I'm sorry but is this a Bunny story? You're damn right it is!
Hopefully I haven't made you lovely people wait too long.
Enjoy Chapter Ten, my lovelies!
Chapter Ten: Electricity & Fire
Butters
The force of Wrath's energy that slammed against me made my head spin. I felt like I had just stepped off one of those rides where you sit in a giant strawberry and spin around as the whole platform moves. It was so dark, I didn't see him, but he knew I was there. I had never felt anything like it before when his energy slammed into me.
"This is merely the beginning of our story, Death," Wrath said from the darkness. The streets of England were so much darker than I had expected. Even South Park seemed to have more lights at night. "The real fun is yet to happen back home where our friend is waiting for us. I'll see you there soon enough."
I was so confused. Who was the man? How did he know about Death? What the hell did he hit me with? "Leopold," Death whispered. "Leopold, you can get up now. He's gone."
"Who the hell was that?" I groaned as I pushed up to my knees. "He was so powerful."
"He is the current vessel for Fate. I felt his presence. I don't believe he saw your face," Death explained.
I removed the cloth from the lower part of my face. It was a random bandana I found hanging from the side of a building as I ran through the narrow streets being pursued by the heavy presence behind me. "I'm guessing he's not a good guy," I mentioned and pressed my back against the box beside me. The pyramid of boxes had been toppled over during the altercation between me and Wrath and now littered the narrow alley.
"No, he is not. He is far from it. And there is a good possibility he knows where Life is," the voice continued.
"And that's bad, right?" I asked.
"Considering that Fate has made it its mission to corrupt Life in any way possible, yes, that's bad. I still can't feel Life's presence at all, which means there is something wrong." Death had a worried tone that made me frown. "Leopold, you must go back home. Immediately."
I blinked. My hands instinctively moved together to rub my knuckles together. "I—I don't know—um—," I stuttered nervously.
"I know you are worried, but this is bigger than your worries. This is bigger than your lies and secrets," Death said, a slight snap to his tone. "The last time we all were awake the world was thrown into the largest war it had ever seen and Fate was in the center of the conflict."
I sighed heavily. "Oh, I know," I groaned.
"He will do as much damage as he wants unless we can reach Life first," Death snapped. I let my head fall back against the boxes with another heavy sigh.
"Ah, fudge," I said in a low voice. I tilted my head back to look up. The stars were bright against the dark canvas of sky.
I set the last box down inside the apartment. There wasn't much to move from South Park. My laptop sat on the table playing the local news as I started to unpack the first box. The reporter's voice was background noise to me while I set the knickknacks along the shelf that was bolted to the wall.
"Our next story involves a local hero who has single-handedly made a difference in the city of Denver," the reporter explained. "A real-life vigilante of the night. Denver's very own superhero."
"Leopold!" Death suddenly shouted. He startled me. The ceramic knickknack I was holding crashed against the floor.
"Oh, hamburgers!" I said disappointingly.
"Leopold, the news," Death snapped.
"There's not much we know about the mystery vigilante," the reporter continued. I walked over to the table to spin my laptop around. In the top corner of the screen, next to the blonde reporter's head, was a picture. It was focused but far away and dark. I could still make out the figure leaping from one rooftop to the next. A long, dark cape flowed behind them in their mid-flight. "We do know that they are responsible for saving nearly a dozen lives from the terror and violence of crime that fills our streets."
"Oh, man," I said in a small voice as I slowly sat down.
"Leopold," Death responded in a smaller voice than mine.
"Here with me is Sergeant Hank Young and Officer Patricia Remis," the reporter introduced the two officers that were suddenly shown as the camera angle changed. "Officers, welcome and thank you for joining me today for our discussion."
"Leopold," Death repeated a bit louder.
"Tell me, how is this new figure affecting the police department?" the reporter asked.
"It's Life, Leopold," Death said.
My back straightened. "What?" I asked curiously. "Are you sure?"
"No, but there's a feeling. You must confront him. Get close enough so that I can read him," Death explained.
"How exactly do you plan on me doing that? He's a masked vigilante jumping around in the dark beating up bad guys," I replied as I sat back in my chair.
"Play his game," Death answered bluntly. "Show him what you are capable of and we'll see how he reacts."
When Mysterion's knuckles caved in the solid metal dumpster, my heart sunk in my chest. I had pushed too hard and it was getting dangerous. I had to get out. "Well, there's a piece of the puzzle discovered," I said. I tried to hide the shake my voice threatened to make.
Everything else was shaking. I crossed my arms over my chest to still them. "Leopold, there's something wrong. There's an energy radiating off him, but it's not his. It's familiar, but it's not his," Death explained.
"I think that's enough for tonight," I explained.
Mysterion had anger plastered across his face. "Enough of this game, Chaos! Stop this!" he shouted angrily.
"Who said this was a game, Mysterion? This is all very much real," I explained feeling Death guide my words. He knew I needed the help. I was too distracted. "Keep your eyes open, Mysterion. It will all make sense eventually."
I started to turn away. I had to get away. "Chaos!" I heard him scream. A hand grabbed my wrist. The sharp shock that coursed through my body made the familiar electricity of my energy intensify. It always felt like a ball settled in the middle of my chest. When I wanted to use it, I imagined it working through my arm to shoot from my fingertips. It wasn't easy to control, but Death helped. But when Mysterion touched me there was a transfer of foreign energy that sent my energy into a frenzy. We couldn't control it. Mysterion reeled back with a groan. I took the opportunity to bail. I had to get away.
It took me all night to calm down but I still couldn't get my energy under control. It took everything in me to keep myself from spazzing out when I wasn't Professor Chaos. Death and I had an understanding that when I wasn't wearing the costume, I could be Butters. When I put on the costume, he was free to do what he needed to. That day I was walking around with a nagging backseat driver who was fighting me. I didn't want to go out that night, but he insisted.
"This is a terrible idea," I snapped on top of the scaffolding. "We shouldn't be out here. We're too unstable."
"We need to find Life. We have no time to delay," Death replied.
"This is dangerous. We have no control and you know just as much as I do how dangerous it will be to be around him," I snapped back. "We need to stay away from him."
"Leopold, listen to me," Death growled.
"No! You've been bossing me around all day! You've been pushy and rude and I've had enough!" I shouted. I could feel the electricity sparking inside my chest. Small bolts sparked from my skin to pass between my fingers.
