Disclaimer: 3/5
Chapter 28
Brotherhood
XxXxXxXxX
I looked at Lizard worriedly, they were doing it again:
Training us.
I understood why Lizard was trained. He was their 'hope'.
I was to be beaten by Lizard.
The hoods yelled at me, but he praised me.
Teaching me how to defend myself, how to counter, parry, evade, counter-attack and the like.
He smiled.
I smiled.
They hated it.
They said we shouldn't get along.
We were enemies.
Nothing alike.
"Never been more wrong, Spider." Lizard whispered, I sneakily took a piece of candy from his belt, he grinned.
"Spoil your supper, you will."
"Find a better hiding place."
"Nah, I hate seeing you pout."
"I never pout…" I pouted a lot.
Whatever private lessons they gave Lizard, I later learned it when he came to visit me, they must have known seeing their disapproving face, but they did not stop Lizard. If they spoiled Lizard, he spoiled me. I quite liked it.
"You're younger than me."
"...?"
"That's what they say, so I'm your big brother." Lizard said as if it was a fact of life, "That means I look out for you."
I frowned, "You don't have to…"
Lizard laughed, "You're right: I don't have to. I want to and will. Big brothers never stop worrying about our baby brothers."
Lizard ruffled my hair, it was strange I was sure I was 'born' first than him…maybe we were separated at birth?
For living in this shit hole of a place, being treated like an unwelcome guest or eyesore, Lizard always made me feel better about being born.
I'm glad we're brothers.
I was used to the robes by now.
Even Slink, he wasn't like the rest though.
Not sneering or hateful, in truth he looked as if he was disappointed.
But then there was one that didn't wear a robe: she looked familiar…
She came often enough, always watching me and Lizard.
Her eyes were awfully cold.
Even here voice…I shuddered, I don't know why the other's couldn't hear it but Lizard but there was an undercurrent of disdain in it.
I looked up and saw them from the balcony.
I ran up to Lizard.
Trying to not think of them…
[Darcy POV]
"Told ya you'd get some primo results pitting the brothers—"
"THEY ARE NOT BROTHERS."
"—against each other. Look at them go! I mean Spider has nothing on Liquid…he's been fighting all day."
The lead robe looked smug at the observation, "Why of course he would~ he regenerates so fast that his endurance is neigh limitless! General Toffee would have been proud…but I'm sure somewhere in Liquid; Toffee is alive and well, he is his living legacy."
"…" Nefon said nothing and just observed, her eyes calculating coldly.
[End POV]
I recalled her coming and going from the place I was held.
Every visit made me nervous but I pushed it back in my head when I had so much demanded from me harshly by my caretakers.
They gave us tests and puzzles to do, to my surprise I could solve easily despite seeing it for the first time. However, as these ran out physical training took their place and we were evenly match for the most part.
Then they stopped giving me food.
And water.
Our matches started to go in Lizard's favor.
When he found out, he would bring me something to eat and drink later at my cell; he was upset.
"We train better when you eat! This is wrong!" Lizard hissed, his eyes slit as he tore a loaf and fed me through the bars, he passed a mug filled with juice to me next.
I ate my fill, I knew it was wrong, but I wasn't in a position to fight back.
I had to leave it to Lizard to do something about it.
And I didn't like the notion either.
"I don't like it either."
The two of us jumped, Lizard rose to his feet when Slink was propped against the wall, he looked pissed, "Don't worry your head about feeding your brother, I'm grateful because I was about to do the same."
He had one apple in his hand.
It wasn't much but I would have taken it anyways.
"They are testing you two because that…Mewman said so…"
"Who?"
"Calls herself 'Nefon the Informant'…I don't trust her. Something about her ain't right."
The two looked worried for a moment but Slink tossed the apple and walked away.
I caught it and ate it with gusto.
"I'm going to tell them to stop doing this…you need to be fed. You need to be strong."
"…okay." I mumbled.
Lizard sighed and we both sat down, "You think they're gonna listen?" "…maybe."
"Yes, I suppose starving Spider wouldn't do. Rest assure Lizard he will be fed regularly like before." The lead robe said gruffly, almost absentmindedly.
I blinked.
