Okay, now where were we...?
Right.
After the father-son reunion no one asked for, I'm marching outside for a Time Out because my mom's sick, my dad's won the WORST DAD IN THE UNIVERSE mug for Father's Day, and on top of all this, I don't wanna become a human fuse and accidentally blow up the hospital from a temper tantrum.
Not two steps outside, I realize that I've inadvertently left Lucas behind in the most awkward ceasefire ever. By the time I've turned back around, the elevator doors have already shut.
There goes my one ticket to heaven.
Sure enough, while I'm marching angry circles around a water fountain of Cupid, Lucas's call rings through.
INCOMING CALL FROM AN UNKNOWN NUMBER.
An unknown number? Baffled, I check the area code. Still Onett. Huh. I guess Lucas is calling me from Mom's hospital phone. Either that, or a robocall's got some hell to pay.
Like a dumbass, I take one for the team. "...Lucas? Hey, I just need to cool off. Be back in a bit-"
"Oh, you'll be taking more than a bit," comes the unexpected wheeze, and I do a double-take, because unless Lucas has aged two centuries and gotten strep throat in the last five seconds I left him, everything about this call reeks of sabotage.
Yeah...
This voice isn't Lucas.
"How the shit did you get my number- nevermind," I hiss. "I'm hanging up on you right now-"
"See me in the parking lot. Don't be late."
"Wha- Who do you-"
The phone clicks off.
The first thing I wanna do is throw my phone in the fountain and stress-binge on some tacos, but something tells me that ignoring Porky will bite me back in the ass. Frustrated, I glance up at the hospital windows glinting against the sun. Porky's still under investigation for the SkyTrain. I doubt he'll blow his cover over something else so soon- like blowing the hospital to smithereens.
Do I think he'll actually do it?
No.
But do I wanna risk it?
...No.
And clearly, he knows it too.
Stamping my feet into the ground in the biggest hissy fit possible, I drag my feet towards the parking lot. Sure enough, a chauffeur - a sallow, reedy-voiced man in an old tux and stuffy white Beethoven wig - thrusts his chest out in a ridiculously pompous manner, and then opens the limo door, revealing Porky's smug face.
Arguably already in a bad mood to start with, I get to the point. "How did you get my personal number?"
"I have my ways." From his fat sausage fingers, Porky dangles something in my face like a fishing lure, and I recognize the familiar battered phone case with a jolt. It's a flip phone.
The same flip phone Lucas lost to the Sharks on his way home.
I swear up a storm. "You son of a Brisket in Texas Cheese Hamburger-"
Lucky for Porky, his trained lapdog cuts through my words like a butter knife. Dark purple in the face, the chauffeur indignantly bleats out in his reedy voice, "Have you no shame, you delinquent? How dare you spew out such vulgar atrocities into the delicate ears of our precious, wondrous Master Porky-"
"Well buddy, I hate to break it to you, but the only thing delicate about your Master is his snowflake ego-"
Irritated by what's the gospel truth, Porky snaps his fingers, and his chauffeur rudely shoves me inside. "You're wasting my time," Porky wheezes. "Now turn off your phone, pig's butt. We're going on a ride."
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~Chapter Thirty-Three~
The King of Nowhere Islands
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After the Skytrain Bombing and the Nightmare That Was Christmas, I'm not too thrilled to see Porky's face.
But a part of me's pretty damn pleased when I see the state of Porky's face. With Chrom's fiasco during the Closing Ceremony of the Christmas Dinner, I hadn't taken in the extent of the damage I'd dealt. By now, the swelling's gone, but Porky's bruised eye is still black and purple.
"How's your eye," I ask sarcastically.
Tossing me a nasty look, Porky rubs the bruised eye in afterthought. "Healing well. How's your faggot friend?"
"I can make that two black eyes," I suggest.
"Calm down, Nessie. I'm not the one who lost their balls having an identity crisis over their gender," Porky sneers back. "I'm here because you owe me one. You're lucky that I saved your reputation. I could've pressed charges. I could've forced Lucas to pay his debt that day." His smile hardens like it's been glued to his face. "After painting me as the fool of the night, the best you can do is hear me out. That's what friends do for each other."
I scowl.
Cracking open the mini fridge in his ridiculously plush limo, Porky gropes around for a soda on the rack. "Ness... We're not so different, you and I. We split ways because of Giygas, but in the end, we both chose the life of fame and fortune. Believe it or not, we're on the same team." The orange soda hisses and froths over the top when he cracks the can open with a pudgy thumb. "I promised to be good-"
Boy, I'd hate to know what Porky's definition of "good" is.
"-and you asked me to return later for Lucas's debt. Like the nice person I was, I agreed. Now, it's time for you to return the favor."
"That's not how friendship works, Porky."
"I don't know what world you live in, Ness, but that's exactly how friendship works. I paid my dues. You need to uphold your end of the bargain." Impatiently flicking his drink down on his recliner, Porky tugs out his wallet with his fat greasy hands before slipping out thick wads of bills. Each one of his glittering golden 100s is stamped with a ridiculously gigantic G at its heart, right over the tell-tale cross of a Smash Ball. Smash Gold. "...How much?"
"How much for what?"
"How much for Lucas."
I don't think I heard him right. "What?" I manage.
"Last I heard, you were like, fucking him or something. Maybe you get freaky and let him fuck you. Whatever. I didn't know you were into faggots, but I guess I can get behind that. Let's trade. I've got a few chinks about his age. Exotic. Submissive. None of them are half-breeds, but they're pretty good at sucking dick-"
I slam my fist down onto the counter, interrupting him. Suddenly I feel sick to my stomach, and it's got nothing to with the hospital food I saw in the cafeteria. "Porky, whatever you're doing, just- stop."
"What? I'm doing their parents a favour. Blame the stupid immigrants who sell their children to me because they forgot a condom too many," Porky shoots back. His face darkens. "Ness, for a hundred years, I was King. Everything in the land was mine, and mine alone to own. I had a whole army of fun toys at my beck and call... and I'm not losing to some filthy countryside chink who doesn't know his place." Porky's smile tightens. "And from what I've seen, you seem to be doing a pretty piss-poor job of reminding Lucas where he stands-"
"Uh, no," I say, getting in his face. "The only person I'm putting in his place is you, because for some reason, you think that the color of someone's skin and their wealth defines their social order-"
"-and it does. Minorities want too much. You set them free from slavery once- then the next thing you know, they're crawling all over the city trying to steal our jobs and act like free men. All them niggas, kikes, and feminazis. I mean, have you seen Onett these days? Their fast food places? The only thing browner than their french fries is their workforce. Honestly, I could care less about what Jesus Christ fantasies blustering crockpot old men believe, but I think it pays to have good money and wealthy friends under your thumb, while you have an odd habit of befriending the scraps left behind in the bottom of the barrel-"
"Knock it off, Porky. This isn't third grade where you can spout out whatever racist lingo your dad says and get away with it."
