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daryldixonfanfiction · 7 months

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What You Fight For pt.1 -Suck-ass camp!

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Summary: with no hope of saving the prison against the Governor, Daryl has to resume the fight for survival. Protecting Julia (a 20-year-old woodberry-girl) bak into the cruel world of the walking dead.

Warnings: age gape, twd stuff, swearing, angst, Daryl losing his sh!t, mentions of underage drinking.

wc: 9,8k

The blazing midday sun shone upon the fears battlefield.

Daryl fiers upon walkers, killing one with the but of his rifle. Approaching the tank he drops a hand grenade swiftly into it, single handedly taking it down.

"Grinade!" The man yells, jumping down.

The tank explodes, flames erupt through the top. Holding out one of his hands, silent, the man pleads for mercy. Only a cold stare with darkening blue eyes bore into him. Swishing sound of the bolt is released, piercing his heart, making him fall to the ground. Daryl holds his gaze on the body, blankly staring as his home crumbles before his eyes.

How did it all go so wrong

"Daryl"! A woman's voice yells from behind, heridly with a girl close on her heel.

"Marlene...You good"? Daryl questions, gaze falling on the bleeding wound on her side.

"I was gonna take her myself but I won't make it anywhere like this, not for a while anyway. So now I'm asking you to do it." Marlene said with pained breaths.

The girl's eyes widened at her words.

"Take her?...where...?" Daryl questions.

"There's a team of French scientists waiting for her. I know what you're capable of, Daryl."

Daryl's face drops slightly.

What is he capable of?

"You'll keep her safe. Take this map, bring her to this facility". Marlene hands Daryl a map with the location already marked.

Dr. Jenner's words flashes, "It was the French. They thought they were close to a solution".

Daryl glansess at the girl, trying to comprehend the odd information. It didn't make much sense to him. Why hasn't she said anything about this before? What's the reason for not sharing it to the council?

...

They had never talked, but Daryl knew who she was.

How could't he.

All the men were nuts for her. Daryl didn't pay the girl any attention, just cast a few glances to see what the fuss was about. Not liking girls was not the case, he just never really thought about them in that way. Always busy with keeping people 'safe and fed,' he told himself. Really Daryl was just insecure, afraid only believing people couldn't like him or were scared of him. Making himself think girls were just a bother.

She never really stood out, keeping to herself, only close to Marlene or that guy he wasn't sure was a friend or boyfriend. Often she was surrounded by children, playing, reading and telling stories they loved. The children adored the girl. In their eyes she was their sun, giving light this world had taken from them. They made her smile, that radiant smile, making her dimples show. And her voice. Don't forget about that damned siren voice of hers. Perhaps that was why all the men got nuts? Daryl didn't really know anything about singing, he often heard Beth or Magi sing. It was nothing compared to hers, hers was angellike. She could make babies fall asleep, soothe them instantly and lure men to their deaths if so desired.

Not Daryl, he never got distracted.

If not with the children she did landrie, washing and hanging them on those sunny days before most had woken up. Perhaps she did it on purpose, not wanting to interact with others. Daryl always went out hunting in the early mornings, he could hear her hum those soothing melodies. He often listened, in secret passing by the laundry, hanging like curtains, shielding her from view. Only hums of melodic tunes could be heard. Daryl was quick about it only passing through careful not to be notist. That one time he stayed just a bit longer, he drifted away in the melodies, warm as a summer breeze, captivating like the deepest sunseat. It made Daryl feel soothed, just like those children did. He knocks over a barrel scaring the girl away, almost blowing his cover.

...

As she stood before him close to Marlene, Daryl couldn't help but notice the frightened look in her eyes. As if seeing this world for the first time, the raw reality of it all, not fully comprehending the prison was no more. Maybe she had been shielded from it back in Woodbury?

Daryl shifts his gaze back to Marlene.

"Rick and the others would have wanted this and you know it". Marlene pleads as her hand squeezes her side (She was desperate).

There was nothing left for him here. They're all gone. Just gone.

"What about the kids"? The girl frantically asks Marlene.

"Beth and the others know to take the bus if things go south, they'll make it". Marlene reassured her.

"Things go south, everyone heads for that bus. Let everybody know". Daryl remembered telling Sasha and Tyrese just moments ago.

They were gone too.

"I know you're thinking it through but please remember i'm bleeding out", Marlene urges, sensing his hesitation.

But then..Daryl nods and Marlene nods bak. It was settled.

"Really that fast?", the girl looks between them, confused and scared at the same time. Making Daryl glans at her again.

"I can't leave you!" She pleaded with Marlene.

Never had she experienced this world outside woodbury or the prison. The news of Marlene not going with her like she said she wolde, frightened her terribly. Daryl was someone she didn't really know. Could she trust him? If Marlene did, perhaps she should too?

" Julia. You are all that matters. Remember what I told you"? Marlene answered with a firm gaze.

"Yes' ', Julia answers, nodding with tears in her eyes, warning to fall down her cheeks. Because she knew, knew she would have to leave Marlene behind. She was the only one Julia really thrusted, (the one who knew her secret).

Marlene; You cannot tell anyone of this. Because if you do... I assure you.. You will die...

"Now both of you go. Now. I'll cover you", Marlene hurriedly says urging her forward to Daryl. Hesitantly Julia moves next to him, sharing a lingering look with Marlene who holds out her gun, taking out walkers coming their way.

"Daryl." "One more thing". "You protect her with your life". "You hear me. " Marlene tells him with her firm, serious voice. Daryl only stares back with a stern face.

Julia's eyes drift up towards Daryl's face as he urges her.

"C'mon." "We got to go."

Daryl proceeds when she doesn't answer, grabbing her wrist and drags her away.

She struggles in his grip shouting as her feet drag along the ground.

"No, no!" "We are not leaving her! Get off me.. please!" "I'm not going with You!"

But seeing Marlene gaze after them she gives in, meeting her gaze one last time, a woman she would like to call a friend. She wasn't worth it she thought, but Marlene did, Marlene thought she was worth something.

They sprint as hard as they can into the woods ahead, escaping, leaving the prison in ruins, the undead comes in every angel, snarling and groaning after their flesh. She follows his every move and turn, avoiding the reaching hands trying to pull them in. Never before had she experienced such horror. Truly she was terrified.

Suddenly the undead were everywhere, surrounding her, giving her no way of escape. Not long goes by before a swishing sound sings in the air, a bolt hits bullseye in the walkers head, then hitting the next one with the body of the crossbow, the third walker approaching snarls, Daryl kicks it in it's abdomen making it stumble bak, giving him just the nick of time to direct her for the gape.

"Don't look back!" "Just keep going, I'll cover you!" Dary yells, pushing her ahed before him as they keep on running deeper into the woods. Heart pounding against their rib cages, breaths panting, as the feeling of adrenaline moves through their veins. Leaves crunch beneath their feet, the wind shifts whistling thru trees, taking away the foul stench from the walkers.

Upon a field, cutting off the forest behind them, Daryl keeps on glancing back, making sure they've lost them. The undead were nowhere to be seen. Pushing through the thick greenery scratching their skin they stop for just a moment, catching their breaths before hurriedly looking back continuing to grow their distance from the dead.

"She's shore is fast for someone with short legs like hers '', Daryl thought, appreciating the pace.

Finally they stop, throwing themselves on the ground, exhausted, gasping for air. Laying upon the dry grass next to one another, Daryl with his hand holding a bolt resting against his forehead and the other spread out to the side with his crossbow next to him, he closed his eyes, cashing his breath. She laid with both of her arms spread out from her sides, staring into the sky not really believing she was really out here. The evening sun cast long shadows on the ground. The slanting rays of the sun gave a warm orange tint upon the overgrown greenery while birds above decorated the sky.

Julias Diary:

Hey. I know it's been awhile. I'm gonna be honest, I forgot about you.

After the turn, It was as if the world crumbled beneath my feet. But something happened. something good. Finally,

Marlene thinks the prison can become our new home after woodberry.

I can't believe I got my own bed. My own bed in my own room. And I've been keeping the scar hidden. Haven't told a soul.

I've been afraid to get my hopes up, thinkin we can actually stay here.

The thing is, I've been starting to get afraid that it's easier just to be afraid. But this morning Marlene said something. "If you don't have hope, what's the point of living?"

And I'm gonna write this down now, because you should write down wishes to make them come true.

We can live here. We can live here for the rest of our lives.

...

They never went to sleep that night -They couldn't. Orange hue glowed from the small fire between them, being the only source of light in the forest, dancing against their skin. Sounds of insects hummed as crackling snapped. For a long time they were quiet, thinking of what was lost.

Staring into the flames the light of hope within her still sparked. When all seems lost the optimistic trait often took over, not allowing her to lose hope. The hope some have survived.

It couldn't be just them.

But when she looked upon him across the fire, he was sitting there, blankly staring, body slouching, heavy arms resting on his knees -And she wondered what haunted his mind. Like contemplating the edge of the universe. Something told her what he was truly thinking. The prison -She did too. But they had to do something.

His chest felt hollowed out, body heavy, staring into the fire as he drifted away- Tired from being tired, tired from running all day, no food, no sleep. He wished it did not feel so painful inside of himself. Wished he did not feel so lost believing they others were gone. But now the quiet was the loudest thing of all, as if he nearly melted into the dancing flames of the fire, drifting away with the current of sorrows. He had failed them, letting it all happen, he should have done something differently.

Maybe they would be alive then.

Losing them made the world lose its color. Everything felt dull, meningles, leaving a bad taste on his tongue. Nothing could fill that void within his heart, instead filling it with numbness, fading into the same nothingness as night itself.

We can't just sit here.

"We should do something", Julia croaked, speaking her mind, looking ahead towards Daryl. It falls on deaf ears. Just sitting there in his own thoughts.

Please don't tell me he's given up.

"We should do something", she repeated with more strength in her tone, finally getting his attention.

Daryl lifted his head, slowly.

He meets her desperate eyes, as she gauges him after any sign of hope, it's all gone, making her desperate to keep on. She had to.

"We aren't the only survivors." "We can't be.'' "Rick and Michonne". "They could be out here." "Maggie and Glenn could have made it out of A block." She spoke with optimism.

He lowered his gaze upon his hands resting against his knees with the same doleful face.

"they could've", she insisted, shaking her head heavily in disbelief of the thought they didn't make it.

She knew he wasn't going to answer her with his eyes set on the fire. Staring and staring.

...Silence...then...

"You're a tracker." "You can track." Julia insisted, standing on her feet, still looking at him.

Daryl said nothing.

"Come on." her voice higher pitched, becoming desperate with his no response.

"The sun will be up soon." "If we head out now, we can.." She stops mid sentence, frustration growing before she throws a mini temper, responding to his silence.

He seemed to ignore her so easily, as if she wasn't even there.

"Fine!" "If you won't track, I will!" She exclaimed, walking forward, taking his hunting knife beside him, turning on her heel, stomping away to the opposite direction further in the forest.

Daryl ignored her pleads, hoping she would just give up. She had to realize all hope was lost, and it would be stupid, dangerous to track in the dark. Looking up as Julia disappears into the dark forest, he knows he has to follow. That girl was blinded by her innocence of the world, so sure they could find them. But could he blame her for thinking so?

Her innocence would do more harm than good, Daryl believed, putting the fire out with his bot, going after her as he breathed a deep sigh.

This girl is going to be the death of me.

....

Dawn brings light into the forest, welcoming another day. The morning sun ignites the green colors with such life. Rays of gold shone between nut-brown tree trunks, birds sang their morning songs and insects hummed, filling their silence with its life.

