls chased around a dog.
"You'd also be a rabbit." You said surely. "A rabbit?" He mumbled, finally making eye contact with you. "Why?" You shrugged your shoulders, leaning closer to him. "I like rabbits," You said simply, pecking him on the lips before pulling away. You pulled the basket onto your lap to sort through it, picking up a brownie.
"You know, if you ever ditch me for that company," You started. "I'm not going to do that," He defended.
You rolled your eyes. "Hypothetically, Alex. I'm just saying, you've been really busy lately."
"When the preparations are done and I actually take over the company when I'm 18, I'll have more time. They're just doing extra classes to understand things better." He explained, leaning a head on your shoulder. You brought a hand up to wrap around his shoulders, playing with a little bit of his hair. Soft as ever.
"You sure you can't just get Natasha to do it? I'm sure she'd love to, with how she talks about you when it comes up..." You said bitterly. "I don't think she would do a very good job," Alex admitted. "She might surprise me. But I wasted a long time taking classes and preparing for it. I don't want to just give it up so easily. I've been trained since I could comprehend anything. What else could I possibly do?" You hummed in thought. "I suppose that makes sense, if that's what you want to do."
"And it'll prepare us for the future," He pointed out, picking up another raspberry cookie and biting into it. He held the cookie in front of your mouth and you smiled. "You're so cheesy," You admitted, taking a bite of it. He hummed in agreement. "It's a good day out. We should do this more often."
You nodded. "We really should."
It was silent for a while as you both ate and watched the people around you, as well as the sky. There were a lot of clouds.
"Hey, Y/N?"
"Hmm?"
"I love you."
"I love you too."
*
"I think it's starting to rain," Alex said, reaching a hand out. You followed his action and felt the sprinkle of rain hit your palm. "We should get going, then. It's a long walk."
The rain picked up heavily by the time you had packed the blanket and food into the basket again, and by the time you were getting back to Alex's house you were both soaking wet and clutching your stomachs from laughter. The dark didn't bother either of you as you snuck into the house quietly, into Alex's chamber, and into bed. After changing into a spare pair of clothing, of course.
___________
"Thank you for coming, Y/N," Vanessa said kindly as she opened the door and stepped aside for you to enter. "It's no issue," You assured her. "What's wrong?" She interlocked her fingers in front of her as she walked, and you followed her.
"Alexander has the flu," She explained, stopping at the foot of the stairs. "We aren't allowing him to attend his lessons, we told him he should get his rest. But he insists on doing some type of work, so now he's sorting prices in his room. We were hoping you would be able to get him to stop working for at least a short while. He's overworking himself greatly," She concluded, looking up the empty staircase with concern.
You nodded. "He always tended to do that," You smiled, drifting past her and into the kitchen. "Where are you going?" She asked, following you. "Making him something to eat," You replied. "Hot chocolate would be best if you have marshmallows." You advised. She nodded, probably already knowing that information, and digging through a cupboard.
You both worked in relative silence, you making the hot chocolate with a tint of peppermint as she made some breakfast with fruits for both of you. When you were both done she put them on a tray and sent you upstairs. "If you need anything, just let me know." She insisted as you made your way upstairs.
You walked quietly, coming to a stop in front of Alex's bedroom door. You knocked three times so that he knew it was you. After a few seconds of rustling and a curse or three, he opened the door. He looked down at the food in your hands, then up at you.
"Vanessa?" You nodded with a bright smile, and he sighed, throwing his head back with a groan as he walked further into the room and sat down at a desk, pulling a blanket over his shoulders. He left the door open. An invitation. You followed him.
He sniffed, picking up a pen and sorting through papers again. You set the tray on the table next to the bed, picked up the mug of hot chocolate, and went to join him. You set the cup on a free space on the table, putting your arms around his shoulders and leaning down to watch over his shoulder. "You're gonna get sick..." He said bitterly, scooting forward. "So?" You hummed, leaning forward on him despite his persistence. "I won't have to do work." He scoffed.
"Of course, that's your concern." He mumbled, scribbling away on the paper as you buried your face into his shoulder, inhaling the scent of him and not the smell of new clothes or expensive cologne. "Says you. You never stop working," You sighed, trailing your fingers over his shoulder.
He shivered. "Stop that," He insisted.
"I brought you breakfast," You said obviously, looking at the hot chocolate on the counter. "Yeah, I saw." "So, you should eat it with me. Take a break. A few days isn't going to hurt the company," You insisted, leaning forward more. He turned his head slightly to face you, pressing your cheeks together. He contemplated what you said, turning back to the sheet in front of him. "...After this page," He compromised. You smiled into his shoulder. "Okay."
You waited patiently for him to finish the page he was working on, messing with his hair and watching him furrow his eyes in concentration as he tried to ignore you, despite you being right next to his face.
-
He let out a deep breath, letting the quill in his hands fall onto the desk next to the papers. "Done?" You inquired, letting go of him when he stood up and coughed. "Yeah," He said bitterly, picking up the mug of hot chocolate. You perched yourself on his bed, waiting for him to join you. He sat across from you and you placed the tray in between both of you.
You ate in relative silence, besides Alex coughing and sneezing every few minutes. You hummed as you set your empty plate on the tray. "Thanks," Alex mumbled. You smiled at him. "Are you cold? Your face is really flushed," You said, leaning forward to put your hand on his forehead. "And you have a fever. Why would you even want to work when sick?" He shrugged.
You sighed, moving the tray to the floor as he set his mug down on the table. He swung his feet over the side of the bed, starting to stand up, but you grabbed his arm through the blanket. "Where are you going?" He blinked, wiping his nose with his sleeve. "To finish the prices." He stated. You shook your head, pulling him back down on the bed. He sneezed, covering his face.
"You said you'd take a break after that page."
"And I did. I ate breakfast with you."
"Working isn't good for you when you're sick. Lay down." He shook his head, standing up again, and you stood up to hold him in place by his shoulders. "I'll be fine. I can't delay sending the prices out. We could lose profit." He insisted, looking up at you with big eyes. You weren't going to fall for it this time, though.
"Then have Natasha do it. Or I could do it. But, you have a fever, and look like you're about to pass out. Lay down," You insisted, pushing him back on the bed. He grumbled something under his breath but scooted back a bit as you sat down too.
"Are you gonna stay here?" He asked after a little while of you sitting at the edge of the bed. You nodded. "To make sure you're actually getting rest, and if you want me to, yes." You confirmed. He nodded again, drawing his legs up to his chest and hugging them. He rested his chin on his knees, eyes exploring his room. "Am I allowed to read a book?" He asked sarcastically, nudging you with his toes. You rolled your eyes at him. "As a matter of fact, no." You stood up, walking over to the other side of the room where a bookshelf sat, reaching the ceiling. A lot of the books had been untouched for quite some time, and one caught your eye. You grabbed the book that he had read to you outside all those years ago off the shelf and hurried back to the bed, dropping it next to him. Dust flew around and he coughed again. You gave him an apologetic smile.
"That's nostalgic," He put in when you looked at him with expectant eyes. Your eyes drifted to the cover of the book, the same one you had read under the tree. You hummed in response, perching yourself on the bed and scooting back until you were against the wall.
"Come here," You instructed, reaching out an arm to Alex. He raised an eyebrow at you, untangling his limbs from each other and adjusting the blanket over his shoulders to sit next to you. You pulled the blanket from half of him, putting it over your own shoulder as you opened the book. "We can read it together like we did three years ago."
He scoffed. "You're so cheesy..." He mumbled, but still huddled next to you for warmth as he leaned his head on your shoulder, looking down at the book that was unopened in your hands.
You turned it to the first page, beginning to read in your head as you presumed he did the same. He was a much faster reader than you, anyway. You found his hand in between your and his legs, interlocking your fingers.
You knew you were right about him being tired when he fell asleep during the third chapter, and you closed the book and got comfortable to sleep yourself. You were totally going to get sick, but you weren't bothered by it.
_____
It's never a good idea to have your entire world revolve around one single person who will die one day. I learned that over a hundred years ago, and I haven't forgotten the feeling. The feeling when late-night conversations, gentle touches on rough and burning skin, and heavy breathing in vast rooms of large houses became nothing more than memories.
When I realized that I would never feel the need to be closer to him when every inch of our skin was on one another's, but a different kind of closer to the point that I could at least see the features of his face and clothes. It was like drowning.
Although, I think the second time I felt that was much worse than the first, even if the circumstances were very different. I knew he wasn't dead, but all of those things I had lost all over again. I was cursed to see his face without ever being able to touch each other like we used to, having to watch his eyes glaze over with hatred and disgust every time we had crossed paths.
And, as much as I hated that, I had to respect his wishes.
He was the only person I ever loved, and if this was what he wanted I would let him have it. So, I acted the same. Energetic, annoying. It took me a few days to come to the conclusion that maybe acting as if my world was over would make him feel bad. I didn't want him to forgive me. He felt bad because he had every right to be angry with me.
Of course, he did.
I think he always knew, though, because of that one time we ran into one another a few days after I had stopped locking myself in random people's houses, reaping them with no regard and wallowing in self-pity and hatred. It was the first time we had seen each other since we had had our argument. When we had both said some things that we couldn't take back or erase from our memory.
I was so close. So close to keeping my composure, and I could have if I hadn't watched him. Initiated eye contact. The second our eyes locked I knew I had no chance, and when my body was overwhelmed with static like everything had fallen asleep, it was real.
It was so, so real.
And I could hear everything around me, of him, screaming my name and civilians screaming as a wreaked havoc around the street. And when I finally brought myself back by reminding myself that he was here. He was still there sticking in the area, that he wasn't worried about the civilians so it must have been me.
When I came back my face was wet. I thought it was blood, but the blood was mingled with tears and everyone was dead beside me and him and he stood watching me with this look on his face that I still couldn't quite place, even if we had been together our entire lives.
He had taken away everything from our old lives beside me. His name, belongings, besides that stupid bandana around his head that made him look like a rabbit. He blinked at me and I blinked the tears away and turned around. I got lucky that I hadn't blown my cover already, or had gone too far to be returned to.
That night, I returned to the place where it had all gone down as quietly as possible. Everything had been cleaned up and the air was grim of tragedy, the gravestones in the backyard clean with fresh flowers littering the ground around them. Even mine had my favorite flower on it, and when I went into the house I found Vanessa sobbing in the main room.
The guilt that went through me was too much to deal with, and I found my room. Everything was how I had left it, and I searched for the box under my bed beneath the floorboard. I had cried too, that night when I opened the box and went through everything in it. The black and white photos and small paintings of me and Alicia and Oliver. The ones with Alex, now Brook, when we weren't separated and were both alive and had no idea of anything. He didn't have a sinners mark.
He was doing this for Natasha because he loved her and wanted a purpose despite what she did to him that night. So I would treat him with the same respect of not bringing it up or trying to fix things. Instead, I put a photograph of us in the small wallet I carried in my back pocket. It helped me a lot over the years whenever I saw him, and I only lost control twice after that before finding better ways to handle it.
I pretended I didn't see him more often than he probably wanted to speak to me, watching me converse with people in the supermarkets and flower shops. Looking around trees and buildings when I walked around the city that we both stayed in.
I tried to travel, but could never find myself able to. He wasn't near me and I could feel it and I needed him close to know that he was okay.
When we met for civil conversations when technology became a thing, we explored it together. I don't know why, but when we ran into each other, I tried to refrain from fighting with a normal and happy mood. Sometimes I got him to smile, if I was lucky I got him to laugh, and I took as many photos as I could in case this was the last time and made sure there were ways he could remember me if Satan decided that he was done with messing with us and returned me to my sentence.
I picked his usernames and over the years invited him out, sometimes actually forcing him. And I knew he was warming up to the idea, that maybe he was over it, and then he did something stupid and we fought and I yelled and we wouldn't talk for a few years.
When he said he had forgiven me it felt like a huge weight had gotten off of my shoulders, and I had to resist the urge to pull him into my arms and - I don't know, just hold him, kiss his hair and tell him how much I missed him.
But, I'm sure he already knew that.
______
It hadn't rained like this for months, you were sure. The droplets pummeled against your sore skin, but you didn't notice. You rubbed a mixture of tears, rain, and blood off of your face as you rested against the large tree branch just below the window.
It wasn't the first time you had snuck in, but it had been so long since you had come from these circumstances. You thought it wouldn't happen again.
As tired as you were, you couldn't stay in the rain forever and rest on this branch all night. You reached up with your arm and hauled yourself up to the branch above the one you were occupying, trying not to shake it too much because a nest full of eggs and a mother bird was at the base. You knocked on the window lightly, or as lightly as you could.
It didn't take long for Alex to appear in the window with wide eyes, and at your appearance, he quickly unlocked the window and opened it. He reached out a hand to help you in, trying to avoid the parts of your arms that were wounded. The floor had rain on it by the time you had gotten inside and he had sat you on a small couch in the corner, the rug was soaked and so were the cushions you were sitting on.
"It's 4 in the morning. What the hell happened?" Alex demanded once he locked the window shut. You opened your mouth to respond but a choked sob came out instead, and you looked into your lap to avoid his eyes, pulling your arms around yourself for some warmth. He stood by the window for a few moments more, then turned around and walked into the bathroom.
He came back a few seconds later with a small box in his hands, and a towel draped over his shoulder. He didn't ask you if you were okay, probably because he knew you weren't. "Take your shirt off," He instructed. You didn't argue, it was soaked and cut and you were sure it couldn't be repaired. He draped the towel over your shoulders first to get you warm, then set to work.
He knelt next to you, grabbing your arm to start cleaning the wounds that littered them. You steadied your breathing as you watched him work. His eyes were knit in concentration and he kept glancing up at you with a concerned look.
"He threw glass at us," You said quietly. He hesitated for a second, then kept cleaning and wrapping your wounds without looking up. "He was mad at Alicia because she said she didn't want to date anyone yet. She wanted to go to a real school and become a doctor." You sighed. "And he started yelling so I came in to see what was happening. Then Oliver came in, and Alicia had to rush him out of the room because he started crying. So I talked to Father and told him in... not too polite words, that Alicia is an adult now and she can do whatever she wants. And he pushed the cupboard beside him down and glass flew everywhere from the dishes that were on display," You kept talking, looking around the room.
The bird outside was awake now, picking at one of her eggs that had started to hatch. The nest looked warm. "And he threw the ones that didn't break when they fell at me and Alicia. We both blocked Oliver, and... Uh, they went to stay with Aunt Mary. I think they got there okay. And I came here when he and Mother started to fight too." Alex nodded as he finished wrapping up the rest of your arms.
He got a band-aid and looked up at you. "I'm not letting you go back there," He said firmly as he took your chin in his hands and made you turn to apply it to your cheek.
"My birthday isn't for months. And he'll come looking for me within a few days," His shoulder deflated. "Just stay away from him. Move into the room at the back of the house so you can sneak out when he's violent, just something." His voice had an edge of desperation to it. You hummed in agreement.
"I will,"
"Move in here when you turn 18. I won't take no for an answer," He declared.
He stood up again and walked to his wardrobe, rummaging through it and pulling out some light blue silk pajamas and handing them to you, along with some underwear. You got dressed as he did his best to clean the floor and put your soaked and ripped clothes in a pile by the door for Vanessa to collect later. You worked in silence, and when you both were done you fall face-first onto his bed.
The mattress dipped next to you. Gentle fingers trailed down your back, drawing shapes and circles. "How badly was Alicia hurt?" He asked quietly. You turned your head to look at him, and he was leaning on his elbow and lying next to you. His fingers found your hair and he twisted some between his fingers. "Not as bad as me. Oliver only had a small cut on his shoulder. I think they took care of themselves before they left." He nodded, eyebrows knitted together again in thought.
You rolled over and he watched as you sat up and cross your legs. He did the same. You grabbed one of his hands, playing with each of his fingers in turn. His skin was pale and soft, his fingers long. A small smile fell on your face as you turned his hand palm up, then palm down again, and ran your thumb over his knuckles.
"I'm really tired," You admitted. Alex grabbed your hand, interlocking your fingers and bringing them both to his face to kiss your knuckles. Pulling you toward him, you both lay down on the bed with your hands locked together. He pulled you into his chest and you could hear his heart beating. You could hear his breathing and you squeezed your eyes shut. You let your body go limp, and it felt heavy. But a good kind of heavy, not like you felt as you dragged your feet to his house and climbed the tree to his window.
