A/N Fair Warning: By the end of this chapter, you will probably hate me.
Ch. 11 Feeling No Pain
Marceline, Jake and the Ice King couldn't believe what they were staring at: just seconds ago, a dark mass appeared out of Finn's body and before they knew it, the dark mass took shape, transforming into a doppelganger that shared the exact same features as their friend, all the way down from head-to-toe. The only notable differences, however, is that this Finn look-alike not only have a different color schemes, he had an expression of cruelty and madness on his face and the laugh he gave out send chills down to their spines, one that could even match with that of the Lich King.
"Who...or what are we up against?" Jake finally asked, still in shock from what he had witnessed.
"I...I really don't know" Marceline admitted, before becoming serious. "Right now, we need to get Finn to safety before it's too late." The vampire queen then turned to the Ice King, who was still badly bruised from Finn's earlier attacks. "Simon, I know what Finn did to you was wrong, but I need your help to get him to safety."
"Sure Marcy, I'm on it," the Ice King complied, as he got up to his feet and ignoring the pain all over his body. "So where to?"
"Anywhere but here," Marcy answered, before she saw Jake heading right towards Finn. "Jake, what the hell are you doing?!"
"What does it look like?! I'm going to toe-to-toe with Finn's clone! My brother's safety is on the top of my list and right now, I need to make that thing doesn't lay its hand on my bro while you and the Ice King take him out of here!" Jake explained, just as he got himself between Finn and his look-alike.
"Well, isn't this very sweet?" the doppelganger mockingly asked. "Even after the way he treated you, you still came to his time of need."
"Shut your glob damn mouth!" Jake angrily rebuffed. "That was your fault! Not his!"
"If you're here for an early death, so be it," the doppelganger calmly said.
"As long as my bro is alive, then I regret nothing," said Jake, before he dashed towards the doppelganger with a giant fist, smacking him head on and sending through the walls, while Marceline and the Ice King managed to pull Finn out to safety. The doppelganger, however, wasn't hurt by the powerful impact at the slightest, as he got up and acted like it was nothing.
"Really, is that the best you got?!"
"I never said I was going to go easy on you," Jake sarcastically replied, as he grabbed two jagged ice that were sticking out and stretched himself as far as he could, before releasing both arms out, as Jake flew head on with his legs sticking. The doppelganger, however, barely avoided Jake's kicks, before he formed a sword out of nowhere and promptly slashed the dog on the back.
"Augh!" Jake shouted with agony, as he tumbled on the floor, before getting back up on his feet, ignoring the intense pain on his back. "You think that's going to stop me?!"
"Not really," the doppelganger answered dismissively. "In fact, I was just getting warmed up."
"So am I," said Jake, before the two of them resumed their fight.
As Jake and Finn's evil counterpart continued to fight against one another, Marceline and the Ice King where having a problem of their own; not so long ago, Finn had entered into a state of emotionlessness not long after Finn's emotions took a life of their own through the teenager and though they managed to pull him out to safety, he remained in the same state, as if he was drained almost entirely of energy. Right now, the duo are doing their best to bring Finn back to his sense.
"Finn, we got no time for this!" Marceline shouted at the teenager. "Jake is facing off against your evil self and really needs your help right now!"
"...Why?" Finn asked, not making a single expression on his face, looking down on the ground in defeat.
"Wow, I thought seeing Finn after losing Flame Princess was bad enough, but even this takes the cake," the Ice King commented, prompting Marceline to punch him on the arm. "I'm just saying."
"Simon, focus!" Marceline suggested.
"Yes, Marcy," Simon nodded his head in agreement, before focusing his attention to Finn. "Look buddy, this isn't the end of the world as we all know it. Your bro out there is going to get his butt whooped and he could use your help."
"...There's no point," Finn answered in the same expressionless manner.
Irked by the teenager's unwillingness to help out and his indifferences, Marceline grabbed Finn on the shoulder, before pressing her face onto his.
