Another month, another update.
Still no progress made on the fic itself, but I still got the chapters up to January, so I THINK I'm good.
Something to note and remember that this is my own, personal, continuity.
So many things in here, be it personality or universe, does not align with canon.
That's not really relevant here in this chapter, but we're about to hit a very interesting point.
Also, next month marks the end of Arc 1!
And it'll be just in time for my birthday! (Kinda.)
Oh, and as for the state of my mental health?
I'm still not great.
I've kinda realized that the depression™ was worse than I thought.
But I am working on it.
And hopefully I can try and do myself a little better.
Anyway, enough of my yapping!
Enjoy the chapter and happy Pride Month from your local Ace(+Aro?) creature!
(Also, I hope my second attempt at separating paragraphs works this time and isn't too annoying...)
Rouge paced as she struggled to figure out what they can do now.
Eddy and his friends had situated themselves leaning on shelves or waiting patiently for the bat's verdict.
Sonic and Sally had moved aside to talk about the implications of the three 'villains' being in not only their world, but their zone… not to mention the side-effects this might have on the barely-known outside.
That Council of Prime's just got so much more important…
Rouge sighed, pulling a hand over her face.
"…So, he's not that Sonic?" Eddy finally asked, getting a nod from Rouge, "And this is some kinda… timeline thing? I've heard there can be more than one person when it's timeline stuff."
"Has Alex or Teruya explained the concept of zones yet?" Rouge asked instead, the three Eds glancing at each other in questioning.
"There's been mentions, but nothing explicitly stated beyond the implied off-screen discussion between Alex and Eddy's Mother." Double D told, making Rouge huff to herself.
She glanced over at her cousins, who had both taken out a communicator and are likely calling the others.
Good. Now they just gotta make sure her mom doesn't find out.
The last thing they need is mom ripping someone's head off over all this…
{-}
Rouge looked back, moving back to the Eds as she sighed again.
"Zones are different timelines. Different stories, similar people." Rouge shrugged, "Think of it like the other universes, but the main individuals are still the same."
"Or like the mirror creepypastas…" Eddy mumbled, making Rouge snort.
"However you wanna compare it. It's pretty a simple concept, honestly." She chuckled…
Before frowning, crossing her arms as she sighed, "I… listen, we… we have to keep you here until after our New Years."
"Huh?" The three boys mumbled, looking at Rouge with wide eyes.
"We already caught the traffickers, but we gotta keep you guys here for a week or two for safety and kinda-legal reasons on Station Square's part. We can't risk you three or your mom being caught by a rival of those jackasses either." Rouge growled slightly at the thought, before shaking her head, "So, your neighbors will keep an eye on you four in my stead… meaning you might be here for a while. You want us to send out some sort of message to your families or that Council of yours-"
"NO!" Eddy and Double D both exclaimed, Ed suddenly appearing behind Rouge and placing a hand over her mouth.
Rouge's eyes widened at the yell, slowly removing Ed's hand with a skeptical look.
"Did you four… were you running here?" Rouge questioned, getting a nervous laugh from Double D.
"N-Not exactly, ma'am!" Double D told, beginning to explain their plight, "You see, w-we have been feeling a bit overwhelmed due to our responsibilities as the villains of our world, so Eddy had thought that we could perhaps join his mother on a trip to another location entirely-"
"But my mom's boss made some kinda deal with those jerks and basically got us kidnapped!" Eddy snapped, cutting off Double D as he scowled, "We barely got away thanks to that bus driver!"
"Alex, Alex, Alex…" Rouge sighed to herself, a bit too quiet for the Eds to hear, "Desperate for an early vacation, I see…"
{-}
She then nodded to herself, glancing at the boys, "So, are you waiting for someone to realize you vanished?"
"I left a note, actually." Double D corrected, "Stating that I and my comrades were kidnapped and that we required assistance. We obviously managed to free ourselves, but the note should still be there."
"If nobody threw it away." Eddy grumbled, which got him an elbow to the chest.
"So… you think someone's gonna pick it up and freak out over you guys being kidnapped?" Rouge concluded, getting a reluctant nod from Double D.
"Essentially, yes." He agreed, hearing Eddy scoff beside him.
"We're trying to get shovel-chin to remove our villains title." Eddy huffed, ignoring his friend's slight glare, "Maybe by being kidnapped, the other villains might think we're 'too weak' to be villains."
