See? It didn't take a month this time to update! Just two weeks...but, I mean, in my defense I re-wrote the whole chapter. This is probably the hardest scene I've ever had to write for this story. I messed myself up sooo badly and I'm scrambling to salvage the ending I envisioned.
Whoopsies.
Hopefully it works out in the end, we'll see. Anyways, enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own 'Be More Chill' or any of it's adaptations or content.
Replaced
Chapter XLVIII
~Can You See the Vision Clearly?~
"Such a pain," the woman sighed as she watched Brooke's father carry Reese's body away, Jen right behind held by Jenna. Checking her nails - as though bored - she glanced at those who remained. Christine's parents were dragging a resistant Ari to the door, the SQUIP's eyes trained on their previous host who was still on the floor in pain. Michael hung loosely in Chloe's father's grip, gasping on Mountain Dew. In the woman's eyes, everything seemed almost right.
Almost.
Her irises narrowed on Christine. "This is taking too long," she noted, suspiciously. As she stepped up to the teenage girl, Michael lifted his head up just enough to stare at the scene before him. He tried to beg her to stop, but it was useless. Coughs were all he could emit as he tried to get in enough air to breath. His stomach was churning, but he doubt throwing up would save him now…so he roughly kept it down.
As the woman stood over the girl, something passed through the room. It was hard to tell it even happened, but everything changed. The lady took a step back, eyes wide as she met Chloe's blinking gaze. The teen frowned, looking from Christine on the floor to Brooke beside her. "What the hell?" she questioned.
A voice screamed from outside the room, "Get them out!" Ari. The woman's face drained white as she looked at those around her - to those no longer under control. She didn't get much warning before Jeremy - sidelined until now – stepped up and punched her in the face with more force than his best friend had ever seen.
All hell broke loose.
The available parents left in the room swarmed Jeremy in an instant. Michael barely registered the scene as his attention was drawn to himself - being dragged to the door. A cry escaped his lips on instinct as he thrashed in man's hold, desperate to get free. Christine – no longer spasming on the floor – scampered to her feet and chased after him as Chloe and Brooke went to Jeremy's aid.
"Let him go!" the girl screamed as she sucker punched Chloe's father in the face. Doing everything in her power to fight, she added, "And I'm sorry if you remember any of this!" With a bit more help, Michael managed to just wiggle out of the man's grasp and get a safe distance away. Turning to help his friend, it was clear the situation was going to go south again. He doubted the two of them would be enough to keep the man at bay. Michael would be the first to admit he wasn't much of a fighter, but all things considering he'd like to think that his knee kicks were on point, so maybe they'll get by.
A loud screech filled the room.
Brooke had moved to the back of the classroom and had managed to break one of the windows open. The male dared to glance back and meet her gaze as she waved them over, "Christine! Michael!" The two teens shared a look, and with a quick nod abruptly turned and bolted for the window. The popular girl just touched down on the other side when they approached. Holding the panel open for them, Brooke swiftly dodged to the side as Christine dove through the opening, landing with an unflattering thump on the other side. Michael didn't follow her example, instead climbing through normally. He had one leg through when he dared to see if his best friend was following. Jeremy was still fighting, trying to distract the group with Chloe's help - and was succeeding ridiculously well.
Michael called to him, "Jeremy!" The teen didn't even spare him a glance, but instead ducked under Brooke's mother's grasp and slipped out into the hallway. The woman followed him along with Chloe's mother. Michael sputtered, staring wide eyed at where his friend just was. That was the opposite of what he hoped for.
Chloe - still in the room - kicked her father's shin hard enough to weaken his grip on her, and quickly ran for the window. Seeing her coming, Michael quickly slipped out the rest of the window and helped the girl get out herself. As soon as Chloe was out of the way, Brooke slammed the panel closed and jammed a ruler in between the cracks to keep it that way. Chloe's father tried to open it, but was unsuccessful against Brooke's ingenuity.
Michael opened his mouth to convey how impressed he was, but was silenced by Chloe shoving him away from the glass. Instead, he followed Brooke's lead through the darkened exterior of the school.
Glancing back one more time, he realized there was one important thing he hadn't noticed until now.
The evil woman was no where to be seen.
~oOo~
Left.
One rejoining on the right.
