Pixel Katana here, your friendly neighbourhood Blade Runner. In between earning money, playing paintball, passing all my exams (I hope) and trying to stave off a zombie apocalypse, I have somehow managed to write another chapter of this thing. So here it is, Scott Pilgrim vs. More of the World: Chapter 7. It feels like a milestone! Keep hunting down those references. There will be a prize. Honest. I just need to work out what.
Oh yeah, and I went back over the older chapters and added proper line breaks in to divide the story properly. I didn't realise that the ones I made in Word apparently don't show up in this website's insane format. Oh well, all good now.
Read away!
It was pitch-black outside when Scott and Ramona finally arrived home. Kim was asleep on the couch, blanket wrapped around her like a shawl. Scott kicked off his shoes and went directly to the stairs, while Ramona stepped into the kitchen, taking a seat and carefully removing her boots, being careful not to make a sound. Kim mumbled something in her sleep and rolled over, facing the door to the kitchen. Ramona could see her frowning as she jerked her head to and fro, locked in some dream. She felt the sudden urge to wake her sleeping friend, but suppressed it, depositing her boots by the wall and making her way through her living room and up the stairs to her bedroom. Scott lay sprawled out on the bed, still fully clothed, dead to the world. He snored quietly. She removed her jacket, dropping it to the carpeted floor, and was just about to pull off her shirt when a soft voice sounded from behind her.
'I don't know what you see in him.' Daniel said thoughtfully as Ramona whirled around, relaxing slightly when she caught sight of him. He reached out and pushed her shoulder lightly with one finger, sending her falling backwards into darkness, landing comfortably in a wooden chair. Daniel sat opposite her in a similar seat, a small round table with a wicker parasol held above it between them. She looked around staring at her surroundings. They sat together on a beach, surrounded by identical tables. Some had people seated at them, talking quietly, but most were left vacant. A band was several tables ahead of them, playing ukuleles and steel pan drums in a tropical medley
'What the… where are we?' Ramona asked, looking back to Daniel.
'Somewhere in the Caribbean, I believe.' he smiled, clicking his fingers as a white-suited waiter appeared at his shoulder, handing him a glass of whiskey. 'Can I get you anything?'
'No! Why are we here? Why can't you just say you'd like to chat for once?' she answered with a hint of anger.
'Nothing for her, then.' Daniel said to the waiter, who wandered off to serve another table. 'Listen, I would like to chat.'
'Then just say so! I don't want all this, Daniel!' she scowled, gesturing at the sea and the band.
'I'm sorry. I just wanted us to be comfortable.' he protested, trying to placate her. 'I need to talk to you.' Ramona's expression softened and she leant back in her chair, crossing her arms.
'Fine. I'm sorry I yelled at you…' she apologised.
'It's okay. Look, I wanted your opinion on something. You're one of my oldest friends-'
'I'm your only friend, Daniel.' Ramona interrupted with a wan smile.
'Well, thanks for that. I was wondering if-'
'Is this about Kim?' Ramona asked swiftly before he could continue. He stared at her, taken aback by her question.
'What? No! Well, sort of… I guess you know Scott asked me to join their band, right?'
'Yes, he told me. No, wait, Kim told me. She didn't seem too thrilled about it, actually.' Ramona said bluntly.
'She didn't? Oh…' Daniel sipped his whiskey, looking down at the sandy ground. 'I think I like her.'
'Kim Pine? You like her like her? You barely even know her!' Ramona exclaimed.
'I mean… I think I'd like her as a bandmate.' he said quickly, avoiding Ramona's eyes.
'Riiight…'
'I just, I don't… I'm not sure if I want to. When we were playing, it was good, but I don't know if I'd be any good as part of a band. I've never done anything like that before, I always played all my instruments alone.'
'What does that even mean?' Ramona asked, shaking her head. 'What's the difference?'
'I don't want to have to depend on them like this! As a band! It's a group thing… I'm not used to it.' he said, shutting his eyes tightly. There was a long silence before Ramona answered.