Daryl knells down, brushing dried leaves of some muddied footprints, studying it. He knew it to be of someone but no hope was rising within. Manny walker tracks could be seen making the person's survival slim. It felt pointless to track for people who would probably be dead and likely walkers by now. Regardless, he did it anyway. And why? Daryl didn't really know. Blowing the last leaves away, revealing the footprints, bigger ones: adult. And a smaller one: most likely child.

"Could be Luke's. Or Molly's." "whoever they are, it means they're alive." Julia said, locking behind his shoulder.

"No..". "This means they were alive four or five hours ago." Daryl answers bitterly. Sleep deprived as he was, his voice sounded more deep and rougher than usual.

When can this man stop being so grumpy

"There alive,'' Julia snaps back, stomping ahead, following the tracks.

Daryl watched her walk away as he tiredly stood to full height, leaving a deep sigh going after her, agin.

A dirt road leads them on. Walking a few feet in front of Daryl, Julia looks desperately for any signs for more tracks. Julia wasn't much of a tracker herself, therefore finding it difficult. That didn't stop her from trying. How hard could it be? She keeps on looking, knife tight in her hand. Julia felt silly caring such a big weapon, really she had never used one before, never needed to. But it made her feel safe. Daryl never asked for it bak, as if wanting her to keep it. He could hold his own with his crossbow, she was safer that way, he believed.

Slowly studying the ground a faint trace of someone feeding on wild grapes from the bushes beside the dirt road could be seen, with more tracks following it. Daryl stops, pointing it out to Julia.

"They picked up the pace right here." Daryl Moshend with his hand, towards it. "Got out in a hurry. "Things went bad..." He trails off, as if thinking the rest in his head. Perhaps learning from earlier, (her dislike for his no-support approach).

"Wouldn't kill you to have a little faith." Julia spoke as she felt his stubernes, to think like she did. They would find them if they just tried hard enough. She hoped so.

"Yeah, faith..." "Faith ain't done shit for us."Sure as hell didn't do nothing for that friend of yours." Daryl spoke bluntly.

When that last sentence left his mouth Daryl immediately was filled with regret. Fuck, he shoulde never have spoken. Daryl couldn't help it, he was not good with words.

Julia flinched, visibly, eyes widened and round as she whirls facing him of the mentioning of Marlene.

Her chest tensed to such bluntness. Julia glares at him with 'I can't believe you said that', look. Her lips stretch in a straight line swallowing down the rising hurt and frustration.

He must have noticed her look in her eyes, because he looked at her with eyes that decisive his cruel words. He did not apologize, she didn't expect him to, knowing somewhere within, he was herting to. So she averted her eyes, facing away from him, breaking that awkward silence between them, holstering the knife in her belt. Acting like they never had spoken, busying herself with picking wild grapes opposite to where he stands still at the trace he pointed out.

Daryl didn't dare to say another word, afraid to cause more harm.

Silence.. then

"They'll be hungry when we find them", voice strained, she was obviously hurt.

Julia didn't wanna think of such a possibility, that Marlene died saving her that day , the hope of no one surviving hurt even more. She desired for it to be different. Holding onto hope and denying any other beliefs. And she was frightened. Frightened of a life which entails the world was cruel and unsparing for any good to exist.

Daryl pondered on what to do, he knew he went too far. Apologizing... He didn't really know how to. Thinking of what she just said, he pulls out his black bandana out of his back pocket, gently tapping her arm with it. Perhaps an attempt at an apology?

Like a scolded child he looked down, ashamed, not daring to make eye contact. Feeling undeserving to do so. She takes it from his outstretched arm, meeting his gaze awkwardly then looks down on the bandana, filling it with the grapes. Daryl watched her for a moment before ending it with a quick node.

Daryl sighs, relieved the tense moment had passed.

Motioning with his crossbow to keep on, she hesitates at first, washing him scan the trees with his back towards her a couple feet ahead. Seeing her approach he leads them on.

A snaky path leads them further. Daryl scans the ground like it's second nature; he stops, observing a leaf covered in something. It didn't seem like a good sign by the face he made. Notesting his quietnes, Julia asks.

"what"?

Daryl shakes his head,"That ain't walker blood", In knowing, but he held back, not sounding blunt nor cruel as before.

Inexperienced as she was, the optimism didn't budge. It was just blood, didn't mean they were gone. Meaby she thought if no bodies were found, they would still be alive somewhere.

Two killed walkers laid on the ground. The undead gave her chills down her spine, not used to such terrifying monster yeat. Walking past the walkers she said optimistically.

"The trail keeps going". "They fought them off-.

"No". "Got walker tracks all up and down here". "At least a dozen of them", Daryl casually answered, pointing to the killed walkers on the ground, meaning these two were not the only ones chasing them.

The realization more walkers could be close lurking somewhere, her stomach drops, fear pricks her chest, anxiety burns like a lump stuck in her throat. With wide round eyes she looks for any signs of danger. Daryl turns around facing the opposite direction, eyes still fixed on the walkers tracks, unfazed, as if such horror did not frighten him.

silence ...

A twig snaps

She turns hastily, unsheathing the knife in a death grip. Hair wipes in the air, feeling something -something lurking, but can't pinpoint where. As her eyes darted around in panic, her heart drums hundred miles per hour, hair stands up in the nap of her neck, sensing a horror drawing near.

Without them knowing, a walker sneks towards them. Daryl never heard that twig snap, unknowing, too far to notice. Its decaying body slowly stumbles, dragging its rotten feet forward on the leaf covered ground.

Cold hands grab from behind, startling her. Yelps leave Julia as she struggles in its hold. With its spitty hiss and painful snarls and its teeth close, almost biting into her soft flesh. Werling around panicked, struggling profusely to get out from its painful grip, holding onto her arms. Daryl didn't even flinch. Perfectly responsive as ever with both the mindspace of precision and focus. Acting upon pure instinct Daryl engages with fast feet, aiming his crossbow swiftly, for a good shot to its brain. But the walker was terribly close to biting her now. Throwing the crossbow to the ground with haste, he reaches for his hunting knife, no longer there on his hipe. Right. She has it. Grabbing the walker by the fabric on its back. Daryl yanks it to the ground with a grunt, pining it, with him on top, holding it there with his body weight. She stumbles back a bit off the release from the monster's iron hold. Daryl's arms flex in the struggle, with know weapon in hand to finish it off. Julia looks towards Daryl, seeing the struggle there. Picking up the knife she dropped just a moment ago Julia hurriedly passed it to him from behind, shakingly. Daryl nods quickly in approval, taking it and stabs the walker.

With the knife embedded in its skull the walker turns limp under him. He pushes it away, as if feeling disgusted by it while painting heavily. Reshoring her of the quick thinking he gives a nod, 'you did good'. Standing to full height he gives the walker a quick glance, reshoring its dead before picking up his crossbow.

He breathes a heavy breath of relief as adrenaline pumps through him, awakening every cell in his body, giving the aftertaste of an adrenaline rush. As if this was something that happens, a normal thing.

Still in shock Julia couldn't speak a word. After all, this was the second time a walker came this close, grabbing her like that, and its teeth so terrifying close to her skin. Really, she thought she was about to die. Julia knew she was immune, but being eaten alive would still kill her. Baby hairs were all over, some longer strands falling in her face, others sticking to her neck while some moved against her breaths. Looking upon Daryl reaching down for his crossbow, Julia only stares, uneasy on her feet, waiting for him to make the next move.

Stepping over the walker with the crossbow in one hand the other swinging to his side as he jerked his head to the side, making strands of hair move from his eyes as he told her.

"Come on", in a grunt-like way. Walking past her with long strides, following the trail. His voice always sounded like that. Deep and rumbling, low in his chest.

Without hesitation Julia follows close, leaving now three dead walkers behind.

....

The edge of the forest was behind them, standing along a railroad, close beside one another. The afternoon sun cast its soft light, shadows outstretched upon the ground setting the scene. Julia would have said it looked beautiful, but the walkers feasting upon fresh corpse in the distance, the sight only felt sorrowful. For a moment, their eyes were set, staring and staring, hearing the undead devourer on the railroad tracks, in knowing. A pained look in Daryls face takes in the sight, knowing the ugly truth he knew all along. It hurt more seeing it, a hard pill to swallow.

Sounds of bolts swish in the air, one after another. Daryl takes care of the walkers, ending the last one with his bare hands, piercing its head then pulls it out, retrieving the bolt. Bones and ripped flesh remain, organs no longer where they belong, ripped out. A cruel sight for eyes like hers. It didn't feel real, nothing really did anymore. Never had Julia seen such horror, such gore. Shifting on her feet, frozen in place, rocking slightly, feeling nauseous, slowly taking it in.

And then she sees it....Judith shoe. Daryl ses it too -He knows, walking past her onto the tracks.

Pain burns her chest leading up her throat, tightening it. She tries to inhale - tries to breathe. Hoping for the air to simply stay in her chest. It doesn't. She can't move, can't believe it all. Her feet are uneasy. She tries to hold it in, she fails. Trying to press back the tears burning her eyes but they refuse to obey. They're falling one by one, making her cheeks wetter and wetter, silver lining them. And they keep on cuming as she weeps. It was all too much.

Daryl hears Julias sobs. It pains him deeply, to see the truth crush such a pure soul as hers. It wasn't right, nothing was anymore, she was too young for this world. Looking back he knows the pain she feels, but Daryl doesnt cry, he never really did. Onely moshens with his head to keep on. She doesn't follow. He knew she wouldn't, he couldn't really expect her to. As he stands ahead, upon the train tracks, shoulders hanging like he carried the world and his head hangs in a melancholy manner.

Her heart must be crushed.

He knew that feeling all too well. His, has been all along.

Looking back on her again he sees her there, crying, standing before the bodies. Daryl couldn't do anything, he just let her cry. He wasn't really ok, believing he would never see them again.

People from Woodbury were never going to make it outside the prison walls. They weren't capable of defending nor taking care of themselve. Sume of them were sick and the children were too little. They were never meant to survive.

He knew, he knew.

Dragging her feet along the tracks, close behind, stepping on the planks, one after another. She kept her head low, staring down. They didn't speak, It was better that way. No words felt right anyway.

She understood now.

Surviving is never beautiful, it's not heroic like they tell you in fairytales or movies. It's dirty, it's tears streaming down your face and sobbing in a dark corner. It's filth and blood on your hands and in your face as fear and numbness consumes you.

....

Night had fallen, black clouds covered the sky-not a star to be seen. The trees shook their leaves, dancing with the wind. The breeze had become colder, chilling her a bit, making goosebumps cover the skin. Julia had no idea what she was doing here, in the middle of the woods, with a man she had no choice but to trust. But she did, in the hopes of bringing her to these people that would somehow make a cure. They haven't really spoken about it, not at all in fact. Too much had happened neither did he aske. Was he even gonna help her? She didn't know, didn't have the courage to do so. He had kept her safe this far making it feel too much to ask such a thing.

Sorrowful silence consumed them, flames of red, transitioning to orange and yellow flickers. Dying branches and twigs gasped for their last breaths before tumbling into the ashes. Julia wondered what he thought about when he looked into the fire that way. With somber eyes, holding the motion of the ocean, dark circles under them with slanting inner eyebrows as if in deep thought. His face was solid and drained. She knows he must have felt more than words could say.

The quiet was loud again, torturing him inside as he fed the hungry flames, tosing sticks into it. Sitting opposite to her across the fire, legs crossed with one arm holding his weight, hand flat on the ground behind him. The gaze in the midst of fire and flames, but his mind was far away.

