———

TW: ABUSE, FIGHTING.

———

Nickel walked down the stairs and hurried through the lobby. He heard chattering and panicking of the residents. He sighed to himself and walked into the living room. Once he entered, he could see the Pickle and Knife playing video games together. But... There was a...

Third player...?

He walked around the couch, expecting to see Silver playing or something. Only to freeze in shock upon seeing Earring. He froze and looked at him for a few moments.

Earring hadn't noticed Nickel yet. But, when he heard Knife say hi to Nickel he almost dropped his controller and pressed his back against the couch. His head then slowly turned to Nickel.

They were in an extremely awkward staring contest. The only sound that could be heard was the game that Pickle soon paused. Which left silence loud enough to kill.

Nickel's face molded into a bitter glare. And he turned his head, which made Earring panic. He placed his controller down and hopped off the couch.

"N-Nickel! Wait...!" He muttered in a sorrowful voice.

"What could you possibly have to say...?!" Nickel snapped with a tearful expression. He bit his lip and backed away. "Because I don't think there's anything to be said..."

"I want to say I'm sorry!" Earring cried. His face filled with regret and pain.

Nickel remained silent. Remembering the things that Earring had gotten him into.

"You—...!"

"I was what?! Are you gonna make fun of me again?! Get mad at me for 'LYING'?!" He growled.

Earring flinched and it made him burst into tears. The poor boy began to cry. "I-I'm so sorry!!! You we-w-were right! A—About EVERYTHING!!!" Earring cried as he covered his eyes, tears spilling down his face as if a dam had shattered.

Nickel flinched, not expecting a reaction like this. He expected Earring to be bitter, or... actual like back at home...

"They are horrible! They d-d—did H-HORRIBLE THINGS!!! They hu-hurt me! A-and y-yelled at m-me! Th-they—Sniffle—D-dad d-did... did really bad things too..! You were right! About I-it all!" Earring was a complete mess. He was in uncontrollable tears, and regret.

Nickel was shocked.

Knife and Pickle cringed, they both knew whatever happened between the two, and their family... Wasn't pretty... Of course not knowing what happened, by what they were hearing however. It wasn't good.

"Please!" Earring begged, as he clasped his hands together to plead. "Please forgive me! I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have treated you the way I did!!! Please stop hating me! I cant stand the guilt...!"

"Earring..." Nickel sighed. "I honestly thought you were... Still going to disregard my distress... or... Try to defend mom and dad again. But..." Nickel took a deep breath. "If there's evidence you aren't siding with them now, then I don't really hold it against you."

Earring looked shocked.

"You were just a little kid...! And mom and dad gave you everything. Or at least... Everything good at the time... It's going to take some time for me to... Get over some things. But... I don't hate you. Kids are selfish and unreasonable naturally. Hell, I'm still a kid!!! And I act unreasonably and selfish at times! But, that doesn't have to make us terrible people. If you're ready to change. I'm just glad you see the truth." Nickel gave a small smile in reassurance.

Earring smiled back, and approached Nickel for a hug.

Nickel summoned a claw and stopped him. "Woah, uh... I don't think that's a good Idea... You'll quite literally DIE if you touch me..." Nickel informed nervously. He then changed the size of the claw and gave Earring a few pats on the head.

"Is it the weird magic— Card— Thing?" Earring asked in a skeptical tone.

Nickel nodded. He then turned to the two on the couch who were staring, and took his usual bitter tone. "What? What are you looking at?!" Nickel snapped.

"Well— Its just—" Knife sat back on the couch and placed his arm over the back. "The more I hear, the more I want to punch your parents." Knife muttered.

"Feel free..." Nickel chuckled bitterly.

"Just uh, a question... Uh... are you two brothers...? Or related in some way?" Pickle asked.

"Brothers? Uh, we're brother and sister." He explained. Not knowing of Earring's transition.

Earring squirmed uncomfortably. "I-uh... I think he was right the first time." Earring corrected.

Nickel looked confused.

"The kid wants you to call him by male pronouns." Knife commented as he leaned on his fist.

Nickel flinched. "Ohh... Ah I see... Sorry— I-I didn't know..." Nickel thought for a few moment. "I... Can also see how you uh... Found the bad side to mom and dad now." He muttered with wide eyes.

"My identity crisis sent mom off the rails... She was really mad." Earring grabbed the sides of his arms.

"Hah... You should seen dad's reaction when he found out I was gay." Nickel groaned in a uncomfortable tone.

