Disclaimer: Not mine. Oh, I hope it doesn't thunder again…

Chapter Six: Meltdown

Kip's eyes narrowed to slits as he smashed Bloo against the cheap wooden door. Bloo's head hit a second later, thundering painfully. Vision swimming, he shut his eyes briefly, aware he was going to pay dearly for ten minutes of solitude. Kip wouldn't dare seriously injure his fledgling star, but he'd certainly give him some bruises. Bloo cursed the makeup artists, skillful enough to hide even the largest black eye and split lip. In the very least, before his final curtain call, he wanted the world to see Kip exactly as he did- an egotistical, greedy bastard who abused Bloo like there was no tomorrow.

Behind the door, Mac leaned forward, listening intently. Of course he believed Bloo when he told him Kip mistreated him, but now he could actually testify to it. Brashly, he ran at the door and tugged heartily at the knob. Bloo's eyes slid sickly to the shaking metal and he swallowed hard. He never wanted Mac to be this involved in his life, especially during a beating. He just wanted to protect his creator.

Kip ignored it momentarily, grabbing Bloo by the collar of his shirt and yanking him up. Bloo glared back, obstinate and defiant. Seeing Mac, albeit shortly, lent him willpower he hadn't shown in years. If he desired information to wield against him to hurt Mac, he'd have to pry it from his cold, dead corpse. He'd long since proved he didn't care what happened to himself, but Mac was the only thing in the world that mattered to him. Kip probably knew that, too.

"What did you tell him?" he spat, pummeling the humanoid against the door. In a way, Bloo was thankful he hadn't thrown him on the floor or shifted him to the nearby wall. Mac was bound to run out, trying to protect him, and that was the last thing Bloo needed. He didn't want to be protected- there wasn't much left he wished. Except Mac's assured safety, but that was it.

"What do you care?" Bloo snapped, ire rising. "After I wrote 'Teenage Suicide' and it was approved, you told me that if I thought of killing myself, I should do it after your retirement was ensured! You never gave a damn about me! All you do is use me!"

"And it took you two years to figure that out, huh? No wonder you're just a pathetic rock star- you have the brains of a rock," Kip retorted coldly, punching him in the eyes. Bloo whimpered, but wouldn't give him the satisfaction of anything else. When his head recoiled to the door again, it smacked soundly. At this rate, the only stars he was going to see were the ones dancing in his vision. I hate you…I hate you…

Pounding commenced from the other side and Bloo's heart sank to his stomach. He was no fool- he'd seen the look on his creator's face when he told him his plan. Mac still cared deeply for him and hearing this drove him mad. He wanted to help him, rescue him. Images flooded his mind; all were particularly gruesome deaths at the hands of Kip. Without Mac, he'd kill himself in front of everyone. He wouldn't even pretend to care anymore. Slip on a plug and break his neck, slit his wrists or throat…they'd be easy on stage.

"Bloo!" Mac screamed, ramming the door. He longed to warn him and explain why he wasn't worth rescuing. Kip smiled crookedly, watching the play of emotions on his face. The color drained from Bloo's face and he struggled to release himself from Kip's grip. Kip smirked, holding steadfast.

Throwing him down to the floor, Kip ground his foot into Bloo's throat. Bloo glared up, unmitigated hatred burning his gaze. So this was how he was going to die? Murdered by his producer hours before a show? He couldn't say it surprised him- he'd thought many times in the past Kip would grow weary of him and murder him by "accident". He'd goaded him into it once, hoping he really would kill him. Only the pyrotechnics, stumbling upon the scene, snatched Kip forcibly by the arms and removed him. They'd been paid handsomely not to speak out, of course.

"Mac…" Bloo croaked, weakly perceiving him rip the door open. Stunned, Mac stared down, horrified. Smirking, Kip ground his heel into Bloo's throat and enjoyed Bloo's slight cries. The creature's eyes shifted to Mac, poising to lunge at Kip. The youth looked like he wanted to rip Kip's throat out for hurting Bloo like this.

Snapping his fingers, Kip summoned two hefty security guards, enveloping Mac on both sides. Mac fought valiantly, but they overpowered him. Still squirming, he screamed Bloo's name until one clapped a hand over his mouth. Bloo could almost hear him screaming in his mind.

"I knew it wasn't a good idea to have him here. I knew you'd get ideas," he snarled, stepping off to permit Bloo oxygen. Greedily, the imaginary friend gulped air, his whole body shuddering. Adjacent to them, Mac kicked pitifully at his captors and continued to scream Bloo's name, muffled thanks to the thickness of their palms.