"Glob dammit, Finn, you need to snap out of this! I get it that your grudge and loathing resulted in that thing's existence, but you need to man up and take responsibility for your actions! Otherwise, it's going to become a big threat in all of Ooo."
"...So?" Finn answered with no emotions to show, as Marceline could only sigh in disappointment.
"This is going to be difficult than I thought," the Ice King stated.
"We gotta keep trying, Simon," Marceline insisted, as she resumed trying to bring in some common senses to Finn, hoping that they can get the teenager back to his normal self in the nick of time.
Fighting against Finn's doppelganger proved to be surprisingly easier than he imagined; expecting this match to be the toughest of them all, Jake found himself to be in an advantage, having pummeled the doppelganger with all of his might, from transforming his hands into swords to hack him to forming a giant foot to squash him. Of course, Nega-Finn did managed to injure him with moves of his owns, whether it would be using his sword to give him one too many cuts on his body to pummeling him back with his own fists. Even so, the magic dog was still on the offensive and right now, Nega-Finn was down on his knees, barely able to stand up.
"Whose high and mighty now, faker?" Jake gloated rather victoriously. "Looks to me like you're nothing but all talk."
Oddly enough, Nega-Finn suddenly began to chuckle slightly, much to Jake's confusion; soon, his chuckling got much louder and before the magic dog knew it, he was starting to laugh his head off like a crazed lunatic.
'Why are you laughing at a time like this?' Jake thought curiously, just as Nega-Finn finally managed to get up on his own feet and ceased his laughter.
"You really thought you figure me out? Then think again, mutt!" Nega-Finn spoke in a rather eerily calm manner.
Before Jake had a chance to react, the doppelganger slowly backed up the shadow and to his own astonishment, he phased through to it like it was nothing and disappearing completely.
"What the glob?!" Jake exclaimed.
"Find me, if you can," Nega-Finn talked back to Jack, as if he wanted to goad the dog to attack him.
For his part, Jake looked everywhere, his victorious behavior suddenly replaced by uneasiness, as he tried to spot Nega-Finn, but no matter how hard he tried, he could find a single trace of him anywhere. It was if he had managed to disappear without a trace.
"What's wrong, Fido? Having a hard time looking for me? Here, let me help you!" Nega-Finn mockingly suggested, as he prepared to make his move on Jake.
They didn't know how long it had been, but time mattered little to them at the moment, as Marceline and the Ice King continued to bring Finn back to his old self as much as they could, whether it was reminding Finn of the many adventures he would always take to all the good deeds he had spread across the land of Ooo. But no matter how much they tried, Finn simply gave them the same emotionless look, as well as responding to their pleas in the deadpan tone to each and every one of them.
"This is just hopeless!" the Ice King cried out, having become fed up with Finn's state of self-loathing. "No matter what we do, he's still remains a sad sack!"
"Simon, we can't just give up on Finn!" Marceline pleaded.
"Marcy, we've been trying for who knows how long to get that kid back to his old self and I'm getting tired of it," the Ice King explained, as a sad expression began to form on his face. "We're just going to have to face the facts Marceline, Finn's never going to be his jolly goody two-shoes self ever again."
Marceline attempted to counter her friend's claims, but after a minute or so of thinking, the vampire was unable to come up with something to convince the Ice King otherwise. As much as she hated to admit, perhaps he was right that Finn would never be the same after what he had been through. But then, a serious expression soon formed on her face, as she looked directly at the Ice King.
"Simon, even if Finn won't be back to usual self, he still needs our help and there's no way he's going to get abandoned, no matter what," Marceline spoke with determination. "And we can do that by bringing Finn's counterpart so that he and Finn can be one again."
Before the Ice King could say anything regarding Marceline's idea, both he and Marcy were suddenly cut off by what appeared to be Jake screaming in agony, leaving them both shock by the dog's shriek of pain. The shriek caused Finn to look towards it's source.