Keep to the left. Turn shoulder, tilt torso - successful dodge.
Run. Accelerate.
"Blue, I'm going to meet the others."
Good, that was the plan. They were following their plan. Good.
Next objective: Safe zone.
Left.
Right.
In there. Lock the door.
Hide.
Wait…
…Wait…
…Wait…
…Focus…
…Focus…
…
Blue eyes open.
~oOo~
Rich heaved as he gasped for air. His body was buzzing, his eyes blazing, and his adrenaline soaring. Everything was happening at once, he could barely keep up…but he didn't really have to now.
That's what Kert's for.
It hadn't taken long for him and Jake to get to the Mountain Dew room, but it wasn't as easy getting in as his friend had claimed. Unfamiliar faces guarded the valuable closet, and the taller didn't hesitate for a second to consider their options. He immediately began fighting. Rich was surprised by the sudden action, but found himself by his friend's side regardless. He improvised, and with Jake at his side he was able to pass by the guards easily…it didn't really stay that way, but - hey, once he drank the Mountain Dew it was game over, right?
Well, no. If the guards aren't possessed by his SQUIP, or Reese - which they aren't - then there really wasn't anything stopping them from taking him out.
Luckily, Jake was a force not to be trifled with, and gave the shorter teen enough time to dump a mouthful of Mountain Dew down his throat - which he choked on throughout the entire re-activation process. Kert would no doubt scold him for not being careful later.
So, here he was - gasping, staring, trying to process what was happening and what to do. He was lucky, Kert was no lazy SQUIP. Rich didn't have to think, or even move - his computer did that for him. Without even realizing it, he was joining Jake in the fight, and the moment after that all their foes were on the ground. He blinked owlishly, trying to regain his breath.
"Richard," a familiar voice called. He turned his wide eyes to his right…and there they were. His SQUIP - but no longer Kermit. The human computer he had grown attached to was standing there, appearing almost real. He thought at first they were, that they had escaped, but something in his mind subconsciously told him it wasn't - probably Kert correcting his mindset.
Seeing them made his chest hurt, both in relief and panic. His SQUIP sensed it, and they tilted their head. "I have successfully gathered all necessary data from your memories," they informed, "And have come to the conclusion that it is imperative that you retrieve my body."
"No shit," the teen thought, finally regaining his breath enough to straighten. He turned to Jake. His friend was looking through the closet the Mountain Dew was stashed in, and his mind subconsciously passed on the message that the taller was looking for something to bind their foes with.
Looking back to Kert, he thought, "Are you okay?" His SQUIP blinked.
"If you are asking about my systems, they are functioning at full capacity again. If you are inquiring after my physical body, it is in good health but in peril. Depending on the speed of this operation and our haste will determine the success rate of my rescue, and-"
"Wha - Where the fuck are you?!" The computer was taken aback by the outburst. Rich didn't know why they seemed so surprised by his reaction, or even off-put by it.
The SQUIP still took a moment as they frowned at him. "I'll guide you," they offered, though their tone was still strange. The teen nodded and turned back to Jake, but when he opened his mouth no words came out. He gaped, eyes wide at the lack of sound, as his SQUIP spoke up, "Leave him."
"What?" the teen exclaimed, looking back. Kert eyed him up and down before taking a calculated step forward.
"He has his own mission to accomplish. Don't worry, his SQUIP will convey your whereabouts to him. Come, we don't have much time." The teen stared at them incredulously. Were they seriously suggesting leaving Jake behind?
He didn't want to listen to them, his memories screamed at him not trust them…but, maybe the Kert he knew was in there. If they are, they wouldn't lie to him - SQUIPs aren't even supposed to lie! Well, not outright, anyways. Manipulate, yes - but his goal was to find Kert's body and get them and his friends to safety, so his SQUIP should be on the same page, right?
Right?
Sighing, annoyed, he decided for once to listen to his SQUIP instead of fighting.
He ran off in the direction Kert pointed in without a word to his best friend.
~oOo~
"Get in!"
Michael could barely catch his breath as he was herded through one of the school's outside doors into a pitch black room. If he remembered correctly, this was one of the gym's change rooms - the female one, at that. He didn't know why they were there, but he hardly argued against Brooke when she picked into the lock with her hair pins - no doubt SQUIP guided - and instead blindly followed.
