Yeah, this isn't a ship or anything, mainly ANGST. Enjoy, I guess.

...
...
...

It was silent.

No quiet muttering, no birds, no blowing of the wind...
No chirping of insects, no relaxed breathing of his companions...
What?

The Batter opened his eyes. He was in a blank, white land. A... purified Zone...
"... No.."
He sat up. Where was he? What was th-
...
There was a switch.

He stared at it silently, before standing up and walking over.
This switch. This one ended the fake world before. Why was it on?
He looked around. Yes, this was where it ended, and reality started.
He tried to turn it off.

It didn't budge. He tried again. It seemed stuck.
He tried two hands. All of his strength. Nothing. Tried hitting it with his bat. Zero.
The Batter stepped back. He didn't have his friends, his companions, his sense of right and wrong...
'' Lonely, isn't it?''

The Batter looked behind him.
A man in a sweater, a mask of a toad, wings of an angel, and a sword of a hero. Zacharie.
" Wh.. what.. how... why did this...?"
'' Because what you did was wrong. Baseless murder can't be forgiven.''
" I.. it wasn't baseless. E-even then, I made up for it. I made everything better..!"
'' Look me in the eye. Look me in the eye and tell me what you did wasn't wrong.''

The Batter tried. He couldn't. He choked up, he glanced down, he simply couldn't.
Finally, he let out a sob.
".. I..."
'' Say it, Batter. Tell me it wasn't wrong.''
" I... I can't... I'm... sorry.."
'' THEN WHY THE HELL DO YOU THINK IT'S RIGHT?!''

He was taken aback by Zacharie's yelling. He stepped backwards, dropping his bat.
".. I.. wh-"
'' YOU FUCKING HEARD ME. WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO IT, HUH? WHY DO YOU STILL CLING ONTO HOPE THAT YOU'LL BE FORGIVEN? YOU KILLED HEARTLESSLY, MURDERED MINELESSLY, AND YOU STILL THINK THAT IT WAS RIGHT?''
" P.. please.. I- I never s-"
'' YOU MIGHT AS WELL HAVE. YOU EVEN TRIED TO TURN OFF THE SWITCH AGAIN, DAMN IT!''

The Batter pressed his back against the wall. Trembling, he sank to the floor.
Tears ran down his face quickly, and he hid his head in his arms.
Zacharie stared down at him. He gave an upset huff, and kicked the bat across the room. '' Worthless. Without your friends, without your puppeteer, without your Add-ons, and without your weapons, you are nothing. You never were to begin with, what did you think you could change?''

''Zacharie... are you done? I understand what you're doing, but, please. He's a mess. Even worse then when I last saw him.''
The Batter flinched at the new voice. He looked up to see who it was.
A cat, head partially destroyed.
The Judge.

The Batter stared at him, eyes wide.
''Hello, old friend. You aren't doing to well.''
".. N... no... please.. I can't.."
''Well? Get up and duel me.''
" ... P-pablo.."
''You don't have the right to say my name. Stand.''
Zacharie forcefully pulled The Batter to his feet and pushed him foward.
" I... I don't want this.."
'' Since when did you ever get to control what happened?''
The Batter gave a small whimper. "... You're not like this... you're never like this."
'' And how would you know that? We hardly bonded before you took everything from me and this world.''
"... I.. I just... no. This isn't you."

''... Say that again.''
" This. Isn't. You."
'' Ay... you're just testing him...''
" Zacharie.. well, maybe I don't know all that much about you... but would you really do this?"
'' To a monster like you? Yeah.''
"... N.. no.."
Zacharie scoffed. '' You've got guts. Hopefully, not for long.''
'' Well, it's his move.''
" I'm not fighting you."
'' Very well. Die by my hand, just as I did to yours.''
With that, the cat leapt at him, claws bared.

The Batter sat up in cold sweat.
He was laying in grass, his companions asleep beside him.
He gave a sigh of relief. Waking from nightmares was new, but the memory of it was already fading.
He laid back down and closed his eyes.

No matter how questionable his actions might have been, they were right, and changed everything for the better.

He wasn't a monster like he thought he was.

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