"Kevin is extremely stubborn, Eddy." Double D sighed, "Besides, we already tried that method almost 23 months ago! In a different form, obviously, but-"
Rouge let out a chuckle, making Eddy and Double D pause.
"What's with you, batty?" Eddy questioned, which made Rouge grin.
"Want me to stir the pot?" She leaned in with a grin, making the two boys blink, "Once the holidays are over, I'm planning on investigating the multiverse and its Council for my records and our safety. I could easily whisper in some ears for ya… for a price."
"What?!" Eddy snapped, gesturing a finger in Rouge's face, "Listen here, bat-face! We don't got cash!"
"I take information too, hun!" Rouge laughed, pushing the finger away with a smirk, "Shoot me something juicy, and I'll whisper in some important ears. Enough, and I might even leave some 'evidence' that'll benefit both of us."
Eddy looked reluctant for a moment, before braving up and smirking in return.
Rouge reached her hand out to seal the deal, but-
"Wh- Eddy, this is treason!" Double D exclaimed, making Eddy glance back at him with an irritated look, "If anyone finds out we did this, regardless of our position, our punishments will be given to us by-"
"Mandy." Eddy finished, having realized what Double D was talking about.
Rouge watched Eddy's confidence disappear in seconds, humming to herself as she considered her options.
And then she snapped her fingers, her grin returning with a vengeance, "I could try and spread misinformation and-"
"Don't bother, Mandy's almost impossible to get rid of." Eddy groaned into a hand, "Our group… they have this stupid three-strike system, one that the other groups can't get around, and Mandy always finds some loophole whenever someone tries to put a strike on her. She's only got one, and it was from when we first showed up! It'd take a miracle to dethrone her."
"Sounds like a few other assholes I know…" Rouge grumbled, before sighing again, "Alright, I'll hold off on the psychological warfare for now. How about I just get you some information about how the Council takes everything, and you give me some bits and pieces that you know?"
Eddy shrugged as he snorted, "Deal. Mandy's only weak point is that brainless, big-nosed twit that follows her around."
"Noted!" Rouge chirped as she took out a notebook from her hammerspace, seemingly twirling a pencil into existence as she wrote, "And Mandy's official position is…"
"Leader of Endsville and pseudo-leader of both sides of World Belt." Double D told, "Our universe, Peach Creek, and Endsville are both part of our side of the World Belt, known as the Toon Belt. And neither side are regarded particularly well by the other groups. I believe Mandy wishes to overtake the World Belt to prove something to the others."
{-}
Rouge hummed as she wrote, before closing up her notebook and smirking, "Thank you! Any way I can contact you without having to call Alex or Teruya?"
"Well, it'll take some time for Ms. McGee to set up a landline-"
"A what?"
Eddy and Double D stared at Rouge, who stared back in utter confusion.
"What the hell's a landline?" Rouge raised a brow at the boys, who blinked at the question.
"…A phone?" Double D reluctantly answered, Rouge taking out her own phone from her pocket.
Eddy and Double D stared at the phone for a moment, before Eddy groaned.
"Oh great, we're in a tech haven." He grumbled, much to Rouge's amusement and mild confusion.
"I'll just call one of the overlanders instead." She chuckled, "I'd recommend getting a phone while you're here, even if it's only for a few weeks. It'll be the best way to keep in touch, at least for me."
Eddy suddenly snapped to attention, Double D raising a brow to the bat.
"Wait, are you saying that-"
{-}
A loud crash cut Double D off, the three whipping their heads over to where they heard the sound…
And saw Sonic and Sally staring at the ceiling.
Double D and Eddy slowly looked up, seeing two familiar legs sticking through the-
Double D sharply gasped, while Eddy just sighed.
"…We gotta stop leaving Ed by himself." Eddy mumbled, Double D looking as if he was going to have a stroke, "It'll be fine, Double D. Things always fix themselves when they're off-screen."
"I- But Eddy! We're not on a screen!" Double D reminded, making Eddy cringe, "We're in written form and outside our home universe! For all we know, that sort of damage may be permanent!"
"Permanent?" Rouge scoffed, flying into the sky and poking the ceiling with a hum, "I'm pretty sure your friend just fell through the broken floorboard Amy nearly stepped through a few weeks ago."
"I mean, the spot looks right." Sonic snickered, Sally batting his arm with a barely-there grin.