In the safety of darkness, the door was closed firmly behind them. "What's going on?" Christine immediately stage whispered, not wasting any time in her interrogation. Chloe huffed nearby.
"Hiding, duh. What else would we be doing here?"
"We can't hide! We got to get Ari and the other's back!"
"Chill, will you? Our SQUIPs got this." Michael stared at the darkness he thought the girl might be standing in. He could barely register his own thoughts or feelings about what she said over his heart rate. At any moment now he felt like he was going to collapse. The fight, the run, the adrenaline - all of it was overloading him, and he was ready to fall apart at the seams. The only thing keeping him together was the knowledge that his best friend and partner weren't safe, and he had to keep going.
It was hard though. His hand subconsciously lifted to clutch at his neck as he swallowed hard. Somehow, he hoped that would make the lingering taste of Mountain Dew disappear.
It didn't.
Distant footsteps sounded nearby, and soon the creaking of a door filled the room. No light filtered in, and the teen's heart was read to fail right then and there at the suspension of who the intruder was. A slightly glimpse of glowing eyes didn't help the situation - at first.
"Are you all in here?" a quiet voice asked.
Ari.
Michael let out a long breath, and he could hear Christine doing the same.
"Ari," she cried, the sound of shuffling following her voice, "Are you okay?" The SQUIP hummed.
"Blue helped me." The male made a sound as his shoulders sagged in relief at the news. Stumbling back, he let himself collapse onto a nearby bench. He really needed to calm down.
"Ari," Chloe's voice called, "Don't tell me your following my SQUIP's plan. It's really stupid." There was a pause, and then the girl scoffed, "I don't care who's plan it is - it's stupid!"
"I'm sorry," Ari whispered, guiltily, "But, I am. We don't want this to get any worse."
"Worse? Are you kidding? You seriously want to run away from this? No fucking way! This is the time to fight!"
"It's not."
"Chloe," Brooke interjected, "We could lose." The other girl huffed.
"I don't care, we have to risk it! We can't just take our SQUIPs and then dump them in the basement every time things get bad! They know where we live - they know we're apart of this! We gotta fight! We can do it!"
"How?" Christine questioned, incredulously.
"Beat them up and interrogate! We got the upper hand!"
"Chloe," Ari sighed. They took a deep breath before continuing, "Please, we need to get everyone together again. We need to be safe."
Chloe growled in resistance, but when she spoke again she sounded more resigned, "Fine, but I know Rich will agree with me!"
"I know," the SQUIP agreed.
Christine took in a long breath, "Okay, so…what do we do?"
Ari answered, "We need to get Mountain Dew Red." The girl gasped.
"You can't be serious?"
"That's what I said!" Chloe exclaimed, "We need to keep our SQUIPs this time! We're winning."
"Chloe," Brooke tried, "We can always reactivate them."
"That's not the point," a voice interjected. It took Michael a moment to realize it was him. The room went silent, no doubt shocked to here him suddenly join in on the conversation.
"Mikey?" Christine named, uncertainly. The male gave himself a moment, swallowing hard as he tried to speak past the lump in his throat.
"If that lady takes it away from us - or any of our enemies…and force our SQUIPs to drink it…" A cold chill passed through his body. By the lack of immediate opposition, he knew his words struck a cord. It was something none of them had thought of before…
Except for Ari. "We're willing to take the risk," the SQUIP whispered. Michael couldn't believe his ears. He couldn't - how could…?
His body shot to its feet before he even realized it, knocking the bench he had sat on back as his voice ripped out, "Well I'm not!" Chloe and Brooke quickly hushed him, and he had to do everything in his power to reluctantly listen. He tried to control himself, tried to think rationally, but it was too difficult. He whispered, "I won't risk it. You have no idea - no idea - how many times I've walked down this path. Been told it's the only thing to do, that it'll be fine. It's never fine. It hurts to watch you all put yourselves through a blender because we couldn't think of anything better. It's not okay that Reese keeps being torn down until they can barely speak because they've gone through so many near death experiences that I'm surprised they don't have PTSD! Oh, wait - I think they do!" He was heaving, his body trembling as he tried to keep it together. He knew the Mountain Dew Red could help, he knew it could save everyone's families.
