I do not own Adventure Time...Glob.
The chapter title came from the song of Eyes Set to Kill of the same name.
~~o~~
Chapter 21 - Killing in Your Name
Finn was drifting...drifting...drifting... Torrent upon torrent of irrelevant bits and pieces of memories and imaginations flood past his floating mental existence. He was dreaming, for that he was not totally aware.
Disjointed. Unrelated. Confusing. Inexplicably coherent.
"And I love her..."
Cinnamon Bun... furiously punching him. He tried delivering punches of his own, but his knuckles got stuck inside his soft flesh. He pulled it out and saw through the hole a sleeping Flame Princess, a smile of contentment in her face.
"She's the best thing...that never happened to me."
A rainbow, a waterfall, a smooth shiny stone with dark burn marks all over. He picked it up to throw into the river under the waterfall, only to see a vicious Flame Princess evaporating the water with her hot flames. The river stopped flowing, and eventually dried up. It revealed that the entire river floor was covered by the same stone he was holding. He looked at the thing again, and saw instead burning heart slowly dying out.
"...and when you say my name, you get the best of me."
He was sitting on a bench with Flame Princess, happily sharing an ice cream. Some dribbled down his chin. He was about to wipe it away when the Princess leaned and licked it, sending pain surges through his body. It stung. He was about to berate her when he realized it wasn't ice cream they were sharing. It was molten lava. It was not a bench, it was a coffin. A knock came from inside.
"Remember...to forget you."
"You had your chance, and you blew it."
A mountain, a hill, a valley with beautiful grass swaying with the softly blowing wind. When he blinked, Flame Princess appeared in the horizon. Brighter than the rising sun, she glided towards him. He smiled goofily at her until he saw her expression of utter hatred. Cosmic Owl rained strange feathers on the hills as the grass burned away with him.
"...the world outside had changed you."
"Hush, don't speak a word."
He was inside a lamp. Below him, the newly crowned Flame King continued on her daily business. He rapped the glass hard but no visible damage was done. He continued striking the glass until somehow it slid up and the lamp was lowered to the ground. A devilish looking Cinnamon Bun sneered at him as he stepped out.
"Listen to me..."
"...nothing left to say."
Candy Kingdom burned, the ashes rising up into the dark night sky. The orange earthly glow reminded him of Flame Princess so much it really hurt. A burning marshmallow kid crawled towards him, the smell so inviting to him that his mouth watered uncontrollably.
"You're the dream that I live for."
"...don't speak again."
He was flying high into the sky. Up and up he went until he realized he wasn't really flying, but falling at break neck speeds. The wind rustled in his ears, the hard ground coming nearer and nearer. The last thing he saw before closing his eyes was Flame Princess with her left hand outstretched, as if catching him.
"If you believe in me, then stay by my side and fight with me."
"...I would have, before. Now, your battles are your own."
People. People everywhere. But no, they weren't people but toxic creatures. He raised his sword to protect himself, behind him, Sawyer and Ice Prince readied their own weapons. The toxic creatures melted into a deluge of smelly green liquid and engulfed the three of them. Somewhere above, the furious roars of a dragon dampened their screams.
"I'm stuck here at the bottom, and you're too high to come back down..."
"Silence your harsh words, my dear."
He was drowning. Drowning in ankle-deep water. He can't move a muscle as he layed face-first in the shallow waters. His eyes were already closing when a searing pain erupted on his neck. His eardrums were ringing, as if a loud sharp sound erupted near his ears. It elicited a yell from him, causing a large part of his oxygen in mouth to go back to the surface. Flame Princess raised him from the water, but dipped him back.
"...my ears are ringing of it, and I can't stop thinking of it."
"...everything you said to me."
The Tree Fort was demolished, some parts was drifting off in zero gravity. He snapped his fingers in annoyance, but a looming dark red shadow suddenly stretched itself across the Grasslands. A black owl hooted, and a vicious creature with four faces raised a sword of pure energy. Death rose from the ground, bringing with it a group of undead. Flame Princess tugged on his sleeves.
"You can't get over me."
"This feeling...I can't make it go away. I can't fight it."
He held on tight on Flame Princess, all the while swearing and shouting that he would never let her go. Smoke rose from his burning body, smelling of well-cooked meat. He felt no pain. No pain. No mortal pain rivaled his inner ailments. His hands completely snapped off like scorched branches. Flame Princess kissed him full in the mouth, and his vision was filled with nothing but roaring flames.
"...no one would do what you want."
"I watched you in your sleep."
She slept on. Unaware. Unbridled. Unhindered. He stood at the corner of her bed, taking in her heat for himself. He smiled as he saw Flame Princess smiled in her sleep. A stray flicker of flames landed on his cheek. He touched it, only to reach Flame Princess instead. She screamed and screamed as he pulled her down on the floor. Blood-curdling screams barely registered in his deafened ears as he mercilessly stabbed the helpless Princess with a sharp ice blade.
"...I gave you my all."
"...because I gave you my all."
He relentlessly carried her across the river, never letting even once any part of her body get in contact with the rushing water. A rumbling sound came beneath the riverbed as Cinnamon Bun emerged from the waters. He felt scared for the look he had on his face. The waters rose high in the air, bringing with it every living thing that happened to be swimming around them. Flame Princess laughed and laughed as waters crashed back down.
"No."
"...take my hand...Flame Princess."
Jake stretched on and on. He was amazed when he touched his own butt with his nose. Flame Princess clapped happily, jumping giddily like a kid. She kept clapping even until Jake shook and burst apart. Gleaming green eyes shone within. A thundering sound erupted somewhere as being of roaring green fires ripped itself out of Jake.