In the manner of a spoiled brat hurling his trash outside, Porky flicks his empty soda can out the window. Staring after the can flying out of sight and hearing it clatter somewhere on some sidewalk, for some stupid reason, all I can think of is Lucas staying up late on Tuesdays to sort out our disposable water bottles into the recycling bin.
Lucas wouldn't have littered.
"You've become a joke." With another heavy wheeze that sounds like his organs are breaking down, Porky clasps his fingers together in a crude mockery of prayer. "Do you think I parrot everything I say from my own father? My dear, kind, sweet father, who used to hit me with his shoe for burning his dinner, whose business I tore down and sold when he came crawling back begging for mercy on his knees? Oh Nessie... I don't spout it out. I BELIEVE in it, absolutely, a hundred percent," he encourages, waving a hand like a magic wand. "And so should you. You've gotten this far without your deadbeat excuse of a dad, and so have I. You just don't get it yet - being worshiped by a cult of dumb followers feels good. You can commit fraud. You can grab any dumb bitch you like by the tits. And with your status? With your power? You can BE God. You can get away with anything you desire. You wanna fuck that cow Paula, or kick that bigheaded nerd Useless down the stairs-?"
"Paula is NOT a cow, and Jeff is NOT useless-" I begin hotly.
"-then you can do it. See, Ness? You can do anything you want, because you can," Porky laughs unpleasantly with a wheeze. "Don't you get it? You're one of us, Ness. You and I grew up with opportunities that Lucas can't dare to imagine. Do you really think you can make his life better than it is?"
"You can. For starters, you're the one who put him into debt," I hiss.
"I did, and it pays wonderfully. Did you know I sponsored the games with the money Lucas GAVE me over the years? He's a real fool, thinking that he can escape from my debt, and you're a bigger fool for thinking you can save a drowning dog."
"Get rid of his debt."
Porky guffaws incredulously. "Never happening-"
"We can work something out. You said you had enough money coming in. You don't need to leech off his cash."
Pleased by the mention of his own immense wealth and by the tickle in his ego, Porky scratches his chin. "True... but I prefer making Lucas miserable."
"Jesus - What happened to you after Giygas? You weren't this twisted-"
Porky's piggy eyes turn hard. "I'm not twisted. You're just jealous because you chose to be a minority. Because I'm finally better off than you. Because I'm-" Porky suddenly cuts himself off, before getting this odd look on his face.
Something unsettling ripples through our empathy link.
"...Ness," he says softly, and the way he says my name is almost sociopathic that my empathy link goes nuts. Who is this Porky, and when did he replace the Pokey I once knew? "Do you know how much psychics fetch on the black market? Not just psychics - PSI users. Your kind are rarer than you think. I haven't crossed another PSI user since I arrived in Smash City. It's funny that you're worth such an exorbitant price. Even more than vampires, werewolves, and Legendary Pokemon. You have no four or five move limit. You possess powers without the aid of tomes and bibles, and you can recharge your energy over time." Pokey wheezes. "When it comes to the price tag on human trafficking, millions doesn't cover it. But you know what'd top that price? Underage psychics."
"Well you're too late. Everyone I know is legal. Paula's turning 18 next month, and I turn 18 soon-"
"But Lucas is 16, isn't he?" Porky smiles when I stiffen up. "What's the matter, Ness? Empaths are insanely powerful... but you're too unpredictable, too risky for my customers to buy. But telepaths... Need a bodyguard? Need to steal your rival company's ideas? Need someone to mind control, or destroy anyone from inside out? Now you're talking my language. Don't you see? Mind readers are always in high demand. All you gotta do is snatch them away from their parents young, groom them, then-" Pokey makes a lewd gesture with his hands like he's snapping a chicken's neck into two. "-break them in like a stallion. Lucas is a little older than I would've liked, but if he's underage, a lotta people would be happy to snatch him off the black market-"
"You're one sick fuck."
"You just don't understand the worth of the goods you're carrying. His Half-White breed? A Smasher? Blond with blue eyes? A telepath with healing and other unlimited magic powers? A lot of people would kill to get their hands on him. His age is cutting it a little close, but I'd be willing to tame him. The younger they are, the easier they are to break. I'd know, because I owned one once as King... years ahead of your time," Pokey wheezes. "I was lucky it was close to death when I found it too. It's such a shame that it's now broken beyond repair... but turns out, I was lucky. It came in a twin pack." Pokey's smile turns taut. "I had my eyes set on Lucas before you did. I took over his village before I even knew that he existed. He's rightfully mine, Ness. And trust me, I don't like people who take my property."
"Lucas isn't for sale. He's a person, not a thing."
Porky's hand tightens around the rim of his second soda can. "You know, Nessie... I'm not happy with your tone. What gives you the right to look down on me and spit on my perfect face? Because my stupid parents beat the shit outta me when I was a kid? Because you grew up with a perfect mom and a perfect dad and a perfect life? Because you rejected my humble apology like you were above me?"
"I didn't reject your apology-"
"I asked to be friends! I promised to be GOOD, and you said nothing!"
"I-I don't remember. If I ever came off that way, I'm sorry," I say desperately. "Porky, I really meant it when you wanted to be friends before, but what you're doing now is wrong-"
"Well, it's too late for apologies. You're happy now... but I'm going to fix that." Porky's smile turns downright nasty, before he turns over a manilla folder in his lap.
The photos spill out.
Of us outside of the mansion. Of us fighting inside the SkyTrain, of Lucas's silhouette at the Onett Arcade, of us holding hands by the Smash City movie theatre... even one of us hugging by the shrine outside Tazmily Village yesterday.
Though clearly innocent, between our clasped hands and secret hugs and stolen smiles, the intent of his footage is pretty obvious.
Glued to my seat from shock, I watch more photos scatter from Porky's pudgy hands onto the limo floor like confetti.
How? How did Porky pull this off? Even scratching out my shitty peripheral powers, there's no way Porky could've circumvented Lucas's telepathy. To get out of that range and STILL take quality pics, he's got to have had some freakishly superhuman paparazzi on our tail.
Lucas would've sensed someone. He's much too careful to let anything suspicious slide. Once, maybe. Twice? Doubtful.
Unless...
The Porky bots. On the SkyTrain.
Lucas hadn't sensed them in the baggage carriers until their ambush, and I hadn't either.
Most importantly, I realize in what feels like the biggest bitch slap into the next century- Porky bots are fucking BOTS. They have no thoughts or feelings. D'oh.
Suddenly, my face turns numb. Ignoring Porky's gloating eyes, my blood runs cold at the photos and tapes on the floor. After all that time we spent on detours to avoid the paparazzi... after all that effort we spent on ducking into smaller alleyways and avoiding PDA to protect Lucas's privacy...
Porky could shove Lucas out of the closet right now, if he so wanted.