Earring nodded slightly, and hopped on the couch. He picked up the controller.

Nickel noticed this and took the not. "I'm gonna go... Look out for Fan elsewhere. If ya need me or see Fan— just call. I dunno..." Nickel walked towards the lobby.

Once he arrived he slid back against the wall and hurried his face into his knees. It took everything out of him to not break down during that conversation. He let silent tears flow out of his eyes.

He wished he could be with Balloon right now.

He also hoped Balloon was okay.

———

Paper rushed into the storage room and helped OJ put up the covers for the windows. This would help stop glass from blasting into the hotel, and prevent Fan from getting in easily through the window.

OJ noticed that Paper had came to his aid and spoke up through his work. "You got everyone on guard?" OJ raised a concerned eyebrow.

Paper nodded. "Everyone who isn't too young. Like Bow." Paper explained.

OJ nodded. "I see... Thanks for telling me." OJ then grabbed the hammer from a box.

Paper then rushed out to hold the window cover's up as OJ nailed them into the walls. He watched OJ eventually nail up the first room's worth of window covers.

"Jeez... we're gonna need a lot.... And also some time." Paper muttered in a worried tone.

"It's fine... It won't take me long." OJ reassured as he moved onto the next room.

Paper felt a bit nervous, especially about what Looseleaf had said. It was OJ's plan to divide and conquer so... Maybe he could ask OJ for reassurance. "I—uh.. OJ...?"

"Yes, love?" OJ asked as he nailed the next cover into the wall with haste.

"Do you think splitting them up was a bad idea maybe...? Couldn't Fan pick us off one by one like this?" Paper tilted his head.

OJ froze for a moment. He pondered the possibilities. "No, We would hear the explosions. Or the resident would scream." OJ said in a firm voice.

Paper sighed. He was probably overthinking things anyway... "Y-you're right." Passer gave a small smile.

They both hurried to finish covering the windows.

Everything would be fine.

Right?

———

A few hours later

Balloon was sitting at the roof top, swaying his legs over the side as he sat on the half wall. He peered out at the forest ahead out of boredom. He didn't have anything to do really. He left his phone back in his room, and even if he DID have his phone, internet didn't reach up here.

He groaned, and crossed his legs, placing an elbow on the elevated knee and leaning on his fist. He could feel his cheek pressed up against his hand.

After a few more moments of nothing, Balloon noticed something down near the edge of the forest. He perked up, and lifted his face from his hand.

It was a shadow creature.

It wasn't too big, he could deal with it alone.

He boosted himself off the roof and took flight. He landed near it and charged up an ice attack. It hit directly. And it fled into the forest. Balloon looked back at the roof before sighing in annoyance and running after it. It took him a bit of chasing but he eventually caught up and blasted it with ice again. Finishing it off.

He dusted his hands off and smiled triumphantly.

He then looked over to the clearing, the perfect place to take off and head back. He began walking and eventually made his way over.

He jumped to take off, but found his foot was stuck.

He looked down.

He saw the inky substance from before, on his foot.

It was keeping it firmly in place. He flapped his wings to get away from it. What was this?! Why was he trapped?! He could hear rustling from the bushes.

"Wh—who's there?!" Balloon cried out as he tried to pull his foot free.

Fan emerged from the bushes with a grin. Both of his hands crackled and spark with a bright and ominous glow. His eyes had a menacing and condescending look to them.

Balloon was scared. He couldn't escape. He opened his mouth to yell. "S-SOMEO—!"

Fan raised his hand and more of the inky substance shot from his arm and it quickly engulfed the other boy's mouth.

Balloon was immediately silenced. He could barely breathe, and tried to struggle. The goop like mass began to spread around his body as Fan used his new power to trap the salmon balloon.

The dark mass was constricting him slowly. He felt it tighten around him, his wings were slowly enveloped and forced to fold in.

Fan gave a cruel chuckle. "I got some help from my new business partner. Something I can tell you is that you fate isn't looking too good..." he said condescendingly. His fist roughly clenched which cause the substance to harshly condense around him.

Balloo made a muffled yell of pain, his eyes widened as he began to feel extremely weak. This time... There was nobody to help him. He tried to struggle, but he couldn't move. Not a bit. Tears formed in his eyes.

Fan grinned and lifted the mass of darkness with his powers. "Let's go now, shall we?" He then closed it around the rest of the younger boy's face. Leaving him completely helpless.

Fan teleported.