You felt safe. You were safe, and you knew that.
___________
"Ahh~ More boring sinners," Satan said in dismay. You kept your eyes on the floor, chewing on the inside of your cheek. "You know, things were much more interesting when you brought me all those people who sinned to save family members or whatever. But now it's just a bunch of ol' baddies, no room to guilt them or anything... Ah~, disappointing~."
You glanced at Brook, and he was looking up at Satan. You followed his eyes. Satan had his back to both of you as he spoke. "It really isn't too bad though~, because I'm in a good mood. Being Satan is the best! Hahaha! Looking at these sinner's faces before they're sentenced is sooo priceless." You rolled your eyes, just about ready to tune him out as he sang in about how he loved being Satan.
"Yeah. Satan." Brook said sharply from beside you. Satan turned to look over his shoulder. "Brook? What could possibly be more important than my fun little song?" Brook stuffed his gloved hands in his pockets and you messed with the end of your shirt.
"Where is Scarlet?" You both said at the same time. You didn't bother to look at him, and he didn't glance your way either. Satan smiled. "You just noticed she's been gone? It's been a few years at this point..." Brook narrowed his eyes. "We live in the mortal world. We go by mortal time." "It's only been two days." You said sharply, trying not to raise your voice.
"I've always been able to smell her. The red demon. But it's faded ever since a few days ago. Deer asked her friend and he said that she left without a trace. They were in his room when she disappeared, even though the door was still locked. So obviously you did something with her."
You stuffed your shoe into the dirt again, eyes scanning Satan's face for any hint of where she could be. What he had possibly done to her. He leaned forward.
"I sent her back to the Ninth Level of Hell... Because she so stubbornly refused to kill that Chase boy, even though I gave her direct orders to." You both inhaled sharply and Brook's eyes widened. "You sent her back?" You asked. You were shocked at how hard it was to keep your voice steady.
You hadn't even known her for very long. The most you had spoken to her was when Chase and Brook had left to speak about whatever it was they had, and you and Scarlet were left alone. And you spoke. About the first sinners either of you had killed, the warped way the sinner's system worked, and you admitted that even if you had been a reaper for over a hundred mortal years, it didn't stop affecting you when the person actually wasn't an awful sinner who seriously hurt someone and had no remorse. When it was just a teenager who stole from stores to pay for his mother's medication, or someone who killed another in self-defense.
Satan smirked. "Sure did. And honestly, it's all thanks to you, Brook." You glanced at Brook. He looked confused. "You're the one that told me she was fond of that mortal, after all. It ended up being very valuable information. Superb, even, to maximize her suffering."
He probably didn't do it on purpose, judging by that look on his face. Or he didn't think it would be that valuable to Satan or something. "It was right on the money with what I know of her past life, too. There's no way she would have killed him right away. She was a wonderful plaything, right up to the end. Now I get to enjoy watching her suffer in Hell. You two are smart. You don't make connections with people, so I can't tell you to hurt them. Besides each other, but that bridge sailed a century ago."
He still didn't know you and Brook had semi-made up. That was a secret you were going to take to your grave. "Actually, that's kind of sad, isn't it? In over a century, you've never made a friend... Only one when you were alive... The only other person I know that you feel anything about is that sister of yours, and hurting her might bring a smile to your face." You crossed your arms. "And you two. Ah, young love. Too bad it always stays young for at least one of you," He said, eyes locking onto you for once. He looked at Brook again.
"Well, you two aren't truly toys, you're just a mortal who caught me when I was in a good mood a hundred years ago, so whatever." Brook cast his eyes to the floor, and you knew the look on his face for over a hundred years. You turned away from him.
"Anyway, that's all. I would normally love for you to stay and chat, but I actually have an appointment soon. So, ta-ta for now!"
_____
You and Brook stood in the snow. Brook was looking at the sky, not minding his face and hair being sprinkled in white specks that you could barely tell were there with how pale his skin was. He seemed to be deep in thought, and you were, too.
He brought his head down and put his fingers to his lips as he thought. He had a habit of doing that. And the eyebrows, knitted close together in concentration. It was nice that that had never changed. You cursed yourself for thinking like that when Scarlet was in the Ninth Circle - she hated that place. How scared was she? She must have really cared about Chase. The way they looked at each other, they love one another.
Both of your ears perked up and you looked down the trail as snow crunching beneath someone's feet got closer to both of you. It was Chase. He looked somber - lonely. You knew how that felt.
You all watched each other in silence, and the cold didn't bother you much. You collected some snow on the sides of your shoes and compacted it to the floor as you and Brook watched Chase and Chase watched both of you.
"Just how long are you going to keep this up?" Brook spoke up finally. "Huh?" You looked between them, too. Keep what part up?
"I mean... I assume until you both tell me you want to find sinners on your own... Since we have an agreement,"
"Not that, you idiot." Brook clarified, hands in his pockets. "When are you going to stop looking for her?"
You forgot that he didn't know about Scarlet yet. You tried your best not to look Brook's way because that would totally give away that you knew where she was. You had to tell him eventually, right? Chase narrowed his eyes. "Why would I stop?"
Brook paused. "Have you considered that she might not want to see you again?" This time you couldn't stop yourself and gave Brook a disbelieving look. Chase seemed too occupied to notice. "Then I want to hear her tell me that. If she says it to my face, I'll never speak to her again. The night before she left, I... Might have gotten a little too close to her..." He looked to the floor. You raised an eyebrow.
"She might have felt uncomfortable and ran away before I woke up... I need to apologize for getting too close and let her know I'm fine with just being friends. Losing my best friend forever, just because I got a little too close... Would be the worst." You looked away from both of them and crossed your arms as Brook let his arms fall to the side and gripped them into fists.
"You're both so fucking stupid, it's unbearable." You turned to look at him again. When were you brought up in this conversation?
"W-What's with the aggression?" Chase asked in shock. Brook looked at the floor. "Because... What kind of fucking idiot falls in love with a reaper?! Something was going to happen. We should have known that. Reapers are servants of Satan. They don't get happy endings."
Chase's eyes flickered from Brook's face to yours, then back again. "I mean... I wasn't intending on ever telling her, I just got a bit too close while I was sleepy..."
"No, you shouldn't have felt that way to begin with! You shouldn't ever have been friends with her!" He shouted, flinging his arm out in exaggeration.
"Brook-" You began, but he kept speaking.
"I'm not weak like you three. I don't care what the fuck happens. And I don't care what you think of me, either. I know I'm just using you. You don't matter to me at all. You should have kept seeing her as a tool as well." You let your arms fall to your sides and your shoulders fell. Chase looked down, and you did the same.
"Where is she, Brook?"
A pause.
"You should have seen this coming."
Chase took several steps forward, looming over both of you. "Where is she?" The question was directed at both of you. You opened your mouth to speak, but-
"A couple of months ago, I told Satan how much you meant to her." He stopped.
"He told her to kill you, or she'd go back to the Ninth Level. And she couldn't do it." You finished in a rush, looking up to see his reaction. "So she's gone." Brook clarified.
"You're lying."
"Why the hell would we lie about it? If we lied, you'd find out eventually. She'd come back to you."
"I told you, she's gone! Just hurry up and accept it!" Brook shouted again. You hadn't seen him this aggravated in a while. There was a long pause of silence when Brook finally looked your way. You looked away. "Go ahead, punch me. Try to hurt me. I'm a reaper. I don't care. I'm stronger than you."
Chase stayed silent. "I didn't do anything wrong. You should have known I would tell Satan. I don't care about any of you. You..." He paused, his voice shaky. "Can't hurt me."
You looked at Chase again and realized he was crying. He lifted his head up and adjusted his glasses. "Brook, Deer... I know that people change. I've changed. You both protected Scarlet... From that Angel. And you're both also under the thumb of Satan. So... It's not your fault, Brook." Chase turned around and started to walk away. "I'm sorry, Chase." You said loud enough for him to hear. He kept walking, and you and Brook stood in silence.
You turned your body to face him when you heard him sniff. He was crying. It wasn't a breakdown yet, but he was crying. You heaved a sigh and took a step toward him, reaching an arm out and setting it on his shoulder. "May I...?" You started.
He didn't respond, only grabbed your arm and wrapped his around your torso. You returned the hug as he cried into your shoulder. He wasn't as tense as you thought he would be.
"I hate this..." He said after a few minutes. It was muffled. "Satan will find out. Eventually. You know he will." He kept talking, gripping your shirt in his hands. "And there isn't anything we can do for them because of him. She'll have to kill him if she wants out, and she won't do that."
You nodded. "I... I'm sorry," He said finally.
Your own eyes teared up. "I understand if you don't love me. It's been a century. But you can't tell me that everything before was nothing." This time, he tensed. "If I didn't care about you and we pursued anything, Satan would find out." He said, though it was clear it wasn't hypothetical. "He would figure it out and everything would be ruined. You'd be sent to Hell."
"...That's a risk I'm willing to take," You said quietly, spinning a bit of his hair between your fingers.
After a minute or two he pulled away and wiped his face, and you didn't try to touch him again. That was the most willing contact you've had from him in decades.
"Okay."
"Okay."
"We should save Scarlet."
The temptation to say something sarcastic was strong, but he probably needed you to be serious right now. And you could do that. "Lead the way."
Notes:
Yayy they are kind fo dating again :-D
Chapter 8: Episodes 71-80
Summary:
Chapters 71 - 80 of my fanfiction based on the Webcomic "I'm The Grim Reaper' by Graveweaver.
Notes:
Summary of what I didn't cover in the episodes in this chapter:
- Images of Scarlet with longer hair at the end of each chapter before Brook and Deer helped her get out of the Ninth Level.
- Azrael getting a deal with Celeste to go on a date if he finished a bunch of her tasks for her.
- Azrael has a meeting with Chase and explains a lot of things to him. He calls his mum to watch after his cat because he plans to commit suicide.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
You kick your foot against the wall, walking in a circle around the room. You had followed Brook here, but when he stopped in the room a few doors away, you kept walking. If there was one thing that you knew about him, it was when he didn't want you to be with him. This was a situation where he wanted to be alone to think, and when he needed you, you'd be there.
"I told you! You couldn't trust me!" His voice rings out loudly from the other room. Your head snaps in the direction of the doorway and you stop pacing to listen.
He was muttering curses under his breath, and you slowly walk out of the room and down the hall to the one Brook had gone into.
You stop in the doorway and watch him. He's leaning against the wall, his knees to his chest and his hands gripping his hair on either side of his head. He slowly lowered his hands to look at them. The view of his face is obstructed by his hair, the pink cloth around his head leaning down loosely over his head.
"It's not my fault. It's theirs. He even admitted it. It's... not my fault." He pauses. "Then why won't this feeling go away?!" You flinch at the sudden loud noise as he pauses again. Slowly, you walk into the room and toward him. Loud enough that he knew of your presence, but quiet enough that it didn't startle him. You lean against the wall and slide down it, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with him. He sits up. "It's been so long since I've felt... this bad?" He thought out loud.
"The last time was..." He glances at you and you nod. He begins to stand up and you follow, watching him. "It's been a long time since we've had to find sinners on our own," He glanced at you. Despite the situation, you felt the corners of your lips lift. He sighed. "Guess we're really doing this."
"It'll be fun!"
________
You and Brook lean against a wall in an alley talking. It's not like you caught up too much in the last century, but it's not like too much had happened that you both weren't involved in, but you could talk nonetheless. The sound of heels coming your way makes you both shut your mouth, waiting for who would walk by. Two drunk women stumble into the alley. One had short, red hair, and was wearing a red dress. The other was in a slick black dress, blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. They both have sinners marks, and you and Brook make eye contact.
"Little bunny foo foo..." The woman in the red dress slurred. The other woman giggled, leaning against her. "Hopping through the forest..." "Picking up the field mice, and bopping them on the head!" They sang together. "Owoooaaah, down came the good fairy, and she said..." "Little bunny foo foo, I don't want to see you," The blonde woman holds up her index finger. "Scooping up the field mice, and bopping them on the head~."
You and Brook follow the two as they walk past. "I'll give you - three chances..." The red-haired woman faltered when Brook placed his hands over her ears.
"I was hoping for someone a bit more murderous-looking, but... That song is really annoying." He mutters under his breath. He snaps her neck and the blonde woman screams, but it dies in her throat as she stumbles back and hits the wall. . You formed a shard in your hand, muttering an apology to her as you walk toward her. She freezes when you slit her throat, and she slumps against the wall and falls to the ground, choking, and both you and Brook disappeared into Hell.
_______
"Well, well, well... You were both doing so well, but these sinners are rather... messy." Satan says, glancing behind him to look at both of you. You crossed your arms. "Don't tell me you both were in a rush because you were dying to see me? How sweet." Brook had a sour look on his face. "I'd rather see Natasha." You murmur, smirking.
"Satan... Are you omnipotent?"
"Hah? That's the question you were dying to ask?"
"It's not, but I want to know anyway."
You lean to the side. "He won't turn around," You whisper to Brook, and he nods.
"Huh? Well, alright... No harm in telling you, since you know the answer anyway. I'm not omnipotent. My knowledge is limited, beyond a few parameters... And I certainly can't tell the future, if that's what you're asking. For example... I immediately know the entire life of a sinner once they die and come to Hell. But that's a one-time thing meant to help me make judgments. But whatever you guys get up to in the waking world? Who knows. And I vastly prefer it this way... It's much more interesting to see if I can piece things together, and see how everything plays out."
He puts a finger to his chin. "Such as right now. You two worked things out." You pointedly do not look at Brook, who nods. You narrow your eyes at Satan. "You seemed relieved when I said I had no idea what you two were up to. You haven't tried to annoy him since you got here."
"I can be serious when I need to be." You say defensively, frowning at the back of his head.
"Sure, sure." He pauses.
"And, since I haven't the foggiest clue why you both decided after years of bringing me gang affiliates and sexual offenders, then suddenly switching to unprosecuted criminals... You both decide to bring me some random sinners who didn't seem to have a spicy past, other than a few cases of stealing expensive clothes together. A few minutes past midnight, too. Unusually punctual."
You both stay silent, waiting for him to continue. "So? Go on. I gave you some juicy morsels. Now tell me what you're here for."
Brook takes a deep breath. "We want to play a game." He says firmly. Satan's eyes widen and he makes a loud and long sound of amusement.
"But we won't tell you what the game is unless you agree to play it with us. We have something I am certain you would be interested in. And you have something we want. They're of equal value. If you don't accept, we'll just leave. And you'll never find out what we have, or what we want." Brook explains to him, and you nod when necessary. Satan seems amused, a growing smile on his face.
"Huh... This is a first for you, Brook. I'm intrigued. Sure, I'll play a game with you both. This prize better be good, though." Brook's shoulders relax.
"Okay... The game is simple. You just have to catch us. The game will last one hour. If you catch us, you win." You glance at Brook from the corner of your eyes. Was he insane? You both were fast, sure, but this was Satan's territory.
You really need to stop trusting him so evenly.
"Well, that's oddly easy. So, what do I get when I catch you?"
"If you catch us, I'll let you... judge us." An odd smile replaces Satan's face.
He finally turns around and crossed his arms. You narrowed your eyes, assessing the wound on his chest.
Holy shit. Did Scarlet do that?
"Ahh? How do you figure that?"
"I was never sent to Hell, so I was never judged by you. God judged me and decided I was to go to purgatory since my life was unremarkable. But if you judged me now, for all the actions I've committed since becoming a reaper... I have a good idea of what level I would end up in."
"Huh? Huh?! Haah?! I never thought of that. Wait, my body is getting all excited."
You gagged. "Ahh. Wait, but it's a game, right? I agreed, so I have to play fair, or it's no fun. So if by some impossibility that you both win, what's the prize that is apparently worth both of your own eternities?"
"If we win, we get Scarlet back." You insist.
"Oh? Oh?! Oh, oh, oh?!?" Satan puts his hands on his hips. You put your hands into fists, ignoring how annoyed he was making you. He was doing it on purpose, per usual.
"What a surprise! Such a development! I could have never guessed this was going to happen from you two! Especially you, Brook! My most independent, self-serving, careless reapers... Offering up their eternal sentence in a mere gamble to save another reaper?! Don't tell me you've gone soft," He narrows his eyes.