Lizard blinked.
That was easier than we thought.
"He will be testing something for us after all, can't have a half dead Mewman mucking up the results. Spider will be a tester for the machine; making sure it works properly."
I shuddered at the words.
What machine?
I was led away from Lizard into a room with a massive machine with pentagrams, magic circles, floating tomes and stacks of books.
A single metal head dome with magic symbols, cables and wiring decorated the thing.
"Alright…let's find something simple to test you with…" the lead robe looked through the books while a robe gave me something to eat: a bowl of diced roasted mushrooms with thick slices of gamey meat in a berry drizzle.
This was the most impressive meal I had ever received.
I wolfed it down just as the lead robe found a book to use.
"You. Do you know anything about pottery?"
I looked at the lead robe before I shook my head, my mouth full.
It threw the book at a magic circle and had me sit on a chair with straps as the metal dome piece was jammed on my head.
The book flicked open and suddenly as if a tempest blew across it, flipped through the pages.
I felt as if someone put a hot iron in my head and screamed, the leather straps biting into me as I tried to pry it off.
The book wasn't as thick but each page burned into my mind: the history of pottery, the means to make it, how to decorate it, styles, types, uses and everything in between burned into my mind.
The book snapped shut before I slumped forward and puked what I ate.
They wiped my chin and front before they took the dome off and held a picture in front of me, I could barely make it out so they slapped me.
"What is this."
"I don't—"
*SLAP*
I blinked the tears away as they held a picture up again.
Focusing the best I could, I began to blurt out things I didn't know I knew.
"…it's a vintage…salt glazed…urn…it looks to be north style because of the clay coloring…maybe Jagged Mountain?"
The robes looked at it.
"I mean…he's not wrong, but not Jagged Mountain. Wonder how he knows about that place."
"Doesn't matter! He got it right!"
The robes continued to talk before I blacked out.
The next I woke, Lizard was on the chair looking ragged as the room lit up as robes flicker past my vision as they came with books and tomes to feed Lizard, it took less than a minute before I realize what they were doing.
I could hardly handle a single book…but they were working like mad with Lizard, he looked at me concerned as he tensed and struggled as they fed him a tome or thick book to absorb, I watched in horror as they encouraged him to finish a stack even as he shook his head, pleading.
"Nonsense! You will be the savior that Mewni needs!" the lead robe raved.
I protested only to be switched with Lizard as to give him a break, the lead robe glaring at me.
"Give him something useless to learn!" the lead robe roared, the robes looked around furiously as Lizard glared at all present.
"The history of mushrooms?" a robe held out, the lead robe flicked through it before grunting and tossed it to a magic circle.
I felt sweat drip down my body, I had a notion that I was already familiar with mushrooms…
And the pain was excruciating.
I thrashed in the seat as my knowledge was viciously overlapped what the book had, if it was new it was bad enough but redundancy made my brain boil. I could see Lizard roar in protest, his eyes suddenly bright and robes fell to the ground twitching before I was pulled free of the chair.
"Spider! Spider, are you okay? Of course, you're not…"
"…"
He picked me up and carried me away, the robes recovering soon after.
"…"
"…could he always do that?"
The lead robe smiled, "No…but we might have found a way to manifest his latent powers~"
.
Despite Lizard's anger and physical protest such as lashing out to the robes, the lead robe would order me to get in the chair to be subjugated to a round of torture.
I refuse of course.
But that didn't stop robes from slamming me on the chair and putting me through the ringer.
Again Liquid would come to my rescue, I could see that he was getting more and more violent, manifesting claws and once I swore: a tail. He tried barring them from getting me, but I had grown so weak from the ill treatment I couldn't even fight back to help. Lizard, he…he was too kind, he didn't kill. He didn't maim.
It was always using his gaze to stop the robes.
Lizard stopped taking the programming angering the lead robe; he roared and raged for my sake all day and night.
Eventually the robes agreed so long as Liquid took to the tests without complaint I wouldn't suffer any longer.
Lizard fed me.
Washed me.
Bathed me when I pissed and shit myself, unable to do it myself after so many torture sessions.
I always apologized.
He just smiled, ruffling my hair.