"Simon, Jake needs our help! We have to get there right now!" Marceline instructed.
Nodding his head in agreement, the Ice King floated up; likewise, Marceline also floated up as well, carrying the emotionless Finn with her, before all three head through the damage wall, hoping to find out what became of the magic dog.
Marceline and the Ice King flew with all of their might, the former clinging onto Finn as hard as she could, all the while hoping that they could reach Jake on time. From what they heard earlier, the magic dog seemed to be in deep agony in his fight with Finn's doppelganger. Whatever it was, they need to get there badly.
"Marcy, I think we're almost there," the Ice King informed the vampire, just as he and his friends finally arrived at their destination and saw Jake, down on his knees and breathing heavily, his body covered in bruises and cuts.
"Jake, what happened? Where's Finn's other half?"
Jake looked up and saw Marceline, Finn and the Ice King hovering above them, much to his relief, as he was glad to see some happy faces for a change. But just when he could provide them an answer to their…
"GAH!" Jake uttered in deep pain, as he felt something sharp pierce into in his chest, before being pulled forcefully from his body, much to Marceline and the Ice King's horror, as they witnessed Nega-Finn coming out of the shadow with a sword on his hand now covered in dog blood and towering over the magic dog with a cruel smile on his face before licking some of the blood off menacingly
"Fool! You shouldn't have gotten yourself distracted from me," the doppelganger then looked to see Marceline, Finn, and the Ice King, with only the vampire and the wizard being shocked with horror. "As for you two, I'll save you guys for later. I, Nega-Finn, have much better things to do then be in your company," And with that, Nega-Finn merged right back into the shadows, as the trio head to the ground and made their way to Jake.
"Jake, hang on there, man! You're going to get all better, just like always," the Ice King tried his best to comfort Jake.
"Ice King...I don't...think that...will happen...this time," Jake barely said his words out, before he coughed up some blood. As he tried to stay conscious, blood continued to pour from his wound at an alarming rate, ensuring he would bleed to death shortly.
"Don't say that, Jake! You always managed to get yourself out of a jam!" Marceline pleaded, all the while fighting back her tears.
"I'm sorry...Marceline...This time...I'm really croaking," Jake could tell his life was starting to fade from his body.
"Jake…" was all Finn could say, unable to express any emotions at all.
"Finn...don't blame yourself...for this…You're still...a hero," were Jake's final words, as his body slumped to its side and the coldness took over his body, as Marceline sobbed with despair, the Ice King was rendered with shock and sadness and Finn stared at his brother's corpse, unable to cry, scream or show anything to express his loss. Without any of his emotions, he couldn't feel anything inside. This left both Marceline and the Ice King disturbed as Finn just looked on with a faraway look in his eyes. Finn then stood up with his brother's limp body in his arms and walked back to the house.
"F-Finn?" Marceline asked through her tears before following him. Finn grabbed a shovel with blood-covered hands and started digging a small shallow grave for his brother without anything resembling an emotion in his face. After putting Jake's body into the grave and filling it back up, Finn walked into the house again, with Marceline and Ice King unable to keep up with the sudden turn of events.
A/N If you don't hate me now, you will by the time this story ends. Yep. Jake is gonzo and yes I'm aware that Death can easily overturn this fact but I'm not one for the "Death is Cheap" trope so we won't be seeing him alive again. Sorry but yes, it does get worse. "Anyone Can Die" is officially in effect. No one is safe now. There be no sacred plot armor to save these guys now. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Yes we are calling the doppelganger Nega-Finn no matter how racist it sounds to Anon.
For those wondering, Finn literally feels nothing in the way of anything emotional. Though that doesn't mean he isn't experiencing HUGE amounts of mental trauma by the current events.
No questions this time because we have reached the final act. We've gotten an ending and we will see it through to the end!
Till Next Time, Sal out!