"You should have known you can't fight fate."
"I won't ever forget you."
Hot Daniel sped across the canyon, trailblazing through the desert and valleys. Flame Princess let her hair down, instantly getting swayed by the rushing wind. He smiled at her appreciatively, and saw on the side mirror Cinnamon Bun standing solitary atop on one of the sand dunes.
"...That will be like holding on to a hot coal."
"I'm willing to be burned, for you. I will be there for you."
Princess Bubblegum smiled deviously before breaking into a horrible laugh. He watched on as she harshly ripped apart Flame Princess' garments, exposing her. She cried in pain as the pink monarch prodded her with an ice tube. He took a step forward but a burning sword barred his path.
"You can't even save her."
"Her...her...her...you? No...she is you, the same way you are her."
"Flanna. Princess of Flames. Flame Princess."
"Wake up...wake up. Wake up!"
He woke up. Finn groggily opened his eyes, groaned because of a sharp pain shooting up from his left leg. Carefully trying to sit upright, he realized he couldn't feel his right leg at all. Finn looked at his limbs, then he screamed. It was a short, unprecedented scream followed by his own attempts at muffling his own voice.
"My leg...! Oh my Glob...my leg! What the heck...?"
The part below his right knee was completely gone, as if ripped away. Ligaments and tendons clung haphazardly like spaghetti bits on an unwashed plate. The bone stuck out, a grim reminder of what was missing. Finn was on the verge of crying, and it would have been the first time he cried hard for a physical pain if not because of Ice Prince standing near the doorway.
"Mertens! Help me, dude! What happened here?"
He did not replied, but just stood there with his back turned. Finn looked around; he was on the floor of the living room, amidst various clutter and broken bits of furniture and glass. The bleak midnight lights shone through the flimsy curtains. Distant streetlights, other lit homes, and other sources of light failed to provide enough illumination.
"Hey!"
Finn crawled with all his might, grunting with every force he exerted and insurgent pain from different parts of his body. He reached up and tugged on the wizard's pants, which failed to elicit a response too. He was freaked out by then so he crawled some more and looked the Prince right in the front, where his face should have been.
That then, Finn screamed and screamed. Ice Prince's face was replaced by spiked ice, his facial organs squashed and pushed away from the force of the impact of the object. He was essentially impaled on the spot by his own ice protruding from the wall opposite of the door.
"No...no...no...this isn't real biz...I'm so jacked up...no...no..."
Then he saw Brooke slumped against the hallway window, her neck at an impossible angle. Froth have soon dried up on her mouth. Finn felt the hair on the back of his neck stood up from the sight. It was gruesome, senseless, and meaningless.
"Who did this...?" He winced at the pain, of defeat, and of hopelessness of the situation.
A black silhouetted figure stood at the end of the hallway. The shadow was undeniably a human, or humanoid in shape and seemed to be a lady in a a short gown. The woman was so dark, darker than black; and seemed to be siphoning the nearby lights. Finn felt the dread set away all other emotions he was feeling a while ago as the woman steadily walk towards him. He can't scream. His throat failed to function. His strength left him altogether.
"...Flame Princess?" The woman disregarded his words and reached for his throat. The touch magnified his dread, his hopelessness, his realization that everything was lost.
A hand pulled at his arm.
"Wake up."
"Wake up."
"Boo."
"Marceline?"
"C'mon, weenie! We don't have much time!"
"Where are we?"
It was a place he only used to see in the pre-war movies; and it was chocked-full with humans walking briskly. The daylight provided so much warmth and illumination he almost missed the tall structures with numerous glass windows. There were also lots of huge televisions, signboards and various shops and stores. A screeching car came to a halt near the sidewalk they were walking on.
"Welcome to the Big Apple, Finn." Marceline smiled at him, her toothy grin belied a growing worry. "Uh...to be exact, we're in my mind, and this is just a enhanced fragment of my memory of New York. Watching Hollywood films really helped."
"You mean...all of this is just your doing? Even these people? That's awesome!"
"Well...about that. Those are your...subconscious, well projections of your subconscious. You're the subject of my ...architectural designs." Marceline gestured at the tall buildings. She seemed really proud. "Their appearances were influenced by me though, that's why they fit in the place. Look Finn, we don't have much time...that thing is coming."
"Who?"
"That woman...that woman in black."
"What is happening...?"
"You're in my mind, Finn, and you are currently sleeping. Think."
"Oh." I am dreaming, of course. We can't speak the word dream or we will be disconnected...
"I designed this place to be a some kind of a maze, but I don't think that will hinder that much though. We need to hurry..." Marceline trailed off and stared a few feet away from them. Finn whirled and saw a young Marcy with Simon, happily walking. Hambo in hand, young Marcy tugged at Simon's sleeves.
"Uh...Marcy? I'm not sure I understand any of this but why are my subconscious peepz are looking at you? They seemed totes angry too!"
"Huh...? What? Oh no, oh my Glob! C'mon, Finn!"
Holding hands, they ran towards some kind of a tunnel with stairs that lead down. "This is a subway, Finn."
"Marcy, they're staring at you like mad!"
"They're starting to get suspicious of me. The subconscious doesn't really like when someone's messing up with the subject." Marceline looked left and right and then stared at him. "Look Finn, a person's subconscious acts like white blood cells, which attacks any foreign objects in the body like virus and bacteria, and in this case, I'm the virus."
"Wait right there...Can't I just call them off? These peepz are me, so what's wrong?"
