"Well boys, I guess it's time to take you home." Fredrick started to walk away from the scene but Ricky Steamboat grabbed her shoulder.
"What are you doing, Fredrick?" Fredrick turned back around to look at him. The crowds of people stared at her in shock, confusion, and some even with anger. She then remembered the situation that she was in.
"I was-" Her voice caught in her throat.
"You don't even know what you're doing. He's already got your brains all scrambled." Fredrick knew that he was wrong, but she didn't have the voice or reason to say it. What was she doing? She couldn't really have thought that after all of the commotion, the whole situation would be over. Ricky Steamboat chuckled to himself.
"I think he messed with all of our brains. C'mon, we should have captured or even killed him as soon as he put down his wings." Allie stepped back with Marucho, prepared to start running again.
"Look, Tate told us all what happened. This monster almost killed Fredrick's kid."
"No, that's wrong!" Marucho yelled.
"And how are we supposed to believe you? You must have gotten brainwashed already by the beast. I wouldn't put it past him." Ricky Steamboat replied. Marucho clung onto Allie tighter. There was nothing he could say.
"Everyone! We have no idea what he's capable of. We already have the police here too. What do ya say boys? Ready to finally take this demon down once and for all? Something that you have always wanted to do."
The five policemen looked at each other with their weapons. Two of them contemplated whether or not it was right to kill another person, especially in front of everyone else.
"Guys, it's either we kill him, or he kills us." The only woman in the force said.
"Wouldn't it be great to have our names in this town's history as the force that killed a demon?" The man beside her said.
"But, he really is a person like the rest of us. He even cried." One of the two composers replied.
"You've never fake cried? Never acted for the pity of another person? This thing has got brains, it knows how to manipulate people. He even manipulated sparkle face." The woman said. That was enough to break the other two's fragile will to not kill.
Marucho could feel Allie shake out of fear. The fear of dying was strong and seeing the cops conversing over it instead of just saying "no," didn't relieve his worries. Marucho wondered if Allie would actually die. Would this really be the first and last time that he would be able to talk to him?
He wouldn't be able to read with him, or tell him about his past. He wouldn't be able to tell him how cool he looked, or laugh at his jokes. He wouldn't be able to sleep in his arms. He wouldn't even be able to see that smile if he died. He hoped that the police were trying to convince each other not to kill him. But it was only a hope. A hope that was flushed down the drain as they turned around with their weapons out. Unfair.
"That's the spirt! Now, Fredrick, take your boy." Ricky Steamboat said. Marucho turned back around and held onto Allie for dear life. Except it wasn't a metaphor, he was holding on for Allie's life.
"Marucho, come here. We have to get you home. I don't even know when the last time you showered was." Fredrick tried to reason.
"Yesterday." Marucho said.
"Don't you want to go home? I can cook whatever you want and we can talk to eachother an actually be a family." Fredrick said.
"I'm not leaving him to die. It's not fair." Fredrick sighed.
While they were arguing over there, Tate went up to Ricky Steamboat. She tapped on his shoulder and he leaned down to her height.
"That Marucho boy won't let the darn devil die. So, why don't we make a deal wit 'im? And then we both get what we want, ya hear?" Tate whispered in his ear. Ricky Steamboat smiled and nodded as he stood up straight. Those whispers weren't quiet enough for Dean Ambrose not to hear though. He tapped on his dad's shoulder and he turned around.
'What are you going to do-' Dean Ambrose tried signing but his dad turned around. He sat there helplessly, as he watched as his friend was going to be murdered in front of him. That was the least he owed him, to watch.
"Marucho, if you don't want him to die, what do you propose we do?" Ricky Steamboat asked. Marucho glared at the man and the woman beside him. The two people who were smiling through all of this. This was just a game to them, a gamble to get what they want. And if they don't, they still win. There was no losing for the two, and there were four options that Marucho could choose from. And none of them meant 'winning.'
One, he let's go off Allie and walks home with Fredrick as he hears Allie being publicly executed behind him. Two, he could get pried away from Allie and thrash and struggle as he watched Allie's death. Three, he could continue holding onto Allie and get killed with him. Honorable death, but he didn't want either of them to die.
