Hey, what's up you guys? This is Flower1815 bringing you a new chapters of MLTS - The breaking point part 2. The official playlist has also been updated, highly recommend you guys to check it out, you can find the link over on my tumblr at Heather1815
IMPORTANT: The next update won't be in two weeks, but rather three, because I have a school trip in two weeks and I won't have access to my computer to post then, so I am pushing the date back until I return from my trip. I wanna see just how many people actually read my notes and how many will pester me on tumblr in exactly two weeks about where the next update is :p lol
I think that's all the announcements that I have. So thank you guys so much for your support, I really appreicate it. Thank you all for your lovely fanarts and nice comments you send me, I look over each and every single one of them multiple times. I hope you enjoy this chapter, leave a review telling me your thoughts, and I see yah'll in three weeks! ;)
Tord wandered the school hallways, looking for Tom. He needed to know if his friend had forgiven him yet. It's been approximately two weeks since the eyeless boy had been suspended from school after taking the blame for their misadventure. He returned to school today, and appeared to be fine; laughing and smiling with them like nothing ever happened despite all the whispering and rumours going on about him behind his back, but Tord couldn't get a chance to talk to him during class. Now it's break time, and he headed for the courtyard behind the school building. As he approached the football field where other kids were playing around, he heard a familiar voice. "Tord!"
Tord felt a glimmer of hope. Perhaps Tom hadforgiven him after all? He followed his friend's voice, just in time to catch a glimpse of him slipping into the maintenance shed.
He followed and called quietly into the gloom, but he couldn't see Tom anywhere. He stepped farther in. Suddenly something crashed into his side with a mighty force, knocking him to the ground. Tord spun around, all his senses alert. He saw Tom towering over him with his fist raised in the air, silhouetted in the dimness.
Tom punched him square in the face and kicked him in the gut. Tord gasped for air, the pain in his skull intensifying with every hit. Flailing to try and get away, Tord managed to land a blind hit on Tom's chin and momentarily stopped the assault.
"What are you doing?" Tord spluttered with a shrill of shock.
Tom scowled. "You sold me out! You ruined my life!" He aimed another punch. Tord ducked just in time and he backed away wearily.
"I didn't mean to! But it- it was the only way!" He insisted, trembling. "What if they had separated us? We couldn't be friends then!"
Tom flew at him and knocked him backward. The two boys tussled, punching each other. "Liar! You just don't want to take the blame!" Tom snarled, leaning over him. "How could you do this to me?"
Tord struggled, staring up at him. "I didn't mean to make matters worse."
For a split second, he could've sworn he saw Tom's eyes flash with pain. Blinded by anger, Tom dug his nails into Tord's neck. "Too late for that!"
Tord flipped Tom over and together they rolled on the floor; writhing in a furious tussle as they threw violent punches at each other.The shelves and supplies clattered to the floor as the two teenagers bundled into them. Tord screeched with pain as Tom bit his forearm. He thrust upwards with a punch and struck Tom above his eye. Tom retaliated by pulling his hair back hard.
"Stop it! Stop fighting!"
The desperate shout made Tord and Tom freeze in place. Matt was standing by the doorway, looking at the mayhem with glistening dismayed blue eyes.
Panting, Tom stared down at Tord, trembling with rage. "I don't believe you..." He breathed, voice cracking. "I never meant anything to you, did I?"
Tord lied on the ground, gasping for air. His chest heaved desperately as he stared up at his friend currently straddling him in dismay. I never meant to hurt you! He wanted to blurt it out so badly, but knew deep down it wouldn't fix anything. The damage has been done; and it's all his fault.
Tom leaned closer and dug in his nails as Tord tried to wriggle away from his hot breath. "I'll never forget this, Tord. I will be your enemy forever." He released his grip on Tord and shuffled painfully sideways.
Tord backed away, spitting blood at the ground. Shame scorched through him, and he couldn't bring himself to look at Tom.
"What's going on?" Edd joined Matt by the door, his brown eyes widened upon seeing their state. "What happened? Are you guys okay?" He approached them.
Tom brushed him away with a snort and barged past without a word. Matt let him go without protest. Tord watched him leave, growing farther and farther away; a pain blossoming in his heart so intense he barely acknowledged Edd by his side. "Tord!" He helped him to his feet. "Are you okay?"