"You can't exactly control your subconscious, right?"
"Well...no."
"C'mon."
They walked through the subway, Finn saw that most signboards held no real meaning. At a glance they seemed to be depicting advertisements for a fast food chain, but upon closer inspection they weren't.
"I don't understand... How could we escape all of this? Won't I just wake up anyway?"
"Well yeah...but we can't exactly wait for you to wake up and let that thing catch up to us. Also, if this was just a single dream, I could just kill you to wake you up."
Finn felt dumb again. "What?"
"You're within a memory within a memory of a memory." Marceline looked at him knowingly.
"Memory...?" Oh wait...a dream. I'm within a dream within a dream in a dream. How the heck is that even possible? "So...what then?"
"If I kill you right now, you won't wake up. You'll just be stuck in a limbo, with your consciousness floating in void for Glob knows how long. You'll lose your mind, Finn."
He gulped at the thought. "Where are we going though?"
"Nowhere. We just need to keep moving."
"You're not hiding something from me, are you?"
They were out of the subway in matter of minutes and emerge into another busy business district. The humans looked busy at a glance, but upon closer inspection again, they were just mulling about. A loud sound of roaring engine resonated throughout the vicinity. All of his subconscious peepz looked up, and so he did. A burning fighter plane was in a direct collision with him and Marceline.
"No...This shouldn't be happening...Mom! I'm sorry, Finn!" Marceline picked him up and hurled him away. The last thing he saw before blacking out was Marceline being mobbed by his subconscious and the plane a few distance from her.
"Marcy!"
A whirring sound woke him up. Finn looked around and was surprised and relieved that he was still in Marceline's world. His right arm was completely broken from the impact into the hard cemented ground. At least he was still 'alive'.
"Are you alright, Finn? I was too afraid to move you." Marceline stood near him, clothing torn, blood dripping from her hands. Finn looked around and saw numerous subconscious peepz lying about and torn to pieces. Some were barely recognizable as human. "What the...what did you do Marcy? Why?"
"They...they...leave me no choice..."
The crash site of the plane lay a few meters away from them. Finn saw something move within the rubble of metal sheets and cracked asphalt. He squinted and saw a hand shot out, followed by a messy crown of long black hair. Marceline.
"Weenie...! Get away from her!"
He looked up in time to see the dark being. Finn rolled away to avoid the woman in black and run towards Marcy. He grunted with pain with every step but he carried on just to reach Marceline. His right arm felt horrible.
A few more feet.
A whispering sound behind him. It was echoing through his ears, like she was everywhere.
A silhouette in front of him, holding up a little metallic box. It wasn't just a metallic box, but a little vault - The Vault.
A looming dragon flying overhead.
A haunting chorus of piercing shrieks and grating groans came from somewhere behind.
"Wake up."
He blinked and he was back in the murder scene of his friends, the woman in black stood menacingly over him. She reached for his throat again. Finn tried punching the silhouette, but it went through like a she was made of air. Finn eyed the dead body of Brooke and Mertens. He knew they weren't probably real but he did not want to suffer their fate all the same.
"Wake up!"
He blinked.
"Well, that was an adventure, huh, Feenie?"
"Wha?!"
"Glob! Weenie! For someone who lacked imagination, your dreams are a riot fest! Your subconscious is so...morbid!" Marceline loomed above his consciousness, lazily flicking the top of his bear hat. "Are you alright, Finn? You're not...getting better at all. When you wallow in dark thoughts in your sleep, you let yourself open to...those things. That woman..."
"I'm not...I...It's not true..."
"Listen, Finn."
"What...?"
"You have to let her go. You need to move on. I can no longer see you like this...it's holding you back. You keeping her in your mind would never do you good..."
"Just...stop. I'm not asking you to barge in my mind, anyway. It's the only way that we can be together..."
"Finn, these are just dreams. None of this is true."
"This is my reality. Who are you to say otherwise?" He growled at Marceline menacingly, eyes gleaming with sudden flash of annoyance.
"Finn..."
"Sorry."
"I know."
"Where are we?"
"Why, of course, in the Twilight Hills. Well, technically we're still in your nightly excursions. Looks like someone is trying to wake you up, and saved you earlier." She looked around the dreamscape. "But you're not answering my question. This isn't healthy, weenie, and that woman in black further worsens your condition."
He was still dreaming, for that, Finn was sure. It was totally different now though. It was an entirely lucid dream, and he felt safe too. Calm. He could feel Marceline's consciousness meld with his much stronger, setting aside his own estranged nightmares and the memory of the woman in black. Bits and pieces of their memories intertwined, subtle but present still. The chaotic undertow of various vile imageries were replaced by the same serene hills in the Grasslands they agreed to be their "meeting place".
"Twilight Hills?"
Marceline looked at him and smiled embarassedly . "There was once this place called Twilight Town. That place was said to have the longest twilight in the whole world. This place kinda reminds me of that."
Of course, eternal sunset in the horizon bathing everything in an orange hue. Warm enough to keep one comfortable, not to hot to be bothersome. "It's nice..."
"Yes."
"We'll be safe here, right?"
Marceline looked grim. "Well, yes...but did I said the forbidden word?"
Forbidden word...wait...She did!
"Oh my frock!"
Real-world worries flooded his train of thoughts, as they race against time before they were disconnected from one another.
"Butternuts! Where are you Marceline? Where's Jake? Are you both alright?" For some reason Marceline momentarily faded out and when she turned her gaze towards him, she had a half-smile, half-frown.
"Jake's alright...but he seemed to be quite sick. Shawn's attending to him though."