Anyone he gets close to always dies. What did he expect? He did not deserve such luxury, he never did and never will. They had not slept for almost 2 nights, Daryl felt the toll it took on them. No food except a handful of grapes, no water, only sleep deprived and drained. Nothing could fill the void in his chest, filling him to the brim with its numbness. Rick and the others were more of a family he ever had growing up, without them he lost his way. Daryl needed to feel needed, have people depend on him, something worth coming back to, to fight for. The sense of belonging, the sense of worth was all something he craved. Once again he was nothing, nobody. But then he had promised Marlene to keep her safe, he would, he always keeps his word, always. He did feel doubtful, he was nothing like Rick, a born leader, good with all the things he wasn't. Maybe that was why he admired him so, always there calling the shots, going wherever he did. Rick was the big brother he never had, the brother he could look up to, really seeing the man he was supposed to become. Those days are gone, he knows. Daryl felt he had to protect her for the others, they would have wanted him to, Rick would have. Daryl tells him selfe as she rips pages from her diary into the fire, keeping the small flames alive.

Julia's: diary

I'm not gonna die. I believe now. I Believe for humanity. If this doesn't work, I don't know how I could keep going.

...

Further into the night the somber moon lit up the darkness as thunder rumbled in the distance. Upon an dusty road covered in dried leaves and an abandoned car, the forest ends.

Trees shook their branches, leaves rustled as they pushed through, halting their escape from an incoming herd. Upon the road, painting beside one another, cashing their breaths for just a second.

"Come on'', he taps her back as he hurries around the car, keeping a lookout, crossbow out, tens in his hold.

Thunder rumbles above.

Julia tries to start the engine, rotating the key, nothing but empty clicking from it was made. She felt terribly frightened. Running wasn't an option anymore; a car would be the only way of ascap now.

And...suddenly.

Leaves resulted as growling of the herd made them flinch making them share a look of knowing. Fast on his feet, he motioned, beckoning with his hand towards her, guiding her back towards the trunk.

"Come on", quietly, not to attract the walkers.

Yanking the trunk open he makes sure she gets in, looking back before squeezing in across from her, closing it holding a finger to his lips.

Her eyes on his hands, watching him secure the door, knotting the red cloth with haste. Her mouth parted slightly, as shallow breaths sounded, short and unsteady. Knife ready in a deathgrip making knuckles turn white. Walkers crossing the road could be seen through the door crack, as a small spring of light illuminates their faces. Shuffling feet dragged on the dusty road, one after another until a whole herd passed true. Unsettling growls and moans become intense, numbing to her ears. Heavy pounding rocks the car, making her so terribly scared, shivering to the horrifying thought they could be eaten alive. Julia couldn't help but shift her weight trying to ground herself somehow. She tried to inhale -tried to breathe, licking her lips in a soothing manner, nothing worked. Her shallow breath became short, blinkin with round eyes becoming wide with fear. The growls, the moans, the car rocking, it was all so overwhelming, making her squeeze her eyes shut. Thunder booms, its flickering light reflects on Daryl's face, eyes narrow with the crossbow aiming towards the opening. He was calm, leaning back, steady with his hands and breath, holding the crossbow, unmoving. Like nothing faced him, as if this wasn't frightening to him at all. Not like herself, scared out of her mind, freaking out, panicked as wave after wave of walkers passed the road.

Dawn followed as the storm had passed. Walkers were still passing the road, pounding against the car, making it squeak by the impact. Mons had calmed down, not to the same extent as before. Julia's eyes follow the walkers outside then shift to Daryl. Noticing the way she glanced worriedly with eyebrows coming together. He made a reshoring gesture towards her, holding their gaze, nodding in a calming manner, 'it's going to be ok'. Julia nodded heavily. His calm face made the tense feeling dissipate.

As the day wore on, humid heat filled the trunk, making clothes damp and skin glistening with beds of sweat. Julia longed for fresh air, longed for the feeling of it. Heat exhaustion, both of them likely had by now. Dragging sweat off her face, glancing towards Daryl. She didn't miss the way his eyes were narrowed, never leaving his sight from the small gap of the truck dorr, still holding his crossbow steady. No sounds of walkers had been maid for an hour or more, it was hard to tell. So she leaned over tying up the opening of the trunk. With a crank it swung open, fresh air filled their lungs, expanding as if on automatic refill. Eyes Squinting, adjusting to the bright light as piercing rays of the sun fall on the ground, making waves of heat rise off the road.

Filing a plastic bag each gathering a few supplies from the wreckage, she presumed doing whatever he did.

Hanging the black bag over his shoulder with his crossbow in the other hand, he stood in front of her with the country rod ahead of them. For a moment he was looking at her, as if saying he knew she was tired but they had to keep on. Julia was. Shoulders sloughing, face drained of emotion as eyelids were hanging heavily. The weight of two sleepless nights had taken a toll on her.

His gaze shifted as he moved down the country road. Julia stared blankly before trudging after.

....

The mud snake slithered silently, moving in a wave-like motion, its scaly skin shimmers in the sunlight as its tongue occasionally flickers out. Daryl stalks behind, knife deadly in his right and a stick in his left. Approaching stealthily with calculated steps with eyes set on its every move. When the prey within range; he traps its head steadily with the stick, diverting its attention to bite, followed by the killing strike of the knife.

Meanwhile Daryl was out hunting; Julia made up camp using what they had gathered, nothing big just a place to sleep and rest your head. Collecting small droplets of dew of some leaves she fills the plastic bottle with drinkable water. She stops, admiring a ladybug on a leaf, letting it climb up her index finger. It's been a while since seeing one, being behind walls.

Then preparing campfire digging with her hands making a fire pit, filling it with dry leaves and grass scrunched together. Then holds a shard of glass reflecting light with the car mirror from the wreckage, pointing onto the dry material facing the sun, making the focal point as small and round as possible, holding it there until smoke rises. She blows, making fire leap to life (A trick her grandaddy had taught her).

She gazed in awe behind him. With curious eyes, as Daryl skinned the snake. The motion looked so smooth, how he pulled the skin off, holding end up with one outstretched arm while pulling skin with the other. His arms looked strong, flexing the toned muscles there, making his skin look as if it was carved out of marble.

He snapped his head towards her, feeling her gaze there.

Julia did not flinch, didn't move, just kept staring in awe a few feet away. Perhaps he felt somewhat annoyed by her gaze, breaking his concentration from the dressed carcass hanging in his hold, as drops of blood dripped onto the ground.

Julia couldn't help it, finding it fascinating how his skillful hands worked, dressing the animal with the utmost precision and knowledge she had only seen once before. She did not think hunting was a cruel act. Skillful hunters as Daryl killed and ate their game, not just killing and wasting like some douchebag.

The meat was good, filling the hunger but not the aik in her chest. She tried pushing it away, tried to work past it -The alluring thought of numbing it somehow, even if stupid or even reckless, was all Julia could think about. Perched on her knees, digging into the ground picking on the cooked meat in her lap, Julia looks to Daryl munching on his peas, she puts hers down.

"I need a drink."

His only response was leasely tossing a water bottle, not looking at her. It landed before her knees, making Julia toss it to the side.

"No, I mean a real drink...As in alcohol"

Silence ...Julia continues.

"I've never had one, 'Cause I'm under 21...But laws are not exactly around anymore so... She trails off "...I thought we could go find some."

The silence was loud, he was ignoring her.

Julia gauges him, waiting for a response. Nothing as Daryl proceeds to act unresponsive, digging deep into his snake.

letting out a disappointed sigh before speaking in a sing-song voice.

"Okay...Well, enjoy your snake jerky."

Hurt by his silence, her mouth stretched in a line as she rose to her feet, walking away from the camp, taking the knife with her.

Julia found him so odd when he would ignore her like that, as if she wasn't there trying to get his attention. Just munching on that damned snake, like it was the most interesting thing he'd ever seen or as if the people' they'd lost never meant anything to him.

He was really starting to get on her nerves as she stomped through the woods, speaking under her breath.

"Jerk", looking back towards the camp.

Growling

A gasp escapes her, head snapping towards walkers engaging. Quickly hiding, pushing herself against a tree, the bark digs its rough fibers into her skin, probably will make a mark but she was too frightened to notice. Careful not making a sound she grasps a stone slowly before tossing it in the hopes of making the walkers change direction. With a thud it lands on the ground as her back is pushed against the bark, waiting for them to get interested in the stone. A walker approached terribly close, making her uncheat the knife. Her heart was pumping, chest was screaming, mind was running, breaths became shallow, making her squeeze the knife in a deathgrip. When the walker came so close she thought it would all be over, it stumbled in the other direction, taking the bait heading towards the rock.

Tens and uneasy behind the tree, Julia's gaze darts with eyes in wide circles, too anxious to move.

A twig snapped, making her flinch. It was Daryl, ready to interfere if extra protection was needed. Jumpines quickly turned into embarrassment, making Julia divert her gaze, realizing her stupidity of walking off on her own. Daryl did not say a word, only glaring with eyes off disproving of such reckless behavior. He did not seem angry, perhaps annoyed, as he turned and walked ahead. She follows.

Breaking their silence. She begins.

"I think we made it away. I'm pretty sure we got to go that way to find the booze."

Stumbling into the cord connected to metal clangs, making her step back.

"What the hell?!... You brought me back...I'm not staying in this suck-ass camp!" Julia snaps, whirling around to walk off.

Daryl on the opposite side of the cord shoots forward, grabbing her by the wrist almost harshly, yanking her towards him. ...and even a man of few words he ordered - voice deep and rough.

"Hey!" "You had your fun."

Fun?

Julia flinched in the slightest of the touch of his skin, and she truly believed -He could break her wrist then and there if he really wanted to. Stumbling back, jerking her wrist away, glaring upon his taller frame. Her eyes were on flames, but not angry. No, Julia was desperate, so desperate for Daryl to listen, to show her he felt something.

Daryl didn't miss how small, how delicate Julia was in his hand neither how her round eyes widened when she spoke.

"What the hell is wrong with you?...Do you feel anything?" She questions desperately.

Do you feel anything...Daryl felt a whole lot. He felt more than he would let himself ever believe.

With eyes blue as emeralds, deeper than the ocean itself stairs down on her. It was not cruel nor angry towards her inusating words. His gaze seemed hard, almost pained, as if holding back.

Just beneath where Julia reached his chin, she spoke further with eyes wide and round staring up at him.

"Yeah, you think everything's 'screwed'...I guess that's a feeling." She breathes. "So you want to spend the rest of our lives staring into a fire and 'eating mud snakes'?...Screw that... I'm gonna get to those scientists and cure this thing, if it's the last thing I'll do!.. And..." She breathes, gaze lowering as if reminiscing before looking at him"... we might as well do something."

She was so determined to not give up when she finally had a purpose, she wanted to fight, fight for a better future.

The look on Daryl's face became pind by the words, as if Julia's voice held such force. But no words could leave his mouth. Because Daryl didn't have the courage to say the things he felt. Of his thugs about there being a cure, that Julia could fix it somehow. He could only stand there, as she ends with.

"I can take care of myself and I'm gonna get a damn drink." Leaving him stunned, unable to argue, with back towards the camp.

With one deep sigh he drags his feet, not letting the girl's stubbornness do anything reckless again, on the search for booze -Julia's first ever drink.

....

Julia leads them to a golf club.

"Golfers like to booze it up, right?" Julia asks, as walkers approach in a distance upon the golf course. Daryl looks back pondering, as she urges him on.

"Com on.", Julia takes the lead, (the one who's unfazed this time).

Tapping the crossbow in his hands, fidgeting as if thinking it through one last time, he gives in to this ever so determined girl, following closely behind Julias urging steps.

Passing the "Pine Vista Country Club" sign, standing alongside one another towards the entrance of the building Julia notes.

"Might be people inside"

Or walkers, he notes to himself.