Tord turned to him dazed. For a moment he couldn't understand what he was asking. His bruises were only a minor fraction of the pain he felt now. Guilt stabbed at his guts. Tears pricked his eyes, but he held them back out of sheer pride. "I'm fine." He breathed, swiping away the trickle of blood running down his nose. His gaze focused blankly on the distant shape of Tom limping away from him.
"I'm fine."
Tord took another swig of the bottle of whiskey he held in his hands, tilting his head back and letting the bittersweet alcohol burn down his throat. It might be his third bottle - fourth, maybe? Tord lost count at this point. After interrogating Tom and getting more than he bargained for, he immediately retreated to the confines of his office to drink his mind away. He knew he had important meetings to attend to as leader; especially the one his Generals had called for regarding the fate of the monster serum project. But Tord couldn't bring himself to participate, knowing what he knows now.
Tom was hurting… and that's his fault.
His heart twisted. I did this to him. He shoved the thought away and continued to drink. What do I care? I'm the Red Leader! His thoughts blurred and came to a drifting halt. Or at least… I'm supposed to be… Tord swallowed, still fighting back tears even in the solitude of his office.
What the f#ck am I supposed to do now?
The doors to his office swung open, but he did not whirl around in his chair to see who it was. No need to, anyway. Only two people he knows of would ever barge in without knocking first.
And live.
"Sir, things aren't looking so good out there." Paul started, clearly distressed. "The soldiers are restless ever since we've retrieved Tom and word got out regarding the border patrol massacre. General Keaton, that slimy bastard, managed to spill the beans to Bing, the other slimy bastard, about the incident and now he wants to get his hands on the serum formula, too. And the Generals- they- well…" Paul trailed off, in a voice that Tord recognized as his "I have bad news and I must deliver them stat, but don't know how to break them to you" voice. He could imagine his Commander scratching the back of his neck nervously from far behind him.
"They want to terminate the serum project." Patrick finished, his voice solemn. "And… the monster along with it."
Tord's grip on the bottle of whiskey tightened considerably, but he was careful enough with his prosthetic not to break it. It was a good drink, after all. No need to waste it on his floor.
"You really should've been there, sir. Your presence there would have made a difference and reassured everybod-" Patrick cut off abruptly, eyeing the bottles cluttering the desk. "Sir, are you… drunk?"
Paul lifted one bushy eyebrow. "Really? At a time like this, sir?"
"Why not? I say this is the perfect time to get drunk." Tord retorted, his voice eerily quiet.
Paul and Patrick stiffened, immediately sensing something wrong with their leader. Whenever he was upset he would usually smoke a whole bunch of cigars to calm down and think about things; so something must really be wrong for him to resort to drinking so much like this.
The Norsk chuckled. "You were right all along, Pat."
"Sir?" Patrick frowned.
"Tom was not mentally stable for the experiments. I should've listened to you while there was still time." Tord rasped, taking another sip of the bottle in his hand. "Go ahead, then. Gloat! Rub it in my face and tell me "I told you so". I know it's coming, so just out with it!"
Exchanging an uneasy glance with Paul at his side, Pat stepped forward and came to stand directly behind his leader and dipped his head.
"Sir, while I do wish you had heeded my words earlier; I won't hold it against you now. It seems as though you have already realized your mistake." Patrick told him quietly. "Did something happen? Why are you upset?"
"Upset?" Tord echoed, his voice taking a wild, distant tone. "I'm not upset. I am the Red Leader – I don't get upset! Why should I care that my test subject has been suffering in silence this entire goddamn time and slowly been trying to kill himself for something that I put him through? And why should I care whether he lives or dies now that I have what I want from him to begin with?"
He finally spun around in his chair to face his deputies. Paul and Patrick stood rigid in front of him, eyes wide and mouths gaping in a silent gasp of shock at his words. He ignored their appalled expressions and went on.
"He's more trouble than it's worth! I wouldn't be here, doubting myself now, if it weren't for him. I know who I am!" He hissed, his words slurring near the end. "The Red Leader wouldn't hesitate to get rid of him. He killed my soldiers. He stopped my plans. He…" Tord looked down at his mechanical arm, flexing his fingers and hearing the cogs and wires shifting inside. He bristled, gritting his teeth. "On the other hand; keeping him alive is a much better punishment, and I still need him for my experiments. But ever since he dared to question my identity I've been having… conflicting thoughts. Tom is not supposed to mean anything to me, and yet… I couldn't do it. Even as he begged me to kill him, and I have every reason to do it, I just couldn't. The Red Leader isn't supposed to care about anyone, and yet; here I am." He bowed his head, his voice scarcely audible.
