Disclaimer: No ownership over TWEWY.
OH GOD THIS HURTS LIKE A MOTHERFU-
Pain, pain shoots through his whole body, tearing him apart inside and he can feel his vision blur, whiting out, and oh god oh god make it stop it hurts it hurts so bad.
Goddammit, that Shades, snapping his fingers with that smile he always has on his face as soon as Beat told him he was ready, and suddenly a shitload of pain came out of nowhere and made him scream and fall straight down onto the hard glass floor with a giant SLAM that echoed through the dark room, leaving him in convulsions (Pinky laughed up a storm, that bitch).
He's trying, he's trying so hard to hold back the pain, try not to scream, try not to cry in front of Shades and Lollipop and Pinky watching him just barely managing to get on his knees and forearms, trying not to show that he's weak, the Reapers don't want weak people and he's. Not. Weak. He has to show them that, he just has to.
"Easy there, Skulls," Lollipop's lazy voice drifts in somewhere amongst the ringing in his ears. "You're almost done."
His head keeps throbbing like it's threatening to blow, and he's clenching his teeth so hard he feels like they'll crack into pieces any minute now. His eyes are blurring more and more don't you fucking cry don't and he can't stop his nose from dripping, and his eyes are just going every which way, everywhere except the Reapers in front of him, and he catches the sight of his closed right fist, closes his hand tighter around the black pin, squeezes it so hard it's threatening to break in his palm. And Beat shuts his eyes tight, forces himself to remember.
I got a reason I got a reason to be doing this I can't quit I can't I have to do this for her sake can't mess up again have to make it up to her can't fuck this up again can't can't can't Rhyme please I'm sorry I'll do whatever I can to make it up to you I'm sorry I couldn't save you sorry I ran out that day and got us into this I messed up so bad I should've been the one to die back then not you please forgive me I'll give you your second chance I'm sorry I'm so goddamn sorry please forgive me I lov-
Then he feels the tear.
The skin on his back breaking open, slowly ripping apart, opening up wide. He can't see anything he's lost his breath they're coming out
and he screams.
"Congrats, Skulls," Lollipop still has that lazy smile Beat's wanted so damn much to punch straight off his face. "Welcome to the crew."
"I'm impressed, freshmeat." Pinky's high-pitched giggle is grating on his ears. "Didn't think you had it in you. You held on a lot longer than a lot of other Reapers."
Shades takes a step forward. Through blurry vision, Beat can make out that smarmy smile he has on his face. "Congratulations, Daisukenojo Bito." That ain't my name, yo, but he's too tired to think, much less get pissed off. "We have high expectations for you, now that you are officially a Reaper. Get some rest, we expect you to be in top form for your new work."
He hears footsteps and they fade away and he's alone with his chest heaving against the cool glass floor as he tries to breathe again. His shirt's soaked with sweat and he knows the back of his shirt is stained with blood that's never gonna come out. His whole body stings, he can feel the burning in his back where the wings tore their way out. He wonders what they feel like (pointy and sharp and black like prison gates) but he can barely lift his arm to touch them and see if they're real.
He looks at his right hand, wincing as he slowly stretches it open. The pin has sunk into his palm from squeezing it so hard and he's gonna be left with the imprint for days. He tries to get his eyes to focus properly, and he stares at the Noise symbol on it.
A lil' longer, jus' you wait.
And he finally closes his eyes to sleep.