A growing posse of walkers are on their tails. Making Daryl lead them on, urging them to the back entrance. Hurrying up the steps with a golf club in his hands, Julia keeps close on his heel, depending on his protection. Gesturing with his index finger against his lips, motioning her to remember there could be walkers inside, she stays bak as he peaks inside the building, then nods, looking back at her.

"Come on," he urges her, as the cost is clear.

Closing the door after Julia takes a few slow steps entering the lobby, he secures it with the golf club thru the door handles, Daryl gets in front of her, reddy's himself with his crossbow leading the way thru the snarling remaining walkers of the club, bothe dead and undead corpses, three of which gurgle and moan as they hang from the ceiling.

Something bad has happened here.. Then again when hasn't something bad happened to a camp, sins the turn? Daryl notes.

Julia's eyes go wide as she gazes upon the hanging walkers, almost stepping on his heel, seeing such a dark and cruel sight. Could this really be the world now?

Surveying through the remnants of the makeshift camp, they pick up a flashlight each. Swallowing thickly, as a chill sent down her spine, Julia restrains herself from grabbing his arm for comfort, making her grab her hands instead, soothing herself.

Pointing her flashlight upon the table filled with junk and dusty dishes, as if someone had had their last meal. Daryl grabs a backpack and fills it with cash and jewelry, making Julia wrinkle her eyebrows in confusion.

Would he not know that money is useless by now?..Perhaps he thought he could trade it for food or weapons? Julia thinks as she questions his odd behavior.

"Why are you keeping all that stuff?"

He lifted his head, looking up at her from his kneeling position, continuing his hunt for treasures.

Before he can answer Julia's question, their Walker posse catches up with them, knocking on the club's door. Making Daryl swing the backpack on his back as he urges her on.

"Come on", Daryl then slams the club's doors leading them further in, exiting the strange camp and leaving the hanging walkers behind.

Looking through the reaments in the kitchen area, filled with junk, empty food packaging and jars spread out all over the counters, down to the floor, as water drips from a broken pipe above making a wet dripping sound. It was dark with no windows making them depend on their flashlights as they looked through the remains in different parts of the kitchen area.

Most of the wine and liquor bottles are empty, except for a dusty bottle of red wine placed on a ridiculously high shelf in the walk-in. The only way to reach it was to climb. Grabbing it as Julia awkwardly stretched by all her might, tip toeing on the lower shelf, making pans cling against metal in her struggle.

Daryl halts his scavenging, listening in. As no more sound was made he continued looking through stuff in the main kitchen area.

Finally grabbing the bottle Julia steps down, slowly and steady, careful to not make herself trip in the darkness. Exiting the walk-in, satisfied with her find of the red wine, reading the blue label "Maid in 198...

Gasping in sheer horror, a Walker attacks from behind, grabbing Julia with its cold hands. Breaking skin with its filthy nails, she struggles frantically to break free. She couldn't breathe, couldn't think, coldent escape. Heart almost pumps out from her chest. Its monstrous snarls reeked of decay, making her stomach curl in repulsion. All alone, in a dark corridor, with only a flashlight and wine bottle in hand. She could feel walls narrowing in, air becoming ice cold as if trapping her with this monster. Think! Smashing the wine bottle with all her might, bashing its head, closing her eyes off the impact. Glass breaks as the wine spills everywhere. Pushed against the wall frightened, unreadable pleads for Daryl leaves her lips. Inches shrink to centimeters as its rotten teeth starve for her flesh. She Pushes back the walker with her back trapped against the wall. Julia doesn't dare to look anymore, holding her breath, turning her head, grimarsing painfully, knowing how this will end.

Time stops...then... a bolt pears its head, it falls limp to the floor.

Daryl stands there panting, lowering the crossbow looking at her as if hes just been sprinting moments ago.

Notesting the dead Walker now on the floor Julia looks at him, out of breath relieved but still shakenabout after the close call. Not accusing but scared she questions.

"Where were you?"

Her eyes were ever so expressive. Pupils are dilated and round, making them appear larger, eyebrows coming together, making Daryl feel the need to assure her somehow.

A breath... then.

"You held on long enuff for me to get to you..shout next time". Meaby not the most reasoring answer but it made her calm down somewhat.

The unsettling altercation leaves only a shattered wine bottle and disappointment, as Julia looks back discovering another room full of corpses in sleeping bags beside one another, with an ominous writing 'WELCOME TO THE DOGTROT' written on the wall. Onely disturbed by sight, Julia catches up to Daryl, leading them down a dark stairway, with flashlights dancing around the corridor blocked by a trophy case and a slanting grandfather clock, making Daryl put the crossbow on top reaching under, carefully moving the clock off the trophy case making it come to a stand, its melody chimes in a dinging way.

This piece of dust is a damn time bomb, Daryl notes.

Shining the flashlight upon the grandfather clock Daryl reads. "Tempus Fugit ''('time flies' in latin), he didn't know latin, but what he could tell was the time, 2:50pm. Seeing she had already headed through the door ending the corridor, he follows.

"This girl was on a mission", Daryl notes, and he was not taking any more chances after that to close call from upstairs.

The gift shop is filled with clean, untouched golf clothes. As if the turn never happened. Seeing a lovely white sweater Julia approche it but gasps, nearly stumbling over a manikin part lying on the floor. Letting out a relieved sigh she prosedes, putting it on, a trace of a smile covers her lips. Meanwhile, Daryl is still on the hunt for cash and expensive trinkets, pocketing whatever he can find.

Julia still thought his behavior was odd.

Displayed in the store, a top half of a woman's corpse impaled onto the bottom half of a mannequin, dressed in a bra, sweater, and pearls label with a sign written in lipstick reading "RICH BITCH."

Daryl stares, not really thinking anything of it. Perhaps seeing such things had made him num?

Never had Julia seen such a cruel way of making art. That someone made this, probably thinking it was fun, made her sympathize with the dead women, thinking it could have been someone she once loved or cared for. As she struggles to remove the corpes-statue Julia pleads looking towards Daryl.

"Help me take her down",she tilts her head.

Softly he answers. "It doesn't matter, she's dead".

"It does matter", Julia insisted softly.

Daryl thinks deeply off her words. Perhaps her due eyes, her big heart to sympathize for someone she never knew but still cared for maid him care, because Julia did.

Seeing Julia struggle to take it down, Daryl helps her by covering the corpse display with a blue sheet.

"Here", he grunts, draping over the cheat ending their visit in the chope back into the corridor.

The grandfather clock goes off, making them flinch. Daryl urges her on, tapping her bake.

"Come on".

"Okay," she oblige.

Just when they were about to enter towards another hallway, they stumbled upon incoming walkers, the dam ticking time bomb/clock attracted the attention of the no longer dormant Walkers residing in the country club.

"Move", Daryl urges her, tapping Julia like before, making her take the lead.

Cornering them in every turn through their escape in the dark hallways leads them further in the country club. As Daryl hurries around the corner opening up to a room, he slows down to a halt.

Fuck it...Might as well take care of it.

Daryl can't take it anymore, all that's happened, he doesn't do feelings, the only thing he knows is using his fists. Anger consumes his senses, all he sees is red. Shooting the first walker with a bolt, persing its head, pushing the other back to the wall with the crossbow. Taking a nearby golf club bashing its head in with a big swing, it falls limp to the floor, as the third walker growls he swings the club with such force it gets stuck in its skull, making him rips it out as it brakes making the end more like the end of a spear. Using it to his advantage he spears the fourth walker through the brain. Kicking back the fifth walker making it stumble back. Daryl unchets his hunting knife from his belt, stabbing the sixth walker agonizingly slow through its eye socket, as if anger had consumed him to the point he found satisfaction in the killing.

Julia watches, disturbed by his sudden rage, looking upon with worry. She wasn't scared, no, not of him but of the anger blinding him. Julia knew he felt sad about what had happened, but it was much worse than she thought. There was just so much rage within his heart. It made her worry of what had plagued his mind to make him like this. But she knew this was not all he was. Just moments ago in the gift chope he showed her otherwise.

Sheathing the knife as the walker he kicked before the last one snarls towards him, he picks up another golf club, pummeling it, grunting heavily with every swing harder than the other, with a last big swing the bloody reaments of the walker sprays all over her new white sweater. She gasps, startled by the gore now all over her, making her glare upon him. He meets her gaze, panting heavily with long strands of hair falling over his eyes. A flash of realization he might have gone too far, seeing her wight sweater covered in gore, but it was done and he needed to get it out of his system.

Seeing Julia exit into another hallway, leaving the sweater behind, he grabs his crossbow and follows still out of breath.

...

Julia leads them to a brighter hallway, opening up to the club bar ahead.

Finely.

"We made it", Julia speaks with a sad tone.

Daryl sees her slow down standing to a halt meeting her gaze as she turns around.

"I know you think this is stupid...And it probably is", she shakes her head. A breath, then. "But... I don't care...All I wanted to do today was lay down and cry, but we don't get to do that". Her eyes turn glassy. "So.." she averts her gaze, shaking her head before continuing. "...Beat up walkers if that makes you feel better." She tried to sound nonchalant, despite her voice trembling.

"I need to do this", ever so determined to get her first drink Julia turns on her heel, continuing towards the club bare. Daryl is taken back by her honesty and bluntness still standing there dumbfounded, before heading towards the bar.

The club bar is ransacked but Walker-free. Julia searches the bar area for anything to drink, meanwhile Daryl continues his pillaging.

Daryl smashes a random framed document then puts it into his pack making her flinch as she walks around the bar counter with a bottle in her hand.

"Did you have to break the glass?"

"No." "You had your drink yet?" He answers.

"No." "But I found this...Peach schnapps". She places it on the bar counter sitting on one of the chers. "Is it good?"

"No", he answers bluntly. Because even at the end, the club members didn't want to inflict more torture onto themselves by drinking "peach schnapps".

passing behind her Daryl proceeds to busy himself playing darts, using the photo of former club presidents as his targets.

"Well, it's the only thing left.", Julia answers with disappointment, gazing towards him.

Giving up finding a clean glass she lets her fingers drum on the counter.

"Who needs a glass?" she sighs sarcastically.

Doleful eyes become glassy, gaze set on the bottle, grabbing it hesitating for a moment, she rocks slightly trying to ground herself.

Glancing back at her as he slows down his game of darts, checking in on her rocking form. He could see the struggle there. How her eyes looked so far away holding the bottle. Fidgeting before throwing another dart her sobbing breaks the silence making him glans again.

Having maintained her resolve throughout their journey, Julia finally breaks down, like a wave washing over her. One tear breaks free running down her cheek. Finely having the real drink in her hands only makes sobs keep on coming. She swallows, brushing the tears away, trying to restrain herself but it makes the pain worse. As if something is stuck in her throat, like a big rock. Julia tried to swallow it down but she couldn't. The more she cried the more difficult it was to breathe, making breaths short and shaky.

It felt unbearable standing there while she cried. Making him clench his jaw. She was simply too good of a person to feel such sadness, she deserved better than this. Slamming the last dart ending his game, he couldn't help but to interfere.

To Julia's surprise Daryl snatches the bottle, throws it on the ground, snapping her fixed attention to him.

Heading towards the exit grabbing the crossbow of the pool table -Daryl turns towards her.

"Ain't gonna have your first drink. Be no damned peach schnapps", he growled, swinging his arm emphasizing his irritation towards the not good enuff peach schnapps on the floor.

Swinging the exit door wide open, demanding but with the intention to make her feel better, Daryl orders.

"Come on".

Her lips quiver a bit, but she does what she is told. Leaving the peach schnapps untouched, wiping her tear stained cheeks...