'I think… you should do a gig with them.' she suggested slowly. 'See how you feel about it then.'
'Alright… yes, I think I could do that. One gig… someplace not too crowded, I hope?'
'If people remember them from Cameron House, I'd say you'd be lucky to get a crowd at all.' Ramona smirked.
'Okay then. Okay, I'll do it.' he said, finishing his drink and placing the glass on the table. He reached out a hand, offering it to Ramona. She moved to grasp it, but stopped abruptly, frowning.
'What did you mean before?' she asked suddenly.
'About what?' Daniel asked innocently.
'You said you didn't know what I saw in Scott. What did you mean?' she asked again, her voice firm and questioning.
'I didn't mean that he was the wrong choice! He seems like a really nice guy. I've seen how he dotes on you. But… well, he's kind of an idiot.' Daniel said delicately.
'I don't care. He's my idiot.' Ramona replied resolutely.
'He calls you Rammy.' he said disparagingly.
'He cares about me.'
'I cared about you-'
'I love him, Daniel.' she said sharply. 'He's not perfect, but I love him.' Daniel did not speak for a long time, and the two of them sat there in their muteness.
'I know you do. And I know he loves you too.' he said quietly.
'Of course he does.' Ramona bristled at his words.
'No, Ramona. He loves you. I've never seen anything like it. I can't explain it… but I can feel it. He would die for you without a moment's hesitation.' Ramona fell silent, slightly shocked by his words. 'What you two have… I want that. I want that love. I remember thinking; all those years back, that maybe we had that kind of love. I know that what we had is over, but I don't understand… why? Why Scott?' Daniel asked, the barest hint of sadness in his voice.
'He cares about me.' Ramona repeated, staring into Daniel's eyes.
'I cared about you! I still care about you! Why do you think I'm here, helping, you? Why do you think I helped you in the past?' Daniel shouted in anguish, causing a few heads at nearby tables to turn inquisitively.
'That's not all it is, Daniel. Scott lets me care about him. He lets me take care of him. He depends on me, and I depend on him.' she stated, watching sadly as Daniel slumped back in his chair.
'I…I can't. I can't depend on people.' he said in monotone, his eyes dead. 'I never have. It's… just not something I can do.'
'Why?' Ramona asked. 'Why can't you-'
'I can't do it, Vic!' he cried, punching a hand down on the table. A wave cresting on the beach turned back on itself and exploded in a shower of water and foam. Ramona simply sat there, stunned by his outburst.
'You… no-one calls me that anymore… you never called me that after we-'
'I know. I'm sorry.' Daniel said, wiping his eyes. 'And I take back what I said about Pilgrim. I… I understand. It doesn't change anything, but… I understand.'
'Are you okay?' Ramona asked timidly, reaching out a hand to pat his shoulder.
'I will be. I need some time alone, I think. Tell Scott and Kim I'll play with their band, if they can find a show.' he said with a weak smile, reaching up and taking her hand in his. 'I'll see you soon…' his voice became distant and distorted as the world dissolved around her, replaced by an inky blackness that stretched out forever into the distance. She could still feel his warm grasp around her fingers, but his hand was invisible, her own gripped by an unseeable force. Then it released its hold, and she fell backwards onto her bed, in her bedroom, in her house, landing softly next to Scott.
Scott mumbled softly as he slumbered, lying on his back. Ramona relaxed, stretching out a hand and laying it lightly on his chest, listening to his gentle breathing as she felt his chest rise and fall. As she lay there, sleep creeping inescapably over her, she murmured to herself.
'I love you, Scott Pilgrim…' Scott did not wake, but in his sleep his hand crept up to his chest and pressed itself across Ramona's, his fingers interlocking with hers. Ramona closed her eyes, letting her dreams catch up with her, and fell into a deep sleep.
It was light outside when Kim awoke, a chorus of avian chirping penetrating the blanket resting over her head from outside the living room window. She rose slowly, uncurling from the foetal position in which she lay, dropping her bare feet onto the carpet. She tiptoed into the kitchen, only to find it empty. There was no sound from upstairs. Kim wheeled around sticking her head back through the doorway, her eyes searching out the clock hanging on Ramona's wall.