So, he only had one more option left. And that option seemed like the best one to him, even though it was exactly what the greedy bastards wanted.
"I'll trade you." Marucho said. Tate's smile grew but she hid it with her hand.
"What's your trade, boy?" Ricky Steamboat asked.
"Take me instead of Allie. I provide way more than he does anyways with these diamonds." Marucho said. He sat up higher so that Ricky Steamboat and everyone else would be able to see him and grabbed the shard on his lip.
"Marucho, didn't you say that that hurt?" Allie asked.
"It'll be fine, Allie. I'm used to it." Marucho replied.
"It doesn't matter if you're used to it. You still shouldn't do it. Just let go and-" Allie was cut off by the sight of Marucho pulling out the shard. It wasn't to deep in his skin, but deep enough to make it start bleeding.
"I'll trade myself and my diamonds for Allie's life." Marucho said. Fredrick looked between him and Ricky Steamboat. He shouldn't have to resort to giving himself up to let a demon live.
"An' what 'bout the bleedin' boy?" Tate asked.
"It'll stop. I won't bleed to death." Marucho said.
"You want to pay us a few measly jewels for our safety?" Ricky Steamboat asked.
"Oh, no. I couldn't expect that. It's more than just a few. They grow right back." Marucho said. The crowd didn't know how to react. It wasn't everyday that some teenage boy comes in with an endless supply of diamonds. With that money, the town would thrive easily.
"On one condition, Marucho." Ricky Steamboat said. Marucho looked at him without fear.
"We can't let him roam free after this. We'll have to keep him in a prison. But I assure you he will unfavorably live." Ricky Steamboat suggested. Marucho looked back at Allie.
"Geppy, why would you do that? I'm not supposed to live." Allie said, voice shaking.
"Why wouldn't I?" Marucho replied with a smile. He patted Allie on the head and looked back at Ricky Steamboat.
"Marucho, don't. Please." Allie pleaded.
"Allie cannot be hurt or tortured in any way." Marucho demanded.
"We won't touch him once he's inside." Ricky Steamboat said. Marucho looked at Allie one last time.
"I promise I'll see you again. You just have to stay alive, okay?" Marucho said. Allie nodded his head and smiled.
"I'll miss you." Allie said.
"I will too." Marucho replied.
"Is it a deal, Marucho?" Ricky Steamboat asked.
"Yes. It's a deal." Marucho said. He gave Allie one last squeeze and jumped off of him. The crowd was chaos. Some of them sighing in relief now that they don't have to witness an execution. Some of them were confused about the whole ordeal. But most of them were upset. Upset at the fact that they weren't getting their 'justice.' Marucho was held back by Fredrick as he saw Allie being taken away by the police.
He showed no resistance, even when he was cuffed at the hands and his wings were tied against his back. They hauled him away in a truck with one of the policemen in the back with him. As they drove away the shouts of the people settled away from Allie and then towards Ricky Steamboat.
"How could you endanger all of us? I have children!"
"You greedy bastards would do anything fo money."
"What about us?"
"What do we get out of this?"
"Why didn't you kill it?"
"Ye best settle down and think." Tate said.
"What do we have to think about?"
"The possibilities." Ricky Steamboat said. The crowd quieted down to listen to Ricky Steamboat, not knowing what could possibly be said to make their situation better.
"You see, we are a very poor town. Tailors, constructors, bakeries and farm owners work hard every day of their lives just to put the food on the table. We all need a break. And with him," Ricky Steamboat gestured to Marucho, "we'll get that break."
"With just a couple of shards on him? That won't be enough to secure the entire village a break." Ricky Steamboat looked to Marucho for an out, and Marucho knew that if he didn't give one, Allie was dead.
He sighed as he walked over to the two. He took off his gloves first to show them his hands. He twisted the boned one back and forth to show the jaw-dropped people.
That should have been enough, but he didn't want to have any doubts. He took off Allie's shirt to reveal the rest of his diamonds. The people stared at the sparkling gems and Marucho could see the thought of safety and protection drifting away from each of them as their minds and action were overtook by greed.