"What?! What happened? Tell me!" He don't know any Shawn, and he could not care less.
It took a moment for the vampire to reply, unconsciously twiddling her thumbs as she sat on the grassy ground. "We encountered some difficulties. Where were you? Have you heard of that huge bull-dragon?"
"What? I saw it on the T.V.!"
"I kinda have a feeling...it's our fault. My fault, rather."
"What do you mean?"
"I won't go to details, you'll know the story soon enough. Where are you, really? We came by the cave but we saw nothing but piles of rocks where the entrance should be."
"I...we're somewhere in the edges of Candy Kingdom, in an inn, I guess."
"We?"
"Ice Pri- I mean Mertens is with me and Brooke, an Assassin who helped us."
"Wait, stop there! That's too interesting that I won't be able to hold back myself! I really need to tell you something about Ice Prince."
Finn deeply frowned. "What is it, Marcy?"
"You have to promise me...that you won't ever let him be united with Flame Princess! I'm serious, my suspicions were confirmed when we went to the Pit of Jake-lich. I can tell you that-"
Finn blinked, and Marceline was gone; without even finishing her sentence. He groaned at the realization that it would probably bug him until he found out what she was saying. He panicked at the thought that something happened that could have jerked her awake, aside from the reason that she said the forbidden word. It is not particularly hard to wake a sleeping vampire, but still...something happened.
"This is totes bad. Flippin' crazy bad."
He let himself be swept away from the Twilight Hills and into the tumultuous snippets of vague nightmares again, aimlessly drifting until his physical body wakes up. When he does, the only things he would remember would be his conversations with Marceline and the events of the lucid mind-bending dreams.
"You could have told me."
"Shake that canny fo' me."
BMO danced happily as he stuffed his mouth with the controller. It was the little console's idea, something it learned from one of his hidden files stored away by Jake. He could not remember its exact file name though. Dominotron? Dominoes? Doviatrix? Diveboard?
"It would be better."
"...what a tough tootin' baby!"
Jake opened his mouth wide and engulfed the whole table laden with chocolate. He screamed and screamed at his brother for doing something suicidal, but Jake reminded him of a bicycle so he pulled out his under the cupboard and rode through the window. He flew over the Ice Mountain and landed on Ice King slobbering over a picture of Peebubz eating spaghetti. A shadow appeared at the end of the corridor.
"Everything would have been alright."
"You're more than manly enough."
Ice Prince sang happily as he and Marceline watched. The monarch was screaming at the top of his lungs something along the lines that he was in a palace and that he was the King. It was awful. When he reached the chorus, Marceline strummed her bass. It became infinitely better. Jake continued eating chocolate. It was shaped like a spaceship, not unlike Banana Man's rocket thingie. The shadow became closer still.
"This prison would never hold something as powerful as me."
"The promises it contain could very well reverse the clock."
An older Finn Mertens smiled and cried at the same time as he gingerly hold the most peculiar flower he had seen. The young man shouted in glee, but he could not hear clearly what; something about healing her wife. He felt teary-eyed too, as if he was sharing all the emotions, hardships, and triumphs the man experienced. An ominous portal opened behind him. On the other end, almost half of the corridor was darkened by the shadow.
"I will sail through billion worlds. I am beyond strength. Not even the Citadel would be spared."
"Why did you retired?"
A young Finn and Flame Princess emerged from the mouth of some kind of a mine. A waiting Princess Peebee relentlessly tapped her foot on the ground. Jake continued eating what seemed to be coal at first, or iron ore, but turned out to be chocolate. Young Finn swat away the sweets, but Jake disappeared in a cloudy blood mist. The young Flame Princess screamed as she was about to be engulfed by a red rift. The woman in black raised a hand, she was barely recognizable through her veil of darkness. She burst into green flames, showing Flame Princess clearly.
"I can offer everything you deserved."
"...wake up."
"He's stuck in a coma, a never-ending sleep."
"Wake up..."
"When the Being was united with the rightful host, prepare for the worst."
"...wake up!"
"We are many, we are one."
"WAKE UP, DANG IT!"
A creeping cold snapped him from his deep slumber. He jerked up and was surprised to see a thin sheet of snow covering him. He hurriedly flicked away the offensive frost with his blanket, and found Mertens staring at him pensively.
"I think I overdid it a little."
"Uh...a little is an understatement. Is this how you wake up yourself, huh?"
"Glob, no! How could I even do that...sheesh. Besides, the cold never bothered me anyway."
Finn stared at him incredulously. "Really, man? I get it, you can control ice but, really?"
Mertens smiled at him sheepishly, as if not exactly recognizing his fault and his accidentally lame joke. "Come on dude, you are NOT exactly easy to wake up."
"What, no! I sleep lightly as a feather! Even the rustle of snow from Ice Kingdom would wake me!"
"Well, that I can see..." The wizard pointedly stared at the snow he conjured.
"You're not cool, man."
"Well, excuse me! Are you forgetting who are you talking to? Me, not cool?"
Finn smacked his head in frustration and got up instead. He brushed away the residual sheet of snow and picked up the blanket. While he folded it nicely, he questioned the Prince. "Why did you woke me up anyway? The sun ain't fully up yet!"
He pointed at the living room window, only the slightest sunshine was visible from the view.
"Brooke want us to come with her to the Castle. Get a feel of the surroundings, if you catch my drift."
"Didn't she said she have a training session with Sawyer? We would stick out like sore thumbs."
"That is true. That is why, we are donning these." Mertens pointed at the set of clothes on top of the centerpiece table.