Paul and Patrick looked at one another then, worry and bewilderment mirrored in each other's gazes. Their leader apparently held some pretty heavy baggage, and whatever happened between him and Tom has affected him in a deep emotional level he had never experienced before, because he just kept on venting, growing increasingly anguished the more he talked.
Patrick shot Paul a meaningful glance to stay quiet and let Tord continue. This might be just what their leader needs. A good old fashioned catharsis to get him sorted out.
"If only I hadn't given up on him." Tord whispered, his voice throbbing with sorrow. "I… I gave him up to the authorities and put all the blame on him because I cared more for my future than my friend. I thought… I thought, since I already knew what I wanted to be, and Tom didn't – and my grades were so much better than his – that making him take the blame for our prank wouldn't be a big deal. I never imagined I would lose him forever afterwards!"
"Sir…" Patrick tried to interrupt, but Tord ignored him.
"Tom wouldn't even look at me after that. He hated me, and I deserved it. But I didn't want to let him go. I… I wouldn't admit it was my fault and I wasn't prepared to lose him for good." He said, voice rough with pain and gaze glistening with grief. "I started to pick on him, relentlessly. I bullied and teased him ever since because I couldn't live with my mistake, and I had to make up to it somehow; even if it meant having him hate me for the rest of our lives, at least Tom would still be part of my life. At least then he would look at me!" He shook his head. "I wasn't – I didn't think of how this might affect Tom. I just… I only cared for my own self interests. But that's who Red Leader is, isn't he? He doesn't care who he hurts along the way if it means he achieves his goals. So why am I so bothered by any of this? Shouldn't I feel nothing and simply carry on with my life? Who cares what happens to Tom, am I right? Certainly not me! Because I-" His voice wavered and he paused, his tone cracking. "I'm not supposed to care..."
An awkward and heavy silence fills the air. Tord's flinty gaze turned cloudy and he stared unseeing at his deputies as if he were looking right through them. He couldn't bear to display weakness anymore and turned his chair away from them. He hunched over in his seat and brooded, taking another swig of his drink.
Paul and Patrick shared alarmed glances, and then nodded to one another in unison.
"Sir, it's clear to both of us that you are quite distressed about this." Patrick began calmly. When Tord made no move to respond, he continued. "Why do you see compassion as a weakness? Why should being emotionally invested in anything mean you are inferior in some way?" He reasoned. "A leader should always inspire his troops. If they show no emotion and care for nothing and no one, why would anyone be willing to follow them?"
"Yeah! This whole mentality that loving someone makes you weak and soft-hearted is a load of baloney!" Paul insisted. "Pat and I have been together for years now, and that never stopped us from becoming respected higher-ups in the army. Let anyone who thinks different come out here and say it to our faces!"
"Sir, do you think Paul and I are weak for being together?" Patrick prompts calmly.
Red Leader spun around in his chair and analysed them for a couple of heartbeats. Everyone in the army knows of the two higher-ups' relationship with each other; it's not exactly a secret. Paul and Pat are Tord's most trusted soldiers – his deputies and advisors. Patrick is swift and clever, while Paul is strong and fearless; they implement each other quite nicely, not only in battle, but in everyday life too.
Tord remembers when Patrick first joined their army. He had been reluctant to accept the Polish man into their ranks, but Paul had vouched for him and insisted on personally training him as well. He had blatantly seen right through the both of them that they were completely enamoured with each other, and he would even go as far to admit they were kind of cute. But after a lot of hesitance on both their parts, causing drama, and their obvious unspoken thing just leading on and on and on… Tord just had to intervene and snap them into place. It was severely affecting their skills in the army and Tord could not put up with it anymore.
And now… Tord looked back and forth between them. They were undoubtedly formidable together, and he could not imagine himself running the army with only one without the other.
"No." He answered truthfully.
"Then why is the idea of loving Tom seem so wrong to you?" Paul demanded.
Tord flinched, and mentally berated himself for it. He clenched his fists on the arms of his seat. "Because…" He hissed through clenched teeth. His mouth dried as he searched for words. "If I care, that means I can be subjected to manipulation. I will become vulnerable. I can be coerced… I can be controlled… I'll be just another man. All it would take is have that someone I care for to be put in danger. Then it's over. Our lifestyle isn't exactly safe, you know?" His gaze flickered back and forth between his Commander and General with a meaningful look. "Are neither of you afraid of that?"