They wanted him to go through battle tactics, close quarter combat, assassination techniques, the wet work arts.
They insisted he learned from the best from history, tomes upon tomes, history books on war.
I told him they were making him into a weapon.
"As long as you're safe…I don't care."
"I CARE! What'll happen to you?"
I looked at my brother pleadingly, he merely smiled back tiredly, he looked exhausted,
"I wont let them hurt you again, Spider. I promise. I'm your brother. You are my brother. We look out for each other. We are all we got."
Without warning I felt rigid and Lizard carefully place me down, I looked at him petrified.
His gaze...it was a lot stronger now!
"Don't worry, it will wear off in a few hours, I know they are going to stuff you in that chair again…this way you won't get any weaker."
I looked on helplessly as Lizard used his inherent powers to spare me from the harsh programming. The following morning they had to drag me into the chair and tried to do the same thing again, albeit without any success at all.
The robes fussed over the lack of success.
"DAMNIT! What's wrong with this thing!?"
"Time is better spent on Lizard, leave that in its cell. If it is going to reject the programming, then its worthless to us." Spat the other hooded member.
Many of the robes murmuring in agreement, the lead robe cast a poorly hidden glare at Lizard. I was dragged back to my cell, catching a glimpse of my brother looking at me, slightly nodding at his gambit.
I was spared.
But in doing so Lizard paid the price for it.
.
I laid in my cell, the effects of Lizard's Stare lessen allowing me to move somewhat but it was hardly an improvement. I was thankful that Lizard managed to slip away to feed me soup and relieve myself before putting me as comfortable as possible on my meager bed.
I stared at the ceiling, debating on sleeping or waiting for Lizard.
It was late…
"Heyyy there little Spider~"
I froze.
The fake happy singsong voice immobilized me.
I crane my neck the best I could.
It was Nefon.
But she…never openly spoke to me. Or Lizard.
The way she looked at me…was unnerving.
She just smiled so sweetly…it mad my stomach turn.
"Oh? Is lil Spider immobilize~ heh heh heh…where's your brother."
The last part had a bit more edge on it.
I felt my eyes narrow at the demand, deep down I knew she only meant harm.
"I'm not…telling you." I snarled, spittle on the side of my mouth.
The old Spider would have trembled at her voice, but I…I wanted to be like Lizard, my brother.
He wouldn't have been scared of her. I neither will I.
Nefon smiled even wider, she looked at me with absolute malice, as if she wanted nothing more than to slip into the cell and wring me with her bare hands—what?
I stared dumbfounded as a long talon scrape on the bars.
She was a Mewman…wasn't she?
"Ooh pardon me~" her eyes twinkled.
Blue to green.
I felt my guts loop and twist over each other.
"I'M NOT HERE FOR YOUUUUU…" Nefon said in a happy singsong tone.
"…"
"I'm here for your brother."
"He'll kill you."
Nefon smiled showing her teeth.
All sharp like Lizard's but unlike his which I found comforting.
It was nothing short of terror.
Suddenly her shadow mountain over me, blocking out the lantern light, I looked up to see her callous hollow eyes baring down on me with all her fury.
"Oh I'm sure. If he wasn't put through that machine of yours~"
"!"
Nefon giggled like a schoolgirl.
"He's weaken. He's tired."
Nefon leaned into the cell bars, shoving her face roughly between the bars even as it redden her skin.
"That's why I waited until he was like this to attack~
Poor Lizard…Spider didn't even want to save his big brother from ME."
My mouth ran dry at the words.
Nefon cutely smirked and left.
My heart hammered in my chest as I tried to move my limp limbs.
Nefon, she—!
She's a monster!
And Lizard he—!
"No! No! NOOO!" I openly wept as I flailed myself.
Still I found myself helpless.
My thoughts ran back to Lizard who was no doubt being
"Who are—!?"
"GAAAAHHH!"
"GRAHHHHH!"
"HELP! HEEEEL—"
I wretched myself forward, clawing at the ground with all my MIGHT!
My hands ached just stretching open.
I was still paralyzed.
And the screaming and yells and crying and running and cursing and dying thundered in my cell.
She was slaughtering everyone!