'Eleven fifty? Oh, shit!' she swore under her breath, dashing to the pile of her possessions lying strewn in the corner of the room and seizing a skirt and tights, pulling them on frantically over her undergarments. She grabbed a T-shirt from the floor, threw it aside, and selected a slightly less crumpled one from the pile. Muttering a string of violent expletives (most of which were aimed at Hollie and Jason), she ran back into the kitchen and fumbled for a box of cereal, depositing it into a bowl and spilling milk onto it liberally. Grabbing a spoon from a draw, she wolfed down her breakfast and sprinted from the room, tossing the bowl carelessly into the sink as she went.
'Bitch had my bloody alarm clock!' she shouted at no-one in particular, snatching up a zip-up jumper up and running into the hall, slipping on her shoes and slamming the front door behind her as she went. A swirl of snow dislodged itself from Ramona's roof as she did so, cascading down on top of Kim. She staggered forwards, covered in the swiftly-melting whiteness, swearing loudly. Gideon eyed her distastefully from the top of the fence, flicking his tail to and fro hypnotically as he watched her stumbled down the steps and into the street, fuming. She glanced around and, seeing that she was alone in the road, briefly raised a middle finger to the cat, which turned away archly, leaping from the fence and out of sight.
10 minutes of snowy walking later
'God, Kim. You're late, again.' Hollie drawled as Kim punched open the door of No-Account Video, clutching a coffee in her free hand. 'And you didn't even bring me a coffee today.'
'Shut up or die horribly.' Kim growled shortly, stomping behind the counter and depositing herself in a chair, slamming the cup down on the wood.
'Seems like somebody had a bad night, eh?' her co-worker smirked, sorting through a stack of videotapes.
'Stop talking. Go away. Get out.'
'You're friend came in, by the way. That one guy…' Hollie mentioned thoughtfully. Kim rounded on her, scowling angrily.
'Who?' she asked.
'You know. Your friend… Scott, or something.' Hollie frowned slightly.
'Scott Pilgrim?' Kim asked with a groan. Hollie nodded in confirmation. 'What the hell did he what?'
'Oh, he said something about a band. Kept going on about some guy called Dan or whatever.' she said, shrugging and turning back to the videos. Kim glowered, her rage simmering just below the surface.
'Listen, Hollie. I know it's hard for you to concentrate with that tiny brain of yours, but I want to know what he said. Exactly what he said.' she snarled, glaring at her erstwhile roommate.
'Okay, fine! Jeez…' Hollie sighed facetiously, rolling her eyes. 'He said that this guy, this Dan, was okay with being in your stupid band for like, one gig.'
'That was all?'
'Yes. Now can you please start doing some work? You don't get paid to sit her and yell at me.'
'Sure, whatever…' Kim muttered, separating a number of videos from the pile and sorting them neatly. 'Wait… did you call him Dan? Did Scott call him Dan?'
'Who, the guy? Yeah, he just called him Dan. Why?' Hollie scowled.
'Ugh… it doesn't matter. Just shut up and work.' Kim said, returning to the sorting. They filed the videos in silence for several seconds before Hollie spoke up.
'So, uh… sorry for kicking you out and everything. I did feel kind of guilty afterwards.' she said awkwardly.
'Did you really? That is of such great comfort to me.' Kim replied sarcastically.
'Have you found a new place?' she asked politely, risking a sideways glance at her former friend.
'No.' Kim said bluntly. 'I'm staying with friends.'
'What friends?' Hollie asked jokingly. Kim did not smile.
'Will you shut up?' she snapped, looking up from the videos and glaring at Hollie.
'Sorry, sorry… sheesh…' Hollie grumbled, shaking her head. Kim's eyes wished death upon her.
'I hate you.' she stated quietly, returning to the videos on the counter in front of her.
'Come on… is this about Jason? You can't still be mad about that.'
'Why the hell not?' raged Kim.