"...We don't need to explain ourselves to you," Brook says sharply, lowering his head to look up at him through his eyelashes. You splutter as his bandana blew in your face when a breeze carried through the area, moving slightly away from him and out of reach of the fabric.
"I'm not doing this for anyone but me. So let's get on with it, then," You wave a hand into the air, not wanting to speak anymore.
"You're trying to save another reaper from their sentence in Hell... for yourself? I don't think it quite works like that, little Brook." Satan puts a hand on the side of his face. "...Well, it does take a certain kind of person to walk all the way to Hell just because they're facing existential boredom." He closes his eyes.
"And I don't think you're doing this just because your ex-boyfriend is," He says without opening his eyes. Brook glances sideways at you. "I can care about more than one person," You say slowly, folding your arms in front of you. "But I think we both know I would do that anyway." He smiles, opening one of his eyes.
"Once I win this game, you just might become my new favorite play toys... Since I have so much time to kill, with Scarlet all tucked away... God knows you both have so much trauma," He starts, doing a little twirling gesture with his hand.
"I understand it's in your nature to be arrogant about our challenge, but we aren't not making this challenge baselessly," Brook says, his shirt and sleeves moving around in the wind. You try not to look shamelessly because Satan was there and things were still kind of awkward.
"Ah? So what's your base to challenge the king of Hell to a game of tag?"
Brook glances at you. "Well, it's your chest." You shrug, pointing your thumb at your own chest through your shirt.
"...What does that have to do with anything?"
"You were trying to hide it from us. You wouldn't turn around for a while until we got your interest. I was wondering why you had your back turned away for so long."
"It's because Scarlet did that to you." Brook points at him. "She wouldn't have gone down without a fight."
"And if she can manage to do that, then our odds of winning our little game is pretty damn good." You finish with a grin.
Satan puts his hands on his hips again. "That's your reasoning? You do realize she lost, right?"
Brook rolls his eyes. "Obviously." He says, exasperated. "But she did manage to scar you. And we're a lot faster than she is."
"Very well..." Satan mutters, turning around and waving a dismissive hand. "Well, go on. I'll give you a ten-second head start."
You and Brook glance at each other before turning around and going to hide. You wondered if you should really hide together and give him an advantage, but didn't dare ask Brook.
You follow him for a while, eventually coming to a stop behind a large statue or pillar of some kind. Brook leans against it with his arms crossed, looking forward. His hair and clothes moved around him with the breeze, and you lean against the stature, too.
You lean towards him to whisper in his ear. "Should we really be hiding together?" He shrugs, closing his eyes. "This should keep him a while. We climbed up here without using any of our powers, and to top it off, we're downwind." You nod understandingly, turning your head away from him slightly. "But don't be stupid. This isn't going to keep us hidden forever." You nod again. "I have a bad feeling about this." You say, just barely loud enough for him to hear." "We've been safe here a lot longer than I expected." He says, suddenly suspicious since you brought it up. He narrows his eyes, glancing to the side to get a look around the statue.
He glances behind it, then moves his head all the way to get a better look. Satan appears in front of him suddenly, and you let out a sound of surprise, grabbing Brook's arm, and pulling him back behind the statue. Not like it helped, because Satan blows it up, and black debris and dust surround both of you. You squint, moving backward as Brook puts his hands up in front of himself to shield both of you. You grip his shoulder as an anchor. "He was there the entire time," Brook mutters to no one in particular. "I noticed that, Sherlock," You reply anyway, moving a rock away from hitting your face.
Both of you end up in the air, and Satan's on the floor with a sinister look on his face. His eyes are wide and a grin graces his features. Brook puts his hands behind his head, gripping your wrist. Satan grabs Brook's bandana as both of you move and pulls it, and for a second you expected Brook to yank backward with it. The bandana was almost a part of him now anyway, he never takes it off. It untangles itself from around his chin as both of you dash behind him, touching the floor.
You stumble over your feet.
Satan glances behind him with a smile. Brook lands beside you, using a hand to break his fall. "He's just about as fast as we expected. We can do this." Brook says quietly to you, looking at Satan with determined and narrowed eyes. Both of you turned, and he uses his energy as he sprints to make himself faster. You follow, still behind him. You hadn't run like this in a while. "Faster!" He yells at you and you roll your eyes. "I know, I know."
You both keep running, hair whipping in your face. You don't stop. "I walked from Purgatory to here. We can run all the way back." He says calmly, and you sigh, continuing to walk forward.
A shadow looms over both of you, making you glance over your shoulder. Your eyes widen, your stomach doing a flip as you see what caused it.
Satan was in the air above both of you, his winds a blur of gold and black structures that seemed to keep him afloat. He has the same look on his face, the X on his chest no longer ripped, instead a spike shooting out of him. He launches himself forward, kicking Brook in the back. You cringe, not looking where you were going and tripping over your feet. "Surprise!" He yells, sounding overjoyed.
Yellow chains were everywhere, and they wrap around your wrists and legs. You assume they did the same to Brook as he grunted. "Fuck me," You mutter as the chains pinch your skin.
*******
There was a gunshot from outside, but you didn't bother looking up from your work. You shifted slightly on the chair you sat in, braiding Alex's hair. It was to his shoulders and very soft. He was in shorts and a simple shirt, a very dark green and blue color. It was like a uniform. You had on a similar outfit, but instead of shorts, you wore pants. It was silent for a while as you worked and he watched Natasha out of the giant window in the room.
"Young Master?" A frail voice came from across the room, making Alex's head turn. You let go of the braid and it fell, slowly unraveling itself.
"Are you both ready to continue your bookkeeping lesson?" An old man sat at a table and asked both of you. "Okay, but I have a question." Alex said, not bothering to move. You raised an eyebrow, putting your hands in your lap. "Of course, Young Master."
"Why do we have so many classes, when Natasha and Alicia get to go out and play?" You scrunched up your nose. You had never thought of that.
"Why, that's because you are the future of the Chykov Fur Trading Company, and you are the future of the Wennish Fur Company. You two will be in charge of the two largest companies, which is why it's important you get along. You'll be doing a lot of business together, and you have much more to learn than your sisters do."
"Okay. I can do that. But why us? Our sisters are older than us."
"Yeah!" You put in, wanting to be included in the conversation. You leaned forward a little eagerly and Alex glanced at you. "It's complicated, Young Master. Just know that you represent the purity of both of your family's names. It is both a great honor and a large undertaking. You must learn many more lessons to prepare yourself for that future."
You both looked at one another, deadpanning. "Okay," You said simultaneously. The old man smiled. "I'm very glad you so readily accept your future. Not many are as lucky as you to have success laid out for them, Young Masters." Speaking of which, now would be a great time to schedule for the rest of the day..." He started, turning around and rummaging in some papers.
You took the chance to look at Alex, making a motion with your hands of speaking and mouthing "blah, blah, blah." Alex grinned, not quite laughing, as the man resurfaced from the papers. "You both have bookkeeping until 11, then meet in the dining hall with the etiquette trainer. Your meal will end at 12, and we'll head down to the Opera house for Alexander's vocal lessons while Y/N finished the lesson that they missed last week whilst ill. Then at 3, you will have one hour of quality time with each of your fathers! They are quite excited about it, no doubt, since the business keeps them both so busy! And after that at 4, we will head to the Tannery so you may learn the process of the workers. A good leaner must always understand their employees. And after that, we will head to dinner, and since Y/N is staying the night, you'll both be in bed by 8."
"...Okay." Alex nodded, and you smiled. Most of the time you and Alex messed around while your fathers spoke to one another, and you had no issue with that.
-----
You sat in a large chair and squished in with Alex. You held one of his hands in his lap and he looked at them, tapping your knuckles in a rhythm every few seconds.
The young maid on the chair beside both of you spoke after a while. "Young master, pardon me if I'm overstepping, but are you feeling okay? The news of your father's death must have shocked you with how sudden it was..." You took a deep breath as he closed his eyes. "Well, I am a bit disappointed." You leaned your head on his shoulders as he tapped your hand again, rubbing your thumb over his slightly. "Now quality time with him has been replaced with mathematics..." He glanced at you and you snorted.
"It's okay to feel sad if you are, Young Master. I know your father was very busy, but..." She trailed off, letting the words hang in the air. "I don't feel anything. But thanks." He muttered, still looking at you. She stared at him for a moment, bewildered.
He moved, making you lift your head. He got off the chair slowly, walking away with his hands behind his back. "I'm going to the bathroom. I'll be back." You said to her and held his hands closed with his pinkies out. You smiled as he left the room, then waited 30 seconds before getting off the chair and using an excuse to leave the room and find him.
He was waiting outside the door and granted you a small smile as you both started to walk down the hallway. A voice drifted down the hallway, making you both slow in your steps. "Why? Why do I have to give up the position once he turns 18?" Natasha asked, her voice angry. "Keep your voice down, miss Natasha... The Young Master is just down the hall with Y/N."
"Do you think I care?! This is ridiculous! I'm supposed to lead the company for now, but the second he turns 18, I have to hand it over?!" There was silence, then Alicia's voice rang out of the room, quiet. "You know why, Natasha. You were born of a mistress. I know it isn't fair, but it's just how it is." She said hesitantly.
"The Young Master has the right to this company. He is pure of blood. This has always been the case, and the fact that your late father put it in his will finalizes it." A man's voice said. You and Alex stopped walking long ago, listening. "He has no passion! He only does what he's told! All I care about is building this company! I should be the rightful heir to the business! I'll show you. I have eight years. I'll grow our profits until you're all begging me to stick around." She said bitterly, and you grabbed Alex's hand and dragged him into a closet. A second later, the doors flung open loudly and several people hurried out and down the hall.
There was silence.
"Are you okay?" You whisper, reaching out in the darkness to grab his sleeve. "Yeah." He said just as quietly, grabbing your wrist.
----
You kicked your legs and sighed as Alex looked at himself in the mirror.
"It suits you well, Young Master!" The same maid said. "Or perhaps I should just start calling you master now since you're 18... Soon to be head of the house, and the Chykov Family Trading Company!" She said proudly. "It must be a bit scary, though... Your sister has built up this company so much in the time she was in charge." The maid kept talking about how he had such large shoes to fill and you stood up, walking toward Alex in the mirror and looking at his face through it.
You brushed some hair away from his eyes and kissed his cheek. "You'll do great. I'm going to go get some water, I'll be right back." You promised, and he smiled, eyes not leaving his reflection.
You sauntered out of the room, seeing Natasha as you turned a corner. She didn't see you, and you didn't know if she knew you were here. You hadn't in a while, ever since you caught Alex's cold. You made your way to the small kitchen, looking in the cupboards for a glass cup and filling it with a tap as you thought to yourself.
He didn't really want to run the company, you knew that. It isn't like he could do what you did and just yell at someone until they took the right away because you were unfit. He could always give it to Natasha, but he wouldn't. He didn't know any better.
You sighed, walking back out into the hallway and to the room. The door was slightly open and you stopped, glancing in. Your stomach dropped as you saw what was inside.
Alex was on the floor, eyes closed and saliva dripping out of his mouth. Natasha had her hand on the back of his head, holding him down and strangling him. The maid was watching with a dismayed look on his face, but not bothering to stop what was happening in front of her. "He's dead," Natasha said firmly, letting go of the sash around Alex's neck. She stood up, an accomplished smile on her face. You felt your skin tingle, barely aware of yourself walking into the room, smashing the large glass cup in your hand over her head, and using a shard to stab her and the maid in the stomach several times.
----
Your head was dizzy as you sat on the floor, hands cut up and bloody. Taking a glance at the bodies in the room, your eyes landed on Alex. He looked peaceful. But he was gone. Your eyes stung as you reached out a cautious hand, moving hair out of his face and leaving a red stain behind. You let out a choked sob, falling apart for a few minutes before your thoughts cleared. You wouldn't see him again, but you had to... You had to get out of this house. If the maids knew about it, then they would surely come for you after killing Natasha. You had to leave. But... You couldn't leave him.
You took a deep breath, standing up and looking for a sheet. You wrapped Alex's body in it, lifting him up and deciding to go out of his bedroom window as you had done so many times over the years to get out of the house undetected. You knew it wouldn't work like that, so you grabbed a knife from the kitchen on the way to the stairs. Just in case.
*****
There was a ripping sound, and someone hissed as you struggled against the chains, causing you to look up. "Tearing off your own arm like that... Sneaky." Satan complimented. You looked at Brook, and his arm was dripping steadily. His forearm was missing, and for a moment you thought about ripping your own off, but it wouldn't stop the inevitable. He already got you. You went limp, but only for a second.
"But you moved so quick that you weren't able to turn off your pain receptors..." He paused, an amused smile gracing his features. "Did you panic?"
Brook painted, still looking at the floor. His hair covered his face. "You... Didn't catch me,"
Satan glanced at you, and the chains tightened. You grimaced. "But didn't I? Because from my perspective..." He used the chains to maneuver Brook's unattached arm, tossing it in his direction. He caught it, holding it up with wide eyes. "...You practically handed yourself over to me."
Everyone paused and you moved your arms ever so slightly. "That's not me. That/s a piece of the puppet I live in." Brook retorted, looking up. He lifted his other arm and pointed at his temple, eyes narrowed. "I'm in here. My memories. That's what makes me, me."
Satan smirked. "Memories are what makes someone's identity, huh? You do know that Scarlet lost her memory, and was still sentenced to the Ninth Level? If memories were all it took to make up a person's soul, she wouldn't have been sent there."
"That's because you took her memories away!" You said, loud enough for your vice to reach him. You were shouted, and Brook finally glanced at you. "You've been screwing with her since the start." He said, voice also rising in volume, as he turned back to Satan.
"Hah. If I could do that, I would screw with every sadsack that falls into Hell. I'm very powerful, obviously, but I can't just pull magic powers out of my ass." Brook pinched his face in annoyance. "I don't believe you. There's no reason t think you're anything but a liar." He said, calmer. Satan made a sound of amusement.
"I can think of one really good reason to believe me. I think lying is boring." He made an elegant movement with his hand and looked around. He put both of his hands out in a giant gesture. "A game where I can lie is no fun. There's no excitement." You glanced down at Brook's severed arm, abandoned on the ground.
"Here. I'll give you one solid fact. I'm sure if you manage to put the puzzle together, you'll understand that I'm being truthful." You also noticed the black around his limbs has spread. You had to admit he looked kind of cool, no matter how much you hated him. "The person who caused Scarlet's amnesia... Is herself." He confided.
"Both you and her blame little ole' me, when truly it's her own fault." You narrowed your eyes at him. "I still don't believe you," Brook said firmly, and you squirmed. "There are too many holes in that statement. Please loosen these," You added at the end, and they did ever so slightly, but he just kept speaking. "Or maybe you're becoming aware of just how much you don't kno-" He stopped.
"Wait a second. You're stalling." He lowered himself and the chains on your wrists tightened and pinched your skin, making you yelp in surprise. Brook glanced back at you.
"Let's get back to it. If I'm not mistaken, you only have five minutes or so left. And I'm gonna be honest... I really want to win. So," You swallowed. "Good luck." He smiled, and the game was back on, but you were already out.
*****
"Hey."
"Scarlet. Wake up."
Scarlet shifted, rising. Her hair was as long as her legs, and she couldn't see through it.
"There you go!"
Both of those voices sounded so familiar, but she couldn't place them just yet.
"Get that hair out of your face."
"You could be nice about it."
There was silence, and she didn't bother moving.
"Come on. Don't you remember how to cut your hair?"
"You can do it, Scarlet."
She hesitated, but the familiar sound of her reaper abilities thrummed throughout the void as she formed a shard in her hand and began slicing her hair unevenly.
"I'll have to fix that later."
"Leave her be."
Her face was visible now, her sideburns going just past her shoulders. Her bangs were just below her eyebrows, and part in between her eyes that went past her nose. She looked so tired.
"Good job. You can do the bare minimum."
There was a pause with the voices, but she didn't look around. A dripping sound rang in her ears as something liquid fell on her hair. The stream steadily grew, pouring down onto her face and chin.
"Now, look at us."
She didn't move.
"Above you," The other voice clarified. She did as she was told, her eyes widening.
Her face looked back at her. It was surreal, because she could see the red detail of the blood pouring from every hole in her face available, her eyes wide, but her body with exposed organs was white. There was no color besides the red of blood.