Pt.2

#apocalypse #beth x daryl #daryl dixion imagine #daryl dixon #daryl dixon fanfiction #daryl dixon smut #daryl dixon x reader #daryl x reader #fanfics #daryl x y/n #zombie #twd fanfiction #fanfiction #daddy issues

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peanut-tyrug · 1 month

Text

Pink City AU: Hunt for the Boxman

Chapter 3 - Fixing what’s been Broken

Hoonis and Dento team up amongst the discord and havoc of the Pink City to fix what they themselves and others have torn apart.

—

NOTICE: This AU is partially based on my ideas/interpretation. If anything appears to be inaccurate, I apologize. I tried to work with what little I had to make smth. I also took a few artistic liberties.

Another thing: THE PINK CITY AND IT’S CHARACTERS DO NOT BELONG TO ME!! IT BELONGS TO GOOSEWORX!! Some canon lore for The Pink City has also been implemented in this story. This is just an AU/story I made based on it. If you’d like to check out The Pink City series itself, check it out here!

—

TRIGGER WARNING: This fic contains nightmares, threats, arguing, caps, swearing, an apocalypse, screaming, crying, death, stabbing, self hatred, and daddy issues. If you aren’t comfortable with these things, please don’t read this.

It hasn’t been long since the disaster that occurred live on television. Right on Bep’s show…

All she wanted to do was get her head back in the game. Get back into making her show. Forget all that had happened, forget that emotional breakdown with that… nosy little shit show host.

The stress hammers at Bep’s head like a mallet. She can’t help but stress over her show. How people will perceive her… all the disgust, confusion, rage…

It’s an absolute nightmare…

…A literal one.

Bep wakes up with a sudden gasp. She rises up and glances around, and hears her phone going off. She scrambles to her phone and picks it up. She holds the phone in her hand.

Her eyes squint angrily.

Someone’s calling her.

Hoonis is calling her.

…That blasted, dense man… the man the couldn’t help but press on about her deadbeat father. The man that couldn’t shut his trap about the person she hated with every fiber of her being.

The phone eventually stops ringing, going to the lock screen. Bep then goes into her messages and types out a message to Hoonis.

'Leave me alone'

Bep chucks her phone to the edge of her bed and lays back down…

…The nightmares continue to rage on in her head.

—

It’s the next day.

Everyone’s preparing for Bep’s next show. Setting up lights, doing sound checks. Everything must be perfect.

Perfect for her.

Bep storms around the small studio room, checking in on her employees. Although, she’s more uptight than usual.

“Hey!” Bep exclaims, pointing at a camera man. “Do NOT keep that lens cap on! I swear to God, you aren’t going to see the end of my wrath if you do!”

“Yes, ma'am!” The camera man says worriedly, fearing for his life.

Bep then turns to a sound guy, fiddling with the sound board. She storms to him, to which the employee responds by shivering in terror.

Bro slams her hands onto the sound board. “You better not fucking miss your cues, you hear me?” She says in a harsh whisper.

“Yes, Ms. Nemeni, ma'am.” Says the sound guy, his fear overtaking his voice.

Bep then turns to her small tech crew. Only few have actually stayed, including the team’s lead, since they need the money.

Bep struts over to the tech lead, Bendle. He quickly notices her approach.

“Bendle!” Bep begins. “Keep an eye on the tech team, please. We don’t need a light flickering or falling!”

“…Ms. Nemeni?” A tech guy questions. “Why are you always so hard on us?”

Bep averts her gaze to the questioning man. She forgot he was new here.

“…Well, that’s because I NEED TO BE!” Bep exclaims. “If I don’t keep you all in check, WE ALL PLUMMET TO THE GROUND!! We lose our AUDIENCE!! We lose our SOURCE OF PROFIT!! We mess up, we have NOTHING!”

“But why do you yell so much?” The tech guy asks. “I don’t think that’s a good work environment—!”

Bep proceeds to the yank the tech guy to her face. She stares him down, and he stares back, complete horror in his eyes.

“Sometimes I NEED TO BE LOUD!!” Bep exclaims. “I have to be the army general because people like YOU can’t get your work done! I need ALL OF YOU to get to work, RIGHT NOW, or so help me, I WILL TEAR YOU APART LIMB FROM LIMB!!”

Most of the tech team scatters to their positions.

All but one.

One of Bep’s most loyal employees. Practically her right hand man.

Bendle.

He stays in place, not even daring to move. Bep looks to the young man with fury. Bendle firmly glares to his boss.

“…Bendle?” Bep asks. “Didn’t you hear me?”

“I did hear you, ma'am.” Says Bendle.

“…Then why aren’t you moving?” Bep asks, voice seething with fury.

“Because I’m tired of the stress you put us through.” Bendle responds.

Bep quickly becomes infuriated and lost for words. As she stammers, trying to make a coherent sentence, Bendle speaks up again.

“You’ve done nothing but stress us out for ages.” Says Bendle. “You never seem to care about our emotional well being.”

Bep tries to retort, stammering, trying to make a good enough argument.

…But as she tries, a thought pops in her head.

“You’re a terrible boss, that’s what you are.” Says Bendle. “And I am so, so, so, tired of putting up with your shit. We all are. We could all leave, but we don’t. We need the money. If you want us to stay as bad as you do, why don’t you try to improve as a person?”

Everyone in the crew stares back at the brave man and his powerless boss. All Bep does is stand there, completely motionless, as a memory of old reappears in her head…

…A terrible memory. One that would make her seethe every time it popped up in her mind…

~~~

'Why not?'

'I don’t want to work on your stupid show!'

'But why? It’s done so well! You could get a lot of money!'

'It’s not what I want to do with my life!'

'But what about what I want for you?'

'What about what I want!? What I want to do with my own life!?'

'I am your father! You do as I ask!'

'But this is my life!'

'What about what I want for you?'

'…You don’t love me.'

'…What?'

'You don’t love me. You don’t care about me… you just wanted me for your stupid show!'

'No! I do love you!'

'Then why are you pressuring me to do something I don’t want to do!?'

'It would be good for you!'

'But what if I don’t want to do it!?'

'Then suck it up!'

'That’s what I mean! YOU DO NOT LOVE ME!!'

~~~

…That same argument… that same talk…

That same talk Bep had with her father…

…Darles…

The memory rings in her head. Reflects back to her...

Suddenly, a loud and thundering rumbling is heard from outside.

The ground begins to shake, causing equipment to topple and fall. The crew catches their equipment just before it hits the ground.

“The hell is that!?” A sound guy exclaims.

As the rumbling continues, loud bangs are heard…

Then, a sound that resembles the aftermath of a bomb slamming into the ground.

The ground vibrates even more, causing the crew to fall forward on their faces.

“EVERYONE!! GO!!!” Bendle exclaims.

As everyone scurries to the exit, banging is heard against the studio’s roof…

Suddenly, dark and inky tendrils protrude through the roof of the studio, quickly cornering the crew.

Bep watches as her crew is swiftly lifted into the air. Thrown against the wall. Chucked around the room.

…And slowly becoming disgustingly distorted.

Losing their logic and reason. Losing their ability to think. Losing their ability to keep a proper form.

Corrupted.

“Come on!” Bendle exclaims, running to Bep. “We gotta go!”

As Bep turns to face Bendle, she watches as Bendle is lifted into the air through the hole in the roof. Bep watched as the young man is carried into the sky.

And Bendle watches as Bep becomes further and further away from his view.

The tendril carrying the young man comes to a halt. Bendle quickly turns his head around.

And comes face to face with something that would forever lurk in his nightmares.

A thin, magenta-suited man with a box for a head, said box being covered in a black ooze with spider-like legs protruding from the sides of the head. Front and center, looking directly into Bendle’s soul, colorful yet petrifying eyes. The types of eyes that haunt you while you sleep.

…Bendle feels as if he could pass out.

Suddenly, the tendril holding the young man up slams him back down into the building.

Bep watches as the man falls back to the floor of her studio, complete horror in her eyes. A crater is created in the floor of the room she stands in. Bendle lays practically unconscious, his body glitched and distorted.

The young man slowly brings an arm up. He then begins to rise to his feet, much to Bep’s horror.

Bendle isn’t who he was anymore. None of her crew were.

They were all like mindless, bugged out zombies. Completely void of whatever proper mental state they had left.

Bendle stares at Bep, his eyes a bright blue aura. His body glitching and distorting beyond what Bep can comprehend.

Bep swiftly turns to the exit and scurries out of the studio. She runs almost aimlessly through the halls and eventually skids to a stop by a closet. She shoves herself into the closet and shuts the door. She sits back against the door and curls up into a ball.

…She begins to sob.

…All of what she had caused her employees… the anger, the fear, the stress…

…She had become the very person she hated…

…Her father… the one who caused her all the stress, the pressure she endured…

She had done the same…

…What had she wrought…?

—

It hasn’t been long since the carnage had started to rain down upon the Pink City.

Hoonis huddles away in his home, within a closet, protecting himself from the danger outside…

He can hear all of it.

All of the screaming, crying, bugged out terror. People getting slammed against buildings. He can feel the quaking hits against the walls outside.

…It’s terrible.

At least he knows Dento’s safe in his home, with his family… very likely mourning Elain.

…Poor Elain…

She had been taken by Darly. Lord knows if she’s still okay, wherever she in sky she was. Wherever in that void she was… maybe she was okay…

…Although, it may not be likely.

Darles— or Darly, is not the man he once was. He’s been bent to Darly’s will. Insane, sick in the head… Hoonis can only imagine what he’s done with her…

…He needs to get her back. Get Darles back… that was what he settled out to do anyway, find Darles and just speak to him. Just that time… but Elain, she and Dento had helped him. He was grateful for them. They were his friends.

…He can’t sit in his closet like this. He had to do something to help his idol and friend, along with the dying city outside.

…He needs to find Dento…

Wherever he lived…

Hoonis goes through his pocket and grabs his phone. He texts Dento.

'Hey. What’s your address?'

…For a bit, nothing.

Then—

'What do you need it for?'

'I want to talk to you. I’ll explain when I get there'

—

Hoonis scrambles through the streets of the Pink City, trying to evade whatever could suddenly decide to chase after him and get to Dento’s home.

Nothing really seems to be on his tail… at least, for a time.

The glitched citizens roaming amongst the carnage quickly take notice of the one unlike them. The small group eventually forming into a mob of people.

Hoonis doesn’t dare look back. He continues to run, not even paying attention to where he’s going.

He needs to hide.

As he turns into another street, he swiftly slides to his right and enters a random building. He shuts the door behind him and rushes deeper into the building.

As he runs, the place quickly becomes familiar…

…Bep’s studio…

…Surely if she doesn’t notice he’s here, he’ll be fine… right?

He rushes down a hall and enters the closest room to his left. He slams the door shut and slams his back to it.

“…The fuck are you doing here?” A voice asks from Hoonis’ left.

Hoonis glances to the voice’s origin. His eyes go wide.

Bep is looking directly up to Hoonis, her eyes watery with tears… what happened to her?

“…H-hey, Bep.” Hoonis says worriedly. “…Sorry. I didn’t know I had—“

“No, no.” Says Bep, softly. “You’re fine… they likely won’t find us here anyway. They don’t have any of their sanity left, it seems.”

“…Are you alright?” Hoonis asks as he sits himself next to Bep, since he knows he’s now allowed in the room.

“…I’m sorry.” Says Bep. “For… breaking out at you the yesterday.”

Hoonis suddenly appears surprised. He never expected to hear her apologize. Before he can speak, Bep continues.

“…It was wrong.” Says Bep. “I only inflected hell upon you… just as I did to everyone else… just like my father…”

“…What do you mean?” Hoonis asks. “I-if you don’t mind my asking, heh.”

