Creation began on 01-23-19

Creation ended on 06-07-19

Deadly Friend

You deserve a second chance to make amends

A/N: I just saw the ending of the film and it inspired me to write this. I figured my best character could do something right about this mistake.

"Paul," Samantha whispered in such a dark voice as the boy struggled to free himself from the dead girl's grasp as her skin shed to reveal a hybrid system of bone and robotics, her facial skin tearing away to reveal a version of BB that was terrifying. "Come with me, Paul."

"No," Paul yelled, more frightened by what she had become than refusing to listen to her.

Then, just before the reanimated girl could snap his neck, a pair of dark arms shot out from the darkness and grabbed her wrists, snapping them in half, freeing Paul.

"If I chose not to intervene, you'd be dead and your Samantha/BB hybrid would've been set loose in the night," the man that just saved Paul's life told him.

Suddenly, the morgue changed into a vast, misty space illuminated by starlight.

"What…what is this place?" Paul asked.

"This is one of my domains," the man revealed, and Paul saw that it was a dark-skinned man dressed in yellow and orange robes with armored wristbands. "Before I say anything else to you, I must ask this question and hear it from you: Why did you go back for her body?"

"I just wanted to see her one last time," Paul revealed to him. "I didn't get to say goodbye."

"You mean…you had no intention to try and steal her body from the morgue?"

"No, sir. I did, initially, but after I looked down at her, I realized that I couldn't do anything more for her. Except say goodbye to her…and how sorry I was for trying to save her the way I did."

"Do you swear on your life? Do you swear to me?"

"I swear, sir."

The man could see in his eyes that Paul clearly had no intention of stealing Samantha's body a second time after she turned into a murderous version of his robot, his deadly friend that would've killed him had he not intervene.

"Who are you?" Paul asked him.

"Who am I? Well, one name you would have for me, which is more of a designation than a name, would be God…or even the Devil…or a servant of either or none, whichever way you or others choose to see me. I am the one who is connected to the souls of all and one, of one and all, the ultimate soul sibling to you, to Samantha, your mother, her father, a tormentor to some…and a savior to others. I am the wandering eternal, an ancient tale, an urban myth, fact and fiction combined with beliefs."

"Brother Correction?"

"Yes."

Paul had heard at least one story about the mysterious person referred to as Brother Correction, but it was a long time ago. There was this girl that had been tortured by her parents for years, or so the story went, and she was looking for a way out of the situation she was in when she met this stranger that offered a solution. The story's conclusion was that the parents were…straightened out and never abused their daughter again. He wasn't sure how this Brother Correction was capable of resolving an abusive situation like that, but he had to be very influential or persuasive.

"The solutions are retribution to the darkest of hearts and salvation to the most tortured of souls," Brother Correction told him, pointing to his head. "Whatever you've heard about me…is both true and false, depending upon your point of view. I am angel and demon, tormentor and savior, light and dark, forgiveness and damnation. Depending upon your situation, you can receive forgiveness or retribution. Retribution is that I can return you to the morgue and let your deadly friend end your life because you tried to save her life and it ended badly for you and several others…or forgiveness being I can give you what seldom few are most fortunate to receive just once in their lives."

"And what is that, Mr. Correction?"

"A second chance to go back and prevent your mistakes, even to save lives the moral way. However, there is a catch involved if you decide to take that route."

"If a second chance means I can try to save Samantha from her father, please, what is the risk involved? Whatever it is, even if it means selling my soul to you, I'll accept the outcome."

"Don't be so quick to choose just yet. The only catch is that you will remember everything that could've happened had I not intervened. Samantha murdering her father, the murder of Elvira Parker, everything up to even your own death, you must remember it all. Can you accept that? That's my condition for your second chance."

Paul thought about it. If he did this, he would recall everything that would happen had Brother Correction not prevented his death at Samantha's hands…and everything that came before that. He thought of Samantha as her face tore away to reveal the monstrous version of BB in its place…and how doing this could potentially prevent that from ever happening if he stopped her father from hurting her.

"Please," he begged him, "even if it means being haunted by what happened… I want to save Samantha from this fate. I want to save the people that were killed. I accept your terms, Brother Correction. I accept them."

Brother Correction nodded in acceptance of Paul's decision, and the world around them illuminated into brightness, blinding Paul's vision.

"Drift through the abyss of time," Paul heard his voice around him. "Drift back to the day this darkness began to happen, back to the day you first met…and begin your deviation. Alter your future and the fates of those around you."

-x-

"Paul?" Samantha spoke to the boy that seemed to have zoned out. "Paul?"

Paul snapped out of his daze and looked at the girl around his age, and looked as though he'd seen a ghost to a degree.

"I'm sorry, Sam," he apologized. "I kind of drifted into a daydream for a moment."

"What was it about?"

Paul looked down at BB, who seemed somewhat oblivious to his creator's current state of emotions, and answered, "BB being able to speak and move more closely to the way we do when technology advances further."

"That sounds cool, really."

"Thank you."

Paul felt like this was a dream come true for him to be back here at the beginning of their relationship, but had to be reminded that this was only possible because of he was granted a second chance by a mysterious man that lived to undo certain mistakes by other people. He wouldn't be allowed to forget what happened before…and what could happen again unless he changed it.

"Uh, Sam, would you care for a cup of lemonade in my house?" He offered her, deciding to try and change things now.

"Um, sure," Sam accepted his offer.

-x-

Brother Correction watched from across the street, unseen by other people. He didn't have any doubts that Paul could avoid the mistakes that led to several deaths and unimaginable outcomes, but, like several of his own attempts to rectify many mistakes made by other people over the years, over the vast stretches of infinite worlds, infinite universes, he would oversee how things would progress in the new present now that the previous future was slowly eroding away from existence with the first of the new changes.

"Sometimes, the most intellectual of young minds can't fathom the depths of the heart," he uttered, "and sometimes, a hand that brings cruelty to those around it will avoid the barest touch of kindness because they refuse to own up to their self-disgraces. I will be watching you from a distance, Paul. Do your best to keep Samantha safe from her father's wrath. If you can do that, I won't have to…because I can do much worse than what anyone else did. Be a good friend. Don't let your new friend become your deadly friend all over again."

BB

A/N: This is one of my more confusing outcomes; instead of just ending it on a positive note, it ends with an unclear future reset. And Brother Correction decides to stick around and watch to make sure that it stays on the positive route. At least tell me what you think of how the outcome being changed affected you.