Chapter 21: Fool

Tick tock, tick tock. The time was against them. They searched a few of Gumball's old locations, but the two desperate friends came to no success.

"This is no use!" Marceline angrily hit her fist against the wall. Time was running out and they were getting nowhere.

"We still have time!" Marshall reasoned, thinkning frantically. "We can still check his house."

"His house? Marshall, you said he wouldn't be there. He's too smart to pick an obvious location." She shook her head in annoyance.

"Exactly...if he knows we'd think that then..."

"Ugh, Marshall! I could punch you square in the face right now!" Marceline yelled before she bolted off in the direction of Gumball's house.

"Hey, wait! Don't just go running in!" He called after her.

Meanwhile, a whimpering Bubblegum held her head low. Her hair was a mess and it was clear that Gumball had done a lot to torture her, physically and mentally in the time she had been here.

The door creeked open again and the exhausted girl lifted her head, the blood stains on her shirt, nose and mouth more clear.

"Look at you" Gumball grinned, walking up to her "You look like you've had enough"

"Just get it done already..." Bubblegum begged.

"Not so fast, bonnabell" He chuckled. "I've still got some things planned for you"

"You're a psychopath! Just kill me already and get it done! Stop fucking around with me!" She yelled, already passed her breaking point with him. She couldn't stand the smug look on his face everytime she cried or winced in pain. It drove her mad.

"Oh-ho" He smiled. "There's that fire that I like. But, sadly thats not enough to help you. You're going to die here, Bubblegum. But you're going to die when I say you're going to die"

"You're a monster. Marceline will never love you...it doesn't matter how well you hide it from her, you'll always be a sick, twisted fuck and it'll come back to bite you in the ass"

"Oh, thank you for the observation." He turned to his table, putting on an iron knuckle glove. "And you're a smartassed bitch!" he suddenly spun around, smashing his gloved fist into Bubblegum's face, blood spitting out from her mouth with a cry out in pain.

"See you...you seem to think that I care. Like I can't manipulate her like I have done anyway."

"What did you do to them? Why won't you tell me? Is it because you know you fucked up? You didn't get rid of them, did you? Surely, you'd get rid of Marshall too, right? But you can't, can you? Despite the fucked up monster you are, you still couldn't bring yourself to getting rid of him"

"Shut up!" Gumball hit her again and again. "Just shut up!"

"Ahhh!" Bubblegum screamed as he relentlessly hit her. She was sure she pushed it this time and he wasn't going to stop until she was dead. The pain was too much. She hated how she was going to die like this, without seeing Marceline one more time to tell her how she felt.

Just as her vision faded, her thoughts were only cluttered with her time she had spent with Marceline. She almost felt no pain; like it had slipped into nothing.

"Come on!" Marceline hurried Marshall along as they approached Gumball's house.

"Maybe it's too risky to take the front door" Marshall rubbed his forhead, worried. "Maybe we should take a window"

"Does it matter anymore? Whether he knows we're here or not, it won't change what we have to to!" Marceline didn't even wait and headed towards the door, opening it quietly and sneaking in.

"Marceline.." Marshall frowned before following her. He was worried, too. But he didn't want to risk anything worse happening. So instead of brisky following his impatient friend, he quickly headed to the back.

Meanwhile, Marceline walked around the dark house, her heart pounding in her chest. She slowly began to walk up the long stairs after seeing downstairs was empty when she heard a strange noise.

The clanking of metal and a strange swooshing noise. She slowly moved closer to a large door, listening quietly. She could hear faint mumbled words beyond it.

Suddenly, the words got louder and more angry before she could hear a loud thud, followed by several noises of what sounded like someone hitting something. Marceline's eyes widened as she heard a scream, knowing it was Bubblegum's.

She wasted no time in burtsting through the door, yelling loudly.

"Gumball, stop!" She screamed, making the pink-haired young man stop in mid-swing.

"Marceline!?" He gasped in surprise, the battered Bubblegum's head falling limp as he let go of her hair. "W-what are you doing here!?"

"What have you done!?" Marceline cried, seeing Bubblegum motionless on the chair, tied up. Tears began to form fast at the site. Simply hearing her scream was enough for Marceline to break.

"I-I...I did what.." Gumball stuttered. What was he to say to her now? She knew and there was no way to cover it up. He had no choice...no choice at all. "Marceline...I had hoped you wouldn't see this again.." He lowered his head.

"Huh?.." Marceline froze as he began to laugh, goosebumps raising all over her body. "What are you.."

"Suddenly, he grabbed a metal pipe from his table and swung it over Marceline's head, knocking her on the floor.

In her dizzy state, Gumball picked her up and tied her to another chair. He grinned, looking down at her as she slowly regained her vision.

"G-Gumball...why?.." She whimpered, her head pounding from the hit.

"Because, Marceline. I will have you" He admitted.

"No you won't! You'll never have me after this! You're a monster!" She cried.

"Oh? won't I? I'm pretty sure I already have had you...your first, to be exact." He grinned. Suddenly Marceline was overwhelmed with a feeling of dread as she realised the hazy dream was, in fact, reality.

"You...you..." More tears began spilling.

"Yes...I fucked you that night. I took something special from you" He slowly moved his hand through her hair, looking at her as she cried. "And I'll have you many more times..it's a shame, really...to keep you like this. But I suppose at least this way you'll always be mine only. No one else will ever see you..hear you..be able to love you or take you from me" He slowly stood up, walking to his table.

"I hate you..." Marceline lowered her head, her whimpers loud. "All I wanted...was to be with her...why did it take this to happen for me to realise that?" She cried, shaking her head before glancing over at her friends lifeless body.