TWs: Descriptions of pain (described as feeling like needles piercing/burning skin), non-consensual mutation, forcing to contain something, panicking, and mention of death. Stay safe :)
The pain was all he felt as the void consumed him, like needles penetrating his skin. His mouth was open, but no sound escaped.
The needles dug further into his skin, making his skin crawl. It was shockwave after shockwave of piercing misery.
He wanted it to stop; he wanted nothing more than to dig at his skin to remove the invisible needles.
He wondered, faint tears falling across his cheeks, if this was what death felt like.
He would've felt this same pain in high school if that were the case.
As he convulsed more, he silently wished for Edd to be with him just like he was then. He slowly curled in on himself, feeling the static shock of the void around him sinking into him deeper.
He wanted the pain to stop.
"Now we're getting somewhere..." William smirked as he watched Tom's body twitch in the chair, "Is it ready, Mad Scientist?"
"On your call, Corvidae." He spoke, smiling as he grabbed the lever.
"Now, Dr. John." A sadistic smile came to his face as John pulled the lever, watching the needle head into the red zone.
William and John watched from behind protective glass, eyes wide.
Electricity came bolting out of the contraption, making the duo step back as they watched Tom's body convulse and twitch, his body tensing as he was held in the constraints.
They watched as the younger's body changed and shifted, his skin becoming dark and his eyes morphing, becoming one. His fingers developed into sharp claws, sharp teeth slowly protruded out of his mouth, and horns sprouted out of his head. His body evolved, changing size and form, breaking out of the restraining chair and breaking the contraption. He grew until he was at ceiling height, practically unrecognizable in this form.
Soon, there was a laugh from William, "I did it. I did it. Oh, I can't believe it!"
He laughed maniacally, a relief coming to him that everything was finally going his way.
"Now that I have my weapon, I can finally kill Arthur and Larry!"
John looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "What happened to you wanting to kill your son as well?"
William stopped to look at him, "Are you slow or something? You're a scientist, smart guy! That,"
He pointed at the monster before them.
"Is my son!" He scowled, growing impatient with his follower.
"Oh," The doctor uttered, "Your son has a demon inside him?"
"My wife decided to keep it a secret, but as always..." The leader turned to look at the unconscious figure of the monster, "No secret goes unturned when it involves family..."
Pau froze as he felt a tingling sensation within his body. He grabbed onto the counter as his legs shook, feeling off balance.
"Pau, you alright?" Pat took notice of it right away, reaching his side to see what was wrong.
It felt like hours until Pau found his voice, muttering, "Tom..."
Pau leaned against Pat, holding onto him as he took a sharp breath. Pat held him up, his eyes wide with panic and concern.
This feeling was all too familiar to him, like needles piercing his flesh and burning him alive.
He grimaced at Pat, "I n-need to go-o... outside. Now."
A growl-like sound came out of Pau's mouth, almost like a wild animal. Pat nodded quickly, helping him to the backyard.
Pau stumbled to the ground, kneeling as his body convulsed. He groaned, digging sharp magenta claws into the dirt.
The others heard the commotion and ran outside. Tord's eyes widened when he realized who it was.
"Pau!?" He exclaimed, being held back by Pat as he wanted to run forward and help him.
"It's best to stay away from him." Arthur spoke, walking up to them, "Having that kind of DNA can make him easily irritable and erratic, prone to attacking randomly."
The older frowned as he looked at the crouched figure before them, remembering a time when his friend was in the same position as he subconsciously rubbed his right shoulder.
Pau gripped the Earth, feeling himself turning into a monster. Pink fur sprouted from his skin, magenta horns grew prominent on his head, his eyes started to shift into one, and his teeth became sharper than knives.
'I need to calm down.' Pau thought, closing his eye, 'Just take a deep breath.'
Inhaling sharply, Pau thought for a moment, trying to think about how to calm himself down. He let out a breath as he thought of something.
"Remember what I taught you, Pau?" A voice whispered, "Whenever you have another attack and I'm not there to help you, just think about things that comfort you or make you happy."
Pau smiled, eyes filling with tears. He didn't know if it was because of the pain he was in or if it was because he was thinking about the family he had. Either way, he began taking deep breaths as he thought about the individuals who had made him happy over the years.
He felt himself slowly coming to grips with himself again, everything shifting back to its original state. His bones cracked into place, and the pink fur seemingly dissipated into his skin.
Pau grunted as his head and body ached all over, exhausted from keeping the monster inside.
"That doesn't look... normal," Edd muttered to Arthur.
"It's not. Instead of letting the demon out, Pau's holding it inside." Arthur sighed.
"Isn't that a good thing...?" Matt asked.
"It can be, but it comes with a consequence. It's like bottling up your emotions; bottling up for too long can cause you to lash out at others and make you do things you wouldn't normally do." The older explained, "This is similar. Keeping the demon inside for too long can cause damage to others, and Pau may not have control over himself when it does get out."
"Huh..." Edd hummed, then raised an eyebrow as he looked at Arthur, "How do you know so much about this?"
Arthur shrugged, "I know a lot of things."
Pau let out a few short breaths, feeling like he just ventured through the fiery depths of hell and somehow made it out alive. He felt like he could sleep for a thousand years.
Hearing his breathing, Arthur spoke to Pat, "Go up to him, but slowly. He may still be in shock."
Pat slowly nodded, cautiously walking towards him. He carefully kneeled next to him, whispering, "Pau...?"
Pau leaned against Pat, exhausted, "Tom... danger... feel..."
He was muttering incoherent nonsense. Pat had to move forward to hear what he said, "What was that...?"
"Tom is in danger... I can feel it." Pau rasped as he buried his head in Pat's shoulder.
This time, everyone heard. Matt felt himself growing faint as he heard the words, having to catch himself on a wooden pole. He clutched onto it like a lifeline, his vampiristic claws digging into it.
"Guess that means you guys leave first thing in the morning," Arthur spoke, eyebrows furrowing as he thought deeply.
"But I haven't finished all of the inhibitors." Tord refuted.
Arthur tilted his head, "Is that going to stop you from taking the Black Army out?"
"No, but-"
"Exactly." Arthur nodded, smiling, "Don't forget, you were the son of a great mechanic, and nothing seemed to stop her from getting what she wanted."
Tord stopped, seemingly processing Arthur's words, "Yeah... you're right."
"I know I am," Arthur smirked, making Tord roll his eyes.
Edd frowned, biting his lip in worry. He glanced at Matt, seeing that he was in a worse situation. He sighed, looking up towards the sky. His best friend had gone through stuff that no one should ever experience, yet Edd's been with him through it all, it seems.
'Where did it all go wrong?' Edd thought, his vision becoming hazy.