"Ah... You didn't bother to cut the middle part." The voice was different this time. It was hers, not whoever was speaking before. "I guess that's my fault... I never bothered with it... You only need it cut enough to see, after all..." Scarlet put her hands behind her, on her cloak, leaning back.
"You're not real."
There was a spurting sound as she came out of the organs, which were apparently just a coating around her real body. The blood was gone now, and both versions of her were dry.
She was wearing normal clothes now, and it was hard to tell exactly what she was wearing. She dropped to the floor in front of Scarlet. "You know..."
Whatever was in front of her rolled to the side to face her. "I look more like Scarlet than you, now." She smiled. "But we're the same, so does it really matter?"
Scarlet looked at her. "I resent you. What the fuck did you do to get me into this Hell?" She asked with a blank face. "You've forgotten. So, I don't know."
Scarlet crawled forward slowly, straddling the puppet in front of her. She only stared back at her as Scarlet put her hands around her neck. "Strangling me won't do anything, you know." Scarlet squeezed. "What remains of me was the foundation for 'Scarlet.'... Ante is dead, but my flesh was the soil that grew Scarlet... In fact, I see many ways that you took after me..."
Scarlet squeezed tighter, eyes widening. Her hair was falling in front of her face, but she persisted. "You're wrong." "I'm right. The lengths you would go to save one insignificant person... is so familiar." "Stop fucking talking! I'm going to kill you, and then I'll be free!"
"Go ahead. I want to die by your hands... Scarlet..."Scarlet jerked backward as her puppet in front of her turned into Chase.
"C-Chase?" She paused, her face becoming a loot of dismay. "I thought... I had forgotten... What you looked like..." Her eyes stung, and the tears fell because she was unable to blink them back. She leaned over him gently.
Her tears dripped onto his white clothes, and there was no response. "I know you're not real... But I can't seem to be angry at being tricked." She admitted.
"You're right. I'm not the real Chase. But if it feels real, why not pretend I exist? Even if it's just for a moment?"
Scarlet looked at his face, so familiar, and gently reached out. His skin was just as she remembered and she cupped his face, thumbs on his cheeks. He gave her that special smile, the one normally reserved just for her, and sometimes his mother.
She rubbed her thumbs. "You feel warm..." She mumbled. Chase let out a sound of amusement, opening one eye to see her properly. "Because that's how you remember me, right?"
"Yeah..." She stared at him. "I spent a lot of time thinking in here, and I managed to figure something out. But I'll never see you again. And you... You're not the real Chase. So might as well say it."
His expression was unwavering. "I love you, Chase."
His expression turned sad, and he slowly rose to sit up in front of Scarlet. "Scarlet..." He slowly brought his own hand up to cover hers on the side of his face. "You should have killed me."
"No. I can't." Her stomach twisted unpleasantly, but she continued without moving. "If I killed you... I would cross the point of no return." She closed her eyes. "You're the only thing that keeps me human."
"I understand."
She paused, and slowly started to lean forward. If she couldn't ever get this in real life, at least she could hear. "Thank you, Scarlet..."
She could feel his breath.
"Thank you for being such an entertaining pet." Her eyes flew open as the hand gripped hers and pulled it down. She was met with wide eyes staring back at her, unmistakably the eyes of Satan.
"Where the hell is your mind wandering off to? Have you forgotten that you're my property?" Without thinking, Scarlet reeled back with her hand in a fist and hit him in the face. Again. And again. And again.
She panted over the body, the head just a red puddle on the ground.
"Get me out of here." She said quietly. She sat in silence for a while until she heard screaming, and it didn't take long to realize that it was her screaming, but she didn't stop.
She keeled down, covering her ears as she screamed and pleaded, looking up. There was nothing but blackness, and she reached up. "I don't want to be alone..."
Two hands gripped hers, one in neon pink and one in neon green. Color.
*****
"They have one of these every few months, love. I don't know why you're so distraught." You say, distracted.
"I am not distraught." Alex defends from the doorway. You glance at him from over your shoulder.
"You're pouting."
"Okay, so I don't want to go. I've never been required to before. This is stupid." He complained, looking you up and down. You turn back to the mirror and continue to fix creases in your outfit.
"This is the first one since your father died. He was always required to come, and since your sister is in charge and she needs a successor, you have to take over her whole... Thing." You waved your hands in the air dismissively. "Yes, it's unfair, but you agreed to it when Vanessa asked. You have nobody to blame but yourself." You crossed your arms and turned around to look at him. "You let me get roped into it, so I don't want to hear anything at all. Not a peep." He opened his mouth to object and you shook your head.
"At least we'll be there together." He mumbled, rubbing his cheek. You smiled. "Of course, you soppy teenager."
"I'm leaving without you." He didn't bother to wait for a response, turning around and walking out of your door without a word. You let out a surprised sound, whipping around and hurrying to follow him.
He was walking slowly, so you know he didn't actually intend on walking into that room without you. A smile tugged at your lips as you hurried to walk by his side, linking one of your arms in the bend of his elbow. "You never know, it might be fun. Don't they have alcohol? I know we shouldn't drink, but I doubt any of them care. We've done it before."
He hums. "So positive. It makes me sick." You grin. "You know you love me." You tease, poking his cheek with your free hand. He looks at you with a seemingly cold expression and you poke him again. His lips flicker up a little, and you grin wider, feeling accomplished as the sound of chattering and footsteps drift down the hall.
You both stop before you turn the corner, knowing there will be maids and butlers and other rich people there. You glance at one another, take a few deep breaths, and before you run off to cower in his room you pull him with you and turn the corner. Sure enough, there are a lot of different people there, and you smiled at them. Most of them immediately turned their attention to both of you before you had time to process anything. A glass of something was placed in your hand by a butler as you walked past, and shortly after an identical glass was placed in Alex's hand.
When you walk into the ballroom it was easier to tell who mostly resided in the crowd. Most of them were middle-aged men and women who were wearing overly fancy outfits, some dancing and some just talking with one another. A few looked tipsy, but most were completely fine, nursing a glass in their hands and sipping it every once in a while. When they were finished they called for a butler, who would refill their glass or get them a new one.
You both made your way to the front of the room, here Natasha was going to give some sort of speech to the people and let everything begin or continue. Alex and your job were to just stand next to her and look pretty, then enjoy the party for yourself. There were barely any people your age, and especially no minors. Alex was an exception because he was turning 18 soon, and he was going to take over, which needed to be announced.
When you got to the front of the room, you smiled at Natasha. She returned it, and you could tell it wasn't genuine because she and Alex had that same look when they were upset but acted like things were fine. You appreciated her trying anyway.
A hush fell over the entire room and everyone's attention was on Natasha now as she clinked her glass.
The speech was to-the-point and only lasted a few minutes, and you stood next to Alex the entire time with a grip on his arm.
"Sometimes he would whisper something to you, which make you smile or crack up, but you tried your best to be polite for Natasha's sake.
You were grateful when the speech ended and people went back to their conversations and glasses. You led Alex back to where you originally placed your glasses, on the tray of a waiter who was walking by. You picked them back up again, taking a sip and scrunching up your face. "It's the expensive kind that they keep in the kitchen." Alex grimaces but takes a sip anyway. "The kind we buy from that store is better." He mutters, and you agree.
The night wasn't as bad as you thought it would be. You got the fair share of old women coming up to you and pinching Alex's cheeks, and sometimes yours. Some people in their early or mid-twenties came up to both of you to talk for a while, and one of them even tried to flirt with you both. You were lucky you didn't have repercussions here, and you stomped on his foot before walking away as Alex smirked in your direction.
You had a nice chat with this other old woman, who was there with her wife. She spoke to you about queer things and how unaccepting they were in other places, and she was lucky to be here where it's more normalized than it is in other places. You agreed, telling her about a vacation you took where you had to act straight in order to not get executed in front of the entire town. Unfortunately, you did have to leave her because Alex had to go to the bathroom.
The second you both got out of the room and into the empty hallway, you heaved a sigh.
"Bad night?" Alex inquired, knocking his elbow with yours. You smiled. "It hasn't been awful. There are too many people, though, lord have mercy." He snorts.
"Well, can I tell you a secret?" He leans toward you and lowers his voice. "I don't actually have to go to the bathroom." You mock a surprised gasp. "You, Alex? Oh, how could you ever lie to get out of a social gathering? It's unheard of!"
You both crack up, and you link your fingers together and drag him down the hallway.
"We only have about 10 minutes before people, but I think we can make due." You say as you glance down the hallway one way, then the other.
You open a door that fits into the wall perfectly, making it look like he doesn't exist.
"How did you- I didn't even know this existed," Alex whispers as you close the door.
"You know how rich people are. God forbid they have a storage closet in this place."
You shut the door fully, leaving you both in darkness.
"10 minutes, you said?" He asks, a cold hand cupping the side of your neck. "That I did," You confirm, and he leans in before either of you can say much else, hand going to your waist as he pressed you against the wall. You smile into the kiss, undoing the first few buttons because it was getting very hot.
An odd sound escapes your mouth when he kisses along your jaw, then right below your ear. You don't really think much after that.
___
"You are a great person to make out with, but you are way too... Everywhere," You complain when you're both walking toward the ballroom again. You fixed your tie and moved up your collar, watching him rub his lips with the back of his hands. "I can grab you a spoon later, or I can ask Natasha for some makeup." He shrugs.
You pull your collar up. "Not much good that's going to do when we have to walk into that room right now and stay there for the next..." You look at your watch.
"Hour." You grumble. "Can you see them?"
He ducks down, smirking.
"Well, don't talk to people who can see under your jaw. Other than that, you're good." You stomp on his foot, hard. "I hate you sometimes."
"I know."
******
The morning air was chilly but absolutely calming.
You swing your feet on the large tree branch, looking down. It was a good thing you had fast reflexes, because if you fell the wrong way you would most likely die. Shrugging off the thought, you look around the empty field. You can see your mother crying as she folds laundry in a window quite a ways away from the tree you were sitting in, so you weren't in danger of being caught.
You weren't even near any windows, because you had climbed out of your room and down the tree to sit here. Nobody ever looks here, so when you're upset, it's the perfect place to stay and let off some steam with some kind of reading.
You glance down at the book in your hands, frowning at how light it is. The cover is plain black, and it takes you a few moments to realize that it was the book you disguised.
You knew your family wouldn't look in a plain black book, so you had disguised it and cut out the middle to hide things in. You hadn't looked in at least a year, which made you question which book it was. You had a total of 7, each holding different items that would be taken if your family knew. You carefully open the cover of the book, going forward 15 pages to where you knew you had cut it to. Sure enough, a pile of neatly folded old paper sat in the middle. Some were stuffed in around the ones lying in the middle, but not bad enough to not be able to read what was written there in ink.
"Oh," You breathe out, grinning like an idiot immediately.
Every year or two, Alex has this thing, or someone has this other thing, which makes it impossible for either of you to even see or communicate with each other. The last time this happened was a little over a year ago when your father decided that you didn't need friends and had to focus on your studies. That lasted 2 months, and you weren't allowed to leave the house or spend more than 2 hours away from a book if you weren't sleeping. When things you were taking care of had started to fall, he finally pulled you off it, but by then you decided you had enough and were not going to take over the company. He had two other children who he could train to do it, but you didn't want to.
Another 2 months later you refused his rule of staying home and kept leaving. Eventually, he decided he didn't care, and now you were like a ghost in your own home. Not that you minded too much.
There were very few people who worked for the rich families that you enjoyed. One of them was Ricky, who often went into town to get things for the castle and the horses. He used to smuggle letters out and deliver them to Vanessa for you every other day, and you would get one back about 2 or 4 days later. Alex never failed to write a lot, even if it was nonsense. You remember reading them over and over when you were isolated in your room, keeping them in this book.
You sifted through all of them, reading them one by one.
Dear Y/N,
I can't believe people celebrate big holidays all day. Sometimes I think we miss out on a lot of things, even if we have everything we could ever want (besides present parents, of course.) I only started having fun on holidays like Christmas, or things like my birthday, when I was allowed to spend them with you. Before that, I spent an hour with Natasha and my parents. We would exchange gifts and talk about them for a few minutes, then sit in the room in silence with the occasional talk of, "How are your studies going?" and "Do you have any plans for the future of our company?"
I never really cared for it, and when Father died and I was never upset about it, I realized how unpresent he was in my life. You spent the same amount of time with your father, but it wasn't civil at all. For that, I am very sorry. I know you told me never to say that because it is not my fault, but his, but I still am truly sorry.
When he passed away and you spent those holidays with me instead, I felt very important. I missed you on my birthday yesterday, and I'm sorry neither of us could escape our houses to see each other. I hope you'll be let out before your birthday so I can see you. I'm already planning your present.
Thank you for the cookies, by the way. Vanessa said you wanted to send a cake, but Ricky couldn't carry it without being damaged. I appreciate it anyway, though. I hope I hear from you soon. I love and miss you.
Love, Alex.
You read this one for weeks after it came. It was the only one you kept coming back to.
Dear Y/N,
Did you know that, according to Vanessa, I'm a natural at crochet?
Father said that that was an activity for girls, but when I didn't leave my room yesterday because I was reading your letter and 'sulking' (Her words. She insisted I looked ashen and had this tension around me she referred to as sullen and unable to be comforted. It made me laugh with how much she sounded like you. I miss you.) when she came in and told me that I needed to do something with her. A distraction, if you will. She took me to her chambers, which was quite small, but she had a grand bucket full of yarn and crochet needles.
Do you remember that time she made us matching sweaters, sage green and maroon red? They have one of our initials on it, and you got the green one originally with an A in the color of the other sweater. Mine had a Y/I on it in sage green, and we swapped because it made us think of the other more, you remember? I'm sure you do, you talk about it a lot. Anyway, it still fits me now, but it isn't as big as before. I want to make us new ones someday, so I told her to teach me how. We spent a few hours doing it, and it's actually quite nice. There's no way I can do it well enough to make sweaters with our initials yet, but I'm going to get there for you.
Love, Alex.
As far as you knew, he was still working up to making those sweaters, but he has made you a large number of hats and stuffed animals. Even a pillowcase.
Dear Y/N,
That rabbit that you fed last time you were here keeps coming back when I'm outside doing yard work. You keep feeding her and she keeps coming back, and I keep giving her more lettuce for her and her babies. She just had more, by the way, and I took a few pictures to print out. I'll show them to you when you come over next time.
Natasha and Vanessa keep complaining that they just 'go missing' and there have been several arguments because 'crops can't just grow legs and walk away!'
It was quite funny to watch Natasha freak out about it. I'm sure the rabbit is very appreciative. They know they aren't getting in to eat it because of the tips your sister gave Natasha to keep them out.
Sorry I can't write more, I have a lot of classes this week. It really is unfortunate, because all I think about during them is if you were next to me. I hate this, but I can't argue with your father or threaten to just let you leave the house.
Get out soon.
Love, Alex.
You read until the sun started to set. You knew you would be called for dinner soon, so you organized everything inside the book to the way they were, your favorites at the bottom.
You shoved the book in the waistband of your pants and started climbing the tree quickly, closing and locking your window just in time for there to be a knock at your door.
You'd go see Alex first thing in the morning.
*****
The cracking sounds of Hell filled the air as you and Brook pulled Scarlet out of the Ninth Circle, helping her land on her feet as she looked at you and Brook with wide eyes. She didn't last very, and after a few seconds, she collapsed on the floor. On her hands and knees, she started huffing, staring at the floor. You and Brook watched her, and you didn't know how to react to this situation with how you got here.
Brook grabbed your hand, pulling you to sit down next to him, in front of Scarlet. He left one of his knees up and rested his hand on it, glancing away from you and Scarlet as she dealt with whatever she was thinking. You crossed your legs, letting your knee hit Brook's. The touch grounded you.
She let out a few hysteric laughs, then paused. She brushed her hand over the floor, eyes widening again at the texture that was real.
She looks up at you and Brook, glancing between both of you with tears already leaving her eyes. It was a high-tension situation, and you and Brook just avoided her eyes as she stared at both of you. You could see Brook narrow his eyes, trying so hard not to break the silence or look at her. He squirmed.
Eventually, you sigh and roll your eyes, sitting up and looking back at Scarlet. Brook glances at you, then to Scarlet, not entirely facing her.
"Stop. Please." Her voice is rough and it cracks halfway through each word.
Brook turns toward her. "Huh?" "Scarlet?" You squint at her. She doesn't move.