'It's, like, ancient history, Kim. We've been dating for more than a month now, anyway.'
'You…you…Jason wasn't even…!' Kim fumed, scattering the videos everywhere.
'He made his choice. He chose me.' Hollie said calmly, the twitch of a smile on her lips.
'That is it!' Kim yelled, banging the counter with her fist and rising to her feet. 'You, me, outside, now!'
'So you quit your job at No-Account?' Scott asked, sipping his Coke Zero.
'Yeah. I couldn't stand working with that bitch anymore.' Kim grumbled, knocking back her second gin and tonic of the evening.
'Was this the girl who your ex cheated on you with, then tricked you into evicting yourself from your own apartment?' Daniel inquired, motioning to the bartender for another round of drinks and waving his hand over the bar, materialising a small wad of cash.
'That's the one.' Kim said, accepting another drink. 'Damn it, I hate her.' Nobody spoke for several moments.
'You got fired, didn't you?' said Ramona finally, breaking the silence. Kim nodded grimly.
'Uh-huh. Starting a fight with a fellow employee.' she muttered, downing the third glass of alcohol.
'I think you've had enough of those.' Stacey said, relieving her of the glass and placing it back on the bar.
Scott, Ramona, Kim, Daniel and Stacey sat together at the bar in Panic Restaurant, watching as a surprisingly large crowd gathered for the first gig of Steph's band. Scott was fumbling with a flyer marked 'Xanadu' as the group waited for Neil to return from his foray backstage.
'Do we even know who's playing tonight?' Kim asked. 'I didn't even want to come…'
'Sure we do. It's this band Xanadu.' Scott answered brightly.
'I know that, retard. I meant: do we know anyone in the band? Other than Neil's sister?' Her question was greeted by four equally blank stares.
'Uh… no.' Scott admitted. 'It's an all-girl band, and there's three of them…'
'An all-girl band. Yay for that.' Kim muttered, reaching towards the bar. Ramona curtailed her gently.
'Look, apparently they're not bad. Their singer's supposed to be pretty big back in the States.' Ramona said.
'That so? I wonder who she is…' Daniel pondered, sipping from a glass of whiskey.
'And their drummer is meant to be really good. Like, really good.' Stacey interjected, receiving an icy glare from Kim. 'Oh… sorry…'
'Whatever.' Kim muttered. 'When do they start playing?'
'I'm not sure… there are already quite a lot of people here…' Scott mumbled as Neil elbowed his way out of the growing crowd and joined them.
'It's starting! Guys, it's starting!' he called excitedly, perching himself on a bar stool as the bustling crowd turned its collective attention to the darkened stage at the opposite end of Panic Restaurant's large main room. The tables and chairs that usually covered the floor hand been moved en masse to the sides of the room, creating a temporary dancefloor above which the stage was raised. A single spotlight of mellow blue illuminated a corner of the stage as the lights in the room dimmed, leaving Stephanie Nordegraf standing alone on stage in a pool of turquoise light. The spotlight tracked her as she walked slowly across the stage, strumming a slow bassline on the Rickenbacker guitar that hung from her neck by a white leather strap.
'There she is!' Neil exclaimed in a carrying whisper, beaming with pride.
'What's up with her outfit?' Ramona wondered aloud. It was a reasonable question: Steph was dressed in a tight-fitting jumpsuit divided in colour down the middle, one side a glowing white, the other a deep red. One half of her face was covered in visceral swirls of red facepaint, and on the same side of her face her hair had been dyed to a bloodlike tint, pointing out in angled spikes while the rest of her hair cascaded from her head in its natural blonde hue. Scott opened his mouth to comment on her extravagant attire, but was cut off by the stage bursting into screaming lights, Steph accelerating to a breakneck pace of strumming as the drums began to play.