"You cannot lose control!" Death shouted. I felt like I was suddenly pushed back into a corner and pinned there by a heavy force against my chest. "Not now, idiot." He had gained control. He rarely ever gained full control unless it was necessary or if I allowed him to. "Get yourself under control."
"Chaos," Mysterion's voice snapped. Death quickly spun us around. The look on Mysterion's face was full of anger. He took a small step back as his expression shifted.
I gained control long enough to snap, "You shouldn't be here, Mysterion."
"You're right. I'm terrified of heights," he explained flatly.
"Don't be an idiot!" I screamed but I couldn't get past the barrier Death put up.
"Tell me what the hell you did to me last time," Mysterion demanded.
Death let out a rumbling laugh. "What I did to you? Oh, no, I didn't do anything. That was all you," he snapped. He lifted our hand to point at Mysterion. "That energy clung to you! You let it—!" The pulse of electricity that shot through my body made us both flinch. Sparks exploded from my fingers but we pulled them back into our skin.
"Chaos—," Mysterion started to say. He was moving towards us.
"Don't!" Death screamed. He was fighting the out of control energy. "Just—ugh—just leave, Mysterion."
"Now you want him to leave?" I snapped.
"Not until you tell me what the hell is going on," Mysterion growled in response. "Tell me, Chaos!"
"We have to tell him," Death said only to me. "We have delayed this for far too long."
"No!" I screamed. I had managed to push forward, gaining control once again. "He's not—," I started to say but stopped myself when I noticed the wide, unblinking eyes Mysterion was staring at me with. "You're not ready."
"Leopold!" Death shouted.
"Not ready for what?" Mysterion snapped. I squeezed my eyes shut as I shook my head rapidly. I heard the footsteps stomp towards me. "Enough! Just—," he demanded. I quickly opened my eyes when the hand grabbed my arm. My energy revved up in my chest. I knew immediately, there was no stopping it. My eyes widened. The explosion of electricity and energy was uncontrollable from my body. It disoriented me for a moment and when I caught my bearings, the metal railing was broken and Mysterion was gone. He was dangling over the edge.
Death was gone temporarily. The surge of energy more than likely had knocked him unconscious, if that was possible. When he came back, I silenced him. I silenced everything around me. Mysterion was dead. I screwed up and there was no way to fix it. Which is why I don't know why I put on the mask. Why I left that night in hopes that it was all a dream. But it wasn't a dream. Mysterion was dead…at least, that's what I thought.
"You died," I said breathlessly. "This can't be real," I thought.
"It is real, Leopold," Death answered.
"You remember," Mysterion said in a lowered tone, his eyes were wide under his hood.
"How?" I thought.
"The curse of Life. It is the curse of immortality," Death explained. "He cannot die. Nothing can kill him, except for one thing in this entire world."
"What?" I thought back. "What can kill him?"
I was panting heavily as I raced across the rooftops. My boots clunked against the metal underneath me. "You have to hurry," Death growled.
"I'm going as fast as I can," I responded through heavy breaths. The energy was heavy and familiar. It wasn't Mysterion's, but I knew exactly who it belonged to. I managed to get to the roof by climbing some crates and boxes. There he was. He had Mysterion pinned against a wall with his telekinetic abilities. "Dr. Wrath!" I screamed.
I shouldn't have been there. Mysterion told me to stay away. I knew I should have stayed away. I couldn't though. I didn't know why, but I felt a pull. It was a pull directly to him.
"We can't let Fate consume him," Death snapped.
"Than save him," I growled back.
I sighed, leaned back slightly on my stool, and ruffled my hair. I needed to stretch out the kink that was forming in my back from sitting arched over my canvas for so long. The rough outline was pretty much done. "You're getting much better, Leopold."
"Did Death just compliment my art skills?" I asked with a small smile. "I'm flattered."
"Do not sound so surprised. I know how to appreciate good art. You are no Michelangelo but you could be someday," Death explained.
I chuckled but realization quickly set in. My smile disappeared. "Wait, did you know Michelangelo?" I asked.
"In fact, I did. He was a friend of one of Life's vessels. He was an extraordinary man," Death explained.
I scoffed. "Well, I'm learning something knew about you every day. I wonder who else you—," I said but stopped when I heard a sharp ringing in my ears. I quickly lifted my hand to press it to my head.
"Come on, Chaos," Mysterion's voice echoed through my head. "I can't wait around for you to decide when to show yourself."
I lowered my hand to turn my head. The large window looked out over the city. The lights gave off a glow that made a high arch over the buildings. I could feel the faint touch of Mysterion's energy flick across my skin. "What is he doing?" Death growled.
"He's calling out to me," I whispered back and couldn't hold back the smile that formed from the corners of my lips.
That's what it was with us. Everything that possibly could connect us, did. We were constantly being pushed and pulled back and forth to and from each other. It felt as if I knew him. I knew every single aspect of his being, and yet I knew nothing at all. Then everything changed. I knew we shouldn't have confronted Wrath. I knew we weren't ready, but he was insistent. He was angry. He was frantic. I couldn't say no. If I had known what was going to happen, I would have. I would have fought and yelled.
"Butters, stop!"
I wished it had been anyone else but him.
"Butters, it's me."
But, of course it was him. It had to be him. It was always…him.
~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~
Kenny
My eyes were heavy but I couldn't shut them without seeing his face. Stan looked just as tired as I was, but for his own reason. He had stayed by Kyle's side since I left. He said Kyle was quiet, his gaze distant like he was constantly being pulled back by some thoughts in his mind. Stan feared leaving him alone, even when he was asleep. Then when I came home, everything came pouring out of me before I even had my costume off. I managed my boots, my gloves, and my mask, but that was it. We left Kyle to sleep in my room and sat at the dining table. My hands were folded together in front of me as Stan walked over to place coffee in front of me. He managed to carry two mugs with one hand, which would have been impressive enough to make me comment at any other point in time. The bitter aroma alone was enough to wake me up.