"Pretty disgusting, aren't they?" Porky wheezes. "I know, I had to bleach my eyes when I saw the vids-"
"You didn't," I croak.
"Well, I came close. I bet Lucas's dad did though. I wonder what he thought when he saw proof of his own son sleeping around like a slut-"
"He wasn't sleeping arou- Wait... YOU'RE the one who gave Flint the pictures. YOU sold Lucas out to his dad."
"Big deal. His dad already sold him out-"
"What do you mean?"
Porky scoffs, unraveling a piece of parchment from his waistcoat. "He - Flint? Was that his name? - well, the loser was wandering around Onett one day looking kinda desperate for cash. Didn't even know what money was and how to get it until I kindly offered to lend him some for his rent. Look, it's not MY fault he didn't read the fine print in our contract-"
"Oh my gOD, PORKY. LUCAS'S DAD DIDN'T READ THE FINE PRINT, BECAUSE HE COULDN'T READ IT-"
"Not my problem he's illiterate-"
"YOU HID THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS IN SIZE ONE FONT AND TRANSLATED THEM INTO GERMAN!"
"There you go. The idiot wasn't careful enough." Porky stuffs his pamphlet of TERMS AND CONDITIONS back into his jacket. "I had a lotta fun sucking money out of him too. I still remember the look on his face when I explained the deal he'd signed. If he couldn't repay his monthly loan until Lucas's 18th birthday, then he had to sell his only son to me. What, did you really think Flint booted his own son out to save face cuz Lucas was a faggot? Well it'd be super funny if he actually did, but I had a funny feeling-" Popping open another soda can, Porky's shoulders shake from repressed wheezing. "He wanted to keep Lucas as far away from me as he could. I bet Flint wasn't happy when he heard that you were one of my old chums... then that idiot-" he wheezes, wiping off a tear from his eyes. "-decided not to take his son's cash. I guess the fool finally realized that he couldn't ever repay my debt, so he chose to go to jail last week to drag me down with him. Annoying. It gave me a massive migraine all day-"
"That's all you care about?! Do you even HEAR yourself? You're blackmailing people and sex-trafficking their children-"
"But then YOU showed up. You complicated EVERYTHING." Porky's piggy eyes turn sour. "You had the fucking gall to befriend Lucas, and make him happy. And I don't like Lucas happy. So I'm gonna break this down for you, Ness: Break up with Lucas by Winter Formal, and I won't leak my footage online. I don't care how you do it, or how publicly you make it - break up with him. Even as friends. No lies. The instant you do, I'll accept your apology, bail Lucas's dad outta jail, and erase my footage from my master drive to save your rep. Then you can carry on living your merry life, and I'll snatch Lucas away from your hands the second he drowns in my debt."
"And if I don't?"
"If you don't-" Porky crushes the now-empty soda can in his hand. "You'll go down with him like the loser you are. I'll make you, your family, and your friends suffer. I'll make you regret turning down my friendship, I'll make you regret ever making Lucas happy..." His smile widens. "And it'll all be YOUR fault."
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~oO0Oo~
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Nuss 3:36PM
beep bop
rounding up teh squad
Is everyone okay?
PSI Powla 3:37PM
All's well in Twoson!
What happened?
It's not something bad is it (；￣Д￣) *prays intensely*
Nuss 3:37PM
Yeahhh about that
Porky happened
PSI Powla 3:38PM
Oh no (°ロ°)
What did he do this time? ლ(¯ロ¯"ლ)
Nuss 3:38PM
No terrorist attacks this time
I'll send you da deets later
TLDR; he's back as #1 Threat
Jeff, Poo, where u 2 at?
&Donuts 3:39PM
AAA thi s Tony! ermm D: D: 😧😴😣 lemme scream for him
oh nO i think he left! 😭 for! 😭 cup ramen!
waiT! 😄😆😆 jkjk hes back ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
&Donuts 3:41PM
Sorry. This is Jeff, Checking in from Smash mansion.
Security's top notch here. I'd be more concerned about everyone else.
Where are you, Ness?
Nuss 3:43PM
Onett
phew everyoness okay
Good
Dat only leaves Poo
where's my P man
PSI Powla 3:43PM
hmm
He might be off meditating in the mountains again (シ_ _)シ
&Donuts 3:43PM
Probably. I doubt they have wifi up there
PSI Powla 3:44PM
I'll try to get a hold of him later
Ness? Are you alone? how many bodyguards are with you right now?
Nuss 3:45PM
master hand forced me to take a platoon w/ me
but I left them all at home
oh yeah n at the hospital
PSI Powla 3:45PM
WHA
&Donuts 3:45PM
The hospital?! Are you okay?
Nuss 3:45PM
nO NOT ME IMNOT HOSPITALIZED
I MEANT
my mom fractured her ankle dat's aLL
I SWEAR IM OKAY
JUST RATTLED
BUT NO INJURIES
PSI Powla 3:46PM
if you're sure then..
let me know if yu need more firepower!
(∩` ﾛ ´)⊃━炎炎炎炎炎炎炎炎
&Donuts 3:47PM
Right with you, Paula. Stay safe, Ness. Send us the details asap, and we'll work together.
Don't ditch your bodyguards if you can.
Nuss 3:47PM
thanks you guys
youre the best
&Donuts 3:49PM
Also guys
I've been investigating Porky's pedophilia/drug ring ever since Ness filed a police report to the station.
Unfortunately, nothing so far. He's too good at covering his tracks.
Nuss 3:50PM
Jeff yOuRE A FRICKIN GENIUS
A SELF INVESTIGATION? I'd be down for that
Porky's gotta slip up at some point
We'll nab him then
&Donuts 3:51PM
Thanks, Ness.
We still need to talk in person though. I arrived late for breakfast yesterday and missed you.
I think I've found a connection between Lucas's timeline and ours
Nuss 3:53PM
ok now i def wanna hear this
let's get together soon
until then, stay safe
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~oO0Oo~
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Despite my reassurance, I guess my SOS terrified Paula enough for her to call me, because the next thing I know, she does.
"Honestly, I'm not complaining. I'm alive," I say, but I can feel her worry leak in through the corners, and know that she wants the mass explanation NOW. "Hey... Don't you have to like, prep for your fashion run in Summers-"
"That's the last thing on my mind right now. Tell me everything."
"I can wait when you're not busy-"
"Ness, what exactly did Porky tell you?"
Giving in, I send her the basic rundown.
Her gasp crackles through the speakers. "He's been stalking you?"
"That's what I said," I say wearily.
"And he wants you to throw Lucas under the bus by Winter Formal?"
"Homerun."
"I can't believe he called you a- To think he's got the gall to say all that after all the human trafficking he does- the sheer nerve...! OO-!" There's a WhOOMPH, as if a fuming Paula's tossed her MISS ANGELIC BEAUTY Winter Dresses on her bed. She sounds upset, just as upset as I'd expected. "Oh Ness, the things he said about Lucas... they were revolting-"
I shudder. "I'm not gonna lie- It was disgusting. I felt like I had to wash my ears out with soap afterwards-"
"How are you NOT freaking out?"