It was two shapeless cloaks, both dull brown in color. There were no sleeves or holes to slid inside their arms, they would just have to be tucked inside the cloak too. "These are some strange dons, man."
Mertens facepalmed. "Tell me about it. She said we will act as her vassals, and these garments would do us fine. Oh, and I'm Piers and you are Percy."
Finn sat back down on the couch and paused for a moment to affirm the visions he saw in his dreams. It was like holding on to a handful of water; no matter how hard he try, the water will always still escape out of the palms.
"You okay, Finn?"
"I'm alright, Piers. I just had a bad night's sleep is all."
"If you say so, Percy."
The two smiled goofily, temporarily forgetting most of their dilemmas. "Where is she anyway?"
"My, my, my, are you missing li'l ol' me already Finn?" Brooke stood by the door of the bathroom, clad only in a haphazardly worn towel. Steam rose from her yellowish body, and her shocking violet hair was messily knotted in a bun. It took a while for the two boys to realize they were gaping for quite a long time already, turning around in shame as the Assassin laughed. The sound was like chimes dancing in the breeze.
"Get dressed, Joshua said as late as 7 AM, and no more."
"Yes, Ma'am." Finn answered meekly, still avoiding her gaze. It was a bit troubling for him. Something about the Assassin was so inviting, and he last felt that feeling when he saw Marceline naked in her bathroom while hiding in her house years ago. "I need to ask some questions to Jake, when he gets back."
He was about to muse about the whereabouts of his brother when he realized Mertens seemed to be arguing with himself.
"I-I-I-I am not staring...I swear! Okay! Okay! Okay! I would not do it again...C'mon now, Flanna, be reasonable here!" Finn saw the Prince's hand instinctively reached for something inside the pocket of his dark blue pants. "I am NOT forgetting our deal, alright?"
"You have to promise me...that you won't ever let him be united with Flame Princess!"
What did Marceline meant with that? Surely, reuniting two star-crossed lovers would be a good thing, right? He was almost convinced now that everything he did before only complicated things, what with him always getting in between the two.
An image of Jake seeped into his consciousness all of a sudden.
"Okay. Prismo asked us to take down Ice Prince before he accept the full power of his bionic arm, or something."
He could swear that that was not the exact words used by Prismo. Finn mentally berated himself for being so full of stupid and not made more effort to memorize his exact words. He swore it had something to do with Ice Prince's mechanical arm alright, but it wasn't the whole picture. He eyed warily the said golden appendage.
"Remember the true mission..."
"Prince, we should probably get ready."
Breakfast with Brooke was really brief. For someone who had the looks, she surely eat fast and unlady-like. Finn often found himself staring at her while she wolfed down strips of bacon and egg faster than he could chew his potato. In a matter of moments, they were already out into the candy streets.
"Boy, it sure is hot, and this cloak does not really makes matters better."
Brooke snapped at the Prince pointedly. "Well, you could take off that hood and risked being shot by ELFs."
"ELFs?" Finn scratched the back of his head, probably both from confusion and actual itch from the cloak. He had to take off his bear hat for it, just like Ice Prince.
"See those guards over there?" Brooke pointed at the elite soldiers a few feet from them, patrolling rigidly through the streets. They wore the same black battle gears and face-shields. "Watch out for them. Don't act suspicious. Keep your heads down."
Finn instantly perked and made himself more quiet. "Something tells me it won't be an easy day."
"Again." Mertens looked at him through his hood.
~~o~~
It was the worst coffee he had ever tasted. Too sweet for his taste. If he could just separate the coffee, sugar, and milk, he would in a heartbeat.
Isaac patted him on the back. "I know you never liked them fancy coffee mixes, but this is so much better than that energy drink the General forced us to swallow, Felix."
"I know. I just...like my coffee black, not this mocha crap."
"You like it bitter, just like your disposition. Sheesh." Isaac ruffled his shocking blonde hair, all tousled because of the helmet they wore for Glob knows how long. "Man, Hilbert would love these stuff."
They shared a stare and both looked down, suddenly hit by somber tide. Hilbert got strangled by his own insides as the mutants mobbed him. He was the last one from the Charlie team to die, with only Felix and Isaac managing to make a safe retreat.
Felix blew away a loose clump of brown hair away from his chocolate brown eyes, absentmindedly stirring around his steadily cooling unwanted coffee. "You got any intel about his sister?"
"That one in the Fastbreakers Military Academy? Whatsisher name again...?"
"Angie."
"Oh yeah, Angie. Sadly, no. I haven't got any information about her whereabouts."
Felix momentarily closed his eyes. "Grod help that kid."
"...and all the others we failed to save."
"I wonder how the twins were doing...Axel could be a pain in the brass sometimes but Shawn could put a rein on him." Felix threw away the coffee, letting the contents of the candy cup spill on the equally candy street. "I miss my bros."
"Listen...about your parents, if you-" Isaac stopped midsentence after he saw his expression.
"Let's not talk about them right now, alright?" His companion nodded.
It did not took sundown yesterday to fully declare Breakfast Kingdom beyond salvation. The once happy place now lay dormant, probably devoid already of any untainted life. The dragon stopped moving altogether, apparently satisfied with the destruction it caused.
The lives it claimed.
With a handful of remaining forces from the defunct kingdom, Felix led the survivors to the nearest non-hostile sovereign - Candy Kingdom. There were barely a hundred that managed to reach the safety of the kingdom. He and the other soldiers were even forced to execute the others that were afflicted with what went down in Breakfast Kingdom.
"Let's go, Sac. We have to escort our people to the Candy Castle."