"Drink it," Stan said bitterly and sipped at his coffee. It was the first thing he had said in minutes. I didn't fight him. I was too tired. I was too lost. I was too confused. I picked up the mug and sipped at the bitter liquid. It made my stomach churn. Anything would have made it churn upon impact. It was in so many knots, I was pretty sure there was barely any stomach left. "Butters is Professor Chaos," Stan said in a low voice. It wasn't a question. It wasn't for me to verify. It was him trying to process it through his head. The moment the words passed through my lips, I could see the panic and confusion form on his face. "Why—Why is it not surprising? Why does it feel like it's just solidifying something deep inside?"
I slammed the mug of coffee down on the table and stood. The sudden movement sent my chair scraping back against the floor. "It's ridiculous," I snapped angrily. "How could he not tell us? Not even one of us? Did he not trust us?" I continued letting my anger drive my words.
"Kenny, you know that's not fair. None of us told him about you," Stan retaliated calmly.
"He kept it from us, Stan! What—What else is he keeping from us? What—?" I started to say and pressed my hand against my head. I was still dizzy from the blow my head received from Marco. I grabbed the back of the couch to steady myself. Stan's chair scraped gently as he stood. I shot my hand out towards him. "Don't," I growled. "I'm fine."
"Kenny—," Stan tried to speak.
"He's been keeping so many secrets. He even lied about when he came back. Chaos showed up months before Butters said he came back. He lied to my face. To all our faces," I explained and turned to lean back against the back of the couch. "What else did he lie about?"
Stan sighed loudly and sat back down. He lifted his hand to run his fingers through his hair. "Kenny, say what it is that you want to say," he said but there was a warning tone to his voice, like he was daring me to say something wrong.
"Everything was fine before he left. He has yet to explain why he left in the first place. Was it because he knew about what he was before he left?" I asked in a low growl and Stan's eyebrows slowly furrowed together. "He knew from the fucking start and he didn't trust us enough to tell us. He's been lying to our faces. He's—," I trailed off and stopped completely when Stan smacked his hand against the table.
"Alright, enough," he snapped in anger. I looked over at him with wide, unblinking eyes. "He didn't know. That's not the reason why he left," he explained and my lips set in a deep frown. "He didn't lie to anyone, but he has a right to his own secrets, you selfish son of a bitch," Stan growled. The sudden outburst startled even him. He swallowed hard and lifted his hand to press his fingers to his temple with a long sigh. "I shouldn't be telling you this, but I've had enough of your whining," he said in a low voice. His hand dropped gently against the table. "Butters was sick, Kenny."
My face scrunched up into confusion. "What?"
"He was sick. Like, he wasn't going to make it through university, sick," Stan explained. I felt my heart beat painfully fast in my chest. I opened my mouth to say something. Nothing came out. "He was going to die."
"What do you mean, die? How—How do you know this?" I struggled to ask through my shaking voice.
Stan sighed loudly. "Because I'm a nosey bastard. I listened in on one of his phone calls and heard the entire thing," he explained. There was a hint of regret in his voice, like it was one of the worst things he could have possibly done.
"When was this? How long have you known?" I asked next.
Stan's shoulders tensed suddenly. Whatever the answer was going to be, I wasn't going to like it. "Since before the graduation party," he answered in a low voice.
Naturally, I should have been mad, but I felt like there wasn't anything left in me. I couldn't even be angry. I couldn't feel anything, except my heart racing in my chest. "You knew for that long and didn't tell me?"
"I promised Butters I wouldn't," Stan explained. The seriousness returned to his voice. "He wanted to talk to everyone before he left. He planned on it at the party. He didn't tell everyone what was wrong, but he was going to tell you. You left though, remember?" Stan paused and I grinded my teeth together. "You were so distraught by Butters leaving and you drank too much. You ran out when Kyle was trying to get you to go see him. He was going to talk to you, to tell you what was happening, but when you ran out he thought you were mad at him. He thought that meant you didn't want to see him."
"That—That's not—," I started to say. My head spun again. My brain was doing backflips in my skull.
"He didn't know that. We didn't either at the time. It wasn't until after the party when he was on the other side of the world that you said anything about how you felt. I thought about telling you, but it wouldn't have made a difference. If anything, it would have destroyed you. So, I kept Butters' secret and waited for him to tell you when he came back, but he was too scared. He couldn't get over the fact that he thought you were mad at him and I wasn't about to tell him how you felt about him, especially when you kept walking around like a moron saying you no longer liked him." The room spun violently. I couldn't keep my legs underneath me anymore so I slumped to the floor with a heavy thump. Laughter exploded from my chest. "Kenny!" Stan shouted. He was back on his feet to run around the table. "Are you alright?" he asked as he knelt next to me.
I was still laughing. My hands pressed to my face to hide the build up of tears in my eyes. My body shook. Everything hurt. Every inch of my body. Every part of my soul. My head, my heart. Fucking everything hurt. Stan let out a soft sigh. I felt his arm wrap around me to hold on tight. It only made the tears form faster. "Come on," Stan whispered. He was helping me up to my feet to lead me up the stairs to the bathroom. He sat on the vanity as I stood under the warm water to let it roll down my skin. It didn't fix the pain, but it did help, and it washed away the tears that made my eyes sting even more than they did before when I was just tired.
"You need to talk to him, Kenny," Stan piped up over the running water. "Not just about him leaving, and not about him being Professor Chaos. You need to tell him."
The cold tile wall felt good against my forehead. I closed my eyes. I wanted to sleep. "Can I sleep first?" I asked in a low voice.
"Of course," Stan replied in a small voice that I could still hear over the running water.
I crawled into my bed next to Kyle. He was sound asleep. I wasn't far behind him. Stan may have stayed, I wasn't sure. Sleep claimed me too quickly to notice. Darkness took over and then I was suddenly standing in a thick forest. Different shades of green leaves surrounded me. I quickly spun around but it was just trees. There was no distinction of where or which way to go. Even when I looked up, the canopy of branches and leaves blocked the view of the sky. Then the wind suddenly whipped through the trees to slam against me. It almost knocked me over. I stood my ground though. The salty scent of water travelled on the wind's back. I started to run through the trees, following the scent ahead of me. I didn't know where it would take me. I didn't know what lied ahead, but it was something. Something other than trees. I ran and ran. The trees began to thin and then there were no more. I stopped, my chest heaving with heavy breaths. The sound of crashing waves echoed up over the edge of the cliff ahead of me. Standing at the edge of the cliff was a figure with bright yellow hair. He lifted his arms at his sides as he tilted forward slightly like a bird ready to take flight. I opened my mouth and two names exploded from my mouth at once, overlapping each other with one slightly deeper.