I watched as more shadows and robes ran past me, carrying weapons, ready to fight,
ready to die.
I know I would have smiled.
But horror gripped me instead.
Those robes—they could protect Lizard right?
Right!?
Cold sweat erupted all over me when all the warcries turned into screams of terror.
The sound of stone breaking apart, bodies being torn, blood splattering and dripping made it to me as I remained motionless.
"DAMN YOU NEFON!"
"YOU TRAITOR!"
"SHOULD NEVER TRUS—!"
"You're too loud—DIE~"
Thuds.
Thuds of weapons.
And bodies.
I prayed I wouldn't hear it end, I prayed this place held a hundred thousands robes.
Then
It was quiet…
Triumphant laughter made me despair.
"Hello, there, Lizard~" I swore that whisper was just by my ear…
I screamed to the heavens for anyone.
Everyone.
I screamed for her to stop.
To leave Lizard alone.
To take me.
I screamed for salvation from this monster.
But no one came.
Not even my father.
Lizard stared down Nefon after her greeting, everything around her was dead and bleeding, pools of blood rippled with each breath she took.
She smiled so sweetly at him.
But he knew it was a façade…
The gentleness never reached her eyes.
Hateful.
Hollow.
Devoid of Mewmanity…
She kicked one hood, the lead hood, and the face of a Mewman showed.
"You see that, Lizard? This Mewman transplanted Monster flesh unto himself as if it would give him dominion over the rancid flesh…pathetic." she snickered.
"If you're going to kill me: KILL ME."
Nefon tutted, looking offended, she leaned closer, gods she was immaculate…it was as she was sculpted by a master craftsman…her beauty was unnatural. Even her scent, perfume or such was a delight to breathe in…despite having slaughtered everyone in the damn compound. Confusion boner was the least of his worries.
"I don't want to kill you…sister."
"…sister?" Lizard was taken back, did he look so much like a girl?
Nefon leaned back smiling, genuinely smiling.
She looked somber a moment later.
"I couldn't save you back then…and again I was too late…they meat grind your corpse and you and Spider came from it…oh why didn't I come sooner to save you…" Nefon clapped her bloody hands over her face, smearing blood and her talons nearly scarring her delicate face.
Lizard watched as Nefon kill so wantonly and brutally it seemed absurd to suddenly hear her crying.
Over him.
"…you couldn't stay dead…they couldn't just leave you alone…you deserve to rest…you deserve peace but…but they had to bring you back sister in this—this HORRIBLE BODY!"
Lizard yelled as Nefon backhand him, cutting his face.
Her eyes were wild with fury and pain.
"WHY DO I HAVE TO KILL YOU AGAIN SISTER!? WHY NEFON!? WHY DID YOU COME BACK!?"
Lizard barfed blood as Nefon slammed fist and claws into him while strapped to the chair, he could have broken free but rotten luck reached him as the robes put even more thick leather straps to chain him down.
He was at this mad Nefon's mercy.
She beat him.
When she stopped.
She picked up a piece of timber and began to push splinters into him.
One. At. A. Time.
Lizard bared his teeth at the mistreatment.
He knew she could get worse.
Far worse.
But that would risk letting him free…and even in her manic state she wasn't stupid enough to do so.
Until she mauled him on the neck with a maw with enough razor shark teeth to scare off a shark.
Lizard felt hot blood pump down into her gullet as she pulled away, her eyes alight with manic glee; wiping her chin of the fresh blood.
"There…I've preserved you…again." she moaned.
"…what…are…you?!" Lizard wheezed as the wound healed, Nefon looked at him surprised before she raked her talon across her forearm.
Blood spurted out but she paid it no mind as the flesh mended itself.
Albeit slower than Lizard's.
"I am Darcy…sister to Nefon…your family." She said warmly
"…you are no family of mine." Lizard hissed unsure why the sentiment was abhorrent to him, "I only have one: Spider, my brother."
Nefon slapped him.
"I am your sister! You are not Lizard! He is not Spider! You both are NEFON! Crushed and rolled into paste and thrown in that fuckin' pit and it birthed you! You think you are your own person but you are WRONG. You are NEFON. You will be always my sister…you just forgot."