Recovering enough to speak, Bloo glared reproachfully at Kip and struggled to his feet. The world swam in seas of color, but he focused on Mac. His eyes watered, but he wasn't sure whether it was from pain, exertion, or misery at seeing his creator struggling to his aid. He hadn't asked for this, any of it. Was this his karmic retribution? All the nasty pranks he pulled, everything he'd ever done and said had led up to his point. Was God mocking him derisively for things he couldn't remember doing?

"Call them off!" Bloo snarled, starting forward. Kip slammed him against the wall and smirked. His hands snaked around, pinning Bloo. Out of the corner of his eye, Bloo spotted Mac, tiring but clearly yelling for his imaginary friend. The guards blinked, befuddled by Mac's apparent lack of self concern. Struggling hurt him as well.

"I don't think so," Kip retorted. "I shouldn't have agreed to this in the first place. Now you've probably gone and told him everything-"

"I told him I wanted to die! It's the truth!" Bloo screamed, desperate. "Just let him go!"

"Is that all you told him?" Kip hissed. "I think there's more."

The guards, astounded, released Mac thoughtlessly. He tumbled to the dirty floor and blinked up in amazement. Still, hearing him reaffirm his death wish made his stomach flip flop nauseatingly. Free from his impediment, Mac rose unsteadily to his feet and glared. He had to think of something…anything…

"I told him you're an asshole! Fine, happy? It's true too! You treat me like shit- animals get better treatment. I didn't tell him how much I hate you, but I guess you already know that, huh?" Bloo hissed, folding his arms across his chest. Kip grabbed both arms and twisted them behind his back. This time, Bloo actually cried out, in a surprising amount of pain. However, before Kip could attempt to break one of them, Mac charged him and tackled him to the floor.

"Leave him alone," Mac growled, sitting on his chest. "Let us leave and I won't call the cops on every law you've broken, I swear. Just give him to me."

Leaving? Honestly vanishing from sight, no longer being a rock star or being forced to perform when he wanted to drop dead of exhaustion? No more sleepless nights and foodless days? No more verbal and physical abuse? It sounded too good to be true. Eating all he wanted at Foster's…sleeping in a bed instead of a cot or, worse, inside a cage.

"And a twelve year old honestly thinks he can overpower me?" Kip snickered, shoving Mac off. Mac stumbled, but stood swiftly. He didn't wait for Kip, though- he leaned one foot on his chest, much like Kip had to Bloo's throat. Bloo blinked, taken aback by Mac's resorting to violence. Then again, there really was no compromise with him. Either that or hearing him slammed against the wall had sapped the last of his patience.

"You don't have the guts, kid. Even if you really wanted to, you couldn't hurt me. You care too much about your fellow creatures to start anything."

Mac glanced at Bloo, gazing slack-jawed at him. An unspoken dialogue passed between them.

"Why aren't you jumping at this? You can make him let you go!" Mac's eyes inquired, scrutinizing Bloo intently. Bloo winced, always uncomfortable under the heat of his creator's gaze. He dropped his head, wishing the bloodlust had lasted. Then, he could join Mac and perhaps finally free himself. Instead of happiness, fury, or vengeance, he felt dully empty. That was the true meaning of depression- all other emotions quaked before it. He couldn't feel anything anymore.

The guards regained their composure and in a matter of seconds, materialized behind Mac. They cracked their knuckles threateningly before snatching him off and hauling him somewhere. Bloo watched them go, suddenly drained completely. He wished he had helped Mac…or at least murdered Kip. Maybe he could have gotten off for that, since it was justifiable homicide. Years of abuse and all that.

"Mac!" Bloo suddenly screamed, tearing off down the hall to him. A door slammed in front of him, barring his entrance. Feeling pathetic, Bloo stomped off to run into Kip, leering unpleasantly.

"Lights, camera, action, brat."

Panic stricken, queasy with sweaty palms, Bloo prepared to greet the screaming crowd. He hadn't seen Mac since the guards dragged him off and fretted during makeup (or reconstruction, in his opinion), wardrobe, and everything else. If anything had happened to his creator, it was all his fault. He wished he hadn't won the contest now, because he was in even more danger.

Mac, what have I dragged you into? Bloo thought, hugging himself. He couldn't stop shaking. A thousand dreadful scenarios involving Mac's brutal assassination, most in front of him though some only within earshot, haunted him. For the first time, Bloo honestly wanted to cancel the show, find his creator, and hightail it out of here. As soon as he knew Mac was safe, he'd force himself on stage.

Let him be okay…

"Get on stage now," Kip growled, shoving his protégé forward. Bloo stayed put, craning his neck. He couldn't see him at all, neither in the crowd or backstage. His stomach lurched and, if he'd anything to expel from his system, he might be sick.

"Where's Mac?" Bloo snapped. "I'm not going on unless I know he's okay."

