#rotating him in my mind