Even Ricky Steamboat and Tate couldn't hide their surprise when they saw how much of Marucho could be traded for money. Marucho didn't want to look at Fredrick. He wouldn't be able to live with someone who looked at him like they did. Because they didn't admire his 'beauty' like Allie did. There was a very clear difference. Because Allie understood. And they don't.
But, even if he didn't want to look at her, he couldn't stop his curiosity. He looked to his side and locked eyes with her. And Marucho's opinion on Fredrick got completely scrambled again. She didn't look at him in admiration or greed or even a slight bit of happiness.
Her eyes showed pity and anger. Pity to her son that was 'brainwashed' by the demon. Pity that her son would have to have those diamonds removed over and over again if he wanted to help that demon. Anger towards the demon who had cursed her child to a life of giving away parts of himself. She was angry at Allie, and even though Marucho disliked that, he understood why.
If the town had a monster that everyone feared because they had never seen it or figured out it's capabilities, and that monster was accused of something a monster would do. The people had no other choice than to believe the story to be true. It was a matter of life or death to the people. If you have no way of knowing whether something is safe or not, you shouldn't trust it. They didn't know Allie like Marucho did. Marucho sighed as he put his shirt back on.
"Well folks, what do you think of that? With that much, we could even make sure that the devil is locked in his hell until he rots!" Ricky Steamboat yelled. The people cheered now. It was funny how easy it was to lie, to manipulate as many people as you want. Marucho stepped away from them and to Fredrick.
"I want to go home now." Marucho said. Fredrick smiled sadly and held her hand out for him to take. He ignored the gesture and started walking down the path. She caught up with him and they walked in silence, Marucho refused to answer any of Fredrick's questions.
When he stepped in he immediately went to the bath and started it for himself. He locked the door and just sat on the floor as he watched the water fill. No matter what he tried, there was no running away from his curse. He had been stupid enough to thing that there was. And instead of saving himself, he just put Allie in danger. He was just like the other people, he only thought about himself.
Allie would have just been happily tending to the farm animals now, probably meeting someone new that could replace Marucho. He wouldn't be locked in a prison for the rest of his days, away from any contact with any animal or person. And either way, Marucho would be living the same life that he was now. If he hadn't run away for a small glimpse of freedom, at least one of them would be free. The bath was full now and Marucho turned off the water.
When he got out, he looked through the cabinet behind the mirror and put a band-aid over his wound. It didn't bleed too much thanks to the diamond growing back quickly to fill it before it slows down and continues to take days to grow back. He tried to smile at himself in the mirror the way that he always did after a surgery.
But he had lost so much more than just a piece of diamond. And his lips didn't move from the straight line. He stepped out of the bathroom and to the kitchen. Fredrick turned around when she noticed his footsteps.
"Hey Marucho. I just went simple today and made sandwiches." Fredrick said as she put two plates on the table. Marucho nodded and sat down to eat.
"You know that you don't have to be quiet now that you can speak." Fredrick said, laughing to try and ease the mood. Marucho didn't reply. Fredrick sat down at the table with him.
"Look, I know that you were friends with him and you thought that he was a really great person. But he's dangerous, why do you think you were halfway dead?" Fredrick asked. Marucho rolled his eyes. He had no way or reason of telling her what really happened because she wouldn't believe him anyways.
"You shouldn't roll your eyes. It's a serious matter, Marucho. And you're just playing it off as if he actually cared about you. Do you think that he cared? That he could even have feelings in the first place? He was probably lying straight to your face-" Fredrick was cut off by her gasp as Marucho slammed his hands on the table and stood up.
"I'm not hungry right now, I'll eat later." He headed off to his room and closed the door as soon as he was in. He went to his bed and just sat down. He was exhausted even though the afternoon was just starting. He lost everything. Everything that he worked for. It was gone.
He wished he could cry, cry that Allie wasn't there. Cry that he locked his only friend in a prison. But he couldn't. As much as he wanted to, his sobs were dry. No tears fell from his tired eyes. And that made him even more upset at himself. Selfish, and he didn't even care enough to cry about it.
He fell to his side and curled up with the blanket. He wiped his non-existent tears and muffled his wails with his fist. He knew exactly why the blanket that was far from thin felt so cold. He was warmer when he was on the farm, without it.
He was warmer when he had Allie.