Ed then fully fell through the ceiling, hitting the ground with a loud thump and a flurry of comic books.
Rouge blinked at the comic book rain, before glancing at her cousins.
Sonic raised a brow, before rolling his eyes.
He sped around the room, collecting the comic books from the ground and sky.
{-}
Eddy stared at the fast hedgehog, while Double D helped Ed up from the floor.
"Goodness! Are you alright, Ed?!" He questioned, seeing Ed lift a hand to his head.
"That really hurt." He mumbled, making Rouge snort.
Eddy scowled at the snort, sending a sharp glare up to Rouge.
Rouge hummed back, curious of the protective look in the boy's eyes.
"These floors are pretty solid, even without that nasty bruise on your friends' shoulder." Rouge told, making the two boys blink.
"Bruise?" Double D raised a brow at Ed, Eddy shooting the tall boy a suspicious look.
Sonic let out a breath as he placed the stack of comic books on the ground, glancing at Ed with a chuckle.
"You really like your books, huh kid?" He asked Ed, who grinned as he patted the human's left shoulder, "Monster comics, celebrity magazines, mystery books-"
"Celebrity magazines?!" "Mystery novels?!
{-}
Eddy and Double D both rushed over to the stack, seeing that Ed had collected some books for them as well.
Sonic snorted, placing a hand on Ed's left shoulder and giving him a thumbs up with the other, "Or maybe you just know your brothers well."
Ed winced at the contact, before feeling something… warm.
The pain in his shoulder slowly dulled, and Sonic winked to the tall teen.
Ed blinked rapidly, realizing what the hedgehog had done for him and grinned.
"Spoil-sport." Rouge grumbled, making Sonic glance up at her with a smirk.
"Auntie said I needed to work on my healing anyway." He excused, much to Rouge's annoyance.
"Sonic, Rouge, we have a problem." Sally called to the two mobians, who exchanged worried looks as they approached the chipmunk-squirrel.
{-}
As Eddy and Double D went over the magazines and books Ed had collected upstairs, Ed wandered back over to the clothes.
He got his comic books, now he's gotta get clothes!
Otherwise those alien kidnappers from other timelines might find them again!
Ed hummed, taking out a green-striped shirt and putting it on over his red-striped one.
He grinned in the mirror, seeing the different shirt.
"Who are you, space man!?" He exclaimed, before laughing.
He took the shirt back off and threw it into the pile Double D and Eddy made.
There was a coat and two more shirts in the pile too, meaning that their clothes search was almost over!
…Eddy's gotta have a coat though, otherwise he'll be like the human popsicles from Ice Monsters 3!
Ed started rummaging around wherever he could see coats, humming as he searched.
"…Ed, what are you doing?" Double D's voice questioned, Ed instantly shoving the few he'd found into Double D's arms.
"Coats for Eddy, Double D!" Ed told, not looking away from his search, "To stop him from becoming a popsicle."
Double D was silent for a moment, staring at the coats as if they'd come alive, before smiling at Ed, "Why, thank you, Ed! I hadn't even realized Eddy hadn't selected a winter coat for his ensemble!"
{-}
"I don't need one." Eddy grumbled, crossing his arms stubbornly as he joined his friends, "I got a perfectly good jacket back home."
"A perfectly good jacket." Double D repeated, before gesturing a free finger in Eddy's face, "You haven't had an actual coat since we were in 3rd grade!"
"I don't need a-!" Eddy started to protest, before the coats were shoved into his arms.
He let out a groan, dropping them onto the ground and picking one back up.
They could hear mumbling though.
Ed, Double D, and Eddy could hear the three Mobians mumbling about something.
"But… if that's the… how are…" Sally mumbled to Rouge, who huffed.
"We gotta… no other… Prime might…" She whispered in response, making Sonic bristle.
"But Prime might also…" He told, his voice lowering beyond what they could hear for a moment, "…and break that contract."
Eddy grunted, shoving one of the coats into Double D's hands and trying on another.
Sally let out an audible sigh, "Super, the risk isn't…"
"We're out of…" Rouge sighed too, "Take the chance… maybe we can…"
Eddy huffed, struggling to release himself from the large coat.
"If we can free… we gotta… no choice…" Super glanced away, glaring at nothing with his deep red eyes, "…can't wait any…"
Double D yelped as he was suddenly blinded by the far too large coat, pulling it off him with a sigh.