"Butters!" was the first.
"Chaos!" was the second.
He stopped. His arms lowered. He slowly turned. His face flashed between Butters with his bright blue eyes and Chaos with glowing violet and his half mask. His mouth moved as if he was speaking but I couldn't hear it over the crashing waves before I was suddenly snapped out of my dream.
I woke with a sharp inhale. I was alone in the large bed. Soft voices spoke from outside my door cracked open slightly. I slowly sat up to reach over to my phone. It was just past noon. I had slept for a few hours but I was still exhausted. I think I would forever be permanently exhausted. I sighed as I pushed my fingers through my hair. I hadn't had that dream in so long, and it never ended like that. It always ended the same way with him falling off the cliff, but he didn't that time. Instead, I called out for him.
You have started a private chat with LBS.
K²: we need 2 talk
K²: im coming by in a bit
My door creaked open, giving away my presence which made the voices hush. I had changed into clean clothes before I stepped out. Stan and Kyle were sitting in the living room. The television was on low like they had it on for background noise more than anything. Stan didn't look up from his hands in his lap. Kyle stood. He quickly rushed over to me and his arms wrapped around me tightly. Not what I was expecting.
"You alright?" he asked, his voice muffled by my chest.
I scoffed lightly. "I'm supposed to be asking you that," I replied as I gently patted his shoulders.
He pulled away to look up at me. The swelling had gone down a bit in his face, but he was still bruised. It looked bad on his pale skin. I kept my hands on his shoulders to let my fingers dig in slightly to his flesh. The frown that formed on my face made Kyle sigh. "Stop it," he growled.
"Stop what?" I asked with a small shrug of my shoulders.
"Beating yourself up," he answered. "I can see the pity and self-shame rolling around in your head. It's not your fault. Not by a fucking long shot." He crossed his arms over his chest. "But what you've said about Butters, that's another story."
"Kyle—," I started. He lifted his hand to stop me.
"You need to go talk to him," he explained. I exhaled sharply as I nodded. "Once you have talked to him, then you can talk to us."
Stubborn. How fucking predictable.
My leg bounced rapidly as I drove. It wasn't a far drive, but it was far enough that it seemed to drag on with my frenzied thoughts running wild in my mind. "I told you to stay calm," Life suddenly piped up in a quieted voice as I sat at a red light.
My hand tightened on the wheel. "You knew it was him, didn't you?" I asked and turned my head to see him sitting in the back seat. His arms were crossed over his chest and he had the hood of his orange sweater pulled over his head.
"I'm honestly surprised you didn't. The mask wasn't really doing a whole lot," he explained and shrugged his shoulders. "Like, I don't want to say you're an idiot, but it's kind of sad that you couldn't tell you were literally crushing on the same guy just with two different personas."
"Shut up. Who the hell asked you," I mumbled as I scowled. The light turned green.
"I'm just saying, you were either extremely blind or incredibly stubborn," he added.
"Can you just shut up and go away?" I asked.
He scoffed loudly. "I wish, buddy. Unfortunately, we are stuck with each other. At least you're more entertaining than the last vessel. She was a bore," he groaned as he sunk deeper into the seat. "I'm still not sure what he saw in her. That was the roughest pairing, but the connection always pulls them together," Life continued to speak. I wasn't sure if he was talking to me or if he was just talking. His head tilted back to look up through the back window. "You can't fight the connection. Tethered together from birth. There's no stopping it."
My eyebrows furrowed together. I stopped the car in the parking spot next to the sidewalk. The engine rested when I turned the key. I turned in my seat but Life didn't stop craning his neck far back to see up at the sky. "What the hell are you talking about?" I asked.
"You'll see," he said. I blinked a few times. He disappeared suddenly as if he had never been sitting on the bench seat in the back of my car. More than likely, he was never sitting in my car and it was just all in my head. I still wasn't entirely sure how it worked with him. I slammed the car door shut as I pulled my phone from my pocket to look at the unread messages sent to Butters. I sighed loudly, shoved my phone back into my pocket, and moved around the car to step up to the call box attached to the building. I exhaled sharply and then jammed my finger against the button for the third floor. There was a long break of silence but no response.
"Maybe he's not home," I muttered quietly.
"He's home. I can feel Death up there," Life explained.
I jammed my finger against the button again and waited. No response. My foot tapped impatiently against the concrete. "Come on, Butters," I whispered. "Don't ignore me. Please," I added. The anxiety made my heart race constricted my throat. I tried to swallow down the bundle of nerves with no success.
"So, what now?" Life asked.
I sighed as I ran my hand through my hair. "I can't leave. I need to talk to him. I need to understand. I've waited long enough."
"We could climb the fire escape," he sang.
I shook my head. "During the day? No way. I'm not risking getting caught," I replied and took a step back to shove my hands into the pockets of my sweater. "There's got to be a way to reach him."
"Hello?" a sweet, light voice suddenly said from behind me. I quickly spun around to come face-to-face with the silver haired woman. Wrinkles were formed at the corners of her mouth and eyes and she was slightly hunched over with a cane decorated in Sharpie doodles. "Can I help you, young man?"
"Oh, sorry, I was just—," I started to explain but stopped myself. Planning how to break in?
"Do you live here? Are you new to the building?" the woman asked curiously.
I shook my head. "No, I'm here to see a friend, actually. He's not answering his buzzer though. I'm a little worried," I explained.
"Well, that's not good," she said and frowned.
I nodded. "Yeah, he lives on the third floor and—," I started to say but stopped when the old woman made a cheerful noise.
"Butters! What a sweet young boy," she said with a wide smile that made her wrinkles deepen.
I couldn't help but smile back. "Yeah, Butters. I know he's home and I came to check up on him, but he's not answering," I explained. I cleared my throat. "My name is Kenny."
"Kenny? Butters has told me about you. He quite admires you. I feel like I already know you," the woman explained. My heart did a backflip in my chest. It was the stupidest thing but it made me happy. "Here, follow me. I'll let you in."
"Thank you so much—uh—," I thanked the woman as she slowly passed by me to the door.
"You can call me Grace," she said as he slid her key into the lock to open the door. I quickly grab it to hold it open as she passed through. "Why, thank you."
"So, you know Butters?" I asked as I stepped inside and to the woman's side.
