COLLAPSE

So many signs was telling Linus that he ought not to stay and remain silent. And yet he stood silently facing Lucy.

"Do you have any idea about the ages that I've been jealous of you Linus?" she queried, "I won't stand it"

"Jealous Lucy", Linus coughed, rapidly attempting to clear his head, his body was unwell as ever.

"…you get better results, better relationships" Lucy clenched a fist, "And you get with your crush, while I'm not getting with mine".

He sneered, surprising himself.

"I'm not listening to a lousy, childish sob-story from you" he pointed at her, "bullying me and my friends over resentment. You're pathetic"

"Pathetic", Lucy repeated herself, "Pathetic. Well there's a certain action you take against pathetic people".

She put a fist in palm, "Settle this like the tough guy you're acting like. Don't dance around me again. Stick 'em up and fight".

Linus was reasoning with himself not to fight her and risk damage, and that he loved her enough not to do it like this. But it was drowned out by another thought, pushing his emotions. Emotions accusing him of being cowardly and untrue to himself.

"Suit yourself" Lucy stormed forward.

His depression was right on his mind, his body felt unwell, with a continuous coughing, and now splitting headache.

"…Cause I'm gonna sl…"

And Linus's compassion broke.

Lucy moved, only to find her fist go numb, and then her arm. Linus stood as he was, repelling her away from him, her strike ending before it began. Right then she noticed how much Linus'd been empowered, what he'd done to himself. And now he had used one simple defence, and she had been defeated.

But now was a circumstance Lucy was unready for, and that was it was barely even him. Linus was not himself. Previously soft eyes now possessed a chilling look, the sickness and the emotions he'd been lashing out with were flowing out. He wasn't merely angry this time, he was full on malicious.

"You…you absolute blockhead" he hissed.

Lucy took this in, eyes darting round, "um…That was just a…"

"A what huh" he snickered a bit, "you don't even know what your own reasons are"

"I have reasons, I…" Lucy felt unnerved as he gave his own example.

"Well I know mine. I trained and pushed myself, because now I've grown stronger than you can dream of. A boy you'd go and bully, I don't think so". He took a deep breath, as if it would snap him out of his state of mind, and he glared at her, "Now BACK OFF"

Lucy avoided his unfamiliar eyes, trying to gather the words needed.

"Ok…ok…you win. I surrender" she implored, but it was impactless on him.

"Now you understand, because I'm a threat" he hissed, "Maybe I should've warned Schroeder about his relationship with you. Wasn't his unrequitedness fine for you. I'd thought so, given that's how you behaved with me"

It was now his turn to storm forward.

"Little brother, go home" Lucy fretted, "Find some peace. I…I can't stand you like this anymore"

"Isn't this the preferred Linus", his voice was cold, "This is the brother you dreamed about, right"

"I…"

"Be honest with me" he wheezed.

Now finally, Lucy looked him in the eye as much as she could.

"No, not like this, I shouldn't, I wouldn't. You're not the real Lin…"

"Lying" he muttered.

"Linus…Linus…you're terrifying me"

"And you're lying"

He didn't aim it to hurt her, but with a sharp jolt, it came at Lucy. A rendering crack rang in both of their ears. And she lowered herself, clutching her stomach in pain.

Linus stood with his blanket recoiling in his hands, as the moment had just took him out of his state. He went to horror, mouth trembling as he witnessed what'd been done.

"No…Lucy. I…I…I wasn't…I didn't mean…oohh…"

Lucy was moving herself to get to her feet, hand still on the hurt area, "Just stop…just stop talking".

Linus was making the smallest steps backwards. And then he felt himself freeze up, and knew his unhealthy body had gone limp before it was on the ground. And by then he was out cold.

"Li…Linus!"

Lucy was over at him, moving from her legs to one knee.

"No no no, what do I do. This can't…"

She felt her brother's forehead, it was excessively hot. The only thing moving from him was his breathing.

And two more people were seen approaching the forest edge. Lucy backed herself quickly out of their sight as the first person got to her brother.

"Good Grief", they fretted as they bent down and checked on Linus, feeling his hot forehead in the manner a friend would, "…You need to get back home, pal"

"What's going on Big Brother" the second person asked. Lucy saw who they were, and spoke up.

"heh…so here's the thing I…"

The first person looked over, and Lucy saw Charlie Brown. Now, she very much regretted making her presence known.

"Did you do this" he frowned.

"I…"

"You went after him after what you saw" Sally added.

"Yeah, but…"

"Lucy!"

"I didn't do anything, he just collapsed" she exclaimed.

"…He…okay, Sally let's go, I'll get him to our place. Rerun's gonna join us".

As Charlie collected an unconscious Linus, Lucy tried to persist, "I can come too Charlie Brown, allow me".

Sally, upset, turned around while her brother kept on walking.

"Yeah Lucy, you can help" she bitterly said "So, let a real family take care of him".

And the Brown's both went back towards their home with Linus.

….

Lucy remained planted there where she was. A expression of distraught was on her as she stared at the windy forest with some evident storm weather, trying to comprehend how him and her, had came here.

"What a shame eh"

She whipped around to face Violet as she strolled towards where she stood. She ended up face to face with her.

"Pity the spoilsport Brown had to end it. Am I right"

"This was you" Lucy hissed, "It was a setup. As I thought so"

"Yeah. I heard some things about Schroeder, and heard something useless. Together they made opportunity"

"You lied.

"Yeah, not your best friend. You were a "convenient associate" Lucy".

Lucy frowned at Violet for a bit longer, then her lip curled.

"So. What if I tell people about this, explain…own up…huh, the hurt can be fixed" she persisted, "I'm not going to lose anything".

"Oh" Violet whispered, right up in her ear, "You just did"

"Wh…what does that mean", she wasn't making sense to her, "Tell me then"

And Lucy only listened in a mortified silence as she told her about what else he'd heard. About the one last idea of the restraining order plotted against her.

"But that can't be true" Lucy muttered, "That's not really what'll be possib…Oh No"

Now this had become something all too real. And if the order got enforced, there wasn't certainty over that, then as for the two siblings…they'd.

"What just happened between us" she stuttered, "That'll be the last thing I ever do with…WHAT HAVE YOU DONE YOU BLOCKHEAD"

"Don't know. What have you done?"