He also knew it could take away someone he cared about forever.
"Michael," Christine called, gently. She sounded closer than she was before, "I know what you mean-"
"You really don't." Silence.
It took a long moment before anyone felt confident enough to speak again. It was Chloe, "Reese made their choice."
"They aren't themselves," he argued.
"They'd say it either way."
"I don't care. They're not allowed to make fucking choices on this anymore."
"Michael," Ari tried, "I know you can keep us safe. I know you can keep it away. You just have to give it to one of your friends."
"One of us?" Chloe questioned, dumbfounded.
"Yeah!" Christine agreed, "The hive mind! Everyone will go offline again!"
The popular girl hesitated, "Yeah, but…our SQUIPs…"
Ari continued, slowly, "If you're not comfortable doing it, Jake's SQUIP has offered." A chorus of 'what's' followed.
"Are you serious?" Brooke questioned, uncertainly.
"Yes."
"Why?" Christine asked. Ari paused.
"I don't know, but they did. So did…um," they hesitated, but after a deep breath, continued, "So did Reese." Michael's heart froze.
Reese…what?
If Jeremy drinks the Mountain Dew Red, then…
How could they want that? They care about Jeremy so much - they're finally healing! How could they want to be separated? Were they just trying to be a martyr? They can't be okay with this…they'd be without a host, they'd barely be a SQUIP anymore.
They'd be almost human.
A small part of him understood. It's not as though Jeremy was disappearing from the world. The teen wouldn't have to worry about Reese invading his mind anymore, they could build a different relationship. He didn't know how much Jeremy would want that considering Reese has been looking out for him, but maybe…maybe this is what they both needed.
But…
…How long has Reese thought of this?
Was it…because of him?
Voices around him were talking, but he could barley hear them. Tuning back in, he heard Ari say, "As long as you keep the Mountain Dew safe until you can get to Jeremy or Jake, everything will be okay."
"Fine," Chloe relented, "But then we're kicking some ass." No one argued against her.
Brooke spoke, "So, where do we go?"
"Michael has Mountain Dew Red in his car," the SQUIP answered, "You two will go with him. Christine and I will go help Jeremy."
Christine made an unintelligible sound, "What's wrong with Jeremy?!"
"He needs help."
Michael quickly interjected, "I'm coming. I can't leave my best friend behind."
"It's your car," Ari argued, "I swear on my life he'll be safe. I promise." They sounded so sincere. The male never had reason to distrust the youngest SQUIP…and Christine would never let anything happen to Jeremy. He knew he had to give a little trust…he had to try.
"Wait, we're going to split up?" Chloe huffed, "No way I'm leaving you."
"Chloe," Ari sighed, "Our SQUIPs are synced, don't worry about me."
"Please, I worry anyways."
"I know." They sounded fond.
Brooke stepped in, sounding more upbeat than before, "Ari's got this. Right?" The SQUIPed hummed in agreement.
"We need to go, they'll find us here if we stay any longer," they said, "Remember what you need to do. Find the Mountain Dew Red, and then coordinate a meet up. If you can, get the car ready. If we need to run, that'll be our escape."
~oOo~
Time was running out.
They had to hurry.
Their breath felt heavy, and their head too light. They had barely enough energy to kick out and fight - to run as fast as they could and hide. Too many things were happening at once, their brain couldn't keep up. Their processors were scrambling, clawing at their functions to work. Everything was online - everything was working. But their human mind couldn't keep up, couldn't focus - couldn't think. Their mind was too light, their vision was swimming, they could barely keep themselves upright in their hiding spot.
Any moment now. Any moment now and they'd slip away. Any moment and their human will wake. Any moment now, they'll fall out of their hiding spot and be found. Footsteps were near. They could hear them, but their heart was pounding too loud to know how close. They needed everything to quiet down. They needed to think. They needed to plan.
They needed to get to Jeremy.
They needed Michael.
They needed help…
…They…
…
…
~oOo~
"I can't believe this," Jake grumbled as he raced down the hall, "I can't believe you let him run off on his own!"
"Why are you concerned?" his SQUIP questioned, "He is safe."
"You don't know that."
"I do. I am connected to him."
"Look, Bud," Jake slowed his pace, turning to the figure beside him.
