Brandon woke a couple hours later to the sound of a gunshot. Alice shot awake as well, getting off of Brandon and looking around. It looked to be night, but it ALWAYS did, so they weren't exactly sure. Brandon flipped onto his stomach, sighting in the rifle, quickly trying to find the source. Alice sat up, looking to see who did it. She cried out when she got shot in the shoulder. Brandon heard her yelp and saw the smoke rolling off a sniper's barrel. A squeeze of the trigger, and a soft pop was the only warning the enemy sniper had before his brains splattered across the wall behind him. Brandon then quickly turned his attention to Alice and began healing her. Alice lifted her sleeve so she would heal faster. "C'mon, c'mon..." Brandon said, focusing more exactly on the wavelength as to expedite the process. Alice just looked away. She was more concerned about the dream she had than the wound. Brandon saw her worry, and tried to comfort her. "It should be healed in another minute."
"I-It's not that..." she replied. "It was this dream I had..."
"What was it?" Brandon asked, watching the flesh repair itself as the bullet slowly pushed out.
"I think it was a vision," she said. "Most of my dreams come true, eventually, anyway. They're usually good, but this one really scared me."
"Care to share?" Brandon asked, scanning the horizon for any possible threats before returning his attention to Alice.
"It said that in 9 years, I would die." Brandon's eyes widened a bit, hoping and praying to God that this was the one time her dreams wouldn't come true. She hugged tightly. "We need to ask Kidd, he'd know if it were true. He knows when everyone dies."
"Ok, lets go." Brandon said, taking the empty round and sniper with him as he went down back into the house, squeezing through Alice's window. Alice also climbed in and checked the clock, it was a little past five. "Now is that am or pm?" Brandon asked, unable to tell from the old clock face.
"I think PM." Alice said. "I'm not sure."
"We really should switch to military time." Brandon said, a little agitated by the lack of sureness.
"I think Kidd has a clock like that in his room," Alice replied. "We need to talk to him, anyway."
"Alright, lets go." Brandon said, following Alice to Kidd's room. As they entered, they saw the clock on the mantle read 17:42. It was nearly pitch black in his room. Kidd was fiddling with some high-tech looking thing. He turned his attention away from it and toward Brandon and Alice, he set the device down. "Hey, Kidd." Brandon said, a little hesitant in what he was about to ask.
"Yeah?" Kidd asked.
"Do you mind if Alice went on the pill?" Brandon asked, surprised his voice held steady throughout the question.
Kidd narrowed his eyes. "Alice isn't having sex." Kidd replied. "And that's final."
"May I ask what for?" Brandon said, not giving up any ground.
"She just isn't."
Alice sighed. "We have something more important to ask, anyway."
"Yeah?" Kidd asked.
"May we see the Death List for nine years from now?" Brandon removed himself from the conversation, shifting his gaze to the device put down, wondering what it could do.
Kidd narrowed his eyes more. "Why do you need it- DON'T TOUCH THAT!" Brandon held both hands up in mock surrender, his curiosity only intensifying because of Kidd's reaction. Kidd shook his head and gave Alice a scroll. "That's the death list, now get out." Brandon quickly followed Alice out of the room, resisting the urge to flip Kidd off as he left.
Alice opened the scroll. The paper was black, the actual writing was glowing silver. The first name on the list made her blush. 'Cain Shinigami, son of Alice Maeveen and Crowley Shinigami-Stillborn'. "Well, then," Alice said.
"Well, that's not a good sign." Brandon said, looking at the scroll.
"I'm more surprised about the fact I have a son with KIDD. Crowley is his real name." Alice said in disgust.
"Huh." Brandon said, slowly processing the information. A lightbulb goes off, and he overflows with rage. "I'll. Fucking. Kill him." Brandon growled, enraged enough to enter 'insane mode' with the microscopic amount of insanity left in his soul. Not only did he enter the 'insanity mode', he entered the strongest stage of it in his life, being fueled by his rage and the abundant insanity in this universe. His muscles visibly grew and bulged, his eye-turned blood red with a murderous look in them, and half of his face was completely covered in insanity material, a jagged cut between the material and his uncovered face. Two large, demonic wings sprouted from his shoulder blades, and an array of insanity material blades, resembling shark fins, lined the outside of his arm.