'Wait a minute…!' Scott stared suspiciously at the drummer. She wore an outfit similar to Steph, although her hair had not been dyed – it was straight and black, with a slight curve to it as it fell down her face. As Neil had stated, her eyes were indeed concealed by a pair of large shades. Scott's eyes lingered on the band's singer for a few brief moments, taking in her elaborate costume and wavy white hair that tumbled down her back as she stood before a microphone and keyboard, before returning his gaze to the drummer. She wore long sleeves and thin gloves, one red and one white, and held two drumsticks in each hand as she played expertly. Scott frowned to himself, her familiarity unsettling him slightly. Her face bore a look of intense concentration as she struck the drums in rhythm with Steph's pounding bassline.
'Hey, the drummer… I think I know her from somewhere…' Scott murmured to Daniel, who was seated next to him. He did not reply. 'Hey, Daniel?'
'I… I… that's…' Daniel stumbled, staring in shock at the stage. 'The singer, she's… I have to go.' He downed his whiskey and vanished in an instant. Ramona glanced around in confusion.
'What happened? Where's Daniel?'
'He… uh, he left. He looked kind of-'
'Hello Toronto!' Scott was cut off by the ice-haired singer screaming out at the crowd, fingers dancing over her keyboard. 'This first song is called 'Zero Gravity'!' she cried, eliciting a frenzied chorus of screaming from the fans. She struck the keys, launching into a rapid melody and singing, an echoing, beautiful sound.
'Whoa… she's really good…' Scott marvelled as she flung her head from side to side, sending her hair whirling around in glittering white waves as she sang. Ramona placed an arm lightly around his waist and he rested his arm on her shoulders, pulling her into a sideways embrace. The bass intensified and Kim glared unhappily at the band.
'That girl's pretty…' she lamented quietly, unheard by the others. She drew up her knees and wrapped her arms around them, staring at the floor morosely. The group sat there together, listening to Xanadu play, until the drums ceased and the singer began the chorus, backed by the slow strumming Steph's bass and the now-gentle chords emanating from the keyboard.
'These girls are good.' Stacey said in awe, running a hand through Neil's long hair. 'We have to get backstage!'
'I-I'll see what I can do, okay?' Neil stuttered nervously, avoiding Scott's glare. Ramona tactically leant sideways, gently resting her head in Scott's lap and guiding one hand to her neck. He stroked her absently, turning his gaze back to the stage, where the band had finished their first song. The drummer set up a fast intro beat as the singer called out to the screaming crowd.
'Thank you! This next one is called 'Combat Baby'!' she shouted, nodding to Steph, who began to play out a steady rhythm. Scott leant back against the bar, Ramona shifting more onto his lap. He shot a quick glance at Kim, who seemed entranced by the curvy undulations of the singer, who had begun to dance a mesmerising dance, pulling the microphone from its stand as she started to sing.
'We used to leave the blue lights on, and there was a beat! Ever since you have been gone, it's all caffeine free, faux-punk fatigues said it all before…' she sang angelically stamping her feet with Steph in time to the beat. 'They try to kick it, their feet, fall asleep - get no harm done, nooo… none of them want to fight me!'
'Fight meee…' Steph echoed into her own microphone, before strumming forcefully as the singer leapt into the chorus, pale hands playing the keyboard in perfect harmony with her voice.
Combat baby… come back, baby, combat baby, come back. Fight of the lethargy! Don't go quietly, combat baby… said you would never give up easy, combat baby, come back!'
HALF AN HOUR OF THIS
'Wow.' Ramona managed, blinking rapidly.
'Yeah… woooow…' Scott murmured, shaking his head in disbelief.
'That was, like really intense!' Stacey said excitedly.
'It was pretty awesome, yeah.' Neil agreed, hugging her. The group turned to Kim, who had been sitting there mutely for almost the entire show.
'What? It was okay, I guess…' she said quietly.
'Okay! They were fantastic!' Stacey garbled, shaking Neil a little too roughly. 'Are we going backstage?' He nodded, extracting himself cautiously from her all-encompassing arms.
'Yeah, I went and asked them if it was cool. It's good.' he confirmed.