"Please. Just stop it." You glance at Brook, and you both watch her. You swallow. Brook furrows his brow, the way he does when he's concentrated. "You can't do this to me. Seeing this... Color... Feeling... the dirt..." Her eyes filled with tears again. "Just turn it off..." She nearly whispers, staring at both of you like she wants to drink in the sight. She doesn't even blink.
After a few seconds, she looks down, rubbing her face with one of her sleeves. "Please... Turn off my mind, please." Your heart clenched, and you move forward and reach out a tentative hand, hovering but not touching. "Scarlet... You're out." Brook says sternly. "We can go back to the waking world."
"I don't believe you. I'm not going to let you hurt me." Your eyes sting and pool with your own tears that you blink away. Brook looks close to it, but determined. "We're not going to hurt you." You mutter, flinching back when she yells. "You're lying! Just like all my other memories, you're going to make me relive something horrible! I won't let you win!" She doesn't look up, and you and Brook share startled gazes.
Brook lowers his head, and without thinking you wrap your arms around Scarlet and pull her into a tight hug. Now you're crying, too, and she tenses in your arms.
"We're right here. We're right here." You mumbled, hugging her tighter. Brook sighs.
"Your memories, huh?" He leans back with his hands, looking around. You watch him, because he really is beautiful, even under these circumstances. You always thought he was pretty.
"Brook isn't the name I had when I was alive. It was Alexander Chykov. Of course, after I became a reaper, I stopped using it. Intentionally. I wanted to leave behind my life. I picked Brook when I was walking to Hell because I would follow the streams, and they kept me from getting lost. And also because someone important to me when I was alive said that I looked like that name fit me. No one alive besides Deer knows my old name. So please, keep it a secret."
Both of you wait for a response, and Scarlet is still tense in your arms. Her shoulders sag just a little bit, and Brook leans forward. His hair covers the side of his face as he watches you both. He groans and looks down again.
"I don't know why I'm a rabbit. I like to think I'm a rabbit because that same person said I would be a rabbit if I was an animal. I also don't know why I'm pink. But it's been that way so long I can't imagine myself any other way." He runs a hand through his hair on the side of his face, closing his eyes. "I like to eat sometimes, even though we don't need to. Sweet things only. The cakes with that thick chocolate mousse inside are my favorite. I like hot chocolate with marshmallows, but only when a certain person makes it for me. I keep my blog updated because I forget things easily. I've been doing it more often recently, because... I've been making some good memories, I guess." You smile.
Scarlet shifts, and both you and Brook watch her with all of your attention. She looks at your hands, and you start speaking, too.
"My name when I was alive was Y/N Wennish. Mine and Brook's family did a lot of business together, so we were friends when we were kids, and when we were teenagers we got into a romantic relationship with one another. I became a sinner because... Uhm, I killed some of his servants, then my parents, then myself. They weren't good people, and I was sent to the 6th circle. I became a reaper sometime later because Brook was, and Satan wanted to fuck with both of us. It worked for nearly a century, but we made up. I like to eat anything that gets put in front of me because I don't know when it'll be my last time to eat and Satan will get bored of me, or to just enjoy the flavor. I'm the person who makes the best hot chocolates Brook likes. Green was always my favorite color because I saw it the most as a child growing up in isolation. Brook likes pink because when he saw it as a kid it was vibrant and rare. Now he can see it every day."
Brook throws you a questioning look, and you can tell he wants to know how you knew that when he didn't. You keep going.
"Rabbits are my favorite animal. They were before I died, and we would feed and shelter them when we were kids playing outside." You paused, choking up a little. "We never really had a mother figure, but we had this woman named Vanessa. I miss her a lot." You swallowed, fisting your hands into Scarlet's clothes. "Uh, our falling out was because I killed his sister. He was mad that I didn't tell him."
"If it is you guys... Why would you save me?" She doesn't look up, and you make eye contact with Brook. "Well, I messed up. And I wanted to fix it. That's all." He looked down, keeping his head up. "I wanted to. To save you, I mean. We don't know each other very well, but I care about you. Chase cares about you."
Scarlet finally looks up to look at Brook, shocked again.
"There's a question I don't know the answer to." She starts. She's relaxed in your arms now, and you don't know if you should let go yet or not. "But, I have a vague idea. So, if you can give me an answer that feels right... Then I'll know."
Before you knew it, she was crying again. "B-Brook, Deer... How long was I in there?" She started sobbing, and you hugged her tighter. She finally returned it, clinging to you like you'd disappear if she let go. You let yourself cry a little into her shoulder as she sobbed into your chest.
"You were in there for 25 years." Brook says gently, cautiously.
"Twe... Twenty-five... That's really how long I was in there...?" She mumbles, putting her head back in her hands. "That's right... That's right... That's right..." She covers her face, turning away from you a little as she starts trembling. You can only assume she's crying again, but you scoot away from her anyway because she turned away from you.
"You're right..." She repeats again. Brook's eyebrows pinch upward, and you bit your lower lip into your mouth. It seems so... invasive to see her so personal like this. You had only seen a few people you care about break down, which were yourself, people in your family, Vanessa, or Brook. But that hasn't really happened for over 90 years.
Brook seems to feel the same way, but he wears a sympathetic expression anyway. He looks truly concerned, and you know why.
"H-How did you know how long it was? Since it's nothing, didn't you just... like... sleep...?" He asks quietly.
"No," Scarlet repeats the word quickly a few more times. "There's nothing. Absolutely nothing. You can't sleep or breathe, but you don't feel pain... You're completely numb..." You and Brook glance at each other, and he sweat-drops.
"But, it's better than being in, say... the fifth or sixth level, right? Since you don't feel anything..." He tries. You gesture for him to shut the fuck up because Scarlet starts trembling again. "No... No, no, no... Everything is absent... Everything besides your mind, It's unbearable," She looks down at her hands again. "All you can do is think. And think, and think, and think. You think about what it was like to open a door. To laugh at a joke. To feel a breeze. About the people you loved, and you sit there in your emptiness. Knowing you will never, ever, ever, ever, ever feel anything like that again. And that you will never be able to turn off. You have to sit, and exist, infinitely."
She looks up, and for a second it's like she's in a trance. Her voice trails off but her lips voice, even though she isn't speaking, and then, "You're alone."
Brook looks at the floor, guilt and fear written in his eyes but barely on his face. You can still see it, though.
"You..." You both look at her again. "You have no idea how lucky you are... That you'll never know what I'm talking about."
Brook hums in something that sounds like confirmation, scratching his face with a gloved hand.
"B-but... You... you two pulled me out? How...?" Brook rose up to a crouching position, and you took that to stand up, so you did. "It... It was a one time thing." You mutter.
"B-But... does... does Satan know? Is he going to send me back?"
"No. You're fine. We arranged... An agreement. We aren't allowed to talk about it, though. That's part of the deal. But, you're fine." Brook tells her. "We're fine."
"Deer... Brook..." She looks at both of you in turn when she says your name, then leans down and almost collapses in on herself. "Thank you," She says over and over. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you..."
You swallow, watching as Brook cross his legs and straightens his arms out, putting his palms down on the floor in the middle of his legs. He looks like he's in a daze.
When Scarlet calms down, she stays still.
"Go see Chase." You say after a minute. Her head shoots up. "Chase?"
"Yeah. Go. Go see Chase. He's worried about you. He misses you." You repeat. She blinks. "Oh."
When she's gone, you and Brook stare at the place on the floor that she was crying in. You heave a sigh, walking back to Brook and taking a seat next to him. He makes a sound, but you lean against him anyway.
"We'll be okay." You whisper.
"You don't know that."
"I know. But... We can try."
You hear his swallow. "I don't... It sounds... It sounds awful. And it's my fault she was put in there, because I gave Satan information, and now you're part of it and you-" You tug on a piece of his hair, stopping him from speaking.
"Stop it. Stop that. You don't- You don't get to say that what I agree to is my fault. I chose to agree to the deal. Whatever happens to me is not your fault. Do you hear me? It won't be your fault."
He swallows.
"I know you probably won't believe me, but... I won't ever be upset with you, you know. Anything that happens in the near future. I won't be mad at you."
You wait for a response.
"I know. I..." You pauses, then lets out a huff of a laugh. It's surprising, and you lift your body to look at him easier. "I don't think I could hate you no matter how hard I tried. I mean, you killed my sister, and your parents. And, I think at first I was upset because I didn't... I didn't understand how easy it was to feel so much hatred for someone who did something so awful, especially to someone you care about. Like how I felt with that angel after you told me what happened," He supplies. You smile.
"So we'll never be mad or abandon each other." You hold out your pinky. It only takes a few seconds before he takes his glove of, and a cold pinky hooks with yours. "Never." You grin.
"Good. We'll be okay. We'll be just fine."
*********
"That's totally unfair!" You grin. "How is that unfair, Alex? Pray, tell, how could I possibly cheat?" You lean forward, teasing grin growing wider when his nose twitches.
"So impatient. Don't worry, you'll get your chance. It's litera
lly only a few seconds." He rolls his eyes and mumbles something, but lifts the blunt (?) in his hands anyway to hand it to you. You take it with a grin, searching for your lighter.
"This is going to be funny." You declare, lighting the blunt in your hands. You rolled it in between your fingers, before bringing the blunt up to your lips and taking a deep breath.
You cough a few times, eyes watering, but get over it quickly with a slight laugh. Alex watches you intently the entire time. "Your turn, love." You hold it out to him and he takes it slowly, watching it like it's a vial of poison.
He does what you do, coughing a decent amount before he catches his breath. "Oh. Oh, that's awful," He says incredulously, looking at you with wide eyes when you throw your head back with a cackle.
"It'll get better once you do it a few more times." You assure. "I did this with Alicia when I was 13, you know." He narrows his eyes at you, obviously not believing you. You take the blunt from his fingers, repeating the process a few times until you don't cough anymore.
He watches you the entire time, taking it back when you offer it to him.
It takes him a bit to actually start doing it again, but once he stops coughing, he doesn't hesitate.
"Told you." You grin, and he rolls his eyes again but offers it to you.
_______
Some minutes later, you're both giggling at something that he had just said, and you waved your fingers above the grass. It tickled, making you laugh harder, and you flopped onto your side in the grass as you laughed until you were breathless. Every time you both stopped laughing, one of you would crack up again and it was over.
The first blunt had been discarded long ago, and you had planned on doing at least two when you splayed out here. The thought slipped your mind and you vaguely wondered if you'd light the second one as you looked up at the clouds, the sun starting to go down until Alex fell down next to you. You grinned up at the sky, and when you turned your head you saw he was watching you.
"What?"
"You're really pretty," He says bluntly, reaching out a finger with furrowed brows to move across your eyebrows. You giggle.
"Oh. Thank you." You're very pretty too,"
"You tell me all the time. I don't tell you enough."
You grin at him, and when he turns to look at the sky you do the same. You fall into a comfortable silence as you lay down shoulder-to-shoulder.
Drugs, apparently, make Alex much bolder than he usually is. Of course, he's always been quite blunt. When he wants to say something, he says it. But never with this much adoration in his voice, and never too much about you. He does all of that through touch, which you're completely fine with, but this is nice too. This is really nice.
10 minutes into when you took the first hit, he didn't hesitate to inhale some smoke into his mouth, grab the sides of your face and kiss you. You had let out a surprised sound, but, per usual, melted into him. When he tilted his head, on pure instinct, you opened your mouth and he blew the smoke in. Then he leaned back and watched you. "Oh," You had let out in a breath, the smoke coming out of your mouth and up. You watched it, then looked at him.
"That's something I'm definitely into," You mumbled, and that was when both of you started to crack up.
"Do you think that, like..." You pause. "Do you ever think that we'll end up like our parents?" You ask, turning your head to look at him. He looks at you, pressing his lips into a fine line. "No. I don't think so." He says immediately.
"Why not?"
"They never loved each other, you know. I know your mum loves your dad, but he never cared about her that way. He just married her because she was willing. My mother was after the money, and my father just wanted to keep the family line going. They weren't in love." He takes a deep breath, turning his entire body to face you. "I can't say I know what love is supposed to feel like, but I'm positive that I'm in love with you. There can be different types, but I want to get married to you and have kids with you and everything. I want to give you and whatever kids we have in the future the things we never got. I don't think we will be like them at all, because we never have been."
You watch his mouth as he speaks, and that somehow makes it clear. It feels real now, with him admitting this, as much as you knew it was in the future.
You grin. "We should do this more often. I like having conversations with you."
"I know."
You reach out and hook a finger in his hair, which has leaves and it's kind of messy but not tangled. You hum at how soft it is, always so surprised by it even though you know how it'll feel every time.
Before you can really process what he's doing, Alex pulls you into a hug, sitting you both up. You rest your face in the crook of his neck, returning the hug and letting your eyes drift shut.
You must have both fallen asleep because when you finally open your eyes you feel more lucid and the sky is the light blue as when the sun had just come up. The air is nice and chilly, and you take a deep breath, not daring to move but moving your eyes around.
You don't remember everything from last night, but you remember the kiss, a lot of laughing, and most of the conversation. You blink a few times and relax more, content with staying here forever.
The last thing you remember thinking of before falling back asleep is that you never lit the second blunt.
Notes:
If you guys have any ideas for small dates or scenarios from Brook and your's past that I could do, let me know!
Some Author inputs:
Can you actually imagine how fucking awful it would be to be stuck in a void for 25 years? I feel so awful for Scarlet, I can't even imagine how shitty that would be. I cannot stay still for 5 minutes, let alone 25 YEARS. She deserves so much better.
I also love the idea of Brook and the reader bickering like an old married couple, but also just staying in the honeymoon phase. Like, it's so funny that they both kind of grew up going to these things and they just always find a way to sneak out of them into cupboards or something when it gets too much.
Reader being the most comforting person but also incredibly emotional makes so much sense to me Just like, they use their outgoing personality to avoid being upset, and then they use other people breaking down as an excuse to empathize and cry with them. For some reason that reminds me of the one scene in Midsommar when all the girls are crying in the barn, which is kind of disturbing so I'm going to stop now.
Although, talk about going out with a bang LMFAOO
I just want you to know that I have never had any experience with drugs at all, so sorry if things aren't the same, I'm getting my info on a different characters experience from another fanfiction.
The scene also reminds me of that one in The Goldfinch (Spoilers) where Boris and Theo come back and Xandra tells them Theo's dad died and they just keep laughing at her because they're high as shit on acid. It was genuinely so funny.
Hope you enjoyed!
Chapter 9: Chapters 81-90
Summary:
Episodes/Chapters 81-90 of my fanfiction for I'm The Grim Reaper on Webtoon by Graveweaver.
Chapter Text
"Do you know how to sew?"
You blink a few times.
"What?"
"Do you know how to sew?" Alex asks again, looking at you very expectantly.
The question itself isn't weird at all. It was pretty common for Alex to find a new hobby every few months while being stuck inside and having nothing to do besides classes, but you haven't ever seen him this... excited about it. The second you had walked into the house and turned the corner Alex was in front of you, placing his hands on your shoulder to ask.
"Uhm... Yes? Not well, not too well, though." You could barely finish your sentence before you were being dragged around the house, not upstairs to his room but to the very back of the first floor. You follow him as he leads you through the house, hand gripping your shirt.
He lead you into the room, which was full of comfortable furniture and paintings on the walls. A giant window was on the side with large white curtains covering it, but the light still managed to get through. There were a few plants, all were dead, and a dusty chandelier with no light bulbs.
You looked around. "I haven't been in this room before." You tell him. He grins. "I know. All the boxes and stuff, they-" He pauses. "This is where they make clothes. They keep the fabric and all the supplies here, and I was exploring the other day and I found it, so I-" He pauses, turning around and walking to a huge box in the corner of the room. There are a few items on it, which he picks up carefully and sets on a chair near it. He opens one of the compartments to the box and pulls out a few books, then walks back to you and lets them all fall to the table in front of you with a thud.
"I taught myself how to sew. It's really easy, you know." You caught a glimpse of his hands and grab one of them, bringing them up to look at his fingertips.
"And you didn't prick yourself once?" He gives you one of the rare and accomplished smiles that he didn't give anyone else. "Only a few times, but they didn't even bleed. And so, I wanted to... Okay, well, don't laugh, because the first few that I made were pretty awful, but..." He trails off, looking at a bag. Without waiting for him to grab the bag, you walk towards it and sit down in the large chair. You bounce a little.