"Oh, I'm freaking out all right," I told her, very seriously. "I'm still in shock."
"Are you sure you don't want me to come over and-?"
"Nah, we got this for now. Lucas is here with me, and I'm requesting more protection for Jeff. Do you need bodyguards?"
"I've got plenty. And my frying pan," Paula adds out loud. "Does Lucas have any bodyguards?"
"...No," I admit, feeling guilty because this is basically code for LUCAS CAN'T AFFORD ANY.
"I can't take all my bodyguards to Summers, so I can ask dad to lend a team to him for the week. They're all very trustworthy and sweet-"
"Really Paula, I think we'll be okay. Lucas won't be happy, but I've already planned to fund a few his way. Between the two of us, he'll have more than enough eyes looking out for him."
"Porky's become an active threat. He'll make whatever he's done up to this point look like child's play. For heaven's sake, he even dropped by in person to give you his terms and conditions... Ness, what're you going to do now for Winter Formal?" Paula's voice turns uncertain when I don't respond. "...please tell me that you at least found a ballroom dance partner-"
I throw up my arms in frustration. "yES? No? Agh, I haven't! I was hoping I could weasel out of the dance last second. Maybe I can pretend to get super sick and stay in bed-"
"Didn't Master Hand force Captain Falcon to go when he had whooping cough last year?"
"He did," I say gloomily. "Paula, can you take my place in the tourney now? It's been nice knowing you. Thanks."
"Oh, stop being dramatic. We'll find a way around this. Though if I had to be honest... the thought of you attending Winter Formal alone makes me pretty uneasy-" Paula hmms. "Porky's a sponsor, right? If he is, there's a good chance he might show up again."
"Shit, you're right. I didn't even think that far ahead."
Paula's voice turns quiet. "How about... I tag along for Winter Formal?"
"What?" I say, dumbfounded. "Wait, really?"
"Yes really, Ness."
"So I can ask you out to the dance?"
"Mmhm."
Suddenly I'm blushing like an idiot and I don't know why. "But your sales," I say awkwardly. "And your rep! There's already rumors about people shipping us-"
"So?"
"I'm not damaging your reputation! If we go together, the paparazzi's gonna add more drama into your life-"
"Well then, they'll be disappointed, because we'll be going as friends." When a spike of warmth shoots into our empathy link, I can almost sense Paula bLUSHING on the other end too, no doubt from my fucking bout of awkwardness. "You won't be damaging my rep, Ness. Right now, I'm more worried that Porky's got YOURS on the line. Obviously since he's got footage, he could cause a scene by fabricating a story... though I doubt he's got any sex tapes or explicit photos- unless you and Lucas-"
"No," I say quickly, my face still hot. "We haven't- no."
"And you checked the apartment? The shower?"
"Master Hand wouldn't-"
"You never know. I once had a boss who stole my used underwear and tried to hide cameras in my dressing room."
I wince. "Oh yeah, I remember that. The creepy boss. I'm glad you're not working with him anymore."
"Thank god, I know. But if it counts, Master Hand seems to have an excellent reputation, and Jeff thinks that the security there is top notch. I doubt Porky could sneak into the Mansion anytime soon. Anyways, Porky's got the upper hand for now. He can still blackmail you into outing Lucas in public if you ever refuse to comply with whatever he demands, and to make things worse, he's got your private number-"
"Not helping, Paula."
"I'm just laying the facts down for you," Paula says grimly. "Ness, you said it yourself - Lucas isn't coming to Winter Formal, so you won't even have him around to keep an eye out for you. Unless you prefer to ask out someone already AT the mansion, I'd be more than happy to be your dance partner for the evening, just in case something happens. Together with Jeff, and hopefully Poo, I'm confident we can bring Porky and his trafficking gig down before he tries anything else."
"Sounds like a start. So I guess if we show up together for Winter Formal, that SHOULD throw Porky off our tracks until we find a better plan. Well, that is, if you wanna go," I sputter, now flustering like crazy because god, I'm the biggest dipshit in the world for even INSINUATING that my other best friend was a backup. "Don't feel forced to attend the dance! I can always ask someone else, s'not a big deal-"
"Of course I'll come. I'm your best bet if anything goes wrong," she encourages me, and I can't help but feel like more of an asshole. "Just make sure Lucas is all right with it first, okay?"
"I'll let you know this week." I breathe easy now, feeling like she's miraculously lifted a heavy load from my shoulders. How does she do it? I don't know. "Thanks. Thanks a bunch, really."
"Don't thank me... bUT AUGH-" Paula vents, and I don't mind because I feel like I'm also venting through her. "I knew Porky was up to no good! It was only a matter of time before he tried blackmailing you with underhanded threats-"
"Oh yeah, and he called you a cow," I fume, and hearing the sudden change in my tone, Paula laughs.
"Really, Ness? Of all the things he said, I think that's the least offensive insult to get riled up over. I feel honored, actually."
I scowl. "But you're not a cow. You're Paula."
"No, I'm Paula the friendly cow. Moo," she says. I can almost imagine her fluttering her eyelashes in a teasing manner, and I can't help it - I crack up. "There we go. You're grinning again, don't deny i-"
"MoO!" I say loudly in the most obnoxious voice ever, and Paula bursts into giggles. "Ha, interrupting cow!"
"I called it first!"
"No, you didn't-"
"Totally did!"
"I swear to god, I called it first-"
"Ness."
I feel a twinge in my stomach. "Yeah?" I whisper.
"...Stay safe, okay?" Paula says, her voice soft. "And tell Tracy not to wear the Love Letter studs. She's allergic to Nickel."
Then with a click, she's gone.
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~oO0Oo~
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Shaking the ash off my third teleportation attempt, I try to quell the static electricity in my hair before pushing my way inside the Onett police station.
Some people are beyond help.
It feels like a million years ago when Lucas sat beside me in the SkyTrain and voiced this solid conviction.
As much as I want to, I can't turn back time. I can't help Porky with his abusive parents. I can't help him take the right path, especially when he's strayed too far and convinced himself that he'll never be in the wrong. I don't have the money to help Lucas with Porky's debt, and even if someone else did, the insidious nature of Porky's debt makes me doubt that the solution is that easy. I mean, Lucas has probably already THOUGHT about borrowing money to pay off his debt. And I'm sure if I ever offered to help him financially, Lucas would vehemently decline. Lucas would never toss over a shovel and let me dig myself into the same grave, and I certainly wouldn't be helping anyone if I tried. There's a glaring reason why Lucas can't get out of Porky's debt, because it's pretty damn obvious that Porky doesn't want him to.
Lucas is right. I can't save everyone in the world.
But I can still help in however way I can.