Paul's eyes clouded. "Of course! We know the risks of this line of work." He held Pat's hand, gently rubbing his thumb across the back of the palm. "But blocking out your feelings isn't gonna help. Look at yourself! Drinking and getting plastered because you can't handle emotions."
"Caring for another is a risk everyone has to take. Would you rather be numb have no feelings at all?" Patrick stared at Tord imploringly, eyes glistening. "Do you wish you'd never met your friends? Where would you be today if it weren't for them?"
Tord winced at the mention of his friends, and he had to turn his head away. "My friends… what good was I to them?" He mumbled, grief tightening his throat. "I betrayed all of them for the sake of my ambition. I could have just left and never come back, but I had to return and break their hearts once and for all to get my robot and break all ties with my past life."
"And you paid the price for it." Patrick soothed. "You've been hurting ever since that incident and you refused to acknowledge it, whether it be for sheer pride or guilt. Whatever the case, the fact still stands; you have emotions and you're prone to being hurt. Just accept it! You're not one of your mindless robots to go through life without feeling anything."
The floor seemed to sway below Tord – probably consequence of the alcohol in his system. With a pang in his heart, he remembered what Tom had said about being incapable of feeling emotions. He'd always imagined that if he created an invention to delete all of his feelings, it would make his life a million times easier. Being unable to care for anyone, would mean he would never get hurt that way again. However, the way Tom had described it back in the lab made it sound like some form of torture; he was truly upset about it. Would it be as bad as Tom had described it?
"But… the Red Leader…"
"What about it?"
"If I have emotions just like everybody else, then who am I?" Tord wondered. "I always imagined the perfect leader to be better than everyone else… better than me. Courageous, cunning, charismatic… everything I'm not. So how can I be someone I am not?"
Paul tipped his head to one side. "Sheesh, sir! Don't be so insecure about yourself." He stepped closer. "C'mon! Where's the young bold genius who came up to me all those years ago and asked: 'Hey, you wanna change the world?' Give yourself more credit here."
Tord said nothing. He just stared at him.
"Paul's right, sir." Patrick continued. "You've done many great things long before the idea of Red Leader ever existed. You created this army from scratch. You invented countless useful devices to help us on our missions-"
"You brought us together." Paul reminded with an affectionate glance at Pat, who returned his gaze with a peck on his cheek.
"Truth is; Red Leader wouldn't be any of the things you listed… without Tord."
Tord stared at them, hope lifting in his chest. Could it be true? His shoulders sagged as the tension left his body. The bottle of whiskey he'd been unconsciously holding onto so tightly in his grasp this entire time clattered softly to the floor. He'd been holding back his emotions for as long as he can remember, always afraid of being seen as lesser than others. Terrified to let people in. His mother's lesson… did it work as well as she made it seem? Or did she secretly carry guilt for her actions until the very end? He will never know now. But he'd been unknowingly treading in her footsteps this entire time; down a path where he only follows his ambition and will end up all alone at the end of his days with nothing to show for it.
Or rather; no one to show it to.
His friends… they cared for him. Growing up, they loved and supported him up until he turned his back on them. Tord didn't think at the time his betrayal would hurt. If anything, he thought it would be a wakeup call of sorts to the others that; things don't last forever, and they should probably start doing something with their lives. He'd never imagined he would cause them pain. Or that he would regret afterwards.
And Tom. The first friend he betrayed.
The guy he loved…
Of course, he hadn't felt this way toward him at the time. His crush for the eyeless man developed over time long after the incident had happened. But he'd been his best friend, first. Tord betrayed him without a second thought, then couldn't handle the guilt and proceeded to pick on him to make up for it. As if Tom was the one at fault over what happened. He never apologized… not once he put himself in Tom's shoes to understand how he must've felt then. And now…
Tord took a deep, wavering breath, and bowed his head low. "I see it now…" He rasped softly, his gaze shadowed. "Thank you for your helpful insight." He said it earnestly.
He heard Paul let out a loud snort of amusement. "Oh please, sir. Drop the formalities and say it like you actually want to say it." He raised his voice slightly in a bad impersonation of Tord. "Oh you guys, thank you so much for helping me remove the stick out of my ass! I have no idea how to function without either of you by my side. Since I've been a real jerk for the past week, I will commend your honourable efforts with a three month vacation-"
He cut off with laughter as Tord chucked a pen holder at him.