Then he looked the coat over, glancing over at Ed with a gasp.
"Ed, I think you should try this coat on." He told his friend, who blinked before slowly taking the coat.
Eddy picked up another coat, grumbling as he put it on…
And it fit pretty well, actually.
It wasn't kinda tight around the shoulders like his jacket was, it wasn't overly puffy like Sockhead's coat back home…
"Those boys…"
Eddy practically felt his ears perk up, hearing the bat's mumbles.
"…Bad feeling… what if… should never go home?" She asked her cousins, the incomplete question making Eddy's eyes widen, "I… doesn't seem… gotta ask Teruya…my mom could…"
{-}
Eddy turned around to see Sonic and Sally recoil in horror, before gesturing and speaking quickly to reassure their cousin.
Whatever they were talking about, he had a bad feeling about it.
And an even badder feeling that she was talking about them-!
Eddy was suddenly picked up by his collar and rushed over to the mirror, protesting loudly all the way.
Ed gasped as he abruptly dropped his friend, leaning closer to the mirror.
"Ooh! I look cool!" Ed grinned, looking over the deep green coat with a grin, "It looks like my jacket too!"
"Exactly, Ed!" Double D confirmed, walking over to them and putting on his own coat, "I figured you might prefer something familiar for a coat, and when Eddy chucked it over my head, I knew it might just be perfect for you!"
Eddy grunted as he stood, looking at himself in the mirror and…
"Huh." Eddy blinked, barely recognizing the person in the mirror.
He was wearing a t-shirt that had a gradient between yellow and green, gray-blue jeans, and the oddly perfect purple coat.
He checked himself out with a grin, liking how he looked in the jacket.
Who says purple's just for girls!? He is rocking this thing!
{-}
"That coat really suits you, Eddy!" Double D complimented, adjusting the collar of his own coat.
Double D was wearing a red polo shirt with an orange stripe on the side, his purple shorts replaced with purple jeans, and the only slightly puffy orange coat not making him look like a balloon for once.
"And you don't look any different than you usually do." Eddy huffed, seeing the sameness in his friend's outfit, "Choose something different for once!"
"Excuse me for feeling comfortable in my own skin, Eddy." Double D huffed in return, before smiling at the mirror, "Oh, but just look at us! We look like new men! Like we've made an important step in our lives! Like we've-"
"Okay, we got our clothes. Are we done now?" Eddy interrupted, clearly wanting to be finished with the clothes.
"You and I still need to grab another pair of pants, Eddy." Double D told, "Three sets of clothes is better than just one! What if we get stuck in the rain? We need the extra clothing, just in case something happens to our current ones!"
Eddy grumbled as he took the purple jacket off, frustrated at having to find more clothes.
They should be done already!
"I gotta see if my gut feeling is right, Sal." He could hear the bat mumble, "Because if I am, I have to pull mom into this."
Eddy glanced back at the bat, who had a scowl that might even bother Mandy.
Rouge scowled as she glared at nothing, her cousins sharing uneasy looks at her expression, "And those jackasses aren't gonna like it if I pull mom into this."
{-}
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
{-}
Double D hummed peacefully to himself, holding their brand-new clothes in his arms as they moved towards the register.
Well, perhaps not brand-new, but new regardless!
"Oh, there you are!"
Double D glanced up at Eddy's mother, who was looking over the electronics section of the store.
Teruya was not too far away, glaring at the media shelf with an irritated look.
"I see you boys found some clothes!" Marylin smiled, Double D nodding in confirmation.
"There's two sets of clothes here for each of us, since I figured a full week's set may be asking for a bit much." Double D told, making Marylin wince.
"It would be… a little too much, yes." She sighed, before glancing over at her son and Ed, "And I see you went through the books too! Did uh…"
She hesitated, seeing the stack of books was higher than the top of Ed's head.
"Did you boys check the price before you took all those?" She finished, looking a bit worried now.
{-}
"Don't worry Ms. McGee! I checked the price of each and every book and the total, with the discount prices included, is ¥2250! Not including the ¥1413 for the clothes" Double D told, much to Marylin's relief.
Teruya whistled, sending them a smirk as she exclaimed, "Nice haul! Fits with ours too!"
Eddy stepped beside his friend, raising a brow at his mom.