So as I greet the Police Chief Strong with a tilt of my hat, who in turn sputters into his water at my unexpected arrival, it only seems right to take one more rendevouz trip before returning to the hospital.
Waiting inside the drab gray walls of the Onett police station and swinging my legs on a seat, I watch a pair of cops drag a prisoner out to the guest room. Testing the mike and speakers on the other end of the glass slider, one of the cops nods once to me in affirmation before marching away with a stern 10 minutes.
Even in a tacky orange prison jumpsuit, Flint brims and simmers with an underlying power, too much like an old soldier who's done and seen too much shit. Across from me, with his toned biceps and hunched shoulders barely squeezing themselves to fit into the tiny seat, Flint's big, bulky frame dwarfs his chair to a comically ridiculous extent.
Weirder still, Flint doesn't seem surprised to see me.
Scooting my chair closer to the glass divide, I uneasily brush my fingers against my own mike. I don't know where to start.
Thankfully, I don't have to.
His voice haggard, Flint speaks first. "What did you do with my son?"
"He's safe in town. He's okay, doesn't know that you were arrested last week." I rake my eyes over his face. "But that's not why I'm here."
"...You know."
Fuck. The sentence's in the exact same question-statement tone I'm so used to hearing from his son. Nothing about this visit was easy to begin with, but the way he speaks LIKE Lucas trips me up. "Why-" I swallow. "Why didn't you tell him?"
Flint stays silent, but I can't ignore the shame creeping into our empathy link.
The answer's obvious.
He's too prideful to ask for help.
"He's going through a hard time because of you," I say, struggling not to make my voice... angry? Sad? I don't even know what the fuck to feel about this man at this point. "He thinks you disowned him. Because he was seeing me. Maybe a part of that's true. I wouldn't know."
"..."
"But there's something else. You didn't want him home. You pushed him out of Onett because of Porky. And if I'm right... I heard that you didn't like your son seeing me, because I could've been out for his blood too."
"..."
Goddamn, this man doesn't speak.
But I don't need his answer.
Feelings are more honest than words.
I exhale. Oh well, that's as good a confirmation as anything. "Look mister... I don't know what lies Porky fed you, but Porky's not my ally. He's not my friend. He's not anyone's friend anymore. But Lucas..." I swallow. "Your son means a lot to me... especially as a friend. He's my best friend. He's family. Without him, I don't think I could've come this far."
"..."
I swallow again. "Why didn't you tell him the truth?"
Flint shifts in his seat. "It's for the best. He shouldn't have to know."
I squeeze my hands into fists. "Goddammit."
After a beat of uncertainty, Flint looks at me. His brown eyes fix me in place as they do that X-RAY scrutiny again. "You remind me of my oldest son. I wish..." He pauses. His voice turns gruff. "I wish I could've found him. For Lucas. Didn't want to leave Lucas behind every time I had to work, but if Claus was there... he wouldn't have had so much of a hard time alone. And there were times..." he trails off, but I can feel the bottled-up guilt threatening to shoot up his throat, the pain of hauling an unfair, fucked up debt home, the fear of losing his only son in what was unjust folly. "As for what you've said, I believe you. I trust that you mean well. You're an honest boy... but my son isn't gay. I can't approve of my son's relationship with you," Flint says quietly, while his words fucking sting, I can't blame him. "I'll accept your "relationship", because I have no choice, but I don't approve. There's too much risk involved for both parties, and you have too much leverage on our family. I'm sorry."
"No need to be sorry. We can agree to disagree," I say, finally shaking off the numb feeling from my legs. "But first, let's bust you out. You don't belong in here-"
"I have nowhere else to go." Though his voice remains steady, Flint looks tired, his eyes bloodshot with exhaustion. He's pretty beat, and suddenly, I wonder if the police arrested him right after work, or if his apartment's threatened to evict him for missing rent, and it strikes me - if he's right, he really has nowhere else to go.
Flint grips my hand through the glass slider. "Please," he says. "If you want to help someone, please- help my son. If you want something in return, I'll give it to you. Anything. Just- not my son. My son is-" Flint squeezes his calloused hand into a fist against the desk, as if willing his cuffs to break free in his search for his only living child. "...My son's safety means everything to me."
Just like that, the ten minutes are over. As the cops return, rudely shoving Flint out of the room and back to the cells, the Onett police chief returns, smiling too widely for my own comfort. "Your ten minutes are over, Master Ness. Is there anything else you want-?"
"You know that I have dirt on you," I say casually.
I can almost see the vein popping in Captain Strong's forehead. Clearly, the police chief remembers how he and his five corrupt goons tried to ambush me here during my quest against Giygas. "I remember," he grits his teeth.
I smile as innocently as I can. Hanging around Tracy is really starting to teach me the finest tricks of the trade. "You know that Porky's guilty. But strangely enough, I don't see him in jail for extorting a parent for his son-"
"Porky was innocent," he spits out. "I don't know what you take us for, but we went through all the evidence-"
"Okay, then I'll pay the bail."
"I'm sorry," Captain Strong sneers, not sounding sorry at all. "We can't let that man out at this time-"
"How much is Porky paying you to be his puppet?"
Captain Strong tenses up. "Pardon?"
"Imagine what would happen if Smash City found out you arrested a victim who was manipulated into signing an illegal contract by Onett's biggest crime lord. Then, imagine the blacklash from the press when everything blows up in your face. Now imagine Porky's hush money. I bet you'd lose your job before nightfall. Not worth the bribe Porky gave you, I'd reckon-"
Captain Strong turns the color of sour milk. "You've outstayed your visit. Leave now before I call my platoon on you-"
"-and get your ass whooped again. Uhuh. As I was saying-" I flip out my credit card and put on my best charming grin. "I can pay double, and better yet, you can set an innocent man free. How much is the bail?"
.
.
.
~oO0Oo~
.
.
.
I shouldn't have ditched my bodyguards.
When I POOF back to the hospital, I almost drown in an incoming sea of Kevlar armour and walkie talkies until the head honcho plods right up.
Lo and behold, it's Knuckles on dispatcher duty. Again.
Naturally, he gives me the stink eye.
As Knuckles demands where I've been, I give him a sheepish grin and hold up three packs of free donuts for the crew with my soot-covered hands. Because let's face it - I give the bodyguards much more trouble than they deserve.
"Donuts don't even have nuts," Knuckles gripes as he guides me back into the hospital, opening a pack of "treacherous, sugar-loaded treats" in his hands. "They should be called DONT-nuts, not DO-nuts - Hey, wait a sec." Closing a box of donuts, Knuckles squints his eyes in suspicion. "Are you bribing me?"
"Uh, sure. You could call it that."
"Awesome!"
Thankfully, Knuckles lets the matter slide, sharing the donuts out to his platoon, and I breathe out a sigh of relief. For all his nitpicking, I'm lucky he's so easily distracted.