Bep quickly appears hesitant…

She can’t keep it away forever. She’s done that long enough.

“…My father, you know him, along with what he did, if you rememeber. He— he didn’t want me to do what I wanted.” Says Bep. “What I wanted to do with my life. He wanted me to continue his show, and I didn’t… I’ve felt for years that he never truly loved me because of that. Despite my efforts to separate myself from him, I think I only became him.”

“…How?” Hoonis asks.

“I-I stress my employees out constantly. I never give them time to relax, take a mental break.” Says Bep. “I’m pushing them beyond their limits, and I was completely blind to it… my father did the same to me, stressed me out to my breaking point… I did the same to my own employees… I’m just as bad as my father…”

Hoonis almost couldn’t fathom what he heard.

…He knew Darles loved his daughter, he said so himself… he never intended this.

“…He never intended you to be upset.” Says Hoonis.

“What?” Bep asks, almost fiercely.

“I-I-I’ve seen him.” Says Hoonis. “He said he loved you with his life— he feels genuine guilt for what he caused you.”

“How do you know that?” Says Bep. “You’re making that up, aren’t you?”

“…He’s up there.” Says Hoonis, pointing upwards.

“I-I don’t understand.” Says Bep.

“In the sky.” Says Hoonis. “He’s stuck up there.”

“What?” Bep asks.

Suddenly, banging is heard. The corrupted have found them.

“SHIT!” Hoonis harshly whispers. “Take my hand!” He whispers as he turns to Bep.

Before Bep can even retort, Hoonis rushes out of the room. He barely escapes the corrupted hoard, just before he can even get hit. He and Bep eventually scurry out of the studio and into the outside world.

“Look up!” Hoonis exclaims, looking back to Bep. “Do you see what I mean now?”

Bep’s eyes go wide as she looks upon the carnage. Buildings are cracked or partially crumbled. Citizens limp around the streets, completely void of an actual mental state. As she gazes upon the city, she spots something in the sky.

…Someone…

The figure is faint, yet close enough to be visible. A man with an eye-covered box on his head, coated in a thick black ooze with spider-like legs sticking from it’s sides. The physique of the man is thin. Familiar…

Darles.

Bep can only pray that he won’t see her.

Suddenly, Hoonis and Bep find themselves in darkness again. Hoonis found an unlocked door to a nearby building. They’re safe now.

The duo quickly sits themselves down, breathing heavily.

“…I-I saw him.” Says Bep. “…What the fuck happened to him…? You know, don’t you?” She asks, turned to Hoonis.

Hoonis hesitates before finally finding what he wants to say. “…He’s a god now.” Says Hoonis.

“…WHAT!?” Bep shouts.

“Shh!” Hoonis hushes. Bep silences, letting Hoonis speak again.

“…He made a deal with these gods to make his show succeed.” Says Hoonis. “They took him, as part of their deal… and now he’s a god.”

Bep quickly appears suddenly confused. How did he even come across them in the first place? What are these gods?

“…He only gets worse…” Says Bep. “…He can’t improve… and if he can’t, then I can’t either…”

Hoonis processes her words… if she feels she’s like him, and he can’t change…

…She won’t change either…

“…Don’t think that way.” Says Hoonis.

“Why?” Bep asks, voice strained. “I’m just like him. I-I’m part of him— his genes are in me… I can’t change, just as he can’t…”

“Both of you can change, I know that.” Says Hoonis. “…Even if I have a terrible father who never loved me, who is a lost cause… whose to say your father can’t change? Why not give him a chance? Give yourself a chance?”

Bep processes Hoonis’ words…

“Why not try to actually change instead of wallowing in your guilt?” Hoonis asks.

…Why not change when you still have the time to do so in your life? Why not work to be better? Why not learn to grow as a person?

Suddenly, Hoonis places a hand on Bep’s shoulder. Bep swiftly turns her head to face the show host, her eyes wide with shock.

“You can do it.” Says Hoonis. “Just try.”

Bep hesitates before placing her hand onto Hoonis’. She doesn’t say anything, she only nods… she will try. She wants to try. She can only become a better person if she’s willing to try.

…Not only can she change… Darles can change…

The only way to know was to see him again… if she got to truly see his guilt… she wouldn’t believe it unless she actually saw it before her. To start her change, she can actually be less judgmental. Unlike Hoonis’ father… maybe her’s can change.

…Although, she appears hesitant to believe it. All that had happened in the past stays with her. All that she had done stays with her. Hoonis notices her hesitancy as she looks down to the ground.

“…I know that your hesitant...” Says Hoonis. “But I know you’ll see change in him, you’ll see change in yourself too. I promise.”

Bep doesn’t respond, appearing uncertain. Hoonis quietly accepts it and pats her shoulder… he knows she’ll see it. He knows so… he then gets to his feet and rushes out of the building and back into the city.

…Bep is conflicted… Can she change? Can Darles change…?

…All she can do is wait… All she can do is try. Instead of wallowing in your sorrows… she can’t sit here in guilt forever, right? …Just be less stubborn for a second. You can start your change there.

…Yes, she can change. She wants to change.

She just has to wait and see if he wants that change too.

As Bep sits, she hears a sudden banging on the door leading inside the building… along with the sound of bugging static…

—

Dento sits in his home, on the couch, moping quietly. Danina sits next to him, giving him comfort. Despite the assistance from his sister, Dento can’t help but feel like garbage.

If only he had known Elain would do that to herself, act ignorant toward her pain… he should’ve known… if she had known… this wouldn’t have happened.

If both of them knew…

“Oh, dear!” Says Dento’s mother, who is pacing around the living room. “Oh, where is your father!? I called him, he hasn’t come home—!”

“Mom!” Danina exclaims, cutting her mother off. “He’ll be home, I’m sure of it.”

“Who knows what danger’s out there, Danina?” Says the mother. “He could’ve gotten shot, or beat up, or—!”

Suddenly, someone knocks on the door.

“See?” Says Danina. “He’s home. You can shut up now.”

The mother seems to ignore Danina’s remark as she hurries to the front door and unlocks it. Suddenly, someone no one, except Dento, expected to see.

Hoonis slams the door open, causing the mother to get smacked onto the wall. “Where’s Dento!?” Hoonis exclaims.

“Where’d you come from!?” Danina questions as Dento swiftly moves his head to face the show host.

Hoonis closes the door behind him and notices Dento’s mother behind it. He gasps a bit as the mother recovers, completely fine yet dazed. “Sorry, ma'am!” He says.

“…Y-you’re alright, sir.” Says the mother with a slight chuckle.

Hoonis’ eyes quickly notice Dento sitting on the couch next to his sister. He rushes over to the Bounty Hunter, who jumps back in fright.

“Dento!” Hoonis says in a hurry. “We gotta talk, come on!”

“Hold it!” Says Danina, putting a hand in front of Dento as if to protect him. “What do you need him for?”

“You suddenly barged into our home without a purpose to be here.” Says the mother.

Hoonis turns to the mother. “I need to speak with Dento, miss.” He says. “It’s an emergency!”

“A-about what?” The mother asks.

“…I-it’s a lot, I’m sorry—!” Hoonis begins, before being swiftly cut off.

“You’re sending him back out there, aren’t you!?” Danina exclaims. “You’re crazy if you think he’s going out there, it’s a war zone outside!”

“I know, but I need him for this!” Says Hoonis. “It’s for a friend of his!”

“Wha— oh, her?” Danina asks, knowing who Hoonis’ referring to. Dento quickly notices who he’s talking about as well.

Elain.

“Yes!” Says Hoonis. “I need his help to get Elain back!”

“He’s mourning right now.” Says Danina. “I don’t think he’d—!”

Suddenly, Dento hops off the couch and walks up to Hoonis. He looks up to the show host with a stern expression. He wants to help, even if he’s in mourning.

Elain is his friend. Even if she hurt him, he knows she didn’t mean it… they can speak about it later. Learn to improve…

“Are you sure?” Danina asks.

Dento locks eyes with Danina and nods.

“It’s dangerous out there, hun.” Says the mother to Dento. “I don’t want you getting hurt.”

Dento looks to his mother and shakes his head. He lowers his hands from the top of his body to the bottom, displaying what he was wearing: Bounty Hunting gear. He’s a Bounty Hunter. He’s seen a lot of terrible things in his life. If he can handle taking down a bounty, then he can handle this.

“…You have faced a lot in your life.” Says the mother. “M-maybe I should let you go.”

If Dento had a mouth, he’d have the biggest smile on his face. He slowly nods to his mother. He rushes to his mother and hugs her.

“…Oh, my little boy.” Says the mother. “Your father would be applauding you right now.” She picks Dento up into her arms and hugs him back.

Danina then gets up from the couch and head to her family. She faces Dento. “You better come back alive, you hear?” She asks.

Dento looks to Danina and nods. He wraps an arm around her, giving her a side hug.

Hoonis looks at the scene tenderly… he can only wish he and Bep’s families had that bond… even if his father can’t change, Darles can. He can see it in him.

They just need to find a way to get him back.

Dento separates from his family and the mother sets him down. He rushes over to Hoonis with a confident look.

“Are you ready, friend?” Hoonis asks Dento.

Dento nods confidently. He’s ready.

Hoonis nods back, then looks to Dento’s family. “I’ll be sure to bring him back. He’ll make sure of that too.” He says. Dento nods in response to Hoonis.

“Just be careful.” Says the mother. “Please.”

“We will.” Says Hoonis. He then turns to the door and points at it triumphantly. “To the city!”

Hoonis and Dento rush to the door and swiftly exit the house and rush into the city. Danina and Dento’s mother wave them goodbye as the rush out of the door.

“We love you, hun!” Say the mother.

“Don’t get yourself killed!” Says Danina.

—

Hoonis and Dento scurry behind buildings and through alleys, trying as best as they to avoid any of the mindless civilians roaming the streets. None of them seem to notice they’re there, walking in straight lines like NPCs, completely lifeless and without their free will.

As Hoonis and Dento run though, they slow down and come to a stop, right behind a vacant building, as if realizing something.

Hoonis turns to Dento. He leans down to the Bounty Hunter’s level and whispers. “…What are we gonna do?”

…Dento eventually shrugs, unfortunately uncertain… neither of them thought far ahead. Just how were they going to take down Darly and end this carnage?

Suddenly, two floating hands appear behind the show host and Bounty Hunter. The hands swiftly grab their backs and lift to the air. The duo then gets pulled away from their spot at a tremendous speed, they can barely process what’s happening to them as they suddenly enter a forest.

The hands quickly come to a halt, causing the duo to jerk forward slightly. The hands slowly lower the two to the ground, back on their legs, only for them to immediately fall to their bottoms. As they recover, the hands retract, and a slight rustle is heard from the bushes in front of them.

From the bushes, an old companion appears.

Hoonis and Dento see Vondu exiting the small pile of shrubs, another familiar person in a third hand’s grip.

The librarian.

“You! It’s you!” Hoonis exclaims, pointing to the Bounty Hunter and cult leader. Dento only stares, not looking shocked, although he is.

Vondu plops the librarian down to ground, although not as gently as Hoonis and Dento were placed. The librarian thuds to ground with a grunt. His gaze shifts to the show host and Bounty Hunter.

Suddenly, breaking the slightly uneasy air, Dento’s phone vibrates. He takes out his phone and spots a text from Vondu.

'He can tell you everything you need' One text reads.

Another text suddenly comes in. 'I heard you from here. I know you want this carnage gone'

Vondu then gazes to the librarian, his look demanding. He needs the cult leader to speak.