It was hard to recognize his computer. Their form was different, a glitched image that pieced together different body parts to make one human figure. They weren't always like this, but since their reactivation things have been…different. He thought maybe it was because he himself was confused on what he wanted to see…or if he was trying too hard to press an image of a human being - his SQUIP's human body - onto it, and neither knew what that picture looked like.
Regardless, he took a deep breath and continued, "I need you to work with me, okay? Like a team." The SQUIP tilted its head.
"Am I not?"
"I know you're trying, but I need you to talk more."
"I am sharing information when it is relevant."
"Yeah, I don't like that."
"I apologize, but I'd appreciate it if you'd trust me and my judgement." Jake stared at them, looking them over as if he had never met them before. The SQUIP fidgeted under his gaze, glancing away from his peering eyes.
It was a human gesture.
"You're different," the teen pointed out, a grin creeping across his face. The computer's black eyes met his.
"Don't let your mind wander."
"Is it cause of Kert? And Ari and all them? Are you learning?"
"Yes, but-"
"That's awesome, Bud! You're becoming human!"
"Jake," the SQUIP sighed, "You're misunderstanding." The teen tilted his head, confused.
"Misunderstanding what?" The computer stared at him for a moment, glitching out of form as though their discomfort was distorting them.
"There's no time to stand around," they finally answered, "If you wish to catch up with Richard and your friends, you must keep moving." Jake rolled his eyes, but obeyed.
Running down the hall again, he grinned, "You're not getting out of it that easy, Buddy." He glanced at them, "You don't need to be embarrassed, you're doing great! I'm proud of you." The SQUIP didn't answer, watching their human with a distant gaze.
A thought passed through its programming, one Jake couldn't hear.
I'll miss you…
~oOo~
Silence…
"Okay, it's clear!" As soon as Brooke voiced it, the three of them took off running. Michael tried his best not to trip down the concrete stairs as he rushed towards the parking lot. Turns out, quite a few people were still outside looking for them, and it took a lot longer than expected to get a chance to move - and they definitely ran like it.
Michael had parked pretty close to the entrance, since he arrived early to the play, but it brought little comfort considering how empty the whole area was. It would be ridiculously easy to spot them.
Which is exactly what happened.
The male didn't see it, his eyes were focused on one target - and one alone - but he could hear Chloe behind him. "Shit!" she cursed. He turned just in time to see Chloe and Jeremy's father racing towards them, Jenna close behind. He didn't stop though, barreling right into his car and yanking his keys out of his pocket. He stumbled with them, feeling like it took too long to hit the unlock button. Behind him he could feel Brooke standing in his defense, and Chloe in front of her.
"Hurry up!" the later ushered. Michael barely heard the lock pop before he burst into the back seats and scrambled for his bag. Ripping the zipper open, he quickly fished for the demon bottle. Fingers barely gripped it before he turned back to his friends outside. His eyes widened as he turned in time to see Jenna tackle Mr. Heere to the ground. Chloe surprisingly joined in, not hesitating for a second to strike her own father and get him into a lock on the floor.
"Shit," he cursed as he scrambled out of the car, standing beside Brooke in shock.
Jenna flipped her hair back, glancing at them with a huff, "Don't just stand there, knock them out!" Michael blinked at her in disbelief, not knowing how he was supposed to help, but Brooke wasn't the same. Without missing a beat, she crouched in between the two struggling men and reached behind their necks. Finding the same pressure point on both of them, she pressed down, and they both fell limp.
Chloe and Jenna let out a breath of relief as they stood, both taking their time to brush off their clothes. "Sorry, Daddy," the previous sighed, "But thanks for the lessons."
"What lessons?" Jenna huffed.
"Just his version of 'how to take down creepy guys'," Chloe answered, "Honestly, wasn't helpful. My SQUIP is better than that, but I technically still used it."
Brooke grinned, clapping her hands together, "That was awesome." Michael nodded in agreement, glancing down at Jeremy's dad.
"Sorry Mr. Heere," he apologized. Jenna glanced down.
"Oh, yeah…sorry."
"Jenna," Brooke named as she pulled the other into a hug, "You escaped!" Jenna snorted.
"Uh, yeah, of course I did. My SQUIP's a psychopath," she paused, then rolled her eyes with a groan, "I don't give a fuck what the 'right term' is."