"We'll be out here," Knuckles grins, jabbing a thumb at the hallway when we arrive on my mom's floor. "Take as long as you need."
Relieved, I turn the knob. "Thanks, Knuckles."
It's like a scene straight out of a Renaissance painting.
Pooling into the hospital room and leaking through the cracks of the curtains, sunlight trickles in, bathing the bed in a golden glow. A holy angelic halo over his head, in a guest seat by my mom's bedside like THE PERFECT SON™, Lucas watches my Mom attentively as if she were the only survivor of a ship wreck. As he listens to her speak, my mom affectionately ruffles his hair with a gentle hand, and for a brief second, Lucas gets this warm, tender look in his eyes - kinda wistful too, as if wishing his own mom was y'know - cough - not dead.
After Porky's racist spiel, the irony's hilarious in hindsight. For someone supposedly mixed, with his blond hair and blue eyes, Lucas looks more like my mom than I do. Like seriously, when we used to go to school together, strangers often mistook me for the adopted child of the family.
But when Lucas looks up at me, despite their blue color, the resemblance is uncanny.
He's just like me.
He's got his dad's eyes.
Swallowing down the sudden ache in my chest, I hide it with a grin, holding up a spare pack of donuts and announcing my arrival with a noisy fanfare of mOM IM HERE!
Understandably, Mom gives me a long lecture.
"You spent all that time going out on a temper tantrum and BUYING DONUTS?" she says aghast, pinching me over by the cheek.
"mMph! It was for the bobeeguarbs, I sware-"
"The bodyguards? Then what's that you're eating?"
"I bought some for myself too, okay? Gimme a break-" I whine, squirming away with my precious baked goods when Mom tickles me over.
"I can't believe it," Mom says, shaking her head at THE PERFECT SON™ sitting by her bedside. "While my OWN SON left to stuff himself on junk food, Lucas here healed my shattered ankle-"
I whirl around. "You DID?"
"I didn't do much," Lucas offers, and when Mom begins to gush again about how modest and adorable and kind he is and why cant my own son be as sensible aiYAH, I wanna kiss him for keeping her company while I was gone.
But instead, I look around. "Oh... Where's dad?"
Instant mood killer.
Mom purses her lips.
Rising as if to leave, a flustering Lucas mumbles something about a bathroom until I hold him back by the hand.
"You can stay-"
"No. I think you should talk alone with your mom," he says, squeezing my hand once, gently, before tugging it out of my loosening grip.
"Don't go anywhere," I blurt out, because I'm so fucking terrified of leaving him somewhere alone, especially after Porky's racist speech, and the last time Porky declared wAR! on me, Paula got kidnapped right in front of my own eyes. While we thankfully found her unharmed, I don't wanna think about what else Porky's capable of. I'm not risking it, knowing about Porky's obvious vendetta against Lucas, and I'd be stupid to test my luck after Porky's declaration of hunting Lucas down like an endangered animal. "We won't take long, so just... stay in the hallway, okay?"
With a blink and a brush against my mind as if to say understood, Lucas leaves, catching the door behind him to close it as quietly as he can.
"...You couldn't have chosen a more considerate person to date," Mom says, watching the spot where Lucas last disappeared. "I'm glad you two made up your minds before all the girls started to swarm him. He's grown into a catch, dear. Very handsome too."
"Mo-om," I whine.
"I wouldn't mind him as a future son-in-law," she says helpfully, as if trying to nudge a GLARING HINT my way. "He's kind. And smart. And a gentleman to boot. Doesn't hurt that he keeps you in line and out of trouble. I like that one. He's a keeper."
"We've just started dating," I groan. "Stop trying to set me up with everyone you see-"
"Come now, Nessie. You know that's not true."
"You kept calling Paula my girlfriend for years. Do you know how embarrassing it was every time you called me while she was there? It was so embarrassing-"
"Well, can't a mom dream about her son dating a sweetheart? Nothing against Lucas of course, but I'd always thought you and Paula would've been just as sweet together," she says kindly. "And oh my, the people at the mansion? The gorgeous girls? The handsome hunks? Master Hand seems to pick people who are very easy on the eyes-"
"It's called photoshopping, mom." When I pad up to her bedside, Mom gets the hint.
She opens her arms out wide with a smile. "Come here, baby. I'm okay."
Lemme tell you. Hugs from Mom are the best. It's like inhaling chocolate chip cookies, except a thousand times better, because all that sugar and sweetness is actually GOOD for you. Even if the sky is falling and we're all doomed, I can always use one of her hugs, and I wonder if mom has a special magic of her own because they're that good.
Maybe it's a mom thing.
Her hug magically erases everything on my mind. Porky. The SkyTrain. Winter Formal. Homesickness.
She sighs. "About your father..."
"He was here. I bumped into him by the elevators," I mumble.
"I heard." Mom brushes a hand through my messy hair, and I can't help but bite back a grin at the twinge of annoyance flashing across her face. Sorry mom, my hair's not settling down anytime soon. It's always messy. "Lucas talked with your father. I suppose your dad was convinced that dropping by unannounced wasn't the wisest course of action."
Lucas did all THAT while I was gone? Without anyone blowing up? Geez, I owe him a lot more than I thought.
As if noticing my expression, Mom presses a thumb against my cheek. "He's not here today," she says gently. "But maybe next time, you should see a movie together. Or go see one of those baseball games you love to watch."
I snort. "Yeah, good riddance."
"He does love you, you know. You and Tracy." My mom gets that forlorn look in her eyes. "Your dad and I... well, we didn't get along, but you know he cares about you. Still does. I don't want you to dislike him because of me."
I swallow down the lump in my throat. "Well, that doesn't change the fact that Dad's a selfish jerk who cared more about his job and hooker trips than he cared about all of us combined-"
"Language, young man," Mom says sternly, and I shut my mouth. "There were no hooker trips involved-"
"Makes no difference," I mumble, glaring at the lava pool of sunlight on the floor that I name NORFAIR. "He cheated on you."
Mom presses her hand into my face. "Look at me." When I still refuse, sulking, her fingers brush over my messy bangs, then lift up one of my eyelids.
"You're not your father," she whispers, and ashamed, I squeeze my eyes shut. God, I hate my eyes.
"I wish I looked more like you," I say thickly.
"Why?"
"Because." I angrily wipe the stinging sensation from my eyes. "You know why."
Mom just smiles. "You're my son. You're your father's son. You're both, and more." She pinches me in the cheek. "You're a hero."
"I am not-"
"The Chosen One."
"Quiddit mom, I'm being serious-" I try to bat her aside, but she manages to pinch both of my cheeks.
"The dorkiest hero in the history of dorks-"
"Mo-Om, I am NOT a dork," I whine when she tickles the laughter out of my lungs. "Okay, I geddit, I'm an awesome person, now can you lemme go grab Lucas before he walks into this cheesefest-"
Still, even as she teases me and complains about how much nonexistent weight I've gained, I can't stop laughing.