Lizard felt his gut hit the bloody floor when Nefon pulled out a small notebook, she lovingly brushed it, "I wrote a memoir of our time together in Spiderbite…where we were born and ultimately where you died…we were the HoPe of Mewni, I believe that we are, I still believe…but that whore perverted that hOpE. But with this machine…maybe…maybe I could have Nefon back."
"What the fuck is wrong with you?"
Nefon ignored the question and began to piece the machine together from the earlier battle, Lizard could feel the rising bile of dread in him: this machine was capable of many terrible things…the amount of knowledge forced upon him would take lifetimes but he learned it in an afternoon.
Lizard could hear the machine whir into life and he began to spout everything to differentiate himself from this 'Nefon', from his life, to his time with Spider, with what he had gone through in his short life.
Nefon ignored it and looked through the little book, taking solace in it before she came across a scribble that was not in her handwriting: Lacks sly orGies.
"Don't act as if you are your own person," Nefon snapped, "this persona you have is just a construct of your imagination, you have been and always been Nefon~"
"NO I AM NOT! I DON'T KNOW WHO THIS 'NEFON' IS! WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU!? NEFON?! DARCY!?"
Nefon looked at him as if the words finally wormed it through her thick skull, she chuckled to herself and ran a hand through her hair suddenly changing its color and her eyes flashed green.
"That's right…I keep forgetting I'm wearing someone else's skin…
I AM DARCY, THE HOPE OF MEWNI."
"You're fuckin' insane." the words dawning to Lizard.
Nefon—Darcy looked at Lizard coldly before she put the journal on the magic circle and held up the metallic head dome.
"We shall see about that, Lizard…but after I'm done with you…you'll remember you're 'Nefon'~"
Lizard roared and pulled at the restraints with all his might as the metal dome was slammed on his head and he screamed as the journal's contents poured into his mind.
"DON'T FIGHT IT!" Darcy barked and pulled it off and punched him in the face before slamming it back on.
Lizard barred his teeth and pulled on the restraints.
Claws scrapped the chair.
His tail grew and slammed on any surface.
Darcy roared, grabbing a machete from a disembodied hand slashing his fingers and tail off.
"I KNOW THEY ARE GOING TO GROW BACK. WE CAN DO THIS ALL DAY, NEFON." Darcy screamed in delirious rage.
Lizard glared at her, his eyes defiant, determine, uny—
Darcy jammed her fingers in and twisted causing Lizard to scream.
Even as these horrid information tore into his mind, burning his brain, trying to overwrite what he knew.
He resisted.
He valiantly resisted.
And this went on for an hour.
By then fingers and tails littered the blood soaked corpse ridden floor.
Darcy was not amused.
"DON'T MAKE ME CHANGE YOU, NEFON." Darcy spat coldly.
"What you say…and what you do…is—ack!" Lizard gasped as a karate chop smashed into his throat, Darcy glared down on him.
She picked up a mace, hefting its weight before ripping off the spike studs and looking at Lizard.
"You might be more amicable unconscious."
"…" Lizard could only grit his teeth in silence as Darcy stomped forward, a look of pain flashed through her eyes, green to blue.
"I'm sorry…little sister."
"No, you're not."
"…you're right." Her eyes flashed green again.
"…you're a terrible sister."
"I know~"
"SPIDER, RU—ARGH!"
Darcy bashed open Lizard's head, he slumped forward showing her the prize inside, she stared at the indentation for a moment before slamming the metal dome again on his head and watched as his unconscious body rigid up and convulsed as the journal flicked away.
"AAAARGHHHH!" Lizard screamed before Darcy tore off the helmet and looked at the skull, seeing partial healing.
She brought the mace down, cracking the head open and put the headpiece again, holding it in place as Lizard convulsed violently before he awoke screaming again.
And she did it.
Over. Blood splattering her face.
And over. Bits of bone flew from impact.
Again. His head looked like a dropped overripe fruit.
Tears mixing with the blood on the floor.
Brother…
My thoughts were racing at the thought of what Nefon would do to my brother!
My entire body shook from exertion, sweat running down my back and face as I pushed, harder than I had in my entire life!
