Forever Sinners:
Chapter XVIII—Restart
-~-
A/N: This is from Johnny's POV. It will make more sense then. Anyways, don't get mad. Check out the title. With my infamous lame fanficing skills I'm bring Johnny back. Wee! Bow before my lameness. But remember its 7 years later. BOO! Everyone's older and perhaps…more insane? Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Jhonen says finish or die. I guess I'm finishing!
-~-
I opened my eyes, which considering, I thought was impossible. It felt like I had just woken up from a dream. Blinking, I sat up to meet the calm gaze of Mr. Devil.
"Am I dead?"
"No."
"So, I'm alive?"
"I would believe so. You are talking to me." He raised an eyebrow, almost asking, 'Isn't it obvious?'
"Yes, well…floating rabbit's heads have talked to me too."
"Hmm…you have a point." He puts his hand on his chin.
Then suddenly, something dawns on me. "I thought my head was gone."
"It was." Mr. Devil didn't say more. This is what I hate most about him. His attitude.
"…so…?"
"So?" He raised an eyebrow again, obviously bored.
"Why am I still alive?" I grit my teeth, trying not to beat Mr. Devil's head in with the nearest object to me.
"You're not." He clicks his tongue.
"But…I thought…you said…" My head hurts.
"You weren't anyways." He continues as if I didn't say anything. I really don't like Mr. Devil when he acts like this. "However, it was impossible to revive your body as it was. The head had already…hmm…shall we say lost its freshness by the time me and Pepito found it. So we decided to just pick your soul up and put it into a new body. And I must say I chose wisely."
Blinking again, I look down at my supposedly new body. And it was. Instead of being as thin as I was before, I had actually had a form that wouldn't have people make fun of, broad shoulders, slim-but not insanely thin body. I checked my hair, it wasn't the same navy color, instead it was black, but dye can change that.
I reached up to touch my face while Mr. Devil watched, obviously amused. Strong chin…deep set eyes…I'll have to find out what color they are later.
"I suppose you like your new body?"
"…yes?"
"Wonderful. Pepito picked it out. And from the others, it was a nice pick." He moved his hands around in a circle as if it would help me understand how wonderful this pick was.
"Who was he?" Curiosity got the better of me.
"Just some assassin in Japan.[17]" A murderer like me? Well that's reassuring. If I had gotten a paper-pusher I would have felt guilty when I killed some asshole.
"How did he die?"
"His lover killed him.[18]"
"Wow." I tried to think of Todd ever trying to kill me when I stopped that thought. Lover? Todd? ….it could happen.
"Are you coming out of there or are you going to spend another seven years asleep?" Pepito's head pops into the room we are in. Before I hadn't noticed it, it looked like a bedroom. Maybe the guest room of the house. Completely cheery. Mr. Devil's wife must have decorated it.
Wait! Did he say seven years?!
"What?!"
"Oh yes…I forgot to mention." Mr. Devil runs a hand through his nonexistent hair. "You've been asleep for seven years."
"…I got that…" I stare at them both with wide eyes. "…how?"
"It's a long process to get the soul back into the body." Mr. Devil replied. "The body itself has to accept you as its owner and paperwork up the yin-yang. So I just put your soul to sleep while I got that all set up."
"…ah…" Though I really didn't understand.
"Coming, Johnny?" Pepito's voice seemed to have aged into maturity. It had even lost that New York accent.
"Yes." I get up and brush off my outfit. A suit. I'll have to change later. Then I pause, looking back at Mr. Devil.
"Yes it's alright to leave." That wasn't what I was curious about…but oh well.
I leave the room, following Pepito. I hadn't noticed before at how Pepito had changed. He looks almost as tall as I was before I died. His hair had grown all around his head and now had a spiked look to it. His eyes hadn't changed much, accept the right one looked the same size as the other, rather than bulging.
"What are you doing?" Pepito raises and eyebrow.
"I've been asleep for seven years. I'm trying to recap." I snap back.
"I look fine. Take a picture."
"Pepito!" A cheerful voice calls from the kitchen. It sounds familiar. "Don't be so rude to Johnny. He just got up you know."
"Yes I know." He calls back, seemingly nicer.
A head pops out from around the corner and I nearly fall over with laughter or shock. I'm not even sure yet.
Eff stands before me now, his hands on his hips. He's wearing a pink apron and his once messy hair actually had a flow to it. His outfit had changed also. Instead of black and navy shirts, he wore one large black one that had some red printing that was being covered up by the pink apron. Jeans. Hn…Jeans are evil.
"What's so funny?"
"…Apron?" I gasp, I hadn't known I've been laughing. Pepito looks ready to set me on fire. What's his deal?!
"I'm helping my boyfriend's mother cook. Is that a problem?"
Boyfriend…BOYFRIEND?! I look at Pepito with new understanding. "Him…and you?" Wow, being asleep for seven years really makes you out of the loop when you wake up.
"Yes, is that a problem, Johnny?"
"Now, Pepito." Eff interjects, waving a hand at him. He's been taking a lesson from Pepito's mother. Now that would be interesting to see!
"Right." Pepito grumbled. "Let's go."
"Have fun!" Eff gave him a kiss on the cheek before hopping back into the kitchen. Surprisingly, Pepito didn't grimace as he does with his mother. Then again, that is his boyfriend.
I follow Pepito out of the house. Rather to get away from the new touchy-feely Eff. Then I quickly jerked my head upwards.
"Where's Richard?!"
"Don't worry about him."
"Huh?"
"He's in the looney bin, rocking back and forth." Pepito smiled cheerfully as he started putting on his shoes and coat.
"…why?" It was a logical question. One minute he's trying to kill me (and succeeded I might add) and the next seven years he's insane. I'm lost.
"It's really your fault."
I give him a blank stare.
"Long story short, he's now the resident flusher."
"…oh....so…?"
"The job drove him insane. He's pretty docile now. Even gave us the permission, to paraphrase, own Eff as ours until the day we die. Which if you think about it isn't going to happen soon." Pepito grinned widely as he buttoned the last part of his coat up. "Let's go." He says again.
"Where are we going?" I walk after him as he goes down the front steps.
"To your grave."
"HUH?!"
-~-
TBC?
C&C are welcome!
[17] Seishirou Sakurazukamori thing. X/1999 fans should get it. XD I always liked the look of Seishirou. Bite me people!
[18] Spoiler to X16! Sorry! I'm an X/1999 fangirl forever!
I hope you liked this chapter and cheered some of you up. No, I'm not bring D back. Sorry, that would be going overboard. That's all! I hoped you liked it!