"We found a foldable desk and chair set, a collapsable table, barstools, some blankets and pillows, a few lamps," Marylin listed, sounding particularly excited about her haul, "I even found a couch and tv being sold as a set!"
Teruya rolled her eyes in amusement, but didn't say anything one way or another.
"C-Can we afford all that, Ms. McGee?" Double D worried, but Marylin only grinned.
"Never underestimate my mom and her coupon-clipping, Sockhead!" Eddy smirked, throwing an arm over his friend and winking, "My mom's gotten totals down from 200 bucks to just 20! She's a wiz at finding the cheap stuff!"
"Thank you, sweetheart!" Marylin chuckled, before looking at her little notebook, "So that's 2250, plus 1413…"
She wrote down the numbers, before sighing in relief.
"¥13272. A little less than half of what we have I think." She mumbled, ignoring how Double D rolled his eyes at his friend nudging him, "Just enough for food and possible recreation like museums or-"
{-}
Teruya let out a loud snort, making Marylin blink at her.
"Museums are free until New Year!" She called, making Double D gasp in excitement…
And Eddy groan in annoyance.
"A museum?! You're in a whole new world, and you want to go to a stinking museum!?" Eddy exclaimed, making Double D sigh.
"A whole new world with a different history, Eddy?" Double D told, "Perhaps you'll actually enjoy learning about this world's history."
"History is boring! Doesn't matter where you are, right Ed!?" Eddy turned to Ed for an agreement and-
He was gone.
"So, what kinda movies are you looking for?" Teruya's phone read out, the young adult flipping through the movies and reading over the titles, "Sci-Fi, horror, monster movies-"
"Monster, please!" Ed grinned, his face still obstructed by the books.
Eddy and Double D let out relieved sighs.
They really needed to keep a closer eye on Ed…
Teruya let out a snort, looking for any monster movies on the wall.
"Ed, how are you gonna get home with so many books?" Teruya typed with a chuckle.
{-}
Ed blinked at her, before balancing the books in one hand, opening his jacket, and-
Teruya watched as the large stack of books just… fit into Ed's pocket.
And then she blinked.
"Ah, hammerspace." She realized, before laughing, "Forgot! Don't use it often!"
"Why not?!" Eddy huffed, leaning over a table to raise a brow at Teruya, "We use ours all the time! We never not have something in here!"
"Despite Eddy's deplorable grammar, he is right." Double D started, also moving towards Teruya, "Our world utilizes our hammerspaces to an extent that almost borders on overuse compared to other universes!"
"Seriously?" Teruya scrunched up her nose, "Overuse? That's dumb."
"Right?!" Eddy threw his hands into the air, "That's what I told Neutron, but no! I was the one being a jerk!"
"Eddy, you also told him that he was a coward for not talking back to Mandy." Double D pointed out, making Eddy groan.
Marylin watched the boys interact with Teruya with a soft smile, having not seen them so invested in someone other than each other in…
In…
{-}
Marylin frowned as she looked away, questioning when Eddy last had friends beyond Double D and Ed.
It was… a long time ago, wasn't it?
Has it really been that long since Eddy had played- no…
Since Eddy had been allowed to play with the other kids?
She knew the neighborhood kids typically kept the boys out of their games, usually on accident, but…
Isn't it about time for them to bury the hatchet?
To start including the Eds again?
She's aware of Kevin's obnoxious pushing for the Eds to be villains, but there's no way he's being completely serious…
Right?
Marylin gulped, feeling her hands begin to sweat as she tried to imagine… if the boy was truly serious.
He'd make himself out to be the absolute 'hero' of the Cul-De-Sac, with her poor boys trapped as the 'villains'.
And eventually, Ed and Eddwards's parents are going to see that… in a far more serious light than just 'it's just kids being kids'.
If that happens, who's saying that they won't freak out?
{-}
Susan would lose her mind for sure.
She and Nelson are always so insistent on Eddward and his 'potential'.
They would see it as a permanent stain on their son's very identity.
Would…
Would they try and separate Eddward from his friends, just to try and get rid of that title?
Helen would…
Well, Marylin isn't quite sure if Helen would care much.
Over the years, her dear friend has gotten less and less… 'worried' with Ed.
Helen has been more focused on her daughter and…
Ed… he's been over for dinner or overnight a lot more in the last few years.
Eddy's been surprisingly insistent ever since Ed sleep-ate half of the neighborhood's food.