The librarian appears hesitant, not wanting to speak of the secrets of the Elders. He turns to Vondu, wanting to retort against him, before Vondu swiftly pulls back his coat, revealing his mighty gun artillery underneath.

The librarian shrieks. “Fine, pest!” He says. “…I shall speak of true word.”

The librarian turns to Hoonis and Dento, who await an answer. He steps to the duo, pulling out a ritual knife from inside his robe.

The librarian holds the knife before Hoonis and Dento. “Pierce the leech that sits on the showman’s head, and the world will be cleansed of this carnage.” He says.

Dento gradually takes the blade in his hands. He stuffs it deep into the pockets of his Bounty Hunting gear.

Hoonis turns to the librarian, appearing grateful. “Thank you.”

The librarian doesn’t seem to respond. He’s not happy that he had to share any of that. He’d rather live to preach of his gods than be dead.

Vondu then swiftly swipes the librarian in a jar… he’s a bounty. He averts his ominous gaze from the jar to Dento and Hoonis, who stare back.

“…T-thank you, sir.” Says Hoonis. Dento nods, also saying thank you.

Vondu continues to stare before ominously creeping back into the shrubs. Hoonis and Dento slowly back away before Hoonis suddenly dips the scene, sprinting away. Dento quickly follows.

As they run, they spot the faint figure of Darly hovering over the Pink City’s center, the world appearing slightly distorted and apocalyptic, the large gaping hole in the sky aiding the terrified feeling within them.

—

Dento and Hoonis stay hidden behind a building, away from the pedestrians. They peer over to the street, not seeing anyone, but the carnage being most apparent.

“…We still don’t have a plan.” Says Hoonis.

How were they going to get to Darly? It wouldn’t be easy to get to him, since he’s so high up… what would they do?

Suddenly, Dento looks to Hoonis with a stern gaze. He places the knife in front of the show host and swiftly bolts away.

Directly into the street.

Hoonis peers over the building with a gasp. “No! wait!” He exclaims to Dento. His plea falls on deaf nonexistent ears as he watches Dento bolt into the street.

As Hoonis desperately watches Dento bolt away, he feels something tap his shoulder. He turns and yelps at the sight of Vondu suddenly appearing behind him.

“You!” Says Hoonis. “What are you doing here, friend?”

Vondu points forward, and then glances to Hoonis, asking what he was looking out to the street for.

“…Dento left.” Says Hoonis. “He’s entrusted me with the dagger… I don’t know if I can—!”

Vondu places a hand on Hoonis’ shoulder, as if to console him.

Hoonis sighs. “…You’re right.” He says. “I need to do this. That isn’t Darles… I will do it! I have to!” He says as he turns to Vondu with confidence in his eyes.

Vondu nods. He then averts his gaze to the street ahead. He steps to the alley’s edge and peers over the building to the street. Hoonis huddles just behind him as watched Vondu and waits for him to act.

Vondu then points upward toward the city’s center, having spotted Darly a decent distance ahead.

“…What about Darles?” Hoonis asks.

Vondu looks back to Hoonis and points at the dagger, then points back to Darly.

“How am I going to get there?” Hoonis asks.

Suddenly and swiftly, Vondu picks Hoonis up and holds him in the air, as if preparing to chuck him to Darly.

—

Dento’s been running for awhile. His legs hurt, but he’s willing to do this… if Darly has Elain, then wouldn’t that make Darly want Dento too? If he wanted her so bad, and since he seemed to know a lot about her, he’d know Dento is Elain’s crime fighting buddy.

Dento runs through the street a bit, before stopping and coming to a halt. He turns a heel and stares upward, directly up to Darly.

…He’s offering himself up as a sacrifice.

Darly is so high up, Dento can barely see him… yet he can feel those petrifying eyes staring down at him…

Then, something pushes Dento down to the floor. He can barely process what’s happening as he slams onto the road… Dento’s eyes then come upon a horrifying sight.

Elain.

Elain remains on top of her former partner in justice, keeping him pinned to the ground. She then picks Dento up by the arms, letting him hang in the air. Dento only stares in shock and disbelief, looking deep into Elain’s dead blue eyes.

…What had happened to her?

“Well, well, well!” Says a voice from above. An awfully familiar one.

Darly.

Dento looks over Elain’s shoulder to see Darly looking down to the ground, looking upon his partner and her former friend. “Look at who we have here!” He says. “The puppet’s little partner? Coming to be almighty and safe his friend? Delightful!”

There is then a suspenseful, long pause…

“DESTROY THE PEST!!” Darly suddenly shouts. “BEAT HIM UP!!”

Suddenly and swiftly, Elain begins punching her former partner across the face. Dento can barely avoid Elain’s attacks as she swiftly chucks him into the air and kicks away with a leap.

Dento skids to the ground, his back grinding against the road. He slowly picks himself up to see Elain quickly approaching him. He swiftly pulls a gun out from his side… but hesitates.

He’s never had to shoot someone such as Elain. He didn’t like the thought of it.

She may have hurt him, and was still hurting him now, but he knows she doesn’t want any of this… she never did…

Before Dento can even move again, Elain throws him into the air once more. While Dento falls through the air at the absurd high altitude he had been thrown to, Elain mercilessly begins to smack and slap him around like some kind of toy. As the two approach the ground, Elain holds onto to the barely conscious Dento, allowing him to fall back to the ground first.

Elain holds Dento down to the ground. They lock eyes again as Dento hears an evil maniacal laugh approaching them. Dento turns his head slightly to spot Darles slowly descending to them.

“Pathetic!” Says Darly. “You couldn’t even lay a scratch on her! And I thought you were good at beating people up! Ha!”

Darly then goes into another round of awful laughter. As Darly laughs, it descends into an odd shriek.

As Dento stares upon Darly, he waits for Hoonis to strike…

Nothing.

…Until he suddenly sees the show host slam onto Darly’s back, the dagger in his hand.

“What in the FUCK!?” Darly shouts. “GET OFF OF ME!!” He exclaims as he struggles to get Hoonis off of his back.

“I’m doing this for you, Darles!” Hoonis says in an overly dramatic tone. He holds the dagger just above Darly’s head, but he appears to be shrouded in anxiety…

He just can’t do it. Not to Darles.

A tendril then yanks Hoonis of Darly’s back, causing the dagger to almost fall out of his hand. Just as he clings onto it’s handle, another tendril yanks the dagger from Hoonis’ hand and brings it to Darly to inspect.

Darly inspects the dagger in a cartoonish manner, rubbing his chin with his hand. He then turns to Hoonis. “Ah!” He says. “Publicly executing me, I see? How futile!”

“Why can’t you just stop this?” Hoonis asks, a terrible tinge of desperation in his voice.

“Unlike you, I’m not letting my feelings get in the way of what I need to do!” Says Darly. “That ungrateful man must see what his gift can bring onto himself! You are only a hindrance in what he needs to understand what a TRUE celebrity is!”

Darly then turns to the tendril wielding the dagger— he notices it has suddenly disappeared. His eyes glance around, wondering who could’ve taken it.

Suddenly, a large entourage of bullets soar through the area, causing Darly and Elain to retreat, Elain taking Dento with her as she hovers into the air and stops beside Darly. As Hoonis is brought into the air, the tendril he’s in gets shot at and eventually disappears, causing Hoonis to fall to the ground. Hoonis lifts his head, spotting a quickly approaching figure.

Hoonis sees Vondu rushing toward him, his artillery of fire arms revealed. The guns continue to shoot, as if they have unlimited ammunition. In one of his floating hands is the dagger. He had taken it when no one was looking. He stuffs the hand holding the dagger in his coat.

Vondu stops in front of Hoonis and glares at him, angry that Hoonis didn’t do his job. His eyes are like daggers staring directly into Hoonis’ soul, piercing his very spirit like a red hot spear.

Hoonis flinches. “I just couldn’t!” Hoonis says desperately. “I’m sorry!”

Suddenly, pedestrians begin flooding the streets, racing for the sane people standing in the road. Vondu begins to fire his artillery aimlessly at the hoard. All of them trip and fall as the bullets pierce their skin, only making holes with no blood seeping from them.

Hoonis stays huddled behind Vondu, not certain of where to go. Out of nowhere, a tendril grabs Hoonis by the waist and pulls him up to Darly.

“Three little lackeys in one day?” Darly asks himself. “What a show!”

On the ground, Vondu continues to shoot at the pedestrians. Most of them have been taken down and lay on the ground unconscious. With a few more shots, the city goes dead quiet. The zombies remain on the ground while everyone else stays entirely silent…

…Until the sound of another hoard is heard.

Vondu swiftly turns his head around. He spots a few bugged out office workers chasing after an unarmed woman. As he watches, and before he can swiftly react, he suddenly gets pulled into the air by a tendril. As he gets pulled away, the dagger falls out of his coat.

“You’re too slow there, pal!” Says Darly. “There’s nothing you can do! This world is MINE!! And MINE to own! …Now, where is that dagger?”

Tendrils then begin to shake Vondu, causing various random items to fall out of his coat.

…All but the dagger.

Down at the ground, Bep continues to run from the workers. She had been running from them for who knows how long, but she still tried to run away from them.

As she runs, she spots a dagger sitting in the road. She bolts to it and swiftly grabs it, holding the weapon triumphantly in her hand. She rushes to the zombies and begins to ruthlessly stab them until they fall unconscious.

“Where is that dagger!?” Darly shouts into the air.

Bep turns. Her eyes quickly face the demented man hovering above her.

Darly’s eyes swiftly glance down to the woman on the ground. He spots the dagger sitting in the woman’s hand.

Darly wants to attack… and yet, he doesn’t… he only stares at the woman. Not with any anger, no… he stares on with regret.

…He could never hurt her… not again. He had yet to attack her all this time, and he wasn’t doing so now.

His feelings are getting the better of him.

“No!” Darly suddenly shouts. “Let all your MORTAL compassion die down! You do not need it! WE NEED THAT DAGGER!!”

Suddenly, tendrils shoot from the sky hole and launch forward to Bep. She barely avoids them and begins to run… until the tendrils halt.

Bep continues to run, not trusting the tendrils sudden stop she sees as she turns back. She faces forward, running forward.

As the sane trio in Darly’s grasp watch Bep scurry, floating hands from within Vondu’s coat hurry toward the woman and pick her up. The hands carry Bep away for moment, out of sight from Darly as he struggles with his head.

Bro is swiftly hovered over the Pink City and swooped over to a safe distance behind Darly, before halting. A hand taps the dazed Bep’s shoulder. Bep turns to Vondu, the source of the hand. Vondu points to the dagger, then to Darly’s head.

Go for the head.

Bep, appearing slightly confused but determined, nods. Bep is slowly lowered to Darly. Once she’s there, the hands let go of the woman, allowing her to plop onto the demented man’s back.

Darly suddenly shrieks and hovers away from his captors, trying to get Bep off of him. Bep can barely hold onto Darly, but she tries to keep herself clung to him.

“GET OFF OF ME!!” Darly shouts. “HE DOES NOT NEED YOU!!”

As Darly says that, Bep becomes uncertain again.

She could totally jump off and end this fight now…

“…Tell me you love me, damn you.” Bep says desperately. “Show me that you can change… please.”

…Darly then goes quiet… before suddenly speaking again.

“…I loved you with my life, Bep.” Says Darly. “I didn’t want this, I did it to myself… and I fucking hate myself for it… please, understand me, when I say that I love you with all my heart… you are my daughter, and I love you.”

…Bep only stares upon the back of Darly’s head. She notices that Darly is beginning to slow and hover back down to the ground.

“I wouldn’t be letting you shank me in the head right now if I wasn’t willing to change for the better.” Says Darly. “We can end this hell, and start over. Right here, right now.”