"I'm being emotionally vulnerable right now; don't make me regret this." Tord uttered dryly, his gaze still glistening but his voice was light and teasing, the bare hint of faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
He watched his most trusted soldiers chuckle together. All the tension that was previously held in the room melted away, along with the ice Tord had let fester into his heart. A familiar set of words echoed in his head then.
Are you Tord or Red Leader?
The question that had haunted him for the past two weeks didn't provoke him this time around. Even Tom's distorted tone that accompanied it no longer held the same mockery behind them. He finally knows the answer, and he is no longer bored by it.
I am Tord, leader of the Red army.
The answer resonated within him, and for the first time, it felt right.
He got up abruptly from his seat and stumbled toward the duo, pulling them both by the neck into a hug. Paul and Pat fell silent, but a comfortable one, and returned the gesture wordlessly.
Tord has a lot to atone for, and to several people, but right now there's someone in particular who needs him the most, and he owes him a long overdue apology.
(Meanwhile…)
Matt peered out the window toward the sky anxiously; the sun was hidden behind rain-laden clouds, but he guessed that sunset could not be far off. Such a shame the beautiful weather the day had opened up with had to sour so drastically. Matt shook his head as if to clear his thoughts. He had more pressing matters in mind! He hasn't seen any sign of Edd or Eduardo anywhere. He went over to Edu's place this morning to ask how their conversation went, but the grouchy man wasn't home. Then he checked Edd's place and his friend was nowhere to be found, either. Mark tried to reassure him and soothe his nerves, but Matt couldn't help but worry. Even as they watched more chick flick films to pass the time, his mind still wandered toward his friends.
The weather grew increasingly worse. In the distance he heard the faint rumble of thunder.
Matt stood up abruptly. "I'm gonna go feed Ringo. With Edd gone for so long, she is bound to be starving by now." He called to Mark on his way out of the blond's apartment.
He walked out into the hallways and crossed over to Edd's apartment, when a figure soaking wet in rain climbed up the steps in front of him. "Doofus!" Eduardo drew closer, his clothes were drenched and his hair plastered to his head. "Have you seen the loser anywhere?"
Matt stiffened, alarm flaring in his belly. "No, I haven't." He replied. "Where have you been? What happened?"
Eduardo opened his mouth to reply, but was stopped by Mark appearing from his apartment. He must've heard the commotion from inside. The blond took one long good look at his friend, blue eyes rounding in surprise. "Were you out the entire night?" He demanded. "You idiot! You're gonna catch a cold at this rate."
"I don't care!" Eduardo snapped, shaking the excess of rain from his clothes and hair. Turning to Matt, he continued more softly. "I tried talking the loser out of meeting the rat. He… didn't take it too well, I'm afraid." He broke off, shifting his feet. "Last night, when Edd left the building, I followed him. He saw me, and we quarrelled. We both said things that should have been left unsaid. Now he's somewhere out there, hopefully reflecting his life choices or perhaps waiting until his temper has cooled before he comes back." Eduardo spoke briskly, without betraying much feeling. "Worst case scenario, he's with that damn rat again."
Matt stared at him, speechless with shock. His plan failed. His last-ditch effort to make Edd see reason hadn't work. What is Reagan doing to him now?
He was brought out of his troubling thoughts by Eduardo stepping closer, his head lowered uncharacteristically with defeat, his shoulders sagging. "I'm sorry, doofus." His brown eyes were dark as he met Matt's gaze. Matt stared at him. What was Eduardo not telling him?
Matt stopped him with an anxious wave of his hand. "It's all right, Edu. I know you did the best you could." He murmured shakily. "Thank you for your help anyways. It was worth a try." He tried to sound as cheerful as he could, but could see in his friends' eyes he wasn't fooling anyone.
Mark ushered Eduardo to his apartment. "Come, come; you're soaked to the bone. I will make you something to eat while you get yourself dry…" The blond fretted as they turned away.
Matt watched them for a little while, still processing Eduardo's words, before heading straight for Edd's apartment. In spite of what Eduardo had said, he didn't believe Edd was sulking somewhere out there. True, he might be with Reagan, but he is usually back by morning. So what's taking him so long? Maybe he doesn't know Edd as well as he thought...