"Yes, he lives upstairs from me. He's helped me with my groceries a few times and has even had dinner with me," she explained and led the way to the stairs.
"You live on the second floor?" I asked.
The woman hummed as she slowly nodded. "Yes, it's quite a strain on my old bones since the elevator is still broken, but I manage," she explained and took a strained first step.
"Here," I said and offered my arm out to her. "I'll help you up."
Grace smiled up at me. Her bright eyes sparkled. "My, you really are a sweetheart. Butters was definitely right about that," she explained. The ascent up the stairs was slow but I didn't rush her. She was careful with each step, even with me holding on to her tightly. When we reached the second level, I let go of the old woman so she could step up to her unit door. "Thank you so much, Kenny," she turned to say to me.
I nodded. "It's no problem, ma'am," I answered. I turned to take a few steps up when Grace called out to me.
"Kenny," she said. I stopped to turn to face her. She was still smiling. "Treat that boy nice. He is truly the sweetest."
I nodded again. "I will. I promise, Grace," I answered before I continued up to the third level. I was racing up the steps but when I reached the door, I froze. My body vibrated as I stood with my hand raised, ready to knock, but I couldn't find the strength to do it. I tried to swallow down the nerves that were rising in my throat like vomit. "Come on, Kenny."
One final mental push and I knocked, loud. I heard shuffling from the other side but it was quick before silence. I lifted my hand again to knock and the door clicked open. It hadn't been latched properly. I felt a wave of worry wash over me. The door opened quietly as I slowly pushed it open. I took a few cautious steps inside but stopped when I noticed papers and paintings scattered all over the floor of the living area. It was a disaster. I stepped in further. The panic was growing inside me. Something was seriously wrong. It looked like the place had been ransacked. Maybe Butters had been taken. It could have been Wrath. Wrath had Butters.
"Ah!" The scream startled me. I quickly spun around. Butters was standing outside the bathroom. He removed the headphones from his ears as he let out a long sigh. "Oh, hamburgers Kenny, you scared me."
"You—You weren't answering your phone or the buzzer," I replied with a slightly raised voice.
Butters' eyebrows furrowed together as he removed his phone from his back pocket. He tapped his thumb against the screen a few times before letting out a small noise. "Huh, well, I guess I was so focused, I didn't even notice."
"Well, thanks for making me worry! I thought you had been ransacked or something!" I shouted as I gestured to the mess in the living area.
Butters tilted his head slightly to look around me. His eyes blinked a few times before he straightened to look back at me. "I'm working on an assignment. I guess it got a little out of hand," he explained.
"Butters!" I shouted angrily. I wasn't sure exactly why I was angry. I think it was just my body's natural response to what was really going on inside me.
"Wh—Why are you yelling?" Butters asked as he lifted his hands to rub his knuckles together. "You barged into my apartment."
"Because I thought something had happened to you," I replied in a quieter voice but it was still full of bitterness.
Butters frowned. "I can take care of myself," he muttered as he stepped out of the bedroom area to walk past me. I didn't turn. I needed to calm down. I didn't go there to fight. I went there to talk.
"Butters—," I started to say as I spun around.
"What do you want, Kenny?" Butters demanded as he crouched down to gather up some of the scattered papers on his floor.
"I—I want to talk," I replied and lowered my voice.
Butters paused for a second. "Talk about what? There's nothing to talk about," he responded in such a quiet voice, I wasn't sure I would have heard him if I wasn't paying attention.
"How about the fact that you're Professor Chaos?" I answered with my arms crossed over my chest. Butters froze completely. "Or how about the fact that I'm Mysterion? Maybe we can talk about how you lied to me and Kyle and Stan. Or we can talk about how you didn't tell me you left because you were sick, Butters!" My voice quickly rose until I was shouting again. There was no stopping it, no matter how hard I tried.
Butters flinched. He slowly stood and dropped the pile of papers down on top of the table. "Stan told you?" he asked in a quiet voice, his lips set the deepest frown I think his face could form.
"He kept your secret up until now but it's time for the truth," I explained and swallowed hard. "I deserve the truth, Butters."
His eyes closed as he sighed. I could see his hands shaking. When he opened his eyes, he turned to walk over to the stool in front of his easel. He sat down to fold his hands together. He looked down at the floor. He wouldn't look up at me. It bothered me, but I fought the urge to say anything about it.
"You know how I was in high school," he started to say, his voice low but steady. "I was always sick and weak. I didn't think anything of it, but one day I decided to see the doctor. He couldn't explain what it was exactly, but he knew that whatever the problem was, it was damaging me. I was sick, and there was no way for me to get better," he explained. I crossed my arms tightly over my chest as I listened. He was fidgeting with his fingers. He was nervous. "Then one night, I had a dream. I still can't really explain what happened in it, but I realized I needed to leave. It was as if something was leading me, so I decided that after graduation I'd listen to my dream and go. That's how I ended up in Japan where I learned about the first set of vessels." He lifted his gaze to look up at me. My face instantly relaxed. "The first people to carry the curse of Life, Death, and Fate," he explained. His gaze dropped again. "It was like opening up a whole different part of myself. I felt better than I had in months. Shoot, even years. Once I was done in Japan, I moved on to China. I was being guided by a faint presence in my mind and every time that I learned about another set of people who lived with the curse, the presence grew stronger. In every country, there was a set. Three people who were bound to the curse at different times and in different countries. They were all born about a hundred years apart and scattered across the world. Germany, Russia, Italy, France, they were all over. And then I discovered the set in England, where I found out I was being followed. In Italy, I ran into a man on the street whose face I never saw. In England, I ran into the same man wearing a mask who introduced himself as Dr. Wrath."
I shifted my weight. My fingers dug into my arm. Just hearing his name was making my blood boil in my veins. I think Butters felt my anger because he glanced up through his eyelashes but then quickly let his gaze fall back to the floor.
"My encounter with him was…rough," he continued to explain. "I managed to escape, with the help of Death. He had been the one guiding me from country to country. He was the presence that was always with me. He was also the one making me sick. Being dormant was hurting me, so when he was finally released, I was no longer sick. But, with me so far away, I was putting you in danger."
My expression scrunched into confusion again. Butters opened his hands to press his palms together. I noticed the soft flickering of his electricity dance around his hand. Something inside me craved the gentle touch of electricity against my skin. I immediately pushed down that thought.