It's good to be home.
.
.
.
~oO0Oo~
.
.
.
As I barely give Lucas any time to glance my way before dragging him back inside from the hallway, I'm grateful times a thousand for his killer perception. If Lucas noticed me sniffling a little, he doesn't say anything.
Though when he reaches for my hand, obviously wanting to offer me comfort, I pull away. "Thanks, really. I would too, but we can't here." A questioning look. "I'll tell you later. There's something you should know."
With another gentle brush against my mind, Lucas complies.
When we return home with Mom's discharge papers and extra groceries, Tracy zooms past me to hug mom like I don't exist.
"Mom, you're back!" she cries.
"Geez, what am I? The Uber driver?" I grunt, dragging five grocery bags in each hand.
"No, you're the homeless guy who eats burgers out of the trash," Tracy quips.
Hoisting his own share of groceries, Lucas snorts into laughter, and I give him my best offended "puppy dog" pout.
"Well, she's not wrong," Lucas says helpfully, and I elbow him in the side.
"I only ate out of the trash once. ONCE. And that was because I hadn't eaten in three days," I complain, feeling like I have to explain myself even though everyone already kNOWS, and Lucas gently nudges me as if to say that he does, that he gets it, and that he was just being a lil shit.
"Oh yeah... mom, it happened again," I say, remembering what else to tell her when I dump all the groceries back onto the kitchen counter, and I've got the heart to be ashamed because I'm about to uproot the family AGAIN. "Porky's back on the radar, so Master Hand sent more bodyguards around the house-"
Mom doesn't even bat an eye. "That's okay-"
"Sorry-"
"Don't you dare apologize. This is NOT your fault," she says sternly, now pushing Lucas away from the stove and ordering him to R&R. "Safety is most important. If the bodyguards become a hassle, I'll look into finding another job in Smash City... but Tracy's still a freshman, so we'll see if we can transfer her over to a new high school there-"
When I leave Tracy complaining in the kitchen - wHAT, we have to move aGAINNN? - Lucas frickin comes out of Nowhere and slugs me in the shoulder.
"Owww," I whine in an exaggerated fashion, making a huge show of rubbing my "sore" spot, even though Lucas clearly held back for the name of fun. "What the hell, you bastard-"
"That's for leaving me behind in the elevator."
"Oh, come on," I wail. "I'm sorry-"
Smirking like the biggest dick ever, Lucas punches me again. "Apology-" Punch. "Accepted-" Punch.
"Okay, now you're just asking for it," I scowl, socking him in the side, and we stumble into couch trying to out-punch each other when I furiously declare, vICTORY IS MINE!
Then-
"Ness, what oN GOD'S GREEN EARTH aRe you doing?!"
Caught in the act, Mom gives me another lecture about "behaving myself around guests" while Lucas watches me in the corner with this hugeass smirk growing on his face. And UNFAIRLY, when Mom fawns over him AGAIN, he keeps up THE PERFECT SON™ act. Like I said, once a smartass, always a smartass.
Though the second we're alone with all the doors and curtains closed, I retaliate by pinning him down and kissing him senseless against my bed.
Heavy talk can come later.
Kisses and cuddles first.
After dinner, Mom turns in early for the night, swooping over for another round of goodnight hugs, and I have to bite back a grin when I see Lucas melting into her hug too. Even he can't resist against the power of a mother's love.
So while Lucas finishes up in the shower, I spot Tracy sprawled over the couch reading a novel. Perfect time for quality sibling bonding.
That is, until I get a good look at the page she's on.
I squint at what looks like two very naked... disproportionately-looking girls with glowing dicks kissing and making out. Reading graphic porn in the living room? I guess all secrets are out now that Mom's gone to bed. Still, I have to commend my sister for her bravery. "Are you reading lesbian porn?" I croak, my voice suddenly dry.
Tracy rolls her eyes like I'm the biggest idiot in the world. "No. They're boys."
"...I see." I watch the next panel in horror at what looks like an incredibly feminine guy... or alien-girl-thing... contort its body in a way that's impossible for human physics. Still, I'm determined for dat quality sibling bonding time, and stubbornly plow through. "Uh, what's the plot?"
"Dude A likes Dude B, but Dude B's banging Dude C, except Dude C is a vampire who sparkles in the sun, and now we're at the part where the crazy ex-girlfriend shows up just before the threeway orgy that's borderline consensual-"
"So basically, porn without plot."
With a smile so sweet it ALMOST makes me wonder how she keeps such an innocent expression while reading something so LEWD, Tracy flips over a page. "Look, big brother. Porn's as realistic as a three-headed unicorn. So if you can watch lesbian porn with dem double Ds, then let me read my porn in peace."
"..." I can't argue against that.
Lost for how to carry on the convo, I scratch the back of my neck. "Well, make sure the paparazzi don't get their hands on your weirdass porn, because they might think it's mine-"
"Geez I know, I'll be careful. I don't really read this stuff anyways. My friend recommended it- and it sucks." With a sigh, Tracy shuts her novel. "I can't believe I borrowed this from the library - The plot's so lame. The art wasn't even that good too."
"Yeah," I say awkwardly, though on the inside, I'm secretly terrified by the twisted WTF plot that she's just read out loud. "Well, if you want any new ones, one of my friends gave me a couple doujins on Christmas as a prank gift-"
"Nesscas doujins? Ew, no thanks." Tracy wrinkles her nose. "I'm not reading weirdass porn about YOU. You're my brother, and Lucas is like, family. That's just weird."
Now it's MY turn to scrunch up my face. "Who told you to READ Nesscas doujins?! I'm just asking you to take everything, because the paparrazi watch you less. Can't you just burn them for me or something? I don't need them-"
"I'll take the other mangas if they're fluffy, but you're on your own for the Nesscas stuff," The-Devil-that-is-my-sister says, now picking up an actual novel to read for her English class. "Good luck telling Lucas about that."
I sulk. Lucas walks out of the bathroom for his toothbrush. Tracy smirks into her copy of Little Women.
It's like the whole bookstore fiasco. I know it's stupid to get all worked up over something clearly fictional, but I guess the doujins made me weirdly uncomfortable tonight. Maybe it's their overt sexual content. Maybe it's the way they fetishized relationships in almost the same disturbing way Porky saw them. A part of me wants to vent about the day to Lucas, but I feel pretty solid so far after venting to four other friends, and decide to stay put. It doesn't seem fair for Lucas to be bombarded by another wave of bad news, so I decide to leave all the serious talk for tomorrow. Think positive thoughts. Mom's been discharged from the hospital. I cured my homesickness, and Lucas is safe. Let's end the day on a happy note.
So I'm pretty proud of myself when I drag out my video games, because when Lucas's eyes gleam, I know we're in for a good ride.
Unfortunately, like every time, it jumps from zero to a hundred.
And of course - like every time - it begins with a stupid competition.