Entering his friend's flat, he was met with the silent and gloomy vacant living room. The sight was a little saddening. Matt tried not to think about it too much and moved to the cabinet in the kitchen to grab the cat food. "Ringo!" He called the feline and whistled. Oddly enough, there were no chirping mews or the patter of pawsteps in response to his voice. Matt poured the dry pellets into the food bowl. Still no Ringo in sight. He shook the bowl, rattling the food to create noise. "Ringo? C'mon, I got you some delicious yummy food!"
He walked around the kitchen table, looking for Ringo, when he spotted a paper and pen on top of the counter. Matt tipped his head. A letter? He was certain that wasn't there when he checked the place for Edd in the morning.
He put the bowl of cat food aside and peered down at the letter to read its contents. However, his heart instantly broke upon reading the first few words.
Matt,
I'm so sorry, but I can't go on like this anymore. These arguments, the grief – it's all too much for me to handle. I tried. I really did try to ignore everything and keep things as normal as it could be, but I can't do this at the expense of my mental health. I'm not okay with any of this. You and Eduardo sticking your noses in my life and trying to dictate how it should go didn't help things, either. I'm sad and disappointed that you don't trust me enough, but I guess it can't be helped after everything that's happened.
I'm leaving to get my life back together. I'm sorry, but this is something I have to do, and I just can't put my feelings aside only for your sake. I'm sure Mark and Eduardo will take better care of you than I could ever have. Please, take care of Ringo when I'm gone. Pets are not allowed where I'm going, unfortunately. I'll miss you both very much, and I'll always love you. But I just can't do this anymore.
But hey, just because I'm leaving doesn't mean we have to cut all ties! I promise I'll contact you once I'm settled in my new place. But other than that… I don't think we're going to see each other again.
I'm really sorry, Matt.
Goodbye.
- Edd.
Matt's last hope vanished, and for the first time he realized he might have lost his last best friend forever. His heart was pounding and shattering all at once inside his chest, and he doubled over the counter in pain.
"Ow, Ringo – stop that!"
He snapped his head up so fast he was sure he would get whiplash. At the sound of the voice, accompanied by Ringo's indignant shrills, Matt hurried over toward the bedroom and slammed the door open. Edd was standing in the window where the building's fire escape was located, one leg in and the other leg out, a heavy bag in one hand while the brunet furiously shook his other arm to free himself of the gray tabby clinging on to his coat.
Edd froze, taking note of his sudden presence in the room. "Matt…" His brown eyes stretched wide.
"Please, tell me it's not true, Edd." Matt's voice quivered, his eyes brimming with tears. "Please, tell me this is just some sick joke you're pulling on me!"
Edd forced himself to take a deep breath, trying not to be alarmed by his friend's grief stricken face staring expectantly at him. He slowly moved away from the window, placed his luggage down and held Ringo in his arms. "I'm sorry, Matt."
"N-no!" Matt's voice cracked, the letter he didn't realize he was still holding crumpled in his grasp. Matt glared at him. "You're leaving me?"
"I'm still your friend, Matt." Edd stiffened with shock, putting Ringo down on his bed. "Nothing will ever change that."
Matt wasn't listening. "You're leaving me. All for Reagan! Why? Why do you want to be with him instead of me?"
Edd could hear the pain in his friend's anger. He wished he could fix it. He wished he could pretend everything was absolutely fine and stay here with Matt like nothing ever happened. "This isn't about Reagan. It's about me. I need to do this so I can get better and finally move on with my life." He told him, his gaze hardening. "And you're one to talk! Ever since they moved in you have been hanging around them like a lost puppy. I can't catch one moment alone with you with them around all the damn time."
"You can't catch me on my own?" Matt asked incredulously. "You're the one who has decided to put all your attention on Reagan and ignore me at every given chance! I wouldn't have gravitated toward them if you paid more attention to me."
Edd's eyes narrowed. "Because that's all that matters to you, huh? Getting attention. Hate to break it to you, but not everything is about you!"
Matt flinched. "That's not what I meant!"
"And so what? Am I not allowed to have other friends?"
"Not when they're clearly up to something, you don't!"
Edd fumed and slammed the window close, but didn't bother replying. He knew this was going to happen. He planned to sneak in to his place, pack things, leave a letter, and silently leave without having to go through all this painful heartache of saying goodbye and the inevitable arguments trying to impede him from going. But Ringo just had to be in a needy mood and ruin his plans! A part of Edd felt immensely guilty that he resorted to leave without saying goodbye to his best friend, but he just didn't want to deal with the emotional parting. Plus; Matt might've taken it better. But now he's been caught, and he has no choice but to face the music.