"Death knew that you were vulnerable, which means that Fate was sure to know as well. He couldn't feel Life which meant that he was still dormant. So, I came back. Death told me I'd find the vessel of Life here in Denver so I moved here and found…Mysterion." He threaded his fingers together tightly. "I had to help wake up Life, and he had a knack for always being the hero. If he had a cause to fight against, he would wake up. So, I became Professor Chaos and confronted Mysterion as his enemy. Death helped, of course. He'd take the reins when things would get…physical."
My fingers were still digging into my flesh. I could feel the tension in my shoulders growing. "That was over a year and half ago," I said in a low voice. Butters quickly lifted his head to look up at me. "There were months where you were here, in Denver, and you didn't reach out to us."
Butters frowned. "I didn't know you were here," he replied in a small voice. "When I went back to South Park to see my parents, I didn't see anyone else. My mom and dad didn't know where you guys had gone, they just knew you had left. I didn't know how to find you."
"You could have called," I snapped. "You had a dozen ways to try to reach out to us, you just didn't. You chose not to," I growled angrily.
Butters flinched. His head quickly lowered. His hands unclasped to grab his knees. "I was scared," he whispered. "So much had happened. So much that was hard to explain. I—I didn't know how to explain it. I didn't know how to face you after everything that happened," he explained. His shoulders started to shake. "I wanted to tell you why I left, but then it got complicated. Who would have believed such a crazy story? So, I didn't reach out. I focused on Mysterion and enrolled in school. Then—," he paused to lift his head. His bright blue eyes were highlighted by the tears that formed. My entire body immediately melted. I let out the soft, shaky breath I had been holding on to for dear life, like if I let it go then I'd never get it back. "I heard you. I thought it was a dream. It was you though. You were real and here and I wanted to tell you everything. I just wanted to tell you, but I couldn't," he explained. His voice was shaking and he was fighting back the urge to cry. His hands lifted to wipe at his eyes, swiping away the tears that were forming faster than he could brush away. "I didn't want to leave. I know you were mad, you didn't want to see me, but I wanted to stay. I missed you, Kenny." He sniffled loudly. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I left. I'm sorry I lied. I'm—I'm sorry I hurt you."
"Butters," I managed in a small voice.
"I'm sorry," Butters said between loud sniffles and short gasps of air.
"If they find out who I am, I'm afraid they'll never really understand. They'll shut me out or worst, they'll be afraid of me," Chaos' words echoed in my head. Butters' words.
I finally uncrossed my arms to let my hands clutch into tight fists at my sides. My footsteps were heavy against the floor as I moved across the living room. The papers fluttered around me as I moved. Butters looked up when I was within reach. His eyes were red and puffy. His soft, porcelain cheeks wet from the tears that stopped for a moment as I reached out to grab his wrist. Electricity sparked against my skin. It was soft flicks that tickled my skin and made the hairs on my arm stand up. I pulled Butters onto his feet. He took a few steps until his body pressed against mine. His arms immediately went up to wrap around my neck and mine encircled his waist to pull him tightly against me.
"It's okay, Butters. You don't have to apologize," I whispered into his shoulder. "I understand. It's okay. You didn't do anything wrong, I promise." I could feel Butters shutter against me. His arms tightened around me as I lifted him onto his toes. "Don't apologize. I get it now. You don't have to be scared anymore," I said. I felt the smaller body stop shaking against me. He was calming down. I moved my arms to put my hands on his hips. He loosened his arms around my neck so we could pull apart enough to put some distance between us. My hands moved up from his hips to brush his tears from his cheeks with my thumbs. "We're here, Butters. You're not a monster and we're not about to shut you out. We're here. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere. I need you. Not just Chaos, but I need Butters. I need my best friend."
I saw a flash of what looked like pain cross his face. His arms released from around me. I could hear Life groaning loudly in my head. "Moron! Come on! Are you serious?" he shouted angrily.
"Thanks, Kenny. I feel a lot better now," he said with a flash of a small, weak smile.
"Wait, no, that's not—," I thought to myself as he stepped back from me.
"You two are killing me here," Life snapped and then groaned loudly. "You're a complete moron!"
Butters moved to step around me. My chest clenched as his shoulder brushed mine. I felt it. I felt our energy reach for each other but pulled apart as he pulled away from me.
"We're tethered," I said in a quiet voice.
"Now you listen! Hallelujah, there must be a God!" Life shouted.
My body moved quickly. I spun around and my hand found Butters' wrist. He stopped but didn't turn around. "I wasn't mad at you, Butters," I said. His head turned slightly so I could see the shift of his forehead as his eyebrows furrowed together. "You left and I wasn't mad at you. I was mad at myself because instead of being happy for you, I was unbelievably miserable," I continued. "I knew that if you came to me to say goodbye, I'd only beg you to stay. I wouldn't have wished you luck. I wouldn't have smiled and told you how happy I was. I would have yelled and screamed and asked you to stay with me. I didn't want you to leave. I wanted you to stay. I wanted you with me." I paused. Butters turned his head back forward to hide his face from me, but he couldn't hide the slight pink that formed on the tips of his exposed ears. My gaze travelled over his ears, through his yellow hair, and down to the back of his exposed neck. A long plain of flawless skin with small bumps of his spine travelling up the middle. "I thought it was better to avoid you, to let you leave without saying anything, to be mad, than to tell you the truth. I may have been mad. I may have even tricked myself into believing I was mad at you, but I wasn't. I was mad at myself for never saying goodbye. I was mad that I was selfish. I was mad at the thought that you were happy and it wasn't because of me."
I don't know when my hand started to move. I didn't even register that it was moving until my fingertips touched the soft skin above Butters' collar. His body shivered at the touch but he didn't move away.
"I don't fully understand what's going on. I don't get everything. Fate, destiny, it's all shit. But since I met you, I can't help but feel a pull. It's constantly bringing me back to you. We're connected. I think I felt it the first day I met you, and every day since then. Even when you weren't around, I was being pulled towards you. When you came back, I was led straight to you. Even though I didn't know it was you, I still found you. I think that's the whole point. I think no matter what, no matter which life, I'm always going to be drawn back to you."
Life snorted. "Cheesy," he teased.