"Woah, woah, woah!" Alice said. "Calm down! This is nine years from now, remember?!" His eyes darted towards the ex-wendigo, images of dismemberment and disembowlment flashing in his pupils. Alice just skipped through the names until she got to the last one. "...Alice Maeveen, illegitimate daughter of Seth Maeveen and Ada Wunderlich-Murdered."
After simmering in rage for a little bit, Brandon's mind was finally heard. 'He's a God. If i fight him, I'll surely lose." He thought to himself, struggling to calm down.
Alice just leaned against the wall and slid down it. "...I'm murdered." she said quietly. "I'm fucking murdered..."
"It's ok, Alice." Brandon said, holding her close though still in 'insanity mode'.
"...There's gotta be a way he knows these things..." Alice said, close to crying. "He has to know who kills me. He has to, dammit!"
"Let's ask, then." Brandon said, his rage deepening once more for the absolute hatred he currently had for Kidd.
Alice bit her lip. She didn't want to be crying in front of Kidd. "Can you go ask?" she asked quietly. "He'll think I'm weak if he sees me crying and then he'll replace me, so I can't go in there," she said quietly, handing Brandon the Death List.
Brandon took the scroll and returned to Kidd's room, small craters denoting where he stepped due to the immense power radiating off of him. "Kidd." He said curtly, his voice in the odd reverb as a red and black aurora emanated around his body.
"Yeah?" The Reaper asked, once again working on the contraption he was toying with earlier.
"I should fucking kill you." Brandon spat, holding back every fiber in his body from lounging at the reaper and ripping out his throat. Kidd looked confused and turned to face him. He hadn't read the Death List yet. Brandon tossed the paper, which was horribly crimped by his grip, at the Reaper, thinking how easy it would be to kill him. All he had to do was solidify a long needle of insanity material onto his finger tip, and he'd have no problem shoving it through the Reaper's eye and out the back of his skull. Kidd still didn't read it, he just put the list away. "How does Alice die?" Brandon asked, fighting to temper his voice so that it doesn't sound like a demand.
Kidd shrugged. "I dunno," he said. "I haven't read the list."
"Do it, goddamnit!" Brandon raged, slamming his fist down on the night table across the bed where he was standing, easily smashing it into small splinters.
Kidd rolled his eyes, not fazed by Brandon's anger. Kidd took the list back and read it. "It says right here she was murdered. I thought you and Alice read it, so shouldn't you have known that?"
"Do not test me." Brandon warned, his fists curled so tightly that he was sure his fingers and hand should've snapped. "How was she murdered."
Kidd shrugged. "I really don't know what to tell you. The only thing I know is that she was murdered, not who did it or how they did it." Knowing the situation was futile, Brandon couldn't help but grow angrier, all his discontents piling on. His injured pride. His lack of knowledge. His shame for hurting Alice. The insanity material slowly began consuming more of his face, growing as to consume his entire body. Kidd raised an eyebrow at that, putting the list away.
"For God's sake..." Brandon trailed, his voice scratchy and demonic as the insanity completely consumed his body.
"What?" Kidd asked in annoyance. Brandon let out a low battle cry before throwing a punch at Kidd, insanity material making it grow larger as it hurled towards Kidd's face. "Ow!" Kidd exclaimed when Brandon punched him straight in the nose, making it bleed. Other than that, it had little effect. "That kinda' hurt! Is that bleeding..? Eh, I guess it's alright, " he said in a bored tone. "Ouch, though!" Brandon blinked a few times, not sure what just happened. He then threw a karate chip at the reaper's neck, the insanity material forming an atomically sharp blade on his hand. The cut it inflicted on Kidd's neck automatically healed. Kidd laughed.