OHMYGOSH! I can't believe we're going to meet them! They were so amazing!' Stacey shouted, practically hyperventilating as Neil led them through the dwindling crowd. Kim trailed behind the group glumly as they filed through a door and into a back room. Steph was being fussed over by an orderly, who was carefully removing the outer layers of her outfit. She turned her head at the sound of the door opening and grinned happily at Neil, breaking away and stepping out of the armour-like back of her clothing.
'Hey, guys!' she exclaimed, gesturing for them to sit down. 'Guys, this is Scott, Ramona, Kim and my little brother, Neil! And, uh…' she trailed off, staring blankly at Stacey.
'Oh! This is Stacey. She's Scott's younger sister.' Neil explained.
'Sure, don't mention that we're dating or anything…!' Stacey laughed. Steph's eyes widened in surprise.
'You have a girlfriend now? Why didn't you tell me?' she cried, pulling him into a crushing hug.
Steph Nordegraf
Age: 25
Rating: Bass Pro
Neil wriggled free and joined the others on the large couch. 'Oh, I should introduce you properly!' Steph said, waving a hand to the two girls who lounged in their own chairs, already changed into more casual attire. 'This is Sylvia.' The singer nodded, her tight-fitting black dress and high heels at odds with her pretty face and long hair of purest white.
'Sylvia Wake. Pleased to meet you.' she said politely in modulated American tones not dissimilar to Daniel's, getting up to shake hands warmly with the others.
Sylvia Wake
Age: 26
Skill Level: Angel Voice
'What happened to your friend?' she asked casually. 'The guy with the red hair.'
'What? Who?' Neil asked, Ramona interrupting.
'He… had to leave. Why? Do you know him?' she inquired suspiciously.
'Oh, no reason. I just thought our drummer might want to meet a fellow teleporter.' said Sylvia, glancing at the third girl, who sat silently in the corner of the room. Her eyes were still covered, now by a new pair of bulky glasses. Steph gave a pointed cough, speaking up in introduction.
'So… this is our drummer, guys. She's-'
'We've already met.' The drummer stood suddenly, cutting her off. She shrugged off her jacket to reveal a black vest and dark gun-metal arm that she flexed slowly. It was similar in form to a normal human arm, with a smooth metallic sheen and tiny joints at the fingers. Several small circular indents were visible along the metal, rings of yellow light shining dimly. 'Hello again, Pilgrim. Flowers. Pine.'
'Bionic arm…' Scott managed weakly, blinking in shock.
'You…' Ramona whispered in horror. Lynette Guycott raised her metal arm and gave a sarcastic little wave.
'So good to see you again.' she sneered, pulling her glasses off her face to reveal a pair of cold, dark eyes. Reaching into her pocket, she drew out a cigarette and pressed the tip against one of the rings on her arm. The yellow glowed red hot for an instant, sending up a spiralling loop of smoke. She brought it to her lips and inhaled deeply, puffing out her lips as she blew a ring of smoke into Ramona's face.
Lynette Guycott
Age: Unknown
Class: Cyborg
'You? From the Clash At Demonhead?' Scott mumbled.
'I see your boyfriend is as slow as ever.' Lynette smirked at Ramona.
'You… Todd cheated on Envy with you, didn't he?' she said. Lynette nodded, lounging back in her chair.
'He did indeed… before you ruined everything. I guess you took him down, huh? Given that you're still standing here.' she drawled.
'Todd is gone. Scott beat him.' Ramona said shortly, flicking the catch on the Subspace Suitcase threateningly.
'Of course he did.' Lynette said, a hint of anger in her voice. Steph stood between them in a stunned silence as Ramona unzipped the bag resting on her hip with agonizing slowness. Scott's hands balled into fists, and Kim took a half-step back, taking up a fighting stance.
'Oh, I wouldn't do that…' Lynette said lazily, taking a second pull from the cigarette and slowly raising the black bionic arm. The others froze as a metal panel of the arm lifted itself away, a long, rectangular blade extending from inside the mechanical limb with a soft hiss. '…if I were you.'
'Are you looking for a fight?' Ramona asked, one hand reaching into her bag as she spoke.