You open the bag quickly, and pick the first thing on top. It's a rabbit, which is just different fabrics sewed together to make a large and flimsy/flat rabbit with a little stuffing, which you suspect to be other fabrics that were ugly colors Alex didn't want to use.
It's cute. Like, really cute. The eyes are big and black, and the thread that he used to make a smile on the rabbit near the pink nose is kind of falling out, but it's still really cute. You grin. "You made this?" You glance up at him.
His cheeks are pink, but he's watching you with some sort of awe on his face. He nods slowly, glancing down at the bag.
For the next few minutes you go through it, finding all different kinds of animals that are sewed together. Some have buttons for eyes, like the rabbit, and others just have fabric to make different things. You find a pig with a Christmas hat, and honestly, you are having the time of your life looking at all these things that Alex has made.
He's made things from scratch before. He made bracelets for a few months, and you still have a small box full of them. He used to paint a lot, even if they weren't good, and you both wrote on the backs of them about different memories you wish you didn't have and burned them in the early hours of the morning when it was still dark and nobody would find you, let alone look.
"These aren't bad, you know. You can see the improvement from the earliest to the most recent." You held up what you assume was his first one, because it was both funny and awfully done, of a really small rabbit that didn't really look at all like a rabbit. He takes a seat next to you in the big chair.
"I wanted to do one with you. Like, make each other some clothes or something, I don't know." You grin.
"Make me a bee. I'll make you a... frog," You decide.
So, for the next hour or two, you sew. He teaches you a few basic stitches, and you cut out fabric in different shapes and sew them together, stuff them with a few random colors you aren't going to use (including a very dark blue), and sew buttons for the eyes.
In the end, you finish way before Alex does, and when you watch him you understand why. He's careful and slow, possibly even gentler than he is with you.
"I've never seen you so proud of something before." Alex mumbles as you show off your frog.
"Well, I did a good job for my first time, no?" You ask, leaning forward and dropping the frog in his lap. You take the bee from him and look at it. It's chunky and large, but adorable. "You did." Alex agrees, observing your work.
"Well, I'm so glad you think so." You hear a very distant shout from another room across the main floor, and you and Alex make eye contact. "Dinner," You both guess at the same time, and you grin. "Is it okay if I stay the night tonight? I want to try something." Alex raises an eyebrow, but doesn't object. You stand up and stretch, hearing many different things pop in place. Alex grimaces but does the same, cracking way more things than you did. "Show off. I never understood how you did that." He smirks.
"A magician never tells his secrets."
"You are not a magician!"
"Says who?"
"Me!"
*****
"Wait, wait- Hold on, slow down just a second- No- I didn't say stop!"
"What are you even trying to do? We should have been there 10 minutes ago!" Brook steps away from you, stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. You frown at him, still looking at his feet. "I'm trying to..." You start walking again, and he follows slowly and falls in step with you. You halt. "Deer!"
He punches your shoulder and you look up at him, already growing frustrated. "Sorry, sorry! I'm trying to make our steps match." You can practically feel the internal facepalm Brook does.
He lets out a long and loud sigh, then grips your arm to make you face forward again. He starts walking, pulling you with him, and it takes less than 5 seconds for your steps to fall in sync, and your frown deepens. "How come you can do it?" You complain.
"It's easier when both parties participate, you know." He mumbles, glancing over his shoulder and then ahead of both of you before turning a corner into an alley. You roll your shoulders.
"I feel like we might as well not even live in an apartment," You murmur. "We come here daily anyway."
Brook hums but offers no other response, slowly letting his hand glide down yours until he laces your fingers together. You look at the graffiti on the wall to hide your grin, even though you know he knows already.
You look in front of you again and see Chase doing some sort of celebration while Scarlet watches him near a wall.
"Hey." "Scarlet!!!" You and Brook say at the same time, and you wave at her enthusiastically and grin as you both approach them.
They both glance back at you, and Chase's eyes widen. You follow his gaze as he rakes his eyes over yours and Brook's arms.
"Brook, what happened to your-" "Nothing." You grin at them both. "It's nothing, really. Scarlet's back, that's what matters." You gesture towards her with a grin again. "That's what matters," Brook says quietly.
Scarlet glances between Chase, you, and Brook. "Brook and Deer saved me" She supplies as an explanation. "I don't know how they did it, but they pulled me out of the Ninth Level."
Chase glances at you both with wide eyes. "Wait... If you broke her out of the Ninth Level, then is she going to... have to..." "No, it's fine." Brook shakes his head. "She doesn't have to kill you," You explain. "B-But how did you-"
"We made a deal." You say firmly. "As part of the deal, we can't talk about it. There's no catch for either of you. Scarlet is out, she doesn't have to kill you anymore, and all three of us have to kill one sinner per day. That's all, don't ask anything else." You shake your head.
Brook squeezes your hand slightly and you squeeze back, then Chase starts walking towards you both. "What are you-" Brook starts, but he doesn't get to finish before you both get practically tackled into a hug by Chase.
"Thank you so, so much... You saved both me and her," He says in between both of you, and you grin. "W-w-w-w-w-w-wh-" Brook stumbles over his words, tensing up under his grip. He tenses, even more, when Scarlet joins the hug, making you cackle.
You all sit there in silence for a few moments, and you watch as Brook processes what's happening. He's only ever really touched you affectionately, and you wince when he lets out a strangled type of scream.
Both Chase and Scarlet release both of you, and you can't help but grin at how defeated Brook looks as if he hasn't slept in 5 days and has been living off of coffee. He looked dead, or like he had just seen a ghost.
"Brook?" Chase says cautiously.
Brook waves his hands in front of him, face already starting to turn red. "I-I-I-It's fine! It was nothing, okay?! I fixed my mistake, that's all." He glances at you for help, but you only grin with a small shrug of your shoulders. "W-What we need to be focusing on, is getting our sinner quota out of the way!" He spews indignantly, and you can practically feel his resisting the urge to cross his arms over his chest.
"Oh, yeah, of course," Chase mumbles, watching Brook have his freak-out with raised eyebrows. "You did your part, now it's my turn to make sure neither of you gets sent back to Hell." You grin, linking your arm with Brook's.
"Let's go then!" You say loudly to get the attention off of Brook, glancing at Scarlet. She gives you a tentative smile back like she doesn't know what to do with you.
You pull Brook along as Chase leads you all through the alley to the next sinner for Scarlet, grumbling under his breath. You pinch his cheeks teasingly, and he unsurprisingly shoves you to the floor, hard. You still grin as you force yourself to stand up and Chase after them.
______
"Prince Arthur, now having fallen from grace, was headed straight to Golden Star City. And, upon arrival, he broke through the walls with ease now that he controlled an entire undead army. And so, their home city was overrun with lich, killing most of the population. Sun elves... I feel like those were hard to fight. I can't really remember."
"I don't really care about the story or gameplay, I just want a good-looking character to put on my blog."
Brook sighs heavily as Chase keeps going, and you grin to yourself as you mess with the hem of Brook's shirt sleeve.
"No, no, listen! You have to learn the lore of each race before you pick one, Brook! After the sun elves were slaughtered, they had to battle their fellow elves who had fallen to the plague, which took another heavy toll on the population..."
"I've already forgotten everything," Brook says in fake dismay, and you snort as you lean forward to look across the street.
"What did I play again? Wasn't it one of the things that kill sun elves?" Scarlet ponders.
"Oh, your character is a zombie, Scarlet. That's a little different. Zombies are different than liches, they've broken free from the control of the lich lord. Though they have the same issues, their bodies are falling apart and they smell like rotting flesh. Their minds also are prone to insanity, due to the slow degradation from being a corpse."
"That sounds cool," Chase grins at you. Scarlet puts a finger to her chin. "I wonder why I picked that."
Brook lifts a hand up to move the hair near his ear with his pinky finger. "Yeah, why did you pick that? That sounds super lame." You frown, though it ends up being more of a pout, and let your hand fall. "I think it's cool." "Of course you do."
"What? Shut up! They're the best! Zombies are easily the strongest race!" Scarlet snaps. You and Brook blink at her. "Why are you so offended? You don't even remember what zombies are like." Brook murmurs. "Well, I picked it, so it had to be good!"
"It's not. You picked a stupid dead person." Brook looks away from her and keeps walking. "You are a stupid dead person!" Both you and Scarlet say at the same time from either side of him.
"Which makes me qualified to say zombies suck."
"Well then, since we're reapers too, then it makes us qualified as well, and we think they're awesome." You mumble. "So you admit you're a stupid dead person."
You stomp on his foot but he doesn't flinch. "Wha - no! We're just reapers like you without the stupid part." Scarlet hurries to amend. "The only thing thicker than lead is your skull." "Did you just call me fat?!"
"Hey, hey, you three! You can argue later, I still have to tell you the rest of the lore being the Lich Lord!" Chase moves in front of all three of you and you halt to watch him.
"His entire story is the basis for the 3rd expansion pack for Fatecraft, so pay attention." You nod. "First, after slaughtering the Sun Elves, he went back to Northhold to wait for the right opportunity to strike."
You all frown as a bald man starts walking backward, towards Chase's back. "You see, he was actually waiting for the kingdoms to organize a counterstrike, so he could raise the strongest adventures as Lich."
The man bumps into Chase's back and they both look over their shoulders at one another. "Ah, my bad, man. Sorry about that."
The man is silent for a moment as he watches Chase, and then. "299.99."
"Huh?"
The man turns around, and you, Scarlet, and Brook all glance at each other. He has a sinners mark, and he's pretty big. He looms over Chase and Scarlet seems to stiffen beside Brook.
"You got dirt on my shoes. They were $299.99. Cash." He tells him. "Can't you just clean them off?" Brook asks, completely oblivious. You deflate.
"Did you just talk back to me, fucker?" "Oi!" The man looks away from Chase to you, and you wave a dismissive hand. "Move along. It'd be inconvenient to get rid of you out here." Brook tells him, face blank.
The man tilts his head, still looking slightly deranged. "Eh? Get rid of me? What the fuck are you talking about? What the hell is a prissy pink fuck, some goth bitch, some gay fucking furry, and a four-eyes soyboy gonna do?"
Chase frowns and looks at the crowd around the group on the street. He seems to think for a moment, and you start to form a shard in your hand when Brook grabs your wrist. "Too many people," He mumbles.
A gay furry. What kind of insult is that? You aren't a furry. It's not like the deer tail was sticking directly out of your ass.
Chase turns back to the man. "Pay up, fucker. I'm waiting."
"I'm sorry. I don't have $300. Just let us go." Chase says calmly.
"That's not an option. You don't wanna be owing money to me, twiggy. I got connections where the sun don't shine. Bad people. If you don't pay up, I say the word... Your blonde little head is going to be blown to chunks-" He doesn't get to finish before Scarlet has a hand around his neck, her Demon already circling the both of them. Brook facepalm next to you and you sigh.
A person stops next to you at the sight and you pluck the open water bottle they're holding out of their hands, walking toward Scarlet and the man.
She mutters something to him in a dangerous and threatening tone, but you just kneel down and empty the water bottle on his shoes. He lets out an odd sound that gathers more people's attention, and you stand up to your full height and make eye contact with him. You grin.
"There, all better. Now, wasn't that easy? People don't just carry $300. Stop threatening people, don't be a dick, or I'll cut yours off." You glance down at his pants and he whimpers.
You grab Scarlet's elbow gently, but she doesn't move away. People are speculating if this is for a new movie coming out, and bringing out their phones to record. "S-Scarlet! There are too many people!" Chase says from behind you.
"I want to kill him now, Deer." You frown, unsure of what to say. She's obviously not going to listen when her emotions are in the way. "Please understand, no matter what I can't lose you!" She's louder now, and suddenly Brook is at her other side and grabbing her arm harsher than you are. Both of you use your demons to make her let go.
"Scarlet," Brook mutters. "We need to go. Now." You tell both of them, glancing over your shoulder and wincing at a flash. You grab Brook's wrist and start making your way through the crowd quickly, looking down to hide your face.
You only stop a few blocks down in an alley, breathing heavily as you all watch Scarlet. "Scarlet, it's okay-"
Chase is cut off by his phone ringing, and you all grimace at the sudden loud noise. Chase looks tired as if he already knows who it is and how much trouble he's in, before he answers it with a defeated greeting.
He narrows his eyes as the person on the other end replies, then. "That's not my name. It's Chase Carter."
There's a longer pause and Chase's eyes widen comically. You and Brook glance at each other.
*****
You grin at the thought of another week at Alex's house instead of with your Father.
Staying for several days at a time had become common ever since Alex's father passed, and you wanted to spend the holiday with him.
The large mansion he lived in was freezing, and you had already pulled a sweater over your clothes as you walked from room to room to pass the time. You still had a few hours until Alex got back from his lessons, and when he did he was yours for a full week. The thought made you grin wider as you walked down a long hallway, passing large windows and squinting at the brightness from the white snow. You pass the greenhouse and catch a glimpse of a large tree on a hill across a field, the one you and Alex always hang out at when you go outside.
The leaves had fallen a few weeks ago and now it was covered in a thick layer of snow. You hum to yourself, looking at the snow in the distance. There weren't any footprints from people and animals alike, which is definitely odd. Lucy lives there and you feed her lettuce all the time, and last winter she left her safe haven of the warm tree to collect fur from different animals (most had died from the cold already, or were hibernating) to make the inside warmer for her and her babies.
Before you really think about it, you're pulling on another jumper and making your way outside. You stop at the greenhouse and grab some lettuce. It's cold in your hands as you walk to the tree, happy to find the small blanket you and Alex pinned to the entrance when it first started to get cold a few weeks ago.
You savored the sound of the freshly fallen snow compacting beneath your feet, crunching better than the leaves did during Autumn as you approached the tree. Even with the extra layers you had around you, you could still pull back the blanket and squeeze into the small space, forgetting to pull your legs in or move the blanket back in place when you catch sight of Lucy.
You watch as she breathes slowly, laying on her side with her eyes closed. You set the lettuce down and slowly reach out to pet her nose, heart already dropping. Her ear twitches and she opens her eyes, blinks at you, and closes them again. Something's wrong.
You lean against the inside of the tree and take off one of your sweaters, then slowly put your hands under and around her to pick her up and bundle her inside the sweater. She doesn't make a fuss like she normally would, and you can already feel your eyes stinging.
You cradle her in your arms as you lean back again. You can still feel her breathing, but now it feels more like she's wheezing. It's too cold for her in here, but you know if you leave her small sanctuary it'll be colder and she'll be stressed. She's never been inside.
Her nose and ear twitch as your stroke her head.
It doesn't take long for her breathing to stop completely, no matter how tightly you hold her to your chest and cover her to try to warm her. It was like she was waiting for you, and you finally allow the tears in your eyes to spill over your cheeks at the thought that she was, and that you could comfort her during her passing.
You were loud, you knew. You and Alex had been caring for this bunny ever since she was born and you were just children, and she waited for you.
You don't know how long you stayed in the small area inside the tree, legs being covered with snow as you cried into the bunny's fur in your arms.
You only looked up when you heard crunching under someone's feet as they approached, which turned out to be Alex. The sun was almost fully set and it was dark besides the white of the snow around you.
He seemed to know what was going on immediately, his frown being replaced with a sad and sympathetic look. He didn't say anything, and you moved to the side to let him squeeze in next to you. He looked at Lucy in your arms, his own eyes glossing over but the tears never falling.
"She waited for me," You choke out, the last word coming out as a sob that makes Alex immediately wrap an arm around your shoulder and pull you into him. You cried more, probably louder than before, but you didn't care. He held you the entire time, whispering words you couldn't hear into your ear and rubbing your head, moving tears out of your face so you can see and don't freeze. Your fingers are numb, and your face is freezing from crying in the cold.
You don't bother to protest when Alex says that you both need to go inside, it's too cold to stay out and it's getting late. It'll get colder. "We can bury her tomorrow if you want." He murmurs, your face in his hands as you look down at her. You nod twice, slowly, and he smiles small. "Okay. Let's go inside and get some sleep, okay, love?"
You swallow and follow him out, refusing to leave her there. You take her inside with you, glancing back at the tree a few times as you both walk inside. He doesn't try to take her from you, just holds your hand and guides you back inside in the dark.
That night you had adamantly decided you hated winter. You didn't know it would be one of your lasts while alive, but winter was awful if it took away one of the things that were most important to you. Winter sucks.