"Edd, please, don't do this…" Matt pleaded, taking a step forward. "This is your home! We grew up together. Would you really leave everything behind just for Reagan?"
"I told you; this isn't about him." Edd repeated, trying to ignore the heavy weight pressing down hard on his chest. "I've been thinking about what I want to do with my life lately, and I think a change of pace is what I need to properly recover. It's nothing personal, Matt. I just… I can't keep going with the way things are right now."
"Edd, is this… just because I've been hanging around Mark and Eduardo?" Matt bowed his head miserably and fell to his knees before Edd. Tears streamed down his face freely, now. "If it is, I'm sorry! Please, I'll do whatever you want, just please, don't leave me! I'll stop seeing them if that makes you happy!"
Edd stared at him in dismay. Oh, Matt… He crouched down, resting his hands on his friend's shoulders as he sobbed. "No, Matt. This isn't about them, either." He consoled. "Please, understand. I've made up my mind; I have to go through with this now. Don't you see? It's the only way I can get better-"
"I'm sorry I am not Tom, okay!" Matt blurted out, clinging on to Edd with desperation. "I know you prefer he were here instead of me – I get that! But I've been trying my best to help you and see you through the grief, but you don't even care. And you know what? Maybe you're right. Maybe Tom would know exactly what to do in this situation if he were here in my place. But I'm not him, and I'm so sorry you got stuck with me instead. I tried… I tried to help you… but it's like you don't even see that I'm here."
Edd's eyes rounded with sympathy. Is that how Matt really thinks of him? Yes, he does wish Tom were here – there's not a day that goes by where he doesn't wish for that to be so. But he doesn't blame Matt for it, nor does he mean to take it out on him.
Do I?
He shook his head, trying not to think about it too much. He doesn't want to get caught up in an argument now. The sooner he leaves, the better off it will be. For both of them. Edd rubbed small circles on Matt's back, trying to soothe his upset friend. He didn't know what to say that would help at this point.
Matt pulled away and stared helplessly at Edd. "Why? Why can't you stay?" He begged plaintively.
Edd faced him, his brown eyes glistening. "I am not happy here, Matt." Guilt throbbed in his chest. He leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Matt. "I will always love you. And Tom. And the time I've spent with you will always be a special memory for me. But now it's time for us to go our separate ways."
Tears blinding his vision, Matt clenched his eyes shut and buried his face in the crook of Edd's neck, wrapping his arms around the brunet tightly; trying to enjoy his friend's warmth for the last time. He didn't want to let go of him. He couldn't even believe this was happening to begin with! Edd is leaving him, and he'll never see him again. I mean, hey, it's not my fault you can't make Eddie happy anymore. Reagan's cruel words jeered hauntingly through his head, making him clutch Edd harder.
I only wanted to make Edd happy… but I also want things to go back to normal. Why can't I have both? Matt thought crestfallen. His lungs burned with grief. He peered sideways at Edd through blurry eyes. If Edd really isn't happy here, how can I be selfish to deprive him of it?
Guilt hollowing his belly, Matt released his hold on Edd without looking up at him.
Edd stared at him, tears welling up in his eyes. "Look after Ringo, okay?" His throat grew tight. He turned towards the bed where his faithful feline companion was curled up and extended a hand out. Ringo mewled with delight and stretched forward to meet his hand halfway. "Ringo, be good to Matt, all right?" He stood up and picked up his bags, eyes blurring. I need to get out of here!
Matt followed him on the way out of the apartment, trying very hard and failing to hold back tears. Neither of them know what else to say to each other at this point. They reached the hallway and paused by the steps leading down toward the building's exit. At last, Edd was ultimately the one who broke the silence as he turned to Matt.
"I'll miss you. I promise I'll try to keep in contact with you whenever I can." He whispered, staring at his lifelong friend with a meaningful glance. "Goodbye, Matt."
But I'm your friend!Matt's heart dropped like a stone as Edd turned away and left through the door. He watched Edd as shadow swallowed him and the main entrance swung closed. He's gone. I lost everyone. Feeling numb,Matt stumbled back to his apartment, his heart aching. Edd was gone. He'd chosen to go. Sorrow clouded Matt's eyes and he sobbed. Why did I ever let myself believe he would have chosen me instead?