That smartass fucking LAUGHED.
Brandon visibly shuddered with rage, and grabbed the reaper by his neck before lifting him up off the ground, applying over a ton of psi on to his neck, enough to break over 130 regular necks. Kidd was not fazed. "Dude, are you seriously trying to kill me?" he chuckled. "HAHAHAHA! Best joke of the year! You can't kill me, dumbass, I'm already dead!"
Brandon's eye twitched, futility fueling rage which he could not release. He dropped the reaper to the floor, staring down at him with red luminescent eyes. "Fuck. You."
Kidd continued to laugh. "Why are you getting so pissed anyway?"
"Why do you think?" Brandon growled, looking down at the Reaper with nothing but spite. Kidd shrugged. "You hold me back from Alice, you posses power that I envy, you've turned Alice into a whipped drug addict, and, to top it all off, I can't kill you!" Brandon exclaimed, resisting the urge to kick the Reaper's head off.
Kidd fell over laughing.
"And your constant laughing irritates me!" Brandon yelled, burying his foot into Kidd's face. Kidd just slid out from underneath Brandon's foot. Brandon held out both hands, causing about twenty large, thorned needles to jab into Kidd's body, covering nearly every inch of him. Kidd just stared at them boredly. Brandon went to say something, but his energy divebombed. He fell to one knee, the needles retreating back into him, then a second knee, then flat into his face unconscious. Kidd raised an eyebrow before looking at his healing wounds. He'd have to change clothes... Oh well. He changed into a black hoodie with black sweat pants and took Brandon down to the living room and laid him on the couch.
When Brandon woke up, he saw that he was in the living room. The room was like any living room, except for the huge-ass clock. It was a Grandfather clock made out of twisted bones and polished sulfur. A granite owl was attached to the top and the white-on-black clockface was broken. It was still ticking and the pendulum was moving slowly.
Alice was asleep in a sitting position beside of him. Her breathing and the pendulum matched. Brandon blinked a few times, slowly getting up. "What the fuck..." He began, trying to get up but immediately collapsed. "Well, fuck."
The pendulum sped up as Alice woke. She turned toward Brandon sleepily and yawned. "Have a good rest?"
"Maybe," he began, trying to get up before collapsing again. "I don't think I can move."
"It's OK," Alice said, hugging him. "Don't try to move. Cameron said it would take awhile for you to get your strength back."
"Figures." Brandon said, rolling his eyes. "I'm fucking sore as hell, I'll tell you that much."
"Wish I could help with that," Alice said.
"I wish you could too." He replied, changing the topic to the clock. "What's up with that thing?"
Alice looked at it. "Dunno. It was my Dad's."
"Huh." Brandon grunted, not sure if she knew it went in time with her breathing.
"Yeah, it's really weird. Dad said he made it to make sure I was safe, but I don't see how it does that." Alice said, looking at the clock.
"The pendulum does swing in time with your breathing." Brandon commented, watching her chest rise and fall with the swinging of the pendulum.
"Does it? Maybe that's how Kidd knew we were having sex yesterday..."
Brandon went dumbfound for a second, imagining how fast the pendulum must've been swinging. "It probably broke Mach 1." Alice tilted her head to the side, confused. "You know, Mach. The ratio of the speed of a body to the speed of sound in it's surrounding medium." Brandon explained, unsure why Alice never learned Mach units.
"Oh." Alice said dumbly.
"You never learned about Mach units?" Brandon asked, straining to look up at Alice.
"No, I've only been here a few months, remember?" Alice said, feeling stupid.
"Oh, yeah." Brandon said, remembering her history. "I'd hug you to make up for it, but, you know..."
Alice chuckled at that. "Oh yeah, I hit Kidd for you. With a pot. I never knew they hurt worse than frying pans..."
"Well, they do have more weight behind the bottom, so you get more psi with each blow." Brandon explained, thinking of it in scientific terms. "Wait, why'd you hit him for me?"