*****
When you turn the corner of the Manor and look up at Alex's window, you halt in your steps. With an eyebrow raised, you duck down below the line of sight from the windows and keep steadily making your way to the tree right in front of Alex's window.
Alex is sitting on his window ledge, dangling his feet and looking down at you. He releases his hand from the edge of the windowsill to grant you a tiny wave, a small smile playing on his lips. He quickly grabs the ledge again, watching you as you look into the first-floor window. Positive that nobody can see you, you haul yourself onto the nearest branch and keep making your way up.
"Hello, you," You mumble, keeping your voice down when you're on a branch a little way down from his window. His smile grows and he bites down on his lip to try and hide it, which only makes you grin as you lift onto the last branch and sit on it.
"I have an idea," Alex says hesitantly, and you raise an eyebrow and lean forward.
"Oh, do tell."
"It's breaking a lot of rules. We'll probably get in trouble."
"That makes it all the better, dear." He raises a suspicious eyebrow but rolls his eyes and swings around to stand on his floor. He helps you into his window and you bounce on the heels of your feet as he walks to one of his dressers. He opens a small drawer and removes several quills and inkwells, then lifts a piece of wood from the bottom of the drawer.
"Oh, I forgot we had the fake bottom in there!" He nods to let you know he heard you, carefully lifting something in a white silk bag out of the drawer and heading over to his bed.
"Nobody will come here for at least 4 hours, so we have time. I..." He clears his throat.
"I may or may not have gone into town a few nights ago." You raise an eyebrow because the town is several miles away and usually he has you bribe Rick to use a horse or something instead of walking. You nod and gesture for him to keep going.
"I found something really cool. You know how your sister got that tattoo the other month?" Your mouth falls open. "Alicia is 22, Alex."
"I know. Which is why I said we would probably get in trouble. But I have some things we can do it with, and I know that you said you didn't like rings a lot. And the whole thing about being serious to propose when I turn 18, so," He clears his throat again and dumps the contents of the silk bag out on the carpet. Some ink and several needles, as well as some type of disinfectant. You pick up the ink.
"This must have been expensive," You murmur.
"It would have been. I stole it."
You gape at him.
"By yourself. You stole this by yourself."
"Yes." He confirms.
You grin, leaning forward to tackle him in a hug.
You squish his face with your hands and pepper kisses all over it. "Oh, wow, I'm so proud of you. You're growing up." He swats you away and then shoves you off of him, and you try and keep your laughter down as you dramatically wipe a fake tear from your eye. "You're learning, my love, learning. I'm so proud."
He stares at you blankly.
"So what does this have to do with proposing?"
His eyes light up. "Oh, right. Well, I was thinking that instead of matching wedding bands, we could do a tattoo instead. But on our pinky." He looks off to the side, not meeting your eye. You grin anyway. "A pinky promise." You murmur, looking down at his pale hands. His fingers fidget with one another and he finally looks at you, cheeks dusted pink in the moonlight.
"Yes." He confirms.
"Let's do it then! Give me your hand."
He complies. "If I die of infection, I will haunt you forever." You grin and use the disinfectant on the silk bag, rubbing his pinky. You grab one of the needles and open the ink, dipping the needle in and positioning it over his pinky.
"What should I put?" You look up to see him frowning.
"Whatever you want."
"It's gonna hurt, you know."
"You'll be doing it too. We can suffer together."
"Good point. Alright," You look down again and start working on writing the word you want around his pinky, in the space just above his knuckle. His hand only jerks a couple of times as you poke each letter carefully in silence, and you can feel him watching you.
"This is a much better idea than rings. Don't look!" You move forward and slap your hand over his eyes so he can't see his hand. "Do me first, then we can look at the same time." He sighs, but obliges, putting his pinky underneath your hand as he works so he can't see it.
You grin the entire time, and when he's finished your face hurts from doing it so much, despite how badly it's throbbing or how many times you've jerked away when he hit a certain spot.
"Finished. Can I look now?" Alex asks as soon as he puts the items down. You nod, lifting your own pinky to look at the words. You let out an unattractive snort, face flushing.
"PROMISE" is written around your pinky, as well as his.
"I feel like this is way too similar to be a coincidence," Alex says from in front of you. You look up at him to see him still looking down at his pinky.
You sit in silence for a moment, before looking down at your supplies. "We have to get rid of the evidence. I'll bury it when I leave." You decide, dumping them all in the bag after closing the ink. Alex nods and helps you.
When the bag is tied and in your lap, you hold his pinky in yours to see how it looks. The word on his pinky is in messy and uneven capital letters, while yours is in much neater and tighter capital letters. It looks nice and makes you feel fuzzy inside.
You both jolt when you hear footsteps up the stairs, and without speaking you both scramble to your feet as you stuff the bag in your pocket and head toward the window.
Alex kisses your forehead before he closes the window, per routine, and you watch as he gets into bed and faces away from the door to make it look like he's asleep. You manage to get on the branch below his window just in time to see the handle of the door click open, but you manage to duck down unseen.
You stare at your sore pinky, completely aware how much everyone is probably going to either lose their shit or not care at all, but grin as you keep climbing down nonetheless.
******
You think this is the first time you and Brook have been left alone in Chase's apartment.
You frown at the remote in your hands.
Usually, in situations where you had to wait, you and Brook would go to a park or something to watch the people wander around there. But because of the incident on the street, you have to pay attention to the news, meaning you have to be on an electronic. You squint at the TV channel, eyes already starting to hurt when you keep them open for too long as you switch between two different news channels, one talking about a recent murder and one talking about a sinkhole that opened a few hours ago.
"Says there might be a family stuck in it," You mumble absently to Brook. "I didn't know so many interesting things happened in this city." Brook makes a humming sound next to you as he types away on his phone. You look at him.
"You're supposed to be checking the news, too, you know." He makes another noise, still typing on his phone. You sigh heavily, dramatically dropping your head on his shoulder as you switch to another channel.
Brook finally looks at you for a second.
"How do you even know how a TV works?" He mumbles, watching your hand as you switch between a few other channels. "I don't live under a fucking rock," You sigh, letting your eyes fall closed as a woman comes up on the screen, volume too low to hear. Her voice isn't urgent, so you let the remote fall from your grip in favor of leaving further into Brook to stretch your legs and look at what he's doing.
"Are you playing a word game?" You inquire, resting your cheek on his shoulder. You can feel his body heat through his fabric, even though you know his hands are probably cold. They usually are. He nods, connecting a few letters to form a short 3 letter word.
It's silent for a while and you stare as his gloves fingers move across the screen quickly, glancing up at the TV every minute or so to check if the broadcasting has changed from different channels.
You close your eyes after a few minutes, only for you and Brook to violently jolt up when a blaring sound fills the room from both his phone and the TV. You let out a loud string of curses as you pick up the remote to try and turn the volume down, only to halt when you see the screen.
Chase, and Scarlet are on the screen, a red dim casting around the room as Chase's cat wanders around mewing loudly. Several words pass on the screen, the most common ones being WANTED and EMERGENCY. You glance at Brook staring down at his phone with pinched eyebrows, and he lets out a curse before shoving his phone in one of his pockets.
"Okay," You mumble, reaching for a harness for Chase's cat because you won't leave her here but don't want her getting lost.
Brook basically shoves a mask on your face when you get to your feet with the cat in your arms, not commenting on it as he slips his own on and you both hurry out of the apartment.
____
You silently make your way behind a group of police officers and SWAT as they speak in hurried voices. Scarlet just threatened everyone, and now people are panicking. Of fucking course.
"Who the fuck cares what the orders are! It's an effing demon! Fucking shoot it!"
"Wha- I'm not gonna do it! It said if we shoot it's gonna kill all of us!"
"What if it kills all of us anyways?!"
They don't get to speak anymore when Brook drops down on them, and you try and catch a glance at a nearby alley that you left Lightstalker in. She hadn't come out at all, meaning she was probably digging through a trash bag having the time of her life in that stupid ass sweater.
You watch Brook slam into the cement next to you, debris flying up and the air becoming dusty. His new mask looks nice, you think to yourself as he stands to his full height.
"Just knock them out, you idiot, or else we're going to run out of sinners," Brook says loud enough for Scarlet to hear, and you grin under your mask. You haven't fought in a while, and you'd be lying if you said you weren't looking forward to this.
Brook turns around sharply and punches one of them through their masks and in the face, and you whoop at him.
"What the absolute fuck-" Someone from behind you says, and you turn just in time to see them take stances and raise their weapons at both of you. "That thing's not human!" They shout.
"No shit, sherlock!" You laugh as Brook looks at one of them. "And?" He asks, and the person stammers. You grab one of their masks and throw it to the ground, basically body-slamming the poor dude. You stand up and rub your clothes off, looking back at Brook as the sound of helicopters overhead gets louder. The man doesn't get back up, but he releases a groan.
"I hate that Scarlet keeps getting us in these situations, but this is fun!" You end up yelling over the sound, jumping over another guy who had been charging at you with his shield in front of him. He stops when he passes and you elbow him in the back of the head. He falls forward, motionless.
You turn around just in time to watch Brook loudly lift a car. Your jaw drops, because Jesus Christ, you've never seen that before, and, oh, hello, he looks good doing it too.
You watch as he throws it rather far, directly at one of the helicopters, then wince as it hits and causes a huge explosion.
You dash out of the way of falling burning particles, standing a few feet away from Brook and watching the way his hair whips around in the wind. He glances at you, then over his shoulder at the rest of the SWAT team. You face them, too, crossing your arms over your chest.
They're all clustered together. "Y-You weren't a target, but we will use lethal f-force!" One of them shouts. You grin through your mask, fully aware that they can see it because you have a weird mesh plate over your mouth instead of having your face completely covered like Brook's.
You hum thoughtfully.
"Lethal force, huh?" Brook murmurs, spreading his arms out. His shirt definitely blows way too high to be normal in the wind, fire behind him.
"Go on, then." He shouts at the men.
You look shamelessly at the sinner's marks along his ribs. "You look like one of those people with a god complex," You yell to him over the noise. He ignores you, per usual, staring the men down. You shrug, keeping your arms crossed but facing the men stubbornly.
"Kill me." Brook shrugs. You wait a moment, and there's no response from the men. They look between both of you and themselves, not sure what to do.
"Cowards!"
The men made no move to shoot, despite having their weapons at the ready.
"We're waiting~." You drawl out, waving a hand in a slow circle as if asking them to get on with it. The men glance at one another. "S-Should we shoot it? I feel like we're being tricked..." One asks.
"Stop hesitating! We need to fire at the same time!" One man in the front yells, and they all look at you and Brook but don't fire. Brook sighs deeply, and begins counting down. "Five... Four... Bored." He says in a flat voice.
Both you and he launch yourselves forward at the same time, and the men scramble. "Shoot!! Just fucking shoot it!!!" One yells, panic clear in his voice as he lifts his gun. The sounds of gunfire fill the air as they all start shooting at you and Brook as you persist.
You put both your hands up over your face to try and stop your mask from being destroyed, feeling every impact but not being all too bothered by them at all. By the time the men cease fire, the bottom half of your mask is shattered. You let your arms fall and glance down at yourself, frowning down at your ruined outfit because now you have to go to Hell to heal yourself and your clothes and that's such a hassle.
Brook, when you look at him, is in the same predicament, but his mask is completely gone. Both of you are covered in blood from the wounds but still stand anyway. Brook looks over his arms at the police squad, blood dripping down his face while yours is relatively untouched.
"You should have brought more ammo," He says, and his voice is clearly raspy. Probably got hit in the throat. You don't think you can speak right now, and bring a hand to rub at a wound in the center of your throat without thinking. It makes a weird sound and you wince, but persist nonetheless.
"W-What? H-how... how can we possibly kill those things...?" A man asks.
"You can't kill us," Brook states simply, letting his arms fall to the side. He looks feral, and you would tell him how attractive that was if you could speak, but he would probably punch you in the throat again. "We're already dead."
Several people drop their empty guns, and you grin. "You're a monster..." One of them states.
"Damn right," Brook says like it's common knowledge. "Start running."
Several of them freeze and Brook uses his demon energy and starts sprinting toward them. They start running, mumbling and crying under their breath.
You glance around, not really in the mood for running. You form a neon green shard in your hand and launch it out at one man still frozen and staring at you, and it pierces his safety mask. He falls to the floor, limp, and you look over just in time to see Brook decapitate someone. Everyone else looks at him too and both of you disappear at the same time, landing in Hell.
"Woah ho ho! What happened here?!" Satan's voice rings out giddily, and suddenly he's upside down in the air in front of you and Brook's face. You frown, debating to spit some blood in his face but think better of it.
"Small situation with the police. Can we go?" Brook says sharply. Satan raises an eyebrow, looking at you, and all you can do is shrug your shoulders and gesture vaguely to your throat.
He deflates. "You kids never tell me what you get up to! I like to hear gossip too, you know!" You see Brook roll his eyes as Satan runs a dismayed hand on his forehead, then has his face fall flat.
"Very well, get back to your playdate." He snaps his fingers, and you know you're healed. A second later you're standing back where you were in the waking world, most people looking up in the air where Brook just appeared fully healed or where you're standing.
Brook lands back on his feet on the road, and the men start whispering frantically again. You can't make out only one sentence, and they aren't being quiet about it either. Not to mention you and Brook are separated by them. You frown.
"You're dealing with a reaper!" Chase's voice rings out throughout the crowd, making the others stop talking. You and Brook glance at Chase, who is shielding Scarlet. She still has her demon out, and it adds effect behind him since it has several eyes. "Four of them." You snort, looking away as the crowd starts talking again.
"A reaper?"
"I've never heard of that..."
"N-No one on the radio said anything about this!"
Chase held a smug look on his face that make you giggle, but you cover your mouth when a few people look at you. "Let me tell you... about the power of a reaper," Chase says. Your shoulders shake a little, but you collect yourself.
"First." He holds up one finger. "Every reaper has a demon inside of them. The demon sometimes can break free if the reaper is angered enough, and you'll all be slaughtered in seconds. Every single one of you. Two." He holds up another finger.
"We're immortal. Remember how the pink and green guy healed all his wounds when they killed your friends? If you injure us, we'll be forced to kill one of you to fully restore our bodies. Which brings us to the third point." He holds up one more finger.
"If we kill you, your soul will go straight to Hell, and you'll be tortured for eternity. So, are we going to do this the easy way... or the hard way?" Chase asks, widening his eyes as he looks at the men around him.
"So?" Chase asks the frozen crowd. "Get out of the way, or we'll just have to make a mess."
He pauses, waiting for a reaction, but they stay still. He starts counting down and they all shuffle to make a path for them to pass through, stepping back. You can imagine what their faces would look like behind their masks, and the thought makes you grin. God, you hate the police.
Chase smiles smugly. "Good choice, boys." You roll your eyes because he didn't even have to do any of the grunt work. He glances behind him at Scarlet, who seems to be calming down now, and murmurs something unheard to anyone besides her. "Alright," You hear her say, and they start walking in the pathway that the police had carved out for them with their bodies, toward you and Brook on the other side of it.
Brook has the pink clothe covering his mouth, glancing at Chase wearily. You sigh heavily and lean on his for a moment because you know you can't exactly feel exhausted, but you are exhausted. It was fun, but you haven't fought like that with mortals in a long time.
"We leave you two alone for 3 hours and you get into this shit." He grumbles, and you grin at the feeling of his hand on the small of your back for some sort of comfort and stability like he used to do during meetings.
Chase glances to the side, looking unnerved. "I'm curious to know how we got into it in the first place," He admits, and you raise an eyebrow. "We just went in to see Scarlet's body, and none of our questions got answered... I did punch the guy who was giving Scarlet shit, but as far as I know, that shouldn't get the riot police called on me." He says, pissed off because he can't figure out what the fuck went wrong.
"I absolutely was Judah," Scarlet says from behind him. "I'm realizing now... That I fell for it..." "Fell for what...?" Scarlet swallows. "There was something wrong with the body, that only I would have known." Brook narrows his eyes. "Like?" Chase asks, not turning his head to look behind him.
"I think I should probably just show you. Later." Chase's eyes widen and he pauses. "Uhm. Sure. There are a few things I need to tell you about too, whenever we get the chance. I'm not sure where to go from here though, since I doubt that they're just gonna leave us alone." Chase says to you and Brook, you realize has turned around slightly so you're just leaning against his back. You straighten up because it's probably not very comfortable for him.