"I don't think that's needed anymore, man. Princess Bubblegum specifically ordered the Elite Licorice Force to escort us." Isaac threw away his own candy cup and stood up. "Seems to me we're nothing more than civilians too."
"...You're probably right, but let's cling to our ranks longer, shall we?"
"Yes, Corporal." Isaac beamed at him with his toothy grin.
"That's General to you, Private."
"What...? How come I'm just a Private?"
"Don't complain. You and I know we're nothing but recruits, I just promoted you." Felix laughed dryly at his own crack at a joke. Isaac just scoffed.
They both slung their broadswords and dusted their pants. Without further ado, they trekked closer to the survivors being herded by the ELFs like a flock of sheeps.
"Oh yeah, I forgot this guy was with us." Isaac jerked his thumb at the ELF that stood guard near them while they took a break, choosing to be left behind when they did. "What's your name, my man?"
The ELF did not replied but continued to walk close with them. Isaac indignantly puffed his chest, trying to look more intimidating.
"Dude look at this guy's equipments..." Isaac whistled in appreciation. "Haven't you heard, Lix? One ELF is said to be equivalent to 5 Breakfast soldiers."
"Pssh...they just use better weapons. Our army is using bows while these guys use guns."
"Well...that is true, I guess."
They walked in silence but Felix felt something wrong with the current happenings. The streets looked deserted, homes were barricaded, and not even a candy child can be seen strolling about. His suspicions were further intensified when a group of ELFs in a biohazard suit approached the Breakfast people and began spraying some kind of gas.
"Do not be alarmed. It is just a necessary precaution. Your citizens were theoretically exposed to a high concentration of radiation. It is only fair that we do not harm our own." The ELF that followed them finally broke his silence.
"Okaaay...?"
Felix just shrugged, but the growing concern in the back of his head only grew farther still. "C'mon, Sac."
He adjusted the breastplate and straightened his greaves, making sure his own battle gear were properly placed on his body. A commotion somewhere at the front of the haphazard line broke their pacing just a few distance from the gates of the Candy Castle. Felix, feeling a particular sense of responsibility towards the Breakfast people, rushed towards the front with Isaac in tow. At the gates, the ELFs were doing something he never knew they would do.
"Felix...please tell me those jarheads aren't burning bar codes on our arms."
"...well, sorry about that but looks like we are going to be branded wether we like it or not."
~~o~~
Ice Prince felt really itchy because of the cloak. The two of them were practically disguised as travelling companions to Brooke, or in their case, vassals. Still, it was itchy as Nightosphere.
He fidgeted with his feet, highly troubled about the knowledge that his Princess was just a few distance from him. He was so frustrated that he could not do anything.
I don't think even with your full power as the Ice Prince would do as much good, Mertens. Let's just stick with the Assassin's plan for now.
"Oh hey, Flanna. You've been a bit quiet lately. What gives?" Finn elbowed him for speaking out loud. The three of them stood under an apple tree in the Castle's front lawn while waiting for Joshua and Sawyer to show up.
"Keep it down, man! The ELFs might hear you."
"Sorry."
Ice Prince was about to sit down on the grassy ground when a bunch of people marched slowly towards the Castle's Gate.
Finn beat him to it. "What...Who are these people?"
"Those are the survivors of Breakfast Kingdom." Ice Prince jumped a bit as his bipedal rival in the past, Joshua the Dog, suddenly appeared behind them.
Brooke interjected before further attention was given to the two of them. "Good morning, Sir Joshua."
"Vera...? What are you doing here?"
Ice Prince snapped his head at the direction of the voice and saw Sawyer, his brother, standing next to Joshua. He could not help but become uneasy inside. After all those time, he had been trying to kill his own sibling. He was even gleeful then.
Abandon this line of thought now, Finn. Look at your feet!
A thin sheet of frost formed on the grass he was standing on. Ice Prince hurriedly banished the ice before it reach uncontrollable sizes.
"Glob, dang it..."
"Everything fine, bro'?" Finn looked worried too.
He nodded.
"Are you sure, man?"
"I am perfectly fine."
"You look queasy."
"Let it go, Finn. Let it go." They stared at one another momentarily. "Why do I have a sudden urge to punch myself?"
Because you just made a lame pun from an old Dis-
"That's the second time you did it, man. Lay it off with the lame puns." Finn looked positively estranged.
"Hey there, Mr. Mertens." Ice Prince snapped out of his revelrie and turned his attention at the Assassin, and almost broke into a laugh when he saw Brooke curtsied.
"Just Sawyer is fine by me, Vera."
Finn leaned and whispered. "Vera?"
He shrugged.
"You two knew each other?" Joshua looked positively elated. "That is swell, I tell ya. Who are these two hooded uh...gentlemen?"
"These two, Piers and Percy, are my vassals, Sir Joshua -"
"Joshua."
"- sorry, and I'll be more at ease when they are around. Will that be alright?"
The dog nodded briefly. "Just don't let them wander around. The Princess isn't really keen for visitors right now...as you can see with the heightened security."
As if on cue, a commotion erupted at the gates. Ice Prince squinted and saw a long haired Breakfast soldier trading blows with the ELF stationed at the checkpoint. They were strict alright, and it was only Brooke's special pass that allowed the two of them inside at that.
"What the hell is wrong now?" Sawyer inquired at nobody in particular.
Ice Prince heard snippets of words being shouted.
"Get away from me! You son's a breaches, what the Nightosphere you did to Isaac?" The long haired soldier looked positively angry while he cradled an unmoving comrade sprawled on the ground.