'I don't hold anything against you.' Lynette said softly, lifting the blade to her face and shaving the ash from the cigarette in her mouth. 'Do you remember my old arm? It was powerful, I'll admit, but inefficient. I had to leave it behind when I teleported, see. This new arm… it's different. Cutting-edge… in more ways than one. I had an old friend make it for me.' She turned her arm, letting the straight-edged blade catch the light. 'I'm not going to fight you. I guess I'll see you, real soon…' The blade slid swiftly back into her arm, limb slotting back together into a normal shape as her form began to shimmer and she faded from sight.
'Uh… what just happened?' the singer asked. 'Was that weird? Do you know Lynette?'
'Well, kind of…' Scott shrugged.
'My psychic vegan ex-boyfriend Todd Ingram cheated on Scott's famous rockstar ex Envy Adams with her, so Scott headbutted him so hard he died and Envy tried to smash her with a giant hammer.' Ramona explained.
'Um…' Sylvia mumbled.
'Wait, was that why the Clash At Demonhead broke up? I thought they broke up because Lynette left!' Steph exclaimed.
'I guess that was part of it…' Scott said thoughtfully. Stacey turned to Ramona.
'Didn't Todd, like, walk out of the girl's restroom with Lynette's panties on his head?'
Daniel and Ramona lay in her bed together, breathing deeply as sweat coated their intertwined bodies. Daniel rested over her, shirtless, trailing kisses down her neck as her nails dug into his back. They rolled over in one swift movement, leaving Ramona on top. She bent down and their lips connected softly and they paused, enjoying the feel of each other's cool breath.
'Scott…' Ramona whispered longingly, looping her hands around Daniel's neck and pulling him closer, collapsing on top of him. He broke free of her tight embrace, letting himself sink down through the mattress as the world around him faded to midnight black and he fell in slow motion, turning over softly in the air. He watched as flickers of emotions, memories, dreams drifted past him in the lonely blackness, reaching out a steady hand and catching a trail of light, sensing the feelings of love radiating from the memory. He fell onto his back, feeling his hands moving themselves as he landed in another bed, his own lips suddenly wrapped around those of a blonde girl he did not recognise. He felt her slipping onto his chest, placing a finger over his lips.
'Can you-' she began, tilting her head slightly and leaning in close to him. '…can you start calling me Envy?' Daniel shook his head roughly; closing his eyes and feeling the girl's soft skin melt away. He dug deeper through the clustered strains of memories, seeking out long-buried emotions and letting them surge forth, punctuating the darkness with wire-thin strands of light. He let himself drift aimlessly past the brighter glows, feeling a familiar energy within them, one that reverberated from deep inside his own memories.
'Ramona…' he heard a soft whisper from one as he floated past its pulsing glow. Angling his body ever so slightly, he watched himself go into decline. There was no resistance, no gravity, no sense of movement beyond the trailing threads that floated past, hanging above him now, weaving together. He plucked a string of light from the nothingness, letting himself become obscured by the all-consuming darkness, and then–
Rain, pouring down all around him. His clothes were soaked through, raindrops running down his face and dripping off his chin and nose as he looked down at the girl with her arms resting on his shoulders, leaning in as he bent his neck down and they kissed lightly, their lips brushing against each other. He eyes were shut, her red hair drenched, her freckled face clear of any emotion beyond the closeness that radiated between them.
Kimberly Pine.
Daniel backed away, watching as a flurry of memories flashed before his eyes, watching himself holding hands with her, talking to her, singing with her, holding his body over her as they lay together, a blanket draped over his back. He shut his eyes as her voice echoed around him.
'Listen to this song… this is a really good song.'
He opened his eyes, seeing nothing around him but darkness.
'Enjoying yourself?' a cold male voice whispered, close to his ear. Daniel remained motionless, not daring to turn around.
'Get out of my head.' he said coolly. The unseen voice gave a short chuckle.
'Says the man rooting around another person's memories.' it hissed smoothly. 'Now why would you be doing that, eh?'