(Meanwhile…)
Tord walked through the long hallways of the laboratory level of his base; his steps were slow but determined as he headed for Tom's quarters. His head was lowered and his hands fidgeted with one another as he thought of the right thing to say in this situation. Patrick's words echoed in his head. Just be honest with him, sir. The Polish man had advised, after Tord came to his senses and expressed his desire to help Tom. If you truly care about him, then be kind and honest. But don't expect him to receive you warmly. You're gonna have to work hard to earn his trust.
"Be kind and honest. Kind and honest." Tord muttered to himself under his breath. His mind ran rampant with several ideas of how to initiate the upcoming conversation, but nothing sat right with him.
He shook his head stubbornly as he reached the door to the eyeless man's quarters and he let out a weary sigh. "I'm just gonna have to go with my gut on this one." He lifted his robotic hand to knock, but hesitated at the last second. Tom won't want to see him so soon after his outburst. Should he wait a bit longer to give him the chance to calm down for this conversation? Tord frowned. Tom has suffered long enough. I need to fix this now.
He knocked on the door. "Tom?" He called softly. When he received no response, he continued. "I know I'm the last person you want to see right now, and I don't blame you. But I have to tell you something." He pressed his ear against the door to listen inside.
Absolute silence.
Could Tom be sleeping? Should he wake him up for this conversation or come back later?
"Yell, scream, cry, please, just say something. Anything!" Tord demanded, hating how nervous he felt about this situation.
He decided that a face to face conversation would be more adequate for this, and he pressed the palm of his hand on the scanner to glide the door open. He stepped inside only to halt abruptly at the sight before him.
Tom was sprawled on his bed, his eyes wide and glowing – a bright pinkish-purple glow ominously shone from within his empty eyes, looking eerily similar to a jack-o-lantern; with wisps of light billowing out of his sockets. Every muscle seemed tense, his limbs stiff, and he was whimpering, his mouth partly open and black inky substance frothed out. His body twitched and convulsed, limbs jerking and flailing as they turned purplish-black. His horns were out and his ears had elongated. For a heartbeat stillness settled over him and Tom stopped all movement, with the exception of his raspy, heavy breathing. Tord stood back and watched horrified as the Brit's body convulsed again.
"Tom!" Tord hurried over to the bed, staring down at the eyeless man in both dismay and horror. He reached out to feel his pulse, only to rear back with a jolt, realizing that Tom's body was cold to the touch. It felt as though he'd just been dragged out of a frozen lake. He's not only spasming, he was shivering violently! "Hypothermia? But how-?" He wondered out loud.
Again Tom's body grew still for a heartbeat, but it wasn't long before the convulsions restarted. His claw-like hands, half-way through the shifting process, tore into the bed sheets in his agony, while his soft growls and grunts of pain turned to snarls of rage.
Lifting the back of his robotic arm up he checked for the data of Tom's vitals. The screen popped up, and to his dismay it showed Tom's heartbeat gradually slowing down along with several other vitals of his body. His organs are shutting down! Oh, please, no...
Tom was panting now, his fight for life exhausting him. He twisted and turned on the bed, his eyes shot wide and glazed – staring into nothing. He was letting out grunts and growls of pain, and there was black sludge secreting from his lips with every cough.
Tord bent over him urgently and placed a hand on his chest. "It's all right." He murmured. "I am going to help you, I promise."
Whether his words had any impact on Tom, he could not tell. The eyeless man simply jerked again, flapping from one side of his bed to the other, his eyes staring blindly. More of the black sludge frothed at the corners of his mouth.
Crouching over Tom, Tord did his best to try to scoop him up in his arms, but the eyeless man was in too much terror and pain to keep still and make his task easier. His head thrashed from side to side, and his body was convulsing in regular spasms that to Tord's horror seemed to be growing weaker with every new wave.
Impatiently, he waited for the last of the convulsions to subside to get a better grip on the Brit. Tom let out a particularly feral growl as his tail manifested itself, and started thrashing against the bed repeatedly until he stilled.
Seizing his chance, Tord gently gathered Tom in his arms, picking him up, and carrying him out the room toward the laboratory. Tom's head lolled limply against his chest, grunting softly, and his tail brushed the floor along the way. Tord's belly clenched as he glanced down at him. If he loses Tom now just when he realized his mistakes, Tord will never forgive himself. His thoughts spun. What can he do to stop this?