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He wasn’t sure why he agreed to this. All he was supposed to do was give the Bone demon’s lap dog to the kid and his group before leaving and go in hiding for a couple months before coming back to bother them once again. He wasn’t supposed to stay any longer than that. He wasn’t supposed to get caught up in their plans.
He was definitely sure he wasn’t supposed to be driving towards the Lady Bone demon, knowing she carried a deadly assist in replace of him.
Always playing the loser, a voice in the simian’s mind whispered, leaving Macaque with an uneasy chill run down his spine as they got closer to the mech. Always left behind for better things.
He shook his head and glanced at MK, who seemed busy talking to his friends. His eyes softened a bit at the sight, remembering why he chose to go through with this madness. This wasn’t supposed to be for power, nor to get back at Wukong. It was so he could start anew, with a much brighter future ahead this time. With people who actually cared for him, and chances he never thought he could have.
Was this how Wukong felt when he went on his Journey to the West?
Was this why he had to die by his hands before?
Macaque’s ears flickered underneath his glamour and listened for any monsters they would encounter before they started their plan. He was a trickster, so was she. There was always something hidden under her plans.
Once he was sure they had a clear path, he opened the doors and turned to MK again. “C’mon kid, let’s go!”
He didn’t bother seeing if he followed, and transformed into a bird and flew to the top of the mech, where both of them would be waiting. The simian barely realized he was standing in front of the Lady Bone Demon until he heard her voice.
Remember the plan, stick to the plan, he repeated in his mind like a mantra as he showed off his cocky smile and started playing his part.
~~~~~
He shouldn’t be impressed by this, but he was. He was expecting the Great Sage to attack mindlessly, and follow Macaque into their twisted dance of death like always. He was expecting them to get a good distance away from the two before things got much worse than a few punches and kicks.
What he wasn’t expecting was for Wukong to use his powers at a powerful range against a small target like him.
Especially with his lasers that the Sage refused to use with how dangerous they were.
Their dance quickly morphed into a game of cat and mouse, with the lost king chasing after a ghost he left to die. Still, it wasn’t a fight against the “Great Sage Equal to Heaven” if Wukong didn’t play dirty.
Macaque growled as he slipped through another portal to avoid a beam of light from him. This was pissing him off. What could the immortal simian be thinking of if all he was doing was making him jump around like a frog?
Before the dark monkey could disappear into the shadows, his cape was harshly tugged back, choking Macaque for a second. He felt his body fly through the air, crashing into a nearby mountain, efficiently sucking the air out of him. He fell to the ground shortly after, no doubt breaking a few ribs once he reached the floor.
The black monkey slowly pushed himself up, careful not to move too much. He could see a shadow loom over him, and didn’t bother looking at them. He knew it was still Wukong.
It was always Wukong.
“So,” Macaque spoke up, glancing at the other simian. “What happens next?” He wiped the side of his mouth, the taste of iron appearing on his lips. “Y’know, after you kill everybody and everything?”
Wukong smiled coldly and walked forward slowly. “It’s quite interesting to see you switch sides so soon, simian,” Two voices spoke, ignoring his question as the sage continued to close his distance. Two very familiar voices. “I wonder what it will take for you to return to my side when something goes wrong.”
“Y’know, been thinking about it,” Macaque pretended to feel fine and feigned considering the idea. “And I think I like where I am more than when I was with you, so I’ll stay here thanks.”
“Is that so?” Wukong’s head tilted, blue eyes glowing brightly. “So you’re willing to stray from destiny for ‘likeness?’”
Macaque shrugged. “Call it survival instinct.”
It was a second after he spoke did the shadow monkey feel hands clench the sides of his face with a death grip, right where his ears remained hidden behind his glamour. “Survival instinct?” The voices repeated, a sadistic smile growing on Wukong's face as he watched Macaque claw at his hands and hide his grunts of pain. “Well then, let’s see if survival instincts can help you with what comes next.”
The shadow monkey didn’t understand what he meant until he felt claws dig into ears.
Oh gods.
“Wukong-” Sharp pain started flooding against the sides of his face, further growing the seed of fear in Macaque.
Oh gods no.
He wouldn't. She wouldn't, would she?
“Wukong stop it-!” Something warm was sliding down the left side of his face. His vision started to blur with tears, and Macaque was sure the gods in the celestial realm were laughing at his pain. He kept screaming as pain continued to flood his sides, clawing at the other's hands to let go of him immediately.
“Wukong, listen to me dammit-!” The shadow monkey stopped himself when those blue eyes came closer to his face.
Those wonderful golden eyes that shone with joy and care for him.
“He never heard you when you pleaded for mercy before, Liu ‘er,” The voices whispered. Macaque didn’t bother hiding his shuddering breath as a few tears slipped and fell. “What makes you think he would now?”
He wasn’t given another chance to speak before those claws ripped down the sides of his face.
Macaque didn’t bother hiding his screams.
It wasn’t like he could hear them over the ringing noise in his head after all.
He collapsed to the ground, and covered his . . .
Where were his ears?
Wukong crouched in front of him, the same sadistic smile on his face gleaming at the mess he made. He dropped the black simian’s ears and gently ran a hand through Macaque’s hair. Wukong heard him choke on his own tears and blood and chuckled. “Now what does your ‘survival instinct’ say about this?”
Macaque stared at his ears, the colors that always glowed inside them now faded away. The hand on his head let go of his hair and walked away. He slowly looked up at his conqueror.
His lover.
He didn’t say anything as the king flew back to the top of the mech.
The pain in his head and body began to crash into him once the adrenaline left his body, and Macaque fell back down where he was, silently praying things still went according to plan, and they won against that monster.
He whispered the Sage’s name one more time before darkness consumed his vision.