"R.D.! R.D.!" the crowd screeched, clapping their hands and stomping their feet. Bloo ignored them. They didn't know what was going on, anyway. Their puny preteen minds couldn't grasp it. How could they possibly understand Bloo was going insane because his real creator might be hurt thanks to his bastard producer? How could they understand anything at all? They were just stupid humans.

"He's fine," Kip snarled, shoving him on stage. Before Bloo could dart back in to question him, the lights fell upon him and, sick to his stomach, he launched into R.D.

""Everything I say I've said before

Life has no significance anymore

I just want sweet surrender and peace

I want my life to cease."

Bloo sang half heartedly, his knees quaking. He felt the familiar sensation of nausea, exhaustion, dizziness, alternating heat and cold, and shivers. In a few moments, he was going to pass out. He welcomed it gladly after the events of today. Sure, he might collapse in front of everyone, but he was used to that now.

"I've been used and abused

My only wish refused-"

Bloo's knees buckled again, this time threatening to drop him. Swaying dangerously, he clutched the microphone stand for dear life. The fans became blurs of color and his words gargled in his ears. He couldn't even finish the damn song…

"Just let me escape any way I can

This world is more than I can stand…"

Colors faded to gray, then black. His knees crumpled under him and he fell to darkness.

"Bloo!" Mac screamed, scrambling out of the clutches of Kip's security guards to run onstage and catch Bloo before he hit the stage. In his arms, he felt light, almost unnaturally so. Meanwhile, in front, fans screamed, finally broken out of their astonishment to realize something big was going down. Their beloved R.D. had fainted and a mysterious brown haired boy was cradling him.

Bloo breathed shallowly, his chest rising and falling rapidly. All the blood drained from Mac's face. He had to get him to a doctor. After everything that happened to him, he sincerely doubted Bloo was remotely healthy. And his collapsing proved it.

"What do you think you're doing?" Kip snarled, stepping onstage. A million eyeballs watched eagerly. Mac rose unsteadily, propping Bloo up. He was surprised he hadn't resorted to his imaginary form already. Maybe he'd been trained not to.

"Rescuing Bloo," Mac snapped, cautiously maneuvering themselves away. "You're the one who did this to him."

"Preposterous," Kip retorted, though up close, Mac saw beads of sweat trickle down his forehead. He grabbed a microphone, pointed to the guards Mac had evaded, and then to Bloo. Mac's stomach flopped, but, before he could step even five feet away, he was short an imaginary friend and his chance to free him.

Replies to reviews!

Rakal- That he was. "Let's Bloo this!"

And fyi, that's why I added the three weeks between. That way, Bloo would have time become depressed again. Yes, it was nice for him to snap at Kip for once, instead of the other way around. If only he weren't too depressed to attack when he was down.

I agree wholeheartedly with the whole argument in the last chapter. I don't write how people would like to see it, but as it would really happen. I just write what comes to me, basically.

I love nice and dark. (smiles)

Trixie21- Alas, poor Eurick, no. No imaginary friends stowed away. No help for Mac…yet.

I'm, er, sidestepping your large paragraph about Bloo's future condition. No offense.

Thanks…I appreciate your reviews.

MisterBlue- If you can call California the "middle of nowhere". I think a few thousand people might consider that untruthful.

And this chapter had more Mac/Bloo interaction. (smiles) Too bad Kip knows exactly how to hurt Bloo…

Nonymous- Yes, well, secretly, I'm too lazy to do that. Well, that and it's terribly stressful. I hope college professors won't mandate a certain amount of words maximum. I'll go insane.

It probably did. Too bad it scared the hell out of Mac. I think at the root of it all, Bloo really does want rescue, but he's terrified it'll come at the expense of his creator. So he'd rather kill himself than have Kip murder Mac. That's what it all boils down to, self sacrifice.

I don't think Kip actually cares if anything important was discussed. He knows Bloo's stuck and he's exploiting it. Though he might have a problem covering up Bloo's collapse in front of several thousand (or more) fans. Not to mention the sole person darting out to cradle him after screaming "Bloo!" and not "Deo!" or "R.D.!"

I've never actually read that poem. And I'm sorry to snap- sometimes I do that. I get rather impatient rather quickly. I apologize.

It'd be easier to understand the song in your head if this site didn't insist on screaming up my format. It really irks me.

Aw, damn. I thought I was in for a treat. And the only two musicals I've ever seen are "Wicked" and "Les Miserables". I remember nothing of the latter but adored the former. That probably doesn't help you at all.

Thanks.

Kcbs- I hope you're not actually crying. One lost review isn't worth tears, sweetie.

As opposed to me, who's always on the computer. I have no life. At any rate…

Well, if it helps you any, Bloo is my favorite character. Therefore, the chances are slim that I will let anything that drastic happen to him. However, I will say no more on that topic.

That's it for now! Thanks and be sure to read and review.

Until we meet again…