Bep continues to stare…

If she wants to change, she has to prove it. Take his word… she knows he wouldn’t be saying any of this if he didn’t truly care.

her expression goes stern. She slowly lifts the dagger…

…Then she strikes.

A hard blow directly to the back of the parasite’s head. Darly shrieks with gut wrenching agony… the city then begins to distort and bug out. Colors and unknown sounds fill the Pink City grounds as the world practically falls apart…

…Then…

…Nothing but darkness.

Horrendously quiet, deafening silence…

…And then… light.

Everything in the Pink City is quiet, practically dead, but it isn’t. Everyone that was once a dead brained zombie lay in the city’s center, so do the saviors of the city and the mad man. Everything is quiet…

Until everyone slowly begins waking up…

Everyone glances around. It’s like the entire universe suddenly reset… whatever god or legion may have allowed this change, they are eternally grateful for it.

As everyone wakes up, Darles slowly rises to his feet, the parasite no longer clinging to his head… his deal was broken, and the damage it caused was undone… he could actually change, even when he never thought he could… he can now.

Everyone in the city, including the idol hunters and Vondu, look upon the scene.

As Dento stares, he has a swift realization… he turns his head…

Elain stands directly next to him… Elain slowly processes the eyes looking to her, but she slowly sets her eyes back down, appearing ashamed.

…This shame stays, until Elain feels something cling to her side. She looks down to see Dento tightly hugging her leg, being too short to reach any higher. Elain only stares at the sight, appearing to be caught off guard by the sudden act… she wasn’t expecting this at all.

She expected he’d be upset with her, not even daring to look her in the eye, but he isn’t.

All Dento could focus on in that moment was his closest friend being alright. He could care less about what had happened, what they both caused.

That was in the past now. And they were going to use the future to improve. Change for the better.

Darles, in the crowd of citizens just coming to, stands in almost complete disbelief… it was done… he could actually try and live his life. A second chance…

“Darles!?” A voice shouts from the crowd. “Oh, golly, where’d you go!?”

Darles quickly recognizes the high pitched sound. His eyes dart around, trying to spot the voice’s source.

“…T-Thlouretta?” Darles exclaims softly into the crowd.

Suddenly, Thlouretta pops out from the crowd, appearing panicked. Her eyes glance around, until they halt onto the tall suited man in the middle of the crowd… a smile creeps up on Thlouretta’s face.

“…Darles?” Thlouretta asks in disbelief. “Is that you?”

“…I-I’m all that’s here now.” Says Darles.

Thlouretta, still smiling, slowly walks over to her old friend. As she stops, Darles gets down on one knee to be close to her height.

“…I missed you so much.” Thlouretta says softly.

“I did too.” Says Darles. “…I’m so sorry I left… but now that’s behind us. I can actually live again—!”

“Dad!?” Another voice shouts. Darles and Thlouretta look back to the crowd as Bep races through the citizens, marching directly towards her father. Bep gives Darles a stern look as she approaches him. Thlouretta steps to the side to give them so room.

Bep’s expression the softens. She’s almost in disbelief at what she’s seeing… her own father, actually willing to change. Bep and Darles exchange the same soft but awkward look.

“…I’m sorry, my daughter.” Says Darles. “I did you wrong, and I didn’t know… what I did was stupid… I can’t change what I did, but… I can at least change now, right?”

“…Yeah.” Says Bep, voice cracking slightly. “You can… so can I.”

The crowd softly gazes upon the the three in the center as Bep and Darles tenderly look to one another before Bep slowly brings out her arms, appearing hesitant. Darles never liked physical contact, and she knew that.

To Bep’s surprise, Darles tightly clings to his daughter in a hug. Bep gradually wraps her arms around Darles. Everyone begins to gush at the sight, including the idol hunters. Vondu though still appears stern, as usual.

Hoonis would love to ask to speak with Darles, but he believes he should give him time… he may not even want to be in showbiz anymore.

That doesn’t mean he still can’t speak with the showman… maybe, with time, he could befriend him.

—

It’s been a few days since the apocalypse had happened.

The Pink City has gone back to its regular cycle, for the most part. Some still appear traumatized by the attack, but with time, they will improve. A bunch of news reports had come out on the situation and it’s causes. Some didn’t pay attention to them, not wanting to think about the treacherous day.

Elain and Dento sit in their apartment’s kitchen, quietly eating the breakfast Dento prepared. Dento turns to Elain, who appears to look ashamed.

Suddenly, Elain’s phone goes off. A message from Dento.

'You ok?'

'No'

'Whats wrong? You can tell me'

'I feel horrible'

'Why?'

'All that crap I did to you. I hurt you'

'Yea?'

‘Why do you still keep me around after all I’ve done to to you?'

'Bc you are my friend Elain. I care abt you'

‘Why? I hurt you?'

'Bc you’re my friend'

'Friends care for each other. I know you care abt me. You didn’t mean to hurt me'

'You were just being stupid. I was too, but ppl do stupid shit all the time'

'We just have to learn how to improve'

'You get me?'

Elain appears hesitant to respond. Dento gives Elain and stern look and rises from his seat. He walks to Elain and jumps into her lap. He rightly hugs her. Elain is swiftly taken aback.

Dento picks up his phone again.

'You weren’t telling me things you should’ve'

'And I wasn’t paying enough attention to you'

'We both did smth dumb, but that doesn’t mean we can’t change'

'We just gotta learn from what we did. I know we can do that. Work together to change, just as we always have'

Elain looks to the messages from Dento on her screen as Dento remains in her lap. Dento turns to face Elain, giving her a look that says 'You get me?'.

Elain turns to Dento, still appearing hesitant, before Dento gently hugs her… a realization then comes to her. It all finally hits her.

She can change. She will change.

Change for the better.

…Elain gently returns the hug, promising to Dento that she will change for the better. And she imagines Dento promised the exact same thing.

They make a great team.

—

After preparing for the day, Hoonis exits his apartment, heading to Bep’s studio. She was quickly beginning to get her show back together after the tender meeting with her father, and she was having her first new airing that morning.

As Hoonis steps away from his small apartment complex, he pulls out his phone and goes into his contacts. As he finds Bep’s contact, he gazes upon the contact for his father.

…Unfortunately, not everyone can change. Not everyone wants to.

Hoonis swiftly deletes the contact from his phone. He doesn’t need that sour, unchangeable man in his phone anymore.

Hoonis presses on Bep’s contact, and his phone begins to ring. It takes a moment, but Bep eventually picks up.

“Hello, Bep!” Says Hoonis. “Are you ready?”

“Almost.” Says Bep from the other line. “Give me a moment.”

“Alright, see you in a bit!” Says Hoonis.

“You too.” Says Bep.

Hoonis hangs up and proudly struts down the street to Bep’s studio.

—

Bep sits in a small dressing room, prettying herself up for her first airing in days. All while she prepares herself, Bendle stands outside, directing the crew.

Suddenly, there is a knock on the dressing room door.

“Who’s there?” Bep asks her from seat.

The door slowly opens, allowing Bendle to peek through the door. “Someone wants to see you, Ms. Nemeni.” He says. Bendle steps aside and lets the guest in.

Darles steps from beside Bendle and slowly enters the dressing room. As he approaches Bep, Bep turns to Bendle.

“Thank you, Bendle.” Says Bep.

“No problem, Ms. Nemeni.” Says Bendle. He shuts the door, giving Bep and Darles privacy.

Darles turns to face Bep. If he had a mouth, he’d have a wide smile on his face. “You look wonderful, Bep.” Says Darles.

“Thank you.” Says Bep. “I appreciate it. You look great too with that new look.”

Darles looks down at himself. He had bought a new suit and tie, the suit being an emerald green and the tie being an vibrant yellow, colors contrasting and pairing with his body tones of teal and magenta.

“Thank you!” Says Darles with a slight chuckle. “I thought it would be a nice change. I’m not wearing that old shit suit anymore.”

“Hey.” Says Bendle, peeking through the door again. Darles and Bep turn as he begins to speak again. “You’re almost on. And Mr. Boogie’s here.”

“Thank you, Bendle.” Says Bep. “We’ll be out shortly.”

“No problem.” Says Bendle as he exits.

Bep notices Bendle didn’t call her 'Ms. Nemeni' like he should’ve…

She doesn’t mind though. She knows it was an accident.

She had changed. She no longer snapped at people.

She changed for the better. Something she never thought she could do.

Another knock on the door is heard. “Come in.” Says Bep.

Hoonis peels in through the door. “It’s about to be showtime!” He says. “Come on!”

Bep and Darles look up to each other with confidence. They both them head to the dressing room’s exit, now being backstage. They stand next to Hoonis, who stands next to Bendle.

“I’ll let you know when you’ll be on.” Says Bendle.

The trio nods. Bep then looks to the crowd, gazing upon them with wide eyes.

“You ready?” Hoonis asks Bep and Darles.

Bep and Darles nod confidently.

Suddenly, intro music is heard.

“You’re on!” Bendle whispers.

The trio then slowly walks out onto the stage and take a seat as the intro music ends. They all look out to the audience.

“Hello, again!” Bep announces to the audience. “It’s been awhile! Welcome back! Today’s very special, as I have not one, but two guests here today! Do you two want to introduce yourselves?” She asks as she turns to face Hoonis and Darles.

“Hello, everybody!” Hoonis dramatically exclaims to audience. “I am full-time show host Hoonis Boogie! A pleasure to see you all again.”

Darles appears slightly hesitant to speak. “…Hello.” He says. “I am Darles Nemeni, former showman and Ms. Nemeni’s father. It’s nice to be here.”

“Today, we’ll be interviewing these two beacons of entertainment, discussing their lives since the recent apocalypse and where they’re going from there. Do either of you have anywhere you’d like to start?”

“Oh, well…” Hoonis begins. “I’ve been fine, mostly… nightmares are a pain, but that’s life! Am I right?” The audience chuckles.

Darles chuckles softly. “I’ve been okay.” He says. His eyes trail off a bit. “I’ve been at home, getting used to… living again… it’s refreshing.”

“Since recent news broadcastings after the initial attack, most people know about the involvement you two had in it.” Says Bep. “How do you feel about that?”

“…Weird.” Says Hoonis, chuckling slightly. “I never thought I’d be a city-wide hero. Now my dad can shut up about me being a failure!” The audience laughs, with some cheers sprinkled throughout.

Darles’ gaze averts again. He appears ashamed. “…I was almost surprised no one looked at me funny.” He says. “I caused that mess and yet… I’m not being attacked.”

“I think that’s because they saw that you wanted to change, dad.” Says Bep.

Darles chuckles. “…Maybe.” He says.

Bep then turns her head to face the audience. “To my audience, I want you all to know this.” She begins. “Anyone can change, if they’re willing to. To truly change means to show that you want to change, you want to be better. And that’s what my father and I have set out to do.”

“Not everyone can change, and that’s okay!” Hoonis butts in. “Focus on the ones who actually want that change. Like Darles and Bep here!”

“Exactly, Hoonis!” Says Bep. “You took the words right out my mouth.”

“…I may have another chance, but not everyone gets that.” Darles butts in. “Use whatever chances you have to improve. It’s good for you, for others.”

Bep nods. “You have the opportunity to change for the better.” She says. “Use it.”

The sound of the outro music then cuts through the motivational air. The interviewer and showmen look to the audience.

“Oh, it’s time for a commercial break!” Says Bep. “We’ll see you all real soon!”

As the outro music comes to a close, everyone who had been watching is left in a quiet awe.

Anyone can change. Everyone has the ability to be better, but not everyone can be better.

Such is the way of life.

Imperfection is very prevalent in our world, but that shouldn’t stop you or others from seeking great things.

- END -

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