"Ahem, I'm sorry for that trouble, but let's get started shall we?" The dog broke into a carefully measured grin.
You and I know there is something fishy going on here. Man, these people are worse than Destiny Gang when it comes to being discreet.
What do you mean?
Check out those things the ELFs were holding. They are not for pat-downs.
At first glance, the devices looked like scanners of some sort akin to the ones used in pre-war superstores. That was until he saw one Breakfast kid cry in pain as a barcode appeared on his forearm.
"Better get to warm ups Sawyer, Vera."
"Yes, Sir." The two students shared a glance and grinned at each other.
~~o~~
Shawn stirred awake when an elongated foot suddenly smacked him in the face. He pushed it away and slowly sat upright, the glinting sunlight shining through the canopy of leaves from the trees was a sight to behold.
"Good morning. Good to see you awake, Shawn." Marceline hovered over him, a pink umbrella on left hand and and two grey apples on the other. "Breakfast?"
"Wicked...thanks." Shawn eagerly accepted the fruits and took a bite. It tasted the same as normal apples, just a bit unnerving seeing they once had a color. "I thought vampires are nocturnal?"
"Nah. I sleep whenever I want. This sunlight doesn't hurt that much either as long as I'm under the shade." The vampire smiled but the expression never reached her eyes.
"Is something bothering you?"
"Well...just your typical friend issues."
"Was that the one you told me you'll contact in your sleep?"
She nodded curtly. "Didn't go well. How's Jake?"
"He's alright."
"Thank Glob he just only ate something bad. I thought the toxic atmosphere in the Badlands got him..."
"Hey, uh... thanks for saving me. I don't even want to think what could have happen to me."
"Don't be so fast to give your gratitude, Shawn."
"Waddayamean?"
"Nothing."
A lapse of silence broke apart their conversation. For a moment, only Jake's snores and the rustling of leaves could be heard. It was a nice break for Shawn's tired mind. If only the calmness could completely erase away all his sadness, fears, and regrets, he would have given everything for that.
"What would happen now?"
"I'm just waiting for my buddy to wake up and then we'll go the Candy Kingdom. Do you want to come with us?"
"Can I?"
"Of course."
Suddenly, Jake enlarged himself and yawned hard. "What's for breakfast, guys?"
Something tells Shawn that it would be a better day.
~~o~~
Sawyer had a great time if he was to be honest with himself. Joshua was a funny teacher, and all around likable guy. His legs hurt a bit though, as well as his thighs. The bipedal dog had them running laps around the grounds of the Castle. Joshua said it is imperative to build their stamina more than anything else.
He could not forget how sweet Vera smelled too. She was alluring in her clumsy and offbeat way. The way her hips sway while trying to emulate Joshua's fancy footwork, the way she bats her eyelids at the slightest motion of activity, and the way she heartily laughs at the corniest joke she heard - they were all intoxicating. She is so inviting.
Her violet tresses never lost their shocking value either.
"I just can't believe how fast Vera could run though."
"Who is Vera?"
He dropped the Enchiridion and Mistress Bonnie's diary came flopping out. Sawyer used it as a bookmark for the tome last night. He was about to pick up the books when Princess Bonnibel bent over and beat him to it, swiftly snatching the little black diary.
"How did you got this?" She was smiling, but the glint in her eyes told Sawyer he was probably close to ripping someone's head off. "Who gave it to you?"
"Uh...it's just an old diary, Princess-"
"TELL ME!"
"Turtle Princess! Turtle Princess gave it to me! Please don't be angry...!"
To his surprise, the monarch just smiled happily and leaned to give him a chaste kiss in the lips. "Oh, I am not angry at you...why would I be?"
"Will she be in trouble?"
"No! I will just give her a royal visit, that is all." The creepy grin told him it was anything but a royal visit. "Are you ready for your tutorials?"
"Yes. Can I have that back, Bonnie?" The Princess just ignored his question and pocketed the diary instead.
"Wonderful. Let us be on our way to the Torus."
They were already on a voice-automated elevator when Sawer realized it was never Turtle Princess who gave the diary to him. He just found it inside his knapsack yesterday. If anything, it could have been Raggedy Princess who handed it. He cannot exactly change his statement though.
"Welcome to the Torus, Say."
A loud ding alerted Sawyer as the elevator door slided open, revealing a long white hallway lined with tiled flooring and padded white walls. Along the end of the hallway were various rooms with a single door and a wide glass window. They were like infantile ward of a hospital. Sawyer was instantly hit by nostalgia.
No. A deja vu.
"I've...been here before. I feel like I've already seen this long hallway..."
The Princess just looked at him inquisitively. "I am perfectly sure this is my first time taking you here..."
"Oh. Maybe it was just a funny dream..." He shook his head and continued to follow after the monarch.
"The Torus is a top secret level of the Castle, as you probably realize, and this is where most...delicate things happen."
They stopped walking in front of the second room as he was just about to question the Princess. "What delicate things?"
Bonnie opened the door with a strangely satisfying click and motioned for him to come inside. "After you, Say."
"What is this place?" He squinted against the blinding white light that bounded from the equally disconcertening white walls and floors.
"The room before this is the Inquiry Chamber, the one next to this is the Breakthrough Chamber, and this is the Oblivion Chamber."
"I counted four rooms outside."
"The last one is where I kept the Princess of Flames. I can't let her stay the whole day on the Breakthrough Chamber, she might...damage my things."