I rolled my eyes as I removed both of my hands from Butters to press them to my head. "Agh! Just shut up for once, stupid backseat driver!" I growled as I rubbed my knuckles against my head.
"But you make it so easy!" Life replied with a loud cackle.
"Fucking lunatic," I muttered. I lowered my hands and Butters was turned to face me. His was contorted into confusion. "Uh, Life," I said nervously as I tapped my finger against the side of my head, "he's kind of a chatterbox and I haven't quite figured out a way to shut him out yet," I explained meekly.
"Just focus on something else. A bored mind leaves you vulnerable," Butters explained.
I scoffed. "Yeah, we know how great I am at focusing," I replied sarcastically.
"Then let me help," Butters said in a low voice. There wasn't much space between us so closing it was easy. Butters grabbed a handful of my sweater with one hand to pull me forward. Bodies pressed together as his other hand glided around my neck so his fingers could bury into my hair.
Think of your favourite dessert. Think about the first time you tasted it. Did your whole body melt at the taste and you just couldn't wait for another bite? Did you just want that taste to stay on your taste buds forever? Have you ever experienced that? That's the closest I can come to describing him.
The moment his lips connected with mine, fireworks exploded in my head. We had done this before, but this was different. There was no sense of urgency. There was no hesitation or confusion. It was Butters and it was Chaos. Both pressed against me mixed together in one body. My hands found their natural place, one on Butters' hip and the other on his lower back to hold him against me. There was warmth everywhere. Every place that our bodies connected was like fire. Mouths moved against each other with inexperience of what the other liked, but holy fuck were we gonna learn and fast. I leaned forward slightly, pressing harder into the heated kiss. I just needed so much fucking more. More of him.
Butters' back arched slightly to compensate for my eagerness. His fingers found their way deeper into my hair to kneed gently at my scalp. I was hyper-focused on that touch. It sent chills up and down my spine. Then I felt the sharp pain in my bottom lip as Butters bit down on the tender flesh. That small, sharp pain sent a wave rushing through my body. It was a good rush. It was a needy rush. I held back though to enjoy in the moment we suddenly found ourselves in. Small, panting breaths ghosted over each other's faces with foreheads pressed together. I couldn't tell who was shivering with our bodies pressed so firmly together. Maybe it was both of us. Was it nerves? Was it excitement? Anticipation? Want? Hell if I knew what it was, but I liked it.
Lips brushed teasingly against each other before pulling away, creating a chase that made me sigh in frustration. That earned a crooked, proud grin on Butters' face. The rush ran through me again but I couldn't stop myself from moving. Butters held on to my arms as I led him backwards. His lower back pressed against the half wall a little more roughly than I had meant to, but it was quickly apparent that it wasn't a bad thing. He let out a soft moan at the rough impact. My hand that was resting on his hip glided slowly up his side. He arched at the touch. His breath came out in a soft pant. His usually large, bright blue eyes where half-lidded and dark. His pupils were blown wide, practically taking up all the sky blue that surrounded them. I slowed my hand down to enjoy every teasing moment I was making Butters suffer through.
Nothing had ever felt like what it felt like with him. No one I had ever met, ever touched, made me literally feel fire and electricity all at the same time. It was him. Fucking everything was about him.
When I reached the space where his chest and neck connected, he was panting heavily. I leaned forward but instead of touching his lips, mine pressed to the side of his jaw. His body tensed against mine as his head instinctively tilted back to expose exactly what I wanted. A clean plain of skin down his neck. Each kiss I placed against the skin made him moan or sigh. His hands danced from clutching onto my arms to slide between us. I didn't stop as he grabbed onto the zipper of my sweater to pull it down. I exhaled against Butters' neck as nimble hands dove under my open sweater to press to my chest. I lifted my head. Butter's hands moved over my shoulders to push my sweater off. It clattered softly against the floor. His eyes shifted down as he swallowed down something hard in his throat. Whatever possessed me to put on the tightest shirt I apparently had in my closet, I was thankful in that moment for it because of the expression created on Butters' face. I lifted my hand to grab his chin. His eyes immediately shot back up to meet mine. I kissed him. This time it was harder, needier. He moaned against my lips as his hands found their spot on my chest again. I disconnected from the soft lips I pressed against, earning a small disappointed groan.
"Kenny," Butters gasped through heavy panting breaths. I lost my breath to the sight. Swollen lips, half-lidded eyes, it was the side of him I only ever wanted to see. No one else. I wanted my name to be the only one he ever said breathless and begging for more.
I moved my arms to wrap them around Butters' waist. He yelped as I lifted him off the ground. He was a bit heavier than I had expected, but I held on tightly to him as he wrapped his arms around my neck and his legs around my waist. His hand pushed into my hair to gently rub my scalp. I carried him into the adjoining bedroom and carefully set him down on the bed. His breathing was calmer as he stared up at me, his hands splayed beside his head to rest on the mattress.
"Butters," I said in a low voice as I pressed my hand to his cheek. He leaned into the touch with closed eyes. It didn't seem real. It wasn't possible. I had given up so long ago. "It has to be a dream," I whispered unintentionally.
Butters' eyes slowly opened. "What is?" he asked.
"You," I answered. "It can't be real."
Butters smiled as he turned his head slightly to press his lips to the inside of my hand. My body tingled at the touch. I leaned down, pressing my body carefully against him without crushing my weight against him. My thigh pressed between Butters' legs, earning a small moan from him as he pressed his head back against the mattress. I captured his lips against mine. I moved the hand I had pressed to his cheek to move along his arm to thread my fingers between his. Electricity tingled my skin along my fingers and the back of my palm. I could feel Butters' energy feeding off him and wrapped around me. It was powerful, a little unstable, but also gentle against my skin. Butters grabbed my bottom lip with his teeth again and that sparked the fire deep in the pit of my stomach. I pressed my lips hard against his again. My thigh moved forward to rub against Butters. He gasped into my mouth, which was exactly what I wanted. His open mouth allowed me access to dive my tongue inside. Butters moaned at the contact as my tongue swept over his and then the roof of his mouth. Both of his hands dug into my hair as he pressed harder against the contact. His energy was dancing over my skin, leaving tiny sparks everywhere it touched.
A high-pitched ringing suddenly filled my head. It started small but quickly escalated to the point I flinched away from the contact with Butters. I quickly sat up as I pressed my hand to my forehead. "Kenny?" Butters sat up with worry in his tone. "What's wrong?"