'I am not going to talk to you. Leave.' Daniel replied, allowing a smidgeon of anger to slip into his words.
'Now, now. There's no need to be like that. I'm simply making polite conversation.' the mysterious voice drawled, growing ever-so-slightly fainter as its source backed away. Daniel concentrated, bringing his own memories bubbling to the surface of his consciousness. They formed as wiry strands hovering purposefully around him, flickering with light. The lights swirled, forming shapes in the air and giving brief glimpses of fighting, running feet, a swinging fist. A girl's face appeared for a split second, violet hair adorned with a pair of goggles. A shadowy figure writhed and fell as the lights began to fade. Daniel heard a sharp and angry intake of breath from behind him.
'Don't you dare try to-' the voice began furiously.
'Get. Out.' Daniel said firmly, raising his hands and closing his eyes tightly as the darkness around him fell away, replaced by an impossibly blinding brightness, burning through his eyelids with purest white.
'I'm on my way, Grayson.' snarled the voice. 'And you can't stop me.'
Daniel awoke on his bedroom floor, dressed only in a pair of loose black shorts, bedsheets dragged from the bed and wrapped around his limbs in his frenzied dreaming state. His entire body was covered in a thin layer of icy sweat, leaving him freezing as he rose from the floor, disentangling himself and flicking his wrist at the bed, watching with slight satisfaction as the sheets leapt from the floor and neatly arranged themselves on the mattress, creases vanishing in an instant. He walked from the room, shirtless, letting the sweat rise from his skin and coalesce in a fine cloud of liquid that converged into a single orb, collapsing in on itself and vanishing from sight. Wandering into the hall and out the front door, which lay open as always, he stepped slowly onto the cool sand, seating himself comfortably on the beach as the waves crested gently and the dance of the infinite stars and moons and planets and countless other celestial bodies unfolded above him.
'Are you okay?' The question was tinged with worry. He turned his head slightly to see Ramona standing at the edge of the beach, feet resting on the soil of the treeline.
'I… I'm fine.' he answered carefully, nodding.
'You don't look fine, Daniel.' She stepped onto the beach, out of the shadows of the trees, and Daniel saw that he eyes were wide with caring concern. 'You look like you nearly died.'
'I do?' Daniel asked confusedly, bringing a self-conscious hand to his face and finding it damp with blood. His blood. 'Oh…'
'Something happened.' Ramona stated simply. It was not a question, just a simple invitation to confidence. 'I was asleep. I could feel you struggling.'
'It was him.' Daniel said grimly before she could continue. 'He was in my head. In Subspace.'
'What were you doing?' she asked inquisitively. He waved her away with a nonchalant shrug.
'It doesn't matter. I pushed him out.' Daniel answered carefully, avoiding her gaze. 'I think you should go. It's nearly morning…'
'I don't think it is…' she began, but Daniel raised a hand to silence her, taking hold of some invisible handle in the air and twisting sharply. The sky spun and brightened as the twin suns started to rise slowly over the ocean.
'Go back to Scott.' he said, not unkindly. 'I'll see you later, okay?'
'Okay…' Ramona replied, eyeing him with mild suspicion. He reached up a hand and she helped pull him to his feet, feeling his push her away and send her spinning through Subspace, landing softly on her own bed beside a lightly dozing Scott Pilgrim. He awoke with a start as she fell onto the bed, rolling over and staring into her eyes. She stared back, a warm smile playing over her lips as he cocooned her in his embrace.
Whew, shit's getting pretty real. Please read (wait, you aloread have...) and review! If you have any ideas, I WANT TO HEAR THEM. Chapter 8 will be up in a fortnight. I promise.
Oh, I almost forgot! Lyrical credit to Metric (Combat Baby) and The Monkees (I'm a believer). I don't own or claim to own the songs or lyrics. And I don't own Kupek, Bryan Lee O'Malley's one-man band, either. Although he is just as awesome at musician-ing (it's totally a word) as he is at drawing. Seriously, it's good stuff. Check him out.
Pixel Katana - I command sandwiches like Magneto commands metal.