Alice paused for a second, thinking. "I dunno."
"You didn't have to. If anyone should be getting hit, it should be me." Brandon replied, knowing what he did was wrong.
"Hm? Why?" Alice asked.
"Because I instigated it. I should be the one getting punished." Brandon admitted, looking a little disappointed with himself.
"It's OK, Brandon." Alice said. "He wasn't even mad."
"Yeah, I know." Brandon said, the feeling of futility returning to him.
"He was a little annoyed, though, but," Alice began. "He's ALWAYS annoyed."
"I wonder why." Brandon said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.
"Heh," Alice chuckled.
Brandon then noticed how dry his mouth was. "Alice, could you get me something to drink, please?"
"Sure. I bought some sodas earlier. Want one?"
"Sure." Brandon said, his lips a bit dry as well. Alice went into the kitchen and brought out a can of Dr. Pepper. "Thanks." Brandon said, trying to lift his arm, but failing miserably. "Uh, this is gonna sound weird, but I think you're gonna have to help me drink it."
Alice blushed. "Uh, OK." she said. She knelt down next to him and helped him get into a sitting position. Brandon opened his mouth widely, putting both arms out weakly to make sure he didn't fall over. Alice chuckled. He looked silly. She opened the can and poured some soda in his mouth. Brandon swallowed as fast as he could, but Alice poured a bit too quickly, filling his mouth faster then he could swallow. Alice kissed him so none would spill. Brandon swallowed the rest, then slid his tongue into Alice's mouth. She moaned and deepened the kiss. Brandon swirled and prodded his tongue against hers, hearing the pendulum start to swing faster. Alice moaned louder, and prodded his tongue back with her own.
Brandon sucked her tongue lightly, reveling in her taste and smell. Alice closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling. The pendulum was swinging faster every fought weakly to get his arms up, and wrapped them around Alice's waist. She wrapped her arms around his neck and climbed onto his lap, straddling him. "Alice, i don't think I can do this now." Brandon said, breaking the kiss momentarily. "Kissing is fine and all, but I don't think I can go farther then that."
Alice pouted. "Yeah... But at least I have a good imagination!"
Brandon chuckled. "If you're really that horny, you can pleasure yourself." Alice's eyes widened and she blushed a bright red. "Oh? Have you done that before?" Brandon joked, chuckling lightly at her reaction.
"N-No!" Alice shot back.
"So quick to answer." Brandon teased, deciding to drag it out. "Almost like you've practiced before."
Alice blushed even more. "W-Why would you even th-think that?"
"Hey, you're the one straddling a poor, defenseless guy right now." Brandon joked, squeezing her a little tighter.
Alice blushed. "U-Umm..."
"Besides, I've read a couple of lemons and seen a couple of videos in my day. I know women do those things sometimes." Brandon explained, grinning a little.
"I-I don't!"
"Ok, ok." Brandon said, trying to hold his hands up but failing to raise them an inch. "But, you know, there's a first time for everything." Alice's whole face turned bright red. It turned redder when Cameron walked in on them.
"Oh, did i interupt?" He asked, a trickster grin upon his lips.
"Fuck off, Cameron." Brandon growled, not wanting to deal with his bullshit in this state. Alice just sent him a glare.
Cameron collapsed next to the two on the couch, nearly causing Brandon to fall over. "I got you your pills, by the way." Cameron said, handing Alice a box of birth control pills.
Alice cocked her head in confusion. "Kidd said yes?"
"No, I snuck out and got them from the pharmacy." Cameron replied, shooting a hot glare at Brandon before grinning at Alice. Alice gave him an unamused look. "Hey Alice," he began, his grin turning lewd. "How about we let poor Brandon here rest, and we go have some fun?"
She slapped him. Hard.
Cameron recoiled, a bit shocked by Alice's response. "...the fuck?" He ask, tenderly touching his injured cheek. Brandon simply starting laughing hard. She snarled at him. Cameron looked at Alice in disbelief, then flashed to anger. "Fine. I'll go find someone else then." He said, standing up and he left the room. She glared at him as he left, the pendulum swinging wildly back and forth. The odd thing was, it actually sounded angry.