Marylin had never been more thankful for Ester and her family's farm until that day, but that's not the point.
{-}
Marylin's eyes twitched over to her boys, feeling her heart pound in her chest.
Eddy was sitting on Ed's shoulders and looking over the back of a movie, while Double D happily rambled about something to an actively listening Teruya.
They looked… happy.
Happier than they'd been over the past few years.
And that's after… everything that happened yesterday!
If anything, she would have expected them to be at least subdued!
After Ed's turtle died last year, the boy bounced back, sure.
But he wasn't as happy-go-lucky as he usually was for those first few days.
After Eddward was supposedly 'yelled at' for his grades a few months back, he had bounced back too.
But he was twitchy around her, and most other adults for almost a month afterwards.
And Eddy…
With Terrance…
So why…
{-}
Eddy gasped at something, roughly pulling Ed's head to look at the back of the movie.
Double D noticed the commotion and approached his friends, only to be pulled too.
Both Ed and Double D gasped, sharing an excited look.
Marylin barely held back an unstable laugh, feeling her hands shake.
Why were her boys so happy after being nearly kidnapped?
And…
Why was this bothering her so much?!
Focus, Marylin!
Marylin knocked herself out of her thoughts, chuckling at her boys with a grin.
"Find something you like?" She asked, making the three boys whip their heads to her.
"Mom! They got Robot Rebel Ranch in this thing!" Eddy exclaimed, "And it's the original!"
"What?!" Marylin gasped, rushing over to look at the movie case.
But she could still feel that unstable feeling in her gut.
And that question running almost endlessly through her mind.
Why.
{-}
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
{-}
Marylin sighed as she finished setting up the powder room, hanging a small face-towel onto the wall hanger.
She grinned as she nodded to herself in the mirror.
The last few hours had been busy and frankly boring, but they had everything done!
Well, besides dinner, but she's still thinking about what she could make.
Her- The boys deserve a homecooked meal after everything that's happened!
Marylin frowned as she really looked at herself in the mirror.
Slightly pale-pink skin, dark shadows underneath her eyes, and… ugh, was that a gray hair?
Marylin leaned in to look at herself better, running a finger over her stained lips.
They were tinted red after so many years of wearing lipstick day after day.
She stared at herself in the mirror, seeing the red becoming more…
Her chest pounded.
Her hands trembled, and…
Something in the mirror…
It was really ƥᶖśᶊỉᶇɠ her off…
Marylin scowled, grabbing the boxcutter on the counter and slicing at her hair.
{-}
The chopped hair tumbled to the ground, her hair falling onto her shoulders…
No, it was too short to hit her shoulders now.
Her eyes widened, realizing what she'd done.
It's taken her so many years to grow her hair out!
Her mom is going to-
To…
Why…
Marylin's hands shook again, a small laugh escaping her.
Why did she care what her mother thinks?
Her mom isn't here to dictate if a girl can have short hair or not!
Her mom isn't here to say rather or not she likes her appearance!
Her mom isn't here-!
Marylin laughed again, this time a little louder.
Elizabeth isn't here to-
{-}
A knock made Marylin twitch, alongside a sigh as Double D mumbled to his friends.
"I still don't think she's going to- Alright, I'll ask, but there's no-" He sighed, his friends unable to be heard from behind the door, before knocking again, "Ms. McGee? I… I know we have just spent quite a bit today, but… we were wondering if… perhaps… wecouldperhapsgoouttoeattonight?"
Marylin looked at herself in the mirror, the red in her vision dimming slightly.
Her cheeks still had residual blush, her eyes stained slightly with makeup.
She felt herself twitch, the red returning with a vengeance.
"M-Ms. McGee?"
"Eddward? Could you go grab the scissors?" Marylin asked, placing the right amount of 'sweet' into her voice to mask the odd rage in her soul, "I need them for a moment."
There was shuffling behind the door, before another knock.
Marylin opened the door slightly, taking the scissors as they were held out to her and then closing the door again.
"Give me ten minutes, alright?" She called, getting three sounds of agreement from the other side.
She then grinned, turning on the faucet and taking the scissors to her hair.
{-}
{-}
"You messed it up, Sockhead!" Eddy snapped, making Double D gasp.
"I messed it up!? Eddy, we spent half of our funds today- more than half even! Of course your mother wouldn't agree to eating out!"