Cobs chuckled as he left the room the Fan left destroyed during his training. He thought of how much of a fool Fan was. To trust him. He would discard of Fan once he was done using him. But right now, they were partners.

His wicked grin was extremely evident. He was, however, impressed by Fan's quick learning. It was surprising considering his desire to not change. But I suppose his determination for normality was strong enough to give him whatever tools he needed.

Fan was easier to manipulate in his vulnerable and rage filled state anyway.

"That woman was such a fool for choosing him..." He laughed with a bitter, but sadistic voice.

Cobs tended to a few things he needed to work on. Made sure his masses of corrupted shadow creatures were ready to strike if needed

He then heard Fan land in the hallway. And call out to him. "Cobs. I got him, you were right too! The shadow creature tricked him easily."

Cobs emerged from the room, and walked to Fan. He then looked over to the substance trapping the young boy. Cobs smiled at Fan's quick work. He then waved his hand and took over the use of the magic himself, and directed Balloon's prison of shadow over to a room Fan had not seen yet.

The room was completely enveloped with the dark substance. Cobs threw the boy into the wall, some of the substance falling off of him.

Balloon gasped for air, and coughed up some of the inky goo onto the floor. His muscles almost immediately gave in due to the weakness he sustained.

Cobs then waved his arms and two chains emerged from the wall and tightly blunt both his wrists and yanked him up against the wall.

Balloon yelped, and struggles, as the goo dripped down his mouth to his chin. "Wh—?!" He cried. Tears immediately began to spill again.

Fan watched with his hands on his hips.

"Oh, are you going to cry? I haven't even done anything to you yet..." Cobs gave a bitter laugh, and approached Balloon.

Balloon flinched and struggled. He tried to use his powers... But they weren't working...?! "L-LET ME GO!" He yelled with teary eyes.

"It's amusing that you believe I'm going to listen to you..." Cob's grin never left his face. He grabbed the boy's chin and forced his face up. "You are so naive." He said menacingly.

Balloon tried to pull his face way, but Cobs only tightened his grip. "You should get used to the dark... Soon, everything will be that way." Cobs used his powers to form two spikes made of dark matter.

"Wh—what—?! Wa-wait! Wait! Please— I...!" Balloon was panicking. He was terrified for his life, and completely clueless as to why Cobs wanted him here.

Cobs forced Balloon's wings up, and stabbed the spikes into them, and the wall behind them. Balloon's wings were now pinned.

Balloon screamed out in agony. Squirming in the chains at his pain. Tears poured from his eyes. The more he struggled, the worse it hurt, and the more the chains around his wrists tightened.

"You foolish child..." Cobs wiped the tear from Balloon's cheek with his thumb with a creepy smile. "Pain is the least of you worries." He took a step back, and removed his hand.

Fan looked disturbed by Cobs's creepy demeanour. But crossed his arms and shrugged it off.

Cons turned to Fan. "Keep watch. And If you wish to hurt him if he screams, please do so. I do not want to hear him cry if it's not because of me." Cobs placed his hands behind his back. "We will continue training tomorrow."

Fan nodded and turned to lean against the wall. "Can I sleep? In here, while I watch him...? It's getting late..." Fan complained.

Cobs's eyes narrowed for only a moment, before he took a deep breath in. "Yes... But don't be long. If he escapes, I'll have your head on a spike instead of his wings..." Cobs growled. With an angry glare.

Fan felt oddly intimidated despite his strength and gave a nervous nod, looking away.

Cobs's sadistic smile returned. "Good. Do not fail me." Cobs then walked past Fan and left the room.

Balloon was trying his best to sob in pain quietly. Tears streamed down his face, and his occasional squeaks and hyperventilation was pretty evident.

Fan, who was trying to sleep. Groaned in annoyance. He eventually used his powers to cover Balloon's mouth again. The substance wrapped around his mouth and lower face. It prevented him from making sound.

Balloon squirmed, and breathed faster. His eyes filled with terror and fear. He struggled and kicked, but the stabbing pain in his wings was killing him...

He felt the warm blood drip down his feathers. He could tell by the look of some of the feathers the blood was beginning to air dry and grown sticky.

Fan rolled his eyes at Balloon's distress and sat further back against the wall. Every sound that came from Balloon caused Fan's hand to clench. The substance then tightened around the boy's mouth and jaw.

It eventually began to hurt... and bad.

Balloon could only strain himself as to not make any sounds as his tears fell to the ground. He almost couldn't breathe. And this pain was getting too much very quickly.

He felt alone,

Scared,

And betrayed.

———