One second, we're playing Cuphead against Baroness Von BonBon on the air mattress. At some point, during another heated battle of MarioKart, we started sabotaging each other - tickling each other in the ribs, yanking each other back by the shirt - and then Lucas gets that look on his face, like he's watching me do triple backflips but not really before we're back on the floor and I'm kissing him again.
"Your mom says I-" Lucas tugs his wrists free. "-can take the air mattress tonight-" I kiss him again. "...You're not listening, are you."
"Nope," I say happily, now looking for the optimum hugging spot, because Lucas is practically skin and bones wrapped in lean lean muscle, and I end up settling for his stomach because it's softest to squeeze and I get the least number of sharp pointy pokes there. Lucas initially stiffens up when I hug him, still not a fan of touch, but I make sure to keep the hug loose enough so he can either relax or break it off.
Give him space. Give him breathing room.
Slowly, closing his eyes with a pleased hum that rolls over his body, Lucas wraps himself around me, and I'm not ashamed to admit I'm grinning like I've added an awesome snapback to my prized hat collection. Through our empathy link, there's something strangely familiar about this warm and fuzzy feeling, about the way Lucas's eyes soften slightly, or even when his pupils grow round and dark, and I have to resist the urge to kiss him again.
When his magic cheers and celebrates in a shower of euphoria, I lean my head against his. "...I love you."
Lucas mumbles into my shoulder.
Confused, I frown. "Wait, what?"
Nosing his way into my neck in a futile attempt to hide - fuck, he's freezing - Lucas turns a faint shade of pink, and I can tell because it's spreading down the back of his neck. "Thanks...," he mumbles again.
And even though I wanna punch the sense into this dumbass again until he admits his own self-worth - because what the fuck, who the hell THANKS someone for loving them?! - I'm giving into the biggest shit-eating grin ever, because it's a huge step up from before.
He said Thanks.
He didn't say Sorry.
I'll take "Thanks" over "Sorry" any day.
So I hug him tighter and bury my pleased face into his chest. Though when Lucas turns as rigid as a board, before suddenly pushing me away, I whine in complaint until I catch his expression.
His face slowly turns crimson.
My grin grows wider.
In response, Lucas rolls his eyes and turns his back around, the embarrassed flush in his cheeks spreading into the back of his arms when I stubbornly refuse to let him bolt like a cheetah and cuddle against his back on the air mattress.
I tug on the back of his shirt. "Turn back around," I whisper.
Lucas does, letting our legs tangle with a sigh. "...why do you want to change the color of your eyes."
I feel my face burn. "Oh." I swallow. "So you heard me talking to my mom."
"No. I spotted you standing in the colored contacts aisle." A pause. It's almost petulant. "Ness... I like your eyes."
I crack a smile. "Thanks buddy. That means a lot," I say softly.
"And you should try to sleep," he murmurs. "You haven't been sleeping well for a while."
I grimace. "I've been having nightmares for the past few months."
"Giygas?"
I shudder again. "They're not about Giygas, no."
"Do you think it's a premonition."
"I talked to Paula about it, and she doesn't think it is...well, not all of them. It's hard to say WHAT they are," I rub my head. "I feel like... my dreams are really important. Somehow. Lemme talk to Shulk in the morning. He might know how to interpret visions." I ruffle his hair, and just the fact that he's here makes me smile. "Hey, it'll be okay."
And when Lucas slowly smiles back, his eyes lighting up, a part of me melts into a huge puddle of happy.
I won't let Porky take away this smile.
I will protect this smile.
.
.
.
~oO0Oo~
.
.
.
Tension.
A dusty battlefield on the brink of war.
On one end stands a barren village. On the other, a metropolitan born straight out of a child's play dream. Its multicolored lights flicker and die like an epileptic seizure. Just looking at it makes my stomach drop to the floor.
Nearby me, the terrified villagers watch the city from afar in a scattered crowd underneath the cherry blossom forest, looking uneasy and uncertain, but refuse to run.
Then a black dot.
Two.
Within seconds, a wave of shadows eats up the land.
An army of toys swarms over the horizon in a reign of tyranny, and in the light of the dying sun, I squint to make out a figure in the back, supported by a pair of Porky bots stumbling and tripping under the weight of his throne. Even from afar, I can recognize the disgusted sneer on his pudgy face, the unforgiving expression on his face that promises genocide.
Porky Minch.
Just as I move forward to intercept him, a hand stops me, holding me back by the shoulder.
A flourish of a blood red cape.
The caw of a raven.
Through the gloom, a pair of bright blue eyes pierce mine, the weight of a gold-tipped crown materializing upon his blond locks. The mystical staff in Lucas's right hand glows and pulsates with a magic that lodges the breath into my throat, a magic that cascades over the ring on his finger in a waterfall and ripples along his Awesome Cloak like the scales of a Dark Dragon. Sunflowers sprout and blossom at his feet, their shivering petals soaking up his magic as if he was the last ray of sunshine left for them to drink.
His eyes soften a fraction.
Then after a brief appraisal, Lucas lets go, brushing past me in the manner of someone determined to finish the job. Standing his ground alone in the battlefield, he sweeps his hands forward for a fight, ancient magic coursing through his fingers and raising the hairs on my arms, and the whispers of the villagers rally behind him in the background. They rise and fall in my ears as one, as a murmur, as a blessing, as a prayer that dared to cling onto the barest sliver of hope even in the oncoming onslaught of darkness, and as I'm hit by a major wave of deja vu, I catch the fated words:
All hail the King of Nowhere Islands.
Author's Note:
Thank you for the fanart ( ´ ▽ ` ).｡ｏ
Ness changed Paula's contact name from PSI Paula to PSI Powla in this chapter.
Happy reading!
*In Earthbound, Ness has to beat a squad of police men and Chief Strong to get out of Onett. The game throws shade to America as a reference to police brutality (especially to a famous racial violence case in the 19XXs. More specifically, Rodney King).
*In Earthbound, Ness's mom keeps referring to Paula as Ness's girlfriend on his calls home. At the end of the game, you have the choice of either walking Paula back home, or walking Paula to NESS'S home, implying that they were close and fond of each other.
*In Earthbound, Paula gets kidnapped twice: (i) by the Happy Happy cultists (i.e. KKK reference) who wanted to sacrifice(?) her as their high priestess: Ness first meets Paula in person when he frees her here (ii) In the Fourside Department Store: The lights flicker for a second, then Paula disappears from your party.
*In Mother 3, The Awesome Ring, Awesome Crown, Awesome Cloak, and Mystical Staff are all the best ultimate equips for Lucas dropped by enemies in-game.
*In Mother 3, Lucas's hometown - Tazmily Village - is located on the Nowhere Islands.
*In Mother 3, Lucas's dad - Flint - is the first person in the Village to land in jail after assaulting his fellow villagers, as a result of helpless grief born from the instant he hears of Hinawa's death.