"GRRRGGH!" I felt veins fit to bursting as I strained physically, mentally and spiritually against my limbs! Every echoing cry from Lizard gore my soul…
Lizard was always so strong, to hear him cry out
It was unbearable…
I hated her!
I hated Nefon!
I hated the robes for not protecting Lizard!
But most especially, I hated myself.
I couldn't do anything and Lizard was the one to always help me.
I couldn't stand on my two damn feet!
"Lizard!" I croaked, having scream and cry and plead for someone for so long.
It was only to be muffled by Lizard's own screams of torture at the hands of Nefon.
Hot tears ran down my face as Lizard's cries grew louder and more violent.
I don't…even know…how long I crawled for the cell bars.
It felt like hours.
A lifetime.
I gripped the metal bars and stupidly try to bend them apart.
I cried when it didn't budge.
"Lizard…I'm so sorry…I can't…I can't even…" I sobbed.
"Spider…urgk, fuckin' shit…"
I felt my neck snapped at the voice, I saw the robe Slink dragging himself against the wall, blood smearing it, he looked as if someone had torn him apart, his hand was missing as was one eye.
"…where is...that bitch."
"Lizard. She has Lizard!"
He held up a hand and shook his head, "Then run. You're no match for her…maybe Marco could—"
"Hmmm, Marco could?"
The two of us froze when Nefon stood in the stone hallway, looking absolutely loathing and soaked in blood, strange as it sounds she stood there as if she was surprised herself. Her eyes were wide and bloodshot, darting to me then to Slink. He gasped and pulled out a knife before it clutter to the floor, her eyes darted down for a split second before Slink threw a dart at her, she slapped it out of midair without even bothering to look.
Slink screamed when she pinned him to the stonewall, looking absolutely malicious, "MARCO. MaRcO? What could he do~"
"Kill you." Slink gasped.
Nefon gave an ugly laugh.
"As if—" "I fought him and fled for my life, what you did he could do a thousand fold." He sneered.
Nefon's face turned from smug to boiling anger, she pressed her fingers into Slink and he vomit all over her.
"Tell me what you know about Marco and you'll breathe a minute longer." "Hah…I'm going to need more than a minute…"
Slink groaned when Nefon pushed a digit deeper,
"NOW."
"Eat shit, Nefon…Marco will return…then it'll be your turn to run and hide…"
Nefon pulled back a fist to smash Slink's face all over the wall before his torso expands and exploded sending her smashing through the cell bars. I felt searing burns but that was nothing when Nefon stepped on me, she snarled and picked me up and threw into the wall in frustration, a handful of spiders were crawling away from the carnage.
And Slink was nowhere to be found.
"…send your Marco and I'll break him to bloody pieces!" Nefon screamed before she spun and walked away, ignoring the flames spreading across the hallway, I gasped and clutch my chest and back.
I blinked feeling full mobility.
I quickly stood up and hobbled for Lizard.
I was sent sprawling on my back when an explosion rocked the entire place, Nefon smashed into the wall ahead of me, she snarled as she grew claws before an explosive satchel landed in front of her and sent her tumbling backwards.
Slink came into view, he looked like he lost a lot of weight, he looked at me and I almost fainted: half of his face was missing.
"What the fug—ged outta here!" he slurred as he pulled something and multiple explosion resounded all over the place.
"You're not getting out of here alive!" Nefon lunged for Slink but instead of a body tackled he exploded into a hundred little spiders and scurried away before the ceiling began to come crashing down.
For a moment I saw Nefon and her me.
Before more came crashing down, I leapt forward but Nefon caught me and savagely threw me against the wall, I staggered to my feet and faced Nefon.
She eyed me for a moment before she glance back and stepped aside for a second, it was brief but I felt myself having tunnel vision before a pair of soul less eyes stared me down.
Run...
I seized up and spun before my body threw itself down the hallway.
Nefon—Darcy clicked her tongue before grabbing hold of her new subordinate and walked away,
"I have so much work to do with you, Sister..."
I didn't know how but I felt the compulsion to run faster and faster from whoever that was as more and more explosion echoed and I fled down the hallways, opening doors and going around corners, my limbs ached but as if my body was on autopilot pushed me on. I didn't know where to go but I saw a blood trail I knew it must have been Slink's…or Nefon's own.