Brandon calmed his laughter, a tear rolling down his cheek. "That was absolutely priceless!"
"He pissed me off." Alice replied.
"I understand why. He treated you like a whore." Brandon said, his voice coming back down to normal.
"I'm not some sex toy," she hissed, laying on Brandon. "He needs to stop treating me like one."
"Eh, he thinks he's all high and mighty," Brandon began, grinning as he realized something. "Wanna know something hysterical?"
"What?"
"Since he wasn't inside me when we first did it, he's still a virgin." Brandon said with a grin and a chuckle. Alice burst out laughing, making the pendulum slow down. "I know, that's hysterical!" Brandon said. Alice's laughing then tipped him off balance, and he started leaning towards one side. "No no no no no no noooooo!" He yelled, falling onto one side while holding onto Alice for dear life.
Alice pulled him back up then grinned. "You need a massage."
"Hmm?" He asked, surprised by her comment. "You know how to massage someone?"
Alice nodded. "Mm-hm~!"
"Wow, good to know." Brandon responded, pleasantly surprised by Alice's talent. She flipped him over so she could massage his back. Brandon lie there, suddenly nervous that a 'massage' might be very painful in this dimension. It wasn't. Alice began to massage his back, and it felt amazing. "Oh god..." Brandon groaned into the couch, his sore muscles being relieved of their soreness and tension as her skilled hands worked the knots out.
Alice gave a light chuckle. "You like?"
"Very much so." Brandon said into the couch, sighing contently as she worked the tension out of his shoulders. "It might be better if my shirt comes off." Alice blushed and took it off. Brandon's bare back was then exposed to her, the contours of his shoulders meeting with his back showing how muscular he truly was.
Alice blushed and began to massage him again. "Brandon, if you're trying to get laid... It's working."
"I'm not even trying." Brandon said, turning his head to the side so he could talk, hearing the pendulum speed up again. "You're just really horny."
Alice blushed brighter. "Oh ha ha." she said. "Very funny."
"Seriously, I'm not doing anything. You're just fabricating it all." Brandon replied, being completely serious.
Alice blushed. 'Damn you for being so sexy.' she thought to herself.
Brandon heard the pendulum swing even faster. "Thinking of me?" He asked with a grin.
Alice blushed brighter. "...Yeah."
"Thought so." Brandon mused, grinning at the ex-wendigo. "You might wanna take one of those pills, by the way. I don't know how long they take to work."
Alice nodded. "OK," she said, opening the box and popping one in her mouth.
"You might wanna read the box, too."
She read it. It took an hour to kick in and lasted a day. "We can have sex in one hour."
"Hopefully I can move by then." Brandon said, then grinned again. "Or else you're just gonna have to do all the work." Alice blushed, grumbling to herself. "What? Don't like the sound of that?" Brandon asked, a little surprised. "That means you could go as slow as you want, doing it exactly how you like it."
"I'm too lazy."
"I figured as much." Brandon joked with a smirk, feeling returning to an extent in his arms and legs.
"You think you can move now?" Alice asked.
"A bit, but I sure as hell ain't as fit as a fiddle." Brandon replied, being able to move his fingers a little. Alice continued to massage him, leaning down a bit and kissing the side of his neck. "Mmm..." Brandon groaned lowly, feeling a little stimulated by the kiss. Alice smirked, and nuzzled him. Brandon managed to move his arm back, nuzzling his head against hers as he laid his hand on the back of her head. Brandon kissed her back, holding it out.
Alice pulled away and once again focused on the massage. "Hasn't been an hour yet..." she said disappointedly. Th pendulum was swinging wildly.
"If the pendulum keeps swinging like that, it'll be a day before we know it." Brandon joked, shooting Alice his signature grin.
Alice chuckled. This was going to be a loooong day.
