Chapter Two: And Then Last Night I Had A Strange Dream, Where Everything Was Exactly As It Seemed
The streets have never been this empty, you think. There must be something going on today because this neighborhood isn't too far from downtown. Your name is Dave Strider, you're nineteen and attending the nearby community college. It may be somewhat of a walk, but it's cool. You can handle that. Right now you were on your way to pay rent for your apartment. Thomas, your landlord, would finally stop yelling at you for waiting to pay until the last moment. Then, you notice how empty it is out here. Usually there are at least several cars driving by and kids hanging out on apartment stoops as you walk by. Today, no one is out, no one is driving by you, and it's starting to freak you out. As normal, you don't let it show. They're all busy or inside or something. Yeah, that's it. Don't be stupid, Strider.
You didn't realize that you'd stopped walking until now. You shake your head and almost start walking again but oh my god what the fuck is that. Jumping back, you press as close to the side of the brick building as you can. Shielding your eyes from the impact of whatever the fuck that was, you slowly lower your arms. Smoke is drifting up from the giant crater in the ground. There's a meteor and a small baby sitting on it like nothing's weird about any of this. Holy shit. There is a baby on that fucking thing. Without thinking you make your way down there as fast as you can. Scooping the baby up, both of you are instantly back on even ground. You hold the baby close and stare at the meteor for a good two minutes. You decide it'd be best to get the fuck out of there and abscond back to your apartment. Thomas would just have to yell at you again.
Back home, your chest is heaving up and down just from being plain frightened the fuck out of your mind. You aren't entirely sure what the hell just happened back there. The baby in your arms is clinging to your front, nestled close and it seems he may even be asleep. What the actual fuck. Moving across the room, you look out your window and everything appears normal. Kids are sitting on stoops with their friends and cars are going down the road as usual. You decide maybe none of this will ever make sense and just move to sit down on the couch. Trying to move slowly so as not to disturb the baby - your head is already pounding and a screaming baby would just frustrate you even more so. He doesn't cry though. Instead his tiny eyes blink open and then you realize this baby has on tiny little anime shades.
(a man flashes through your mind and suddenly the void spews up information into your mind so quickly you just thought you had a headache earlier and oh god hes raising you, teaching you how to spin turntables, youre against him in strife on the roof and then-
and then hes lying on the ground dead dead dead oh my god bro no bro please dont you cant
bro please i still need you but he wont get up no matter how much you shake him or yell and his blood is pooling around his body and its on your hands and arms and knees and your chest too when you wrap your arms around him as best as you can sobbing and feeling his body losing its warmth and you feel like you cant take it anymore and - )
Oh. My. God. You are Dave Strider, in your living room sitting on a couch with a baby in your lap and tears are everywhere. Your one free hand rubs at your eyes repeatedly but it doesn't stop the flowing tears. The little baby in your lap (oh god bro its you isnt it oh my god you're alive and here and a baby but youre here and alive and no dont cry please dont cry too) decides not to listen to your internal pleas and his face scrunches up. Tears leak from his tiny eyes like water running from a faucet and he's waving his tiny fists around to show you just how upset he is. Your headache is pounding heavily against your skull, tears are still dripping from your own eyes, and you smile. You remember him; you remember your bro and while it's not everyone, it's a start.
You quiet the baby down and hold him as gently as you can in your arms. You aren't sure what you're going to do with a baby in college, but it's okay. Bro did it, and if he can do that and raise you while simultaneously being the most amazing brother on this -or any - planet, then you can do the same for him. You're going to be okay. You can do this, you can. You're going to continue school, but you'll have to spread out your classes and it'll take longer. That's perfectly fine to you, though.
You've waited for years for any kind of answer, and Bro is probably the best thing in your life right now. Part of the gaping hole inside of you fills up, but the hole is still incredibly large. In a way, that doesn't even matter anymore. It doesn't matter because you've got your brother and it was always just you and him. Your mind suggets others of great importance, but you know Bro was always number one to you. And now you have him back. It can be you two again, just you two Striders against the world and everything will be okay and alright from here on out.
You can be his hero just like he was yours.