Michael couldn't stop his own eye roll as he imagined Jen in his head relaying the message. Taking a step forward, he asked, "Where's Jen?" The girl met his gaze.
"Went to go find your boy toy. Gotta keep the ring leader safe, you know?"
"Find them?" he echoed, "Where…?"
"Didn't think my SQUIP was the only escape artist, did you?" Jenna questioned, crossing her arms, "Come on, girl, you're dating them. What do you think?" Michael didn't particularly like the third degree, but he hardly cared.
Reese escaped.
And yet still in danger…seriously, he really didn't think this SQUIP had any lucky bone in their body.
His eyes hardened, and his grip around the bottle tightened, "Where are they?" Jenna shrugged.
"I dunno. Doesn't matter, we gotta down that shit," she said while pointing to the bottle. The male rolled his eyes, but held it out to her.
"Be my guest."
"Wha - why me?"
"I thought you didn't like Jen."
"Yeah, but my SQUIP is the only one physically kicking ass right now."
"Fine." He looked to the other two girls. Chloe shook her head animatedly, and Brooke did a more polite version. He sighed, annoyed. Now really wasn't the time to be acting like this. Then again, if he was lucky enough to have a star like Reese as his SQUIP, he wouldn't want to drink it either.
…Wait…
"Guys," he sounded, voice quiet as tried to swallow past the lump in his throat, "How…How long does it usually take for a SQUIP to activate? Worse case scenario?" Chloe blinked at him, confused.
"Oh," she mouthed, finally realizing his question, "Oh, Honey, you're not SQUIPed." Michael blinked surprised.
"Wha - But I-"
"Drank Mountain Dew, yeah, but there was nothing in it. You can thank Rich for that."
"Wha…Rich…?" The teen's eyes widened.
"Did you sneak in Mountain Dew?"
"Duh, What if it's spiked?"
He let out a breath, "Kert." Chloe nodded.
"That dumbass lady didn't know Rich switched it out and picked up his glass. Cool, right?" She flashed him a grin. Michael could only stare in return.
"But…Christine-"
"Was faking it. Probably saw the 'K' on it or something. Or maybe Ari did something - who knows." The teen didn't know what to say.
Was he really…okay?
Relief washed over him, but not for the reason he thought. He thought he'd be happy to not have a SQUIP, to not be possessed like all of his friends.
No.
He was happy that no one was replacing Reese. Reese was his SQUIP, and he didn't want anyone else there. It was a thought he didn't expect to have after all of this, but…
"No - STOP!" a voice screamed. Michael jumped at the sound as his eyes snapped in its direction. A van screeched as it whipped into view from the side of the school, driving fast towards the exit. Behind it a ran a short figure.
Michael squinted, "Rich?" He watched as the shorter teen raced after the vehicle, quickly losing to its speed. Yet, he didn't relent, cursing at it loudly - desperately.
"Oh no," Brooke breathed. Jenna quickly pulled her phone out of her pocket and tried to photograph the van as it sped out of the parking lot.
SQUIP or not, Michael easily put the scenario together in his head and quickly turned to Brooke beside him. He shoved the Mountain Dew Red in her hands, "Get to Jeremy." She blinked at him, owlishly.
"Wha-"
"Go," he urged, not waiting a moment longer before racing around his car to the drivers seat. Chloe moved to the opposite door, looking over the Cruiser to him.
"Michael-"
"Get Jeremy," he snapped, his voice finding the confidence he's been lacking. Locking eyes with her, he continued, "And keep that demon drink away from my SQUIP." The girl stared at him in surprise, but quickly nodded her head, taking a step back. Michael didn't waste any more time getting inside and turning the vehicle on.
Hearing the passenger door open, he whipped his head to the side. Jenna had climbed into the car after him. "What are you-?"
"I'm the best GPS you'll ever have," she answered, buckling up, "Now go!" Michael didn't need to hear that twice.
Slamming on the gas, he raced the Cruiser over to where Rich was still running. He slowed the vehicle down just enough for the teen to notice and scramble into the back seats. "Mikey," he gasped, "They've got Kert!"
"I know," the other answered, steering his car in the direction the van had gone, "We're not gonna lose them."