They were on the couch that Eddy's mom had found, being a gaudy blue and orange checkered couch.
It was ugly, but hey, it was a couch!
"That Teruya chick said eating out was cheaper here!" Eddy protested, making Double D groan.
Double D pointed to Eddy as he opened his mouth, ready to object the statement…
But there was a click, alongside a small laugh as Eddy's mom stepped out of the bathroom.
"Guys, where'd Eddy's mom's hair go?" Ed asked, pointing to Eddy's mom with a confused look.
The two boys glanced over at Marylin, who was now sporting a very messy bob cut instead of a tight bun.
Her face looked red and slightly wet, the remainder of her makeup missing.
Three hairs floated above her head, reminiscent of Eddy's own, and she looked…
Happier.
As if she'd gotten something off of her back.
{-}
"M-Ms. McGee?" Double D stammered, making Marylin quietly gasp.
"Oh! Sorry about that, boys! I had to do something… a bit overdue." Marylin stated ominously, "What did you want again?"
"…We were hoping to go out to eat tonight." Double D reluctantly told, making Marylin grin.
"What a great idea! I'm a bit too tired to cook anyway!" She laughed to herself, unaware to how her son choked at her words, "Let me head next door to ask Teruya or Alex about the restaurants in the area, and then we'll go!"
Eddy leaned on the arm of the chair as he watched his mom walk away, a very confused look on his face.
"What the heck was that?!" He exclaimed, "I thought mom hated getting stuff at restaurants!"
"I suppose your mother had some kind of… change of heart." Double D mused in mild confusion.
Ed was staring at the doorway that Eddy's mom had walked through, something bothering him.
It was a weird, kinda itchy feeling.
But then he felt Eddy knock into his shoulder, hopping off the couch to follow after his mom.
"Come on! Let's get going!" Eddy grinned, "Last one to order has to drink ranch!"
"Oh good lord!" Double D gagged at the idea, while Ed grinned as he followed after his friends.
Can't be anything too bad!
{-}
~+-_==~-++π~~+-_==~-++π~+-_=#~-+++π~-_==~-#π~~+-_==~-+++~~+-_=#~-#++π~#+_==~-+#π~~+-_#~-#++π~+-_==~-+~+-==~-+#+-_=~-+π~~+-_=-+#π~~-_#=~-+##π~~-_==~-π~=+~+π
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"OH FUCK! JEFF- JEFF! WE GOTTA GO TO THAT COUNCIL MEETING! MY CAMERAS PICKED UP A KIDNAPPING!"
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"…The center? Tails, that's… are you sure you want me to… alright, lemme go grab someone and I'll go investigate."
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"Perhaps I should contact one of the outer universe's gods when Lord Beerus awakens…"
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"…No. No! It can't be time already! I-I still haven't found-! What the heck am I gonna do!? Mandy's gonna kill me!"
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"I… I-I think I have to… t-to go out there. Something… A-Amanda, s-something's wrong, a-and I won't… I can't…"
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"Remember, we have three objectives. Introduce ourselves, state our knowledge of the oncoming apocalypse, and request any information of suspicious activity. Nothing more."
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{-}
Three sets of red eyes grinned at an old monitor, seeing the weak heroes and villains of the multiverse begin to gather.
"It's Jeff!" One of his loyal servants snapped at the monitor, gesturing to the immortal teen running through the trees.
Hm, that's odd.
He has not left that 'Manor' of Slenderman's in decades.
What has him so worked up?
"And that mirror too?!" Another growled, practically snapping his jaws at the sight, "What are those Dwellers doing now?!"
Jeff and his pet Hylian were rushing through the trees, looking more than a little frantic.
An odd emotion for the insane ex-human.
Zalgo hummed, tilting his head slightly at the appearance of the 'human'.
"What are you doing, Jeffery Woods?" He mused, watching the 'teen' on the monitor like a hawk.
This might be… interesting…
My my... I think there's something going on, don't you?
If you can't tell, these end-chapter flashes are in the past this time.
And next time, we get to see/meet the wider multiverse and most of our end-chapter friends. ;)
I hope you're all ready for lore that I probably wrote right and self-indulgent headcanons!
Oh, and sorry in advance to any readers who like Kevin.
He is not nice in this continuity and he's gonna get some consequences™ in this story.
I'll see ya'll in July!