---CHAPTER X: BLOOD (Part 2)---

(((Third Person!~)))

///////flashback////////

"Thanks, Ollie."

"Don't mention it, poppet. 

.....Take care."

"......You, too."

And at that, the girl walked through the mirror, leaving him all alone in the room.

///////end of flashback////////

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Ever since (Name) came into their lives, things have slowly started to change. Be it his thoughts, his principles...and his heart.... There's something that just made it all so...different.

A good different.

Being the only person in the room, the cupcake-loving Brit found himself to be contemplating on so many things. He tried thinking of what he really came there to the mansion for. 

Revenge, right?

They have a firm reason to want to get rid of the First Players, and that's what they'll hold on to. The only problem there was, was that their plans always get foiled because that Italian First Player managed to make a deal of going back in time to desperately find a chance of all of them escaping alive. 

That still intrigued him, though. Usually, when he used cloning spells, the clones weren't supposed to take up a mind of its own and produce its own actions--along with manifesting its own powers, too. But, his older brother did say that sometimes, magically-produced clones can develop a mind of its own. Maybe that was the case. In all honesty, he didn't mind, but it was quite troublesome. 

So everytime the First Player Italy were to rewind back time, they would follow after him. Since none of them died in the mansion and travelled back in time together, they didn't have to risk getting past selves, because they lived on the alpha timeline. They just kept going in circles, it was almost making them even crazier than they already were.

But now that they have (Name)...they were sure that this was the last time they'll go through this. They were sure that they'd be able to kill all of them. To get rid of those First Players once and for all. To make them feel how they felt when they tried ripping them of their existence, their purpose, their identities, their homes...everything... They were supposed to give them a taste of their medicine. ... That was the plan. To get rid of the First Players.

~~~"...how do you guys want to live your lives after this?" ~~~

The girl's words flashed back to him. Of all those years they've lived their immortal lives, they've never been asked about what they have wanted before.

Come to think of it, it's been such a long time in their dark lives that he ever felt some sort of...ray of hope. Some sort of....warmth.... Like sunshine...

He started pacing around the room, reflecting on the words of the girl. 

She befriended him, with all sincerity.

He thought it'd be impossible for her to ever even try looking at him in the face for leading her to the mansion. But she gave him a second chance. His mind sort of turned into mush after that, making him set the girl free to go meet the First Players, against Luciano's wishes. Once the auburn haired Italian finds out, he'll probably lose his mind with rage. But that's Luciano. He's the one who really wanted to take over the lives of those First Players. He was the one who came up with this whole mansion plan. Not everything was thought through, though.

They may have talked about plans on getting rid of the 1Ps and having a new and better life...but...they really haven't thought of the fact that they may or may not be able to take on that troublesome burden of running a nation.

Okay, maybe Luciano has? But not them.

No. If it were him, he wouldn't want all those busy days of paperwork and dirtywork.

If he were to choose freely...he would...he would....

What would he do....?

 ~~~"Why don't you open a pastry shop or something?" ~~~

(Name)'s suggestion echoes in his mind.

He never really considered that before. The mere thought of him having his own pastry shop--something so normal and so impossible, were all like a dream.

Thinking about it right now, it is like a dream.

A very sweet dream.

He starts to find himself thinking how nice it would be to have his own pastry shop, have Allen, Mattheiu, and even dear poppet, (Name) to help out, and of course make delicious cuppy-cakes! Francois would probably hang out at the shop, too, but he might just slack off there, which is fine for him. The more the merrier~ It'd also be lovely if---....

......What was he thinking?

"Look at me, trying to fool myself." Oliver muttered to himself as he realised something.

How could he possibly think that he could live a normal life after this?

He's just a Second Player.

It would never work out.

~~~ "We have words, right? It could work..." ~~~

The poppet said that before, didn't she? Her suggestion was actually futile because...they already did try to use words before. Okay, maybe words with knives and bats and poisonous cupcakes...but with words. Maybe....Maybe with poppet, they could actually have an agreement with those...First Players?

It may sould preposterous right now, but... maybe (Name)'s onto something.

(Name)...

From the very start, she did prove herself to be someone, didn't she?

Knowledgeable and brave, yet cautious and considerate.

She didn't judge us the way the rest of the world did. For a human, that's saying a lot. In this world where you can't win, (Name)'s that person who turns it all around and stops other people from bringing others down. True, they were somehow dark and have bloodlust, but that was because of how they were created. Despite that....they're... people, too. No one understood that before. They all regarded them as filth, as monsters, as something that was purely inhumane. 

People who are not meant to be shown kindness.

That's who we are but....

~~~"Ollie, I may care for them...but I actually care about you guys, too." ~~~

"......but why are there people like her who tell me otherwise...?" Oliver choked out, tears threatening to spill down from his eyes.

We were brought upon this world because of the wars. All our lives, we were all so focused on the hate, violence, deaths and madness.....that we never knew the other side of this world.

We never knew that....beautiful things could be made in this world, too.

~~~ "Would you...like to be friends, Ollie?"~~~

Upon remembering those beautiful words, Oliver broke down into tears.

"......W-Why....? Why now....? If....If only.....I.... If only we weren't in this blasted mansion....maybe....maybe it would have worked...out...better....maybe...." he cried out in between his sobs.

After a several moments of bitter weeping, the strawberry blonde haired man tried wiping the tears away and regain some of his composure back.

He ran his fingers through his hair and thought out loud, "......Maybe....it isn't too late....? Right.... Maybe....I could---"

Suddenly, the door behind him slams open.

".....You let her escape." a man said darkly.

Oliver turned around to see Lutz and Kuro entering the room.

The blue-eyed, strawberry blonde haired man was a bit taken aback by their statement, but he wanted to talk to them about something.

"I-I'm sorry I let the poppet out....but.... Listen, I think we shou---ooof!!" Oliver was cut off when Lutz suddenly punched the poor Brit in the stomach, causing the former to fall down to the floor.

Clutching his pained stomach, Oliver was about to look up when Kuro harshly pulled his locks to face him. "......Who gave you the right to ruin our plans?" the Japanese man asked as if his voice was tainted with venom.

The Brit tried to fight back to get away from the man, but Kuro was so enraged, he didn't let his grip off him. 

"No. Wait, you have to hear me out. Please, I---" Oliver tried to reason, but he was only thrown backwards, his back hitting the wall.

These two have never acted like this before, but it was probably because of their seething anger. Nevertheless, Oliver wanted to try speaking to them...but before he could even do so, he was suddenly lifted up, held back by Lutz, causing him to be immobilised. When he turned to Kuro...he saw him drawing his sword.

Oliver's eyes widened upon seeing this. He spoke in a weak voice, "Wh-What are you going to do.....?"

"We're going to kill you, of course."