I saw two busted door and I moved even faster
Just before an explosion propelled me forward burning my back as I rolled into the hard grass turf.
I vaguely saw fire and passed out.
"Over here! A live one!"
"Good, everyone else in that damn place is dead…"
"C'mon that fire can be seen for miles!"
I felt myself being pulled upright and watched as several hooded figures stalk closer as the fires blazed behind them, they looked at me before they took a back step.
"Lord Marco!?"
"It can't be! I mean the Nacho summoning spell we used failed—"
"Shut it, we need to get out of here before a friggin' mob finds us!"
I felt being thrown over someone's shoulder, a familiar feeling, as they moved away from a burning heap…
…they said…everyone was dead…
Lizard was dead…
I was…alone.
And I cried at the thought.
.
"I can't believe this…"
"I can't either…"
I sat on a chair with 10 red hoods looking at me with concern and a touch of fear.
I obviously made them nervous.
"You're certain…you're not Lord Marco?"
"Come off it…look the eyes are different."
"And no scar."
"Yeah…but the resemblance is so damn uncanny."
"Okay, okay, from the top: who are you?"
I looked around as one, rubbing my throat, my mouth was awfully dry.
One of them handed me a cup of water and I happily drank it.
"Well…"
I recounted my tale the best I could, from my birth, my capture and imprisonment, to Lizard and the more recent events with Nefon and the fire.
They shook their head, many cussed, others were fearful at the news.
"Solid Spider…huh."
"This is quite literally a shite storm."
"How do we know he isn't lying?"
The hoods looked at the one that spoke up.
"He could have made the fire and leapt out."
"Now listen here—!"
"Are you serious—!"
"ENOUGH!" The hoods and I jumped at the volume and command.
I saw a wee tuft of green came into view, he looked at me closely, I blinked in surprise I had no idea there was an 11th one in the room!
"However...fanciful the situation is currently, I believe Solid Spider, what he recounted…this Nefon has been the talk of the town lately, I'm not surprised that she was in cahoots with some bad apples. But to think it would go this far? It blows all conspiracies into smithereens!"
"What should we do, Commander Tad?"
The tuft of hair spun and looked at everyone in the room.
In the most forced commanding voice he could muster, he spouted out orders:
"I want recon on this Nefon! I want to know where she's going when she's going before she even knows it!"
"Yes, we need to prepare for Lord Marco's eventual return."
"Do you think he will, Raymond?"
"Yes…I know he has a lot of pain associated to this place…but one could hope." Tad sighed, he looked at them for a moment before gesturing to them all, "I want Solid Spider to go through a full physical and psyche therapy, get his experiences on paper and he is not to be left alone. Nefon could very well come back for him."
"Yes, sir!"
"Good. Now I have to go to my Book Club. I'm debuting a new book.
All I Require...
Is a Squire: A Miggs Love Story."
I watched Tad leave and ponder my fate.
And grieved for my lost brother.
XxXxXxXxX
Whew.
Another one down.
Just to be clear after the following 2 chapters there will be no more Darcy backstory, this is just bringing everyone up to speed before the ridiculous CGI fights start again in Mewni. I hate having to do this but I had to find the perfect antagonist for Marco and who better than himself? Manufactured and raised by those he has come to hate, in a sense Marco and Darcy is alike but their choices made them vastly different from one another one choosing to give them a chance even though they will fuck it up and the other giving nothing but her own choice in the matter. Ultimately Mewni would be changed regardless.
And with Darcy is extremely unstable in biology and mentally and you my avid readers can imagine what she did to Lizard and in turn what will happen to Mewni. As of right now Darcy has countless DNA samples from Mewmans and Monsters, now adding Lizard's she has his regenerative powers, making her a deadlier threat than before.
And yes, Tad and the Knights of the Hood knows each other.
Tad serves as a pseudo leader to the KotH since he is Marco's best friend on Mewni.
Next Chapter:
Mewni Civil War
tu ne me reconnaiss pas?
I AM NRG
END OF TRANSMISSION