There were no furniture whatsoever inside, not even chairs or tables. Nothing. Just four white padded walls and a single light above. The only occupants of the room were Bonnie and Sawyer, and five people kneeling on the tiled floor. Their heads were bagged over with a black cloth that concealed everything about their faces, with their hands tied behind their backs. They wore white military uniform and some had mishappened armors and breastplates. All had yellow skin.
Princess Bubblegum snapped her fingers and all the five people became restless. One outright cowered and whimpered pitifully. "Not so brave now, are you?"
"Princess...what's going on? Who are these people?"
"Enemies of the kingdom, and ungrateful band of rejects. They came barging in my kingdom and expected to receive help without acknowledging my authority."
"I...politics ain't my stronger suit, you -"
"I know."
"Then, what am I doing here?"
"Your subservience will about to be tested, Sawyer. Your loyalty to me will be put to the test."
"I'm not sure I follow you there, Princess. What do you want me to do?"
"Kill them."
At once, a chorus of muffled cries erupted inside the room. The five people started making pitiful noises, one woman even tried to speak through her gag.
"What...?"
"I said...Kill them!"
His head spun in the sudden pressing weight on his chest. Sawyer cannot believe that it was actually happening - his Mistress ordering him to kill people.
"Why...? Are these really bad people? I just can't murder-"
Bonnie swiftly swooped down on him and punched him straight into the guts, winding him and doubling him over. "You will do exactly as what I say! You think this is a request? This is a direct order! Kill these pieces of casserole bottom filth!"
"No...I simply can't!"
His heartbeat rose dramatically, his breathing became labored, and his ears were ringing from Bonnie's drilling words boring deep into his mind. Sawyer felt his cold sweat drip down his chin while some of his tears threatened to join them.
"I was right not to send you to Lemongrab right away, then. Glob knows what would happen to you if you hesitated like this...Get up, Sawyer! I need a soldier, a steel-eyed killing machine! Use your anger, your frustration, and the rage you were stirring inside you all this time."
"Please...don't."
Sawyer, at that moment, was having a mental battle with himself. He did not had any trouble killing other people before, although granted they firsthand showed him hostility and wrongdoing. Right then, there were no harm done to him. It was a plain murder to Sawyer, a one-sided massacre, but his mind was already decided.
He steadied himself and slowly faced the whimpering will-be victims. "I'm sorry, Princess."
"You've always believe in me, why stop now? These are despicable individuals! They are the blemishes of the society! It is up to us to trim them away."
"...for the greater good." Sawyer held out his hands and the two blades, Truthsayer and the Flamberge, slid out of his sleeves. "I am your sacrifice."
"Wunderbar."
~~o~~
"Vera, huh?"
She just shrugged at the Ice Prince. "Like I'm actually telling my real name."
"Hm. True. Flanna says you are a wonderful woman."
"Tell her the compliments are accepted."
"Oh...she can hear you just fine." Ice Price smiled happily at Vera.
It was already lunch time by the time they got back to the Inn, to which the three of them were served with a complimentary lunch by the Innkeepers. Vera, to be precise, was elated. The training went fine, and Sawyer actually showed some interest at her alright, especially when he told him what was the deal with the cards. The boy took the vague reading well.
Finn was unnaturally quiet, and she knew something was troubling the kid. "Hey, Finn, take off your shirt."
"Pardon?"
"Take off your shirt."
Finn visibly blushed and backed away, accidentally tripping himself on the sofa and beseated him. "Why?"
Being a well-trained Assassin, Vera had Finn at his mercy with a blink of an eye, pinning him on the sofa expertly."Off with your shirt."
"What is the meaning of this?" Ice Price was back from the kitchen, right on time to see Vera straddling Finn on the couch.
Vera reached in and pulled off his shirt completely as Finn became more flustered. It revealed the cross bandages on his chest, which Vera carefully peeled away. "All healed."
"Okaaay..."
"What? Expecting something, my little dear?"
~~o~~
"Are you ready?"
"I'm ready for Lemongrab."
~~o~~
"Marceline? How did you got your mitts on the Enchiridion?"
"What? No!"
Shawn looked at her carefully. "Uh...Blimey, the cover kinda says it's the Enchiridion, alright."
~~o~~
A/N
That's it for the chapter. As much as I hope to update more frequently, I can't. I am really dedicated to improve the chapter constantly. Whenever I was to publish the new one, I start to feel it wasn't complete enough.
Anyway, digital cookie will be given the people who could enumerate the movies I shamelessly ripped off from!
DarkeningShadow77: Wow, thanks for that very uplifting review! It surely sparked some hope in me to finish the story. I gotta admit there were a lot of times that I wanted to give up, but I'm concerned about those people who actually liked it and the authors I collaborated with. Flanna and Jake-lich? Haha, you're a sharp one, but let's wait and see.
Cesar: Man, you've seriously put some heavy load on me. Now I gotta live up with your expectation
Ooobserver: Yeah. Seems like everything is pretty bleak now. No worries, it will all be wrapped up good in my own twisted way. *cue devilish laugh*
Samushark: Awesome! Grim minds think alike! Haha. I'm still torn wether to ship Marcy and Finn, but...let's just see how the dice roll.
The Nephilim King Michael: Hey there, man! I'm sorry if I did not fulfilled your romancing needs between Sawyer and Vera, though...
andrethefavorite16: Thanks for the idea, man, but all canon characters I'm using all had their ends planned out. It's the OCs that gets them there were the ones that give me trouble... thanks for the idea though.
Oh yeah, you should search Echo of the Lich in the Adventure Time Wiki. It would probably spoil some of my plot devices for the coming chapters but still...
Have a nice day!