"Ahh, I'm getting hungry, too... After hanging out with you three so much, I'm starting to realize that being a human is super inconvenient.
Brook is quiet for a moment. "I think I might have somewhere we can go," He says quietly, and you grip his shirt in case he runs off. You honestly feel really clingy right now. You just want to touch him in some way, and holding his shirt helps.
_____
You grin as you crawl through the tunnel slowly. Chase makes a sound of pain from behind you and you feel the vibrations of him hitting his head on the top, making you let out a bark of laughter. Brook lets out a huff of amusement through his nose. "Ow, ow, ow... God damn it Brook, Deer, can you tell us where we're going already??"
"The Red Spades set up a huge maze of tunnels between their various hideouts," Brook explains. "They would get shuffled around a lot, so anyone not familiar would just get lost and die down there." You continue. "Besides reapers, obviously. It's how I found out about it. I think I was down here for almost a full day before Brook found me, super panicked because he thought I missed my sinner that day and Satan sent me to Hell again."
There's a sharp pain on your thigh and your leg twitches back, kicking Brook in the face. "Fuck!" He says, and you grin. "That was completely your fault, asshole," You say flatly.
When your giggles die down, Chase speaks. "How do you know they haven't changed them since last time, then?" "Did you forget the part where the old leader died?" You giggle again. "The Red Spades' only guidance is from the boss. If she's dead, they're like chickens running around without a head.
There's a pause as you keep moving forward. "Well, they haven't been doing that at all. The Red Spades have been completely silent. When an organization suddenly loses its leader, it usually would result in pure chaos. But there's been nothing." You hesitate in crawling, glancing behind you.
"Well, if they got their shit together and shuffled the tunnels, we can just punch to the surface." You say. "Piece of cake."
"That's an awful plan." Brook deadpans, but he goes ignored. "Ok, good to know we have a backup plan. But where are we even going?" Chase asks, and you grin. "The Red Spades has plenty of rooms and food storage left around in case of emergencies. We can hide out in there for a while," You say quickly.
There's another sharp pain in your thigh, the same spot as last time. You were expecting it, but still, bring your leg back to kick Brook in the face.
"You fucking dick! You did that on purpose!"
"You should have been expecting it after what happened last time,"
"You did that on purpose! Fuck you!"
"You've already done that, bunny."
"I will fucking dismember you. You can go back to Hell for all I care."
"I don't believe you."
"Do you want me to prove it, asshole?"
"Sure," You grin, waiting for a while. Brook doesn't do anything. "That's what I thought,"
"I'm waiting until we get to the base. Then I'll fucking strangle you. I don't want you to be dead if the tunnels have been shuffled."
"Mhm, sure, sure. How considerate," You mumble, not reacting when he grips your ankle and yanks you to the floor of the tunnel. You laugh loudly because you missed this.
"Are you okay back there, Scarlet?" Chase asks when you're only giggling. "I'm fine!" Scarlet yells, startled, and you open your eyes because you rolled over on your back. Brook is watching your face, amusement in his eyes. His mouth is still covered, but you can imagine the small quirk of his lips. Chase is looking at Scarlet over his shoulder, but you stare at Brook.
"That's good to hear. Hopefully, we'll be out soon," Chase says, oblivious. He turns back and looks at you, and Brook clears his throat. You scramble back and crawl forward some more, stopping a few yards forward and pressing yourself to the wall so Brook can search for the exit.
He touches the ceiling with his hands, lifting a piece of cement and tossing it up. Dim light comes into the tunnel, and you look up at Brook as he sticks his head out of his, fake rabbit ears straight up and alert.
"It's empty," You hear him say, and your shoulders relax. "Come out." He climbs up, offering you a hand, which you take and let him haul you up. Chase does the same for Scarlet as you glance around the room.
"Brook... is this the right place?" Scarlet asks. Brook has his arms crossed under his cloak, and you mess with the fabric as it overflows in your hand loosely, watching his expression. He's anything but assured.
"It's changed." He says finally. You glance around again, and your eyes look straight into a camera on the ceiling that zooms in. You tug on Brook's cloak, and he hums in annoyance and acknowledgment. The distant sound of stomping footsteps makes all of you tense. Brook swings around, knocking into you. He grabs your wrist as you stumble back.
"The Red Spades are still here?" He asks in alarm. More stomping footsteps.
"Fuck! We're gonna get surrounded again!" Chase says in annoyance.
You do, in fact, get surrounded. The people aren't wearing the same masks as they were with the old leader, instead seeming to have more choices. One has a purge mask, another a skeleton, and another seems to be wearing one or two pantyhose over their entire face.
Scarlet, Brook's, and your Demon are out in moments, looming over most of them. You frown, actually pissed off because you left your mask in the tunnel somewhere.
"Listen, we've had a long day. Just step aside and you won't die," Chase says, exasperated. "W-Wait!" One in front shouts as you step toward them. He holds his hands up in front of him, and you cross your arms and raise an eyebrow, waiting for an explanation. "We're not going to hurt you! It's the opposite! We've been ordered by the boss to protect you!"
You glance at Brook immediately, eyes wide.
Boss?
You point your bow at one of the Red Spades' members, sharing a glance with Brook. Your face is angled away from them, and you curse yourself for leaving your mask in those tunnels. Brook slips you a piece of fabric, and you blink at him. "Kind of occupied." You mumble, looking at the people from the corner of your eye. He rolls his eyes and stuffs it back into his pocket. "Fine."
"Fine." You use your demon to form a little shield over the top half of your face, like your mask. You raise your bow again and wait. The silence stretches for a long while.
"Do you think I'm stupid? We're not going to let our guard down. Move." Chase instructs, voice firm. You raise your bow higher, pulling the string back. The masked person holds their hands up to try and shield themselves. "I-I'm serious! Seriously serious! We got a new boss a few months ago, and she told us to never hurt you! You, the blonde one!"
Chase narrows his eyes at the person, before a look of realization blooms across his face. "This was it." He whispers faintly to himself.
"Take me to her," He instructs immediately, walking forward. You let your demon and bow dissipate, making a shard in your hand instead. All of you follow him as he walks forward.
"I'm confused... I don't remember anything. Didn't Brook say the leader died?" Scarlet asks from the other side of Chase. "The last leader did die," Chase confirms, "It's like I thought, there's a new one." You purse your lips.
"...Are you hiding something from us?"
"Not me... Someone else..." He mumbles, wearing a conflicted look on his face. He starts walking, following the Red Spades' members. You grab Brook's shirt as you all follow. Something was going on and you weren't sure what.
Chase makes sure to stay a few paces behind the members, you and Brook a few paces behind him, and Scarlet in the middle. Brook's cloak was a nice material, you realize.
"So... You guys used to work here? Brook, Deer?" Scarlet asks.
"You don't remember?" Brook asks. "I kind of remember fighting with you? Once. And then another time, but Deer was there, too, and then it goes all fuzzy. But I don't remember... What we were fighting against...?" You grimace. "Uhm... We weren't really... fighting together." You admit, looking away awkwardly.
"Oh? I could have sworn there was fighting. Did we know each other that well?" "Not really," Brook says after a pause. "Ahhh," Scarlet says, glancing back. "Well, I'm glad we're friends."
You grin at her. Brook pulls his mask up higher to hide his face, which makes you smile wider.
"Why are we walking so far up?" You hear Chase ask ahead of you. "It's _____ ___ ____ office is," A member says, too quiet for you to get all the words. "Seems a little dangerous to put it all the way up here, what if she gets cornered?" Chase asks. "___ wanted __ here, and ____ ___ says goes..." The member answers, still faint. You drag Brook forward a little to hear better. The member brings their hands up to rub the back of their hooded head.
"The new leader is so stern and bossy... Man... The last boss let us fool around and have our fun, but this one doesn't even let us sneeze without permission!" "That sounds about right," Chase says with his eyes closed, a hint of fondness in his voice despite it all. You raise an eyebrow.
The member stops in front of something. "Man... If I get in trouble, I'm gonna be pissed..." And they knock. "Uhm... Hey, boss... You know that blonde guy you told us to not touch... He's right here, with his three friends." There's a moment of silence where you all wait for a reply.
"Let them in, and go." A voice rings out. You shuffle closer to Brook, because you know that voice. That voice has haunted you for years. Oh, boy.
The member turns around to address Chase. "Really, who are you?"
"A really lucky guy, apparently," Chase mutters under his breath, like he can't believe his luck.
The member lets you into the office, and all four of you step inside and look around. "The new Leader of The Red Spades, huh?" Chase asks, and you let out a squeak when you catch sight of the woman at the window on the other side of the room.
She's wearing the same coat and hairstyle, which you would know as well as you know the back of your hand. "I'm starting to understand where you were coming from, Chase," Veronica says without turning around.
"Brook," You whine, moving behind him to shield yourself.
"You wanted to change the police force from the inside." "...There was a time when I thought that was possible. But my thinking was flawed. The police force cannot be changed. Because it's working just as the people who pull the strings intended. It's not meant to bring justice, it's meant to maintain the status quo."
"I think, after everything, I realize that too. So, what would you say I do? I system that was designed to kill, and must continue to kill, every day, no matter what... was put into your hands? Chase?"
"The answer is obvious. I would try to minimize the harm the system inflicted. I understand. Don't worry."
"Good." Veronica turns around, and you inhale sharply. She has a sinners mark now, the same outfit she's usually in, and wears a sad smile as she looks down at her son. "I'm glad you understand, Chase."
Veronica turns around, crossing her arms and looking down at all four of you with a somber expression. Something like regrets, maybe, worried Chase may be disappointed in her. You move the fabric of Brook's cloak in between your fingers, comforted by the fact that he was standing right next to you. He leans closer to you, despite the fact that you can see his face.
You, Brook, and Scarlet stare at Veronica with admittedly started expressions. You knew who she was the moment you walked into the room, but that didn't make the fact that she was both here and has a sinners mark any less surprising. Chase didn't seem surprised, though.
"I understand," Chase says simply. There's a moment of silence. "Scarlet, Brook, Deer, could I talk to my mom alone for a bit?" Chase asks without turning to look at any of you, only moving his head for a small glance.
Scarlet and Brook nod silently as you make eye contact with Veronica. Recognition flashes across her features, and you scurry out of the room behind Brook and Scarlet for fear of her saying something to you.
______
You lean your head on Brook's shoulder, all three of you leaning against the wall. You feel tired, because you haven't slept in a while, you think. Brook makes no complaint, sitting in silence and picking at a fraying piece of fabric on your shirt that happened from some sparks back at the battle. You're aware of Scarlet staring at both of you, but mostly Brook. You don't say anything because you could honestly fall asleep then and there, so instead, you just mess with the pink bunny ears that are drooping near your face.
You pause when Brook shifts, lifting his hand to pull his mask down. He keeps his finger hooked inside the fabric like he's ready to pull it back over his face at any second. You make your mask disappear after you left the room. "Why are you looking at us?" He asks, shifting his head to look at Scarlet.
You lift your head to look at her, too, and she has her hands on her knees as she watches both of you with wide eyes, filled with curiosity like a small child asking how children are born.
"How did we meet?"
Brook puts his arm down, and you both share a glance for a moment before looking back at her. You grimace.
The first time you met Scarlet officially was that one fight with Brook and her, but you'd seen her many times before that. When getting Brook to go for ice cream, or at Ana's apartment, or when you and Brook basically stalked her and Chase when she first came into the waking world and became a reaper.
Brook looks forward again, at the wall, then at you, then back at the wall. His face and hair do that thing they do after being in the wind for so long and being so tired, which you have grown accustomed to. His cheeks flush, but by now the pink has disappeared and his face is pale. His skin looks soft, lips pursed ever so slightly. His nose is cute, the thought popping into your head like it used to when you watched him read when you were both alive. His hair falls to shield parts of his face like it does when he reads, too, and you lean forward a little to be able to see him. Pink eyes. Very pretty face.
You think that if you were sent to the Ninth Level with only this memory, you would be able to keep sane for much longer than Satan would have wanted. It's a ridiculous thought that you have, that you could just stare at him for eternity and feel so happy that he's here right now, even with the regrets you have in the past. It's also funny, because it's not even an exaggeration. If you were destined to stare at him for all of eternity, you would consider yourself on some level of Heaven, not a reaper who was supposed to be being punished for killing people over a hundred years ago.
This didn't feel like a punishment at all.
You must have a dumb awestruck look on your face because Brook glances up at you and his cheeks turn pink again. You smile instinctively. He looks at Scarlet and clears his throat, effectively avoiding looking your way. You grin.
"We tried to kill you," He mumbles, and you look at Scarlet and nod to confirm it. She looks a little surprised, but not bothered that much. "Oh, okay."
Brook fidgets with his hands in his lap, leaning his head back against the wall as he looks at her through the corner of his eyes. Every time he blinks his eyelashes brush underneath his eyes. You blink violently, deciding to try and only focus on Scarlet.
Not the time, you think to yourself.
"You don't care?" Brook asks, his face slightly worried, like Scarlet will lash out at you both. He glances your way this time.
"Well, you're not trying to kill me anymore," Scarlet shrugs. Brook looks at her blankly. "Idiot," He deadpans, looking at his hands as he starts doing something on his phone. You and Scarlet grin at each other, and you lean back against the wall next to Brook and rest your chin on his shoulder to look at his phone. You resist the urge to sneeze when one of the pink strands of the sash brushes your nose, and it twitches. Almost like he can sense it, the fabric moves out of your face. You smile, small and fond as you watch Scarlet.
"How do phones work, anyway?" She points at the phone in his hand. "Huh? You forgot that, too? Geeze, I've never seen someone get amnesia twice." He looks down at his phone, dead serious. "There's a robot inside, and he draws on the screen to make the images." Scarlet stares at him with wide eyes, and you sit up a little.
"Wait, really? That's so cool! Is the robot cute? How old is he? Is there only one on all phones or is there one per phone?" Brook blinks at you. He looks aghast. "What?"
"Do you think the robot gets lonely? If there's only one?" Scarlet ass, finger on her chin. "Of course not. It's a robot, it doesn't have emotions."
"You sound like you're 13 again," You mumble. "Of course, it would have emotions! It spends all day getting influenced by us because we use our phones all the time, right? Like a happy person would have a happy robot, and a sad person would have a sad robot a lot. Or someone who reads a lot of romance books might have a really loving and romantic robot since that's the content it gets exposed to." You make hand gestures as you talk and Brook watches you, looking both dumbfounded, like he's on the verge of laughter, and fond.
"It'd get lonely," Scarlet decides when you finish speaking. You nod in agreement. "Yeah, he would get lonely! You don't talk to anyone else. He won't talk to any other robots." Brook looks between both of you, who watch him expectantly.
"I'll use my phone every day so he doesn't get lonely, don't worry about it." He glances down at his phone, and you and Scarlet smile. "That's cute." You decide, knowing he did that to make both of you feel better about the lonely robot in his phone.
"Shut up," He grumbles, going back to typing on his phone.
A few seconds later, Chase's voice makes all of you sit up, alert. "Hey." Brook's rabbit ears go straight up, and you and Scarlet sit up and look in his direction. Chase walks toward all of you, one hand waving and the other in his pocket.
"Sorry about that. Just had to talk about a few things. So, The Red Spades will be able to hide us for a while." He says while looking down at all of you on the floor. "Judah knows I'm mom's son, so he knows where we are. But, it's in Judah's best interest to not interfere with The Red Spades workings. It's a delicate ecosystem. He'd rather wait for us to slip up. However, we will need to go out eventually to get information. But, I have a plan." You nod.
"I'd really like the sleep first, though," Chase starts, and you nod enthusiastically because you would like to rest too. "So, mom was nice enough to give us a place to stay for a bit. Even if you three don't need to sleep, you still can and I need to." He pulls out two keys and presents them to you.
"Two keys?" You and Scarlet ask at the same time. "Yeah. Two rooms, one for you and Brook, and one for you and me."
*****
Notes:
Authors Notes:
Hello, Veronica. Meow. Hi. Hello. Bark. I will gladly become a dog.
tangeringe on Chapter 7 Mon 25 Jul 2022 06:31PM UTC
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tangeringe on Chapter 8 Thu 18 Aug 2022 02:46AM UTC
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