The ringing continued to escalate until it was painful in my head. I grabbed fistfuls of my hair with both hands as I stepped back off the bed. "Ah!" I screamed in pain.
"Kenny!" Butters shouted as he quickly pushed himself up to his feet to reach out for me. The room spun around me and I was suddenly falling backwards. I waited to hit the floor but instead it felt like I crashed into the surface of water. Everything went dark around me. I was floating. I struggled to find any direction that made sense. Nothing made sense. I swung my arms and kicked my legs to try to touch anything. There was nothing.
"Kenny, relax!" Life's voice echoed through the dark.
"What the hell is going on?" I shouted back.
I grunted as my feet connected with a hard surface. The force made me collapse to my hands and knees. My breath came out in heavy pants. "Are you alright, Kenneth?" My eyebrows knitted together in confusion. I lifted my head to look up at the woman who stood in front of me. She had dark brown hair in a complicated hairstyle. "Please, don't be alarmed, dear boy," she added. Her voice had a heavy English accent. She stepped towards me as she lowered herself to a crouch.
"Who are you?" I asked. She wore an old dress made of green fabric that pooled around her. It looked like something out of a museum.
"I was the vessel for Life before you, dear boy," the woman explained. "Now I am merely a shadow attached to the curse that you carry."
"So you're the one Life called boring?" I asked. I had no idea why that was the first thing that popped into my mind.
The woman rolled her eyes. "I believe he's called me that at times. He is an incredibly vulgar spirit with no taste," she snapped back.
"Awe, come one, Dorothy," the familiar voice of Life said nearby. He was standing off to the side, his arms crossed over his chest with a crooked, half smile on his face that was still a direct copy of my own. "There's no need to be mean."
"You can be absolutely useless sometimes. You haven't even told him what he needs to know yet. You've just been playing like a child," the woman named Dorothy explained sternly as she stood.
"It doesn't hurt to have some fun once in a while," Life replied with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Can someone tell me what the hell is going on and where I am?" I spoke up, interrupting the bickering between the two of them.
"Do you wish to do the honors or shall I?" Dorothy asked Life.
"You be my guest," Life insisted.
"I wish at least one of you would explain!" I snapped. I could still feel the phantom touches across my skin. I itched with anticipation. I wanted to go back. I wanted to finish what we had started. I had never felt so addicted to something before, but he was intoxicating. Every touch of our lips created sparks. His touches across my skin were something I think I always wanted, but never knew.
"There's a secret we have kept from everyone for centuries," Dorothy explained. She set her hands against her hips to glare at Life. "A secret you should have told the boy a long time ago."
Life shrugged his shoulders. "He was the one being an ass, and then I had to figure out if he was even worth telling. The way he was going, it looked like he wasn't going to last very long."
"I am right here, you know," I growled. "Now stop deflecting and tell me what the hell is going on. What secret?"
"The secret of how to stop Fate, for good," the woman explained. My heart stopped in my chest.
"What?" I asked with a sharp snap.
Dorothy stepped towards me to reach her hands out towards me. I hesitated before I took them so she could help me to my feet. "Fate has ruled for far too long. It has created destruction, chaos, and hate. We need to end this cycle, and you are the one we've been waiting for to do it."
"Dorothy," Life said in a warning tone.
"Each vessel that Life has taken over has taken a step towards truly disposing of Fate. We are finally at the point where it can be done," Dorothy explained, ignoring Life.
"How do I stop him?" I pushed.
Dorothy's hands pressed against my cheeks with a soft touch. Her eyes lit up with the same bright gold I saw in my reflection of the car in the parking lot during the standoff between the police and the Arachne gang. I felt the wave of energy from her slam against me. Thoughts, no, memories flashed in my mind. Memories that weren't mine. Memories that didn't belong to me, but I felt like I had lived them before. Memories with different faces, but I knew them. They were me in different lives, spread across time. Different lives and in each one, I wasn't alone. Different faces, the same energy. The same presence.
"Butters," Stan's voice suddenly echoed. "It's alright."
"It's been hours," Butters replied. His voice was strained with worry. "We should take him to the hospital."
"Butters, please, breathe," Stan pleaded.
"Stan's right. You need to calm. It's not going to help with you panicking the way you are," Kyle spoke up.
"Ah, sorry," Butters apologized in a small voice.
I felt a hand against my cheek. It pressed there for a moment before it moved to my forehead. "Come on, Kenny. Open your eyes," Stan's voice whispered.
Silence. Then I was suddenly snapped forward, like a force was dragging me out from the deep part of my brain I was stuck in. The memories that had flooded around me were left behind as my eyes snapped open. I woke with a sharp inhale. I was instantly hit with a sharp pain in the back of my head.
"Kenny?" Stan said with a worried tone.
I sat up to see Butters look up. He was standing with his back pressed to the short wall, his arms crossed over his chest that quickly unfurled when Stan spoke. He visibly stopped himself from moving. "Is he awake?" Kyle's voice shouted from outside the room. I was pretty sure he was in the kitchen.
"My head hurts," I groaned as I rubbed the back of my head.
"Well, it impacted with the floor pretty hard. You were unconscious for three hours," Stan explained.
I turned to look at him with furrowed eyebrows. "Three hours? You didn't think to take me to the hospital or something?" I snapped. "Why are you even here?"
"Butters called us in a panic." Stan shrugged his shoulders. "Also, it's not like you can die or anything. We were just gonna wait it out," he explained.
"Asshole," I muttered and shifted to sit at the end of the bed with my feet pressed to the floor. I ran my fingers through my hair as I lifted my head and looked up. Butters was still pressed to the wall. His hands were fidgeting in front of him. His lips were set in small frown as he pinched his bottom lip between his teeth.
"So?" Life asked from deep in my head. "Do you understand it all now?"
I couldn't hold back the small smile that formed on my face. "What's wrong with you?" Stan asked curiously.
"I know how to stop Wrath," I answered without looking away from Butters. His eyes blinked a few times but they couldn't stop being wide. The bed creaked as my weight left it. I quickly crossed the space of the room to find myself standing in front of the blonde. His body was rigid, like he was holding himself back from something. I quickly reached out to grab his arms and his hands immediately stopped fidgeting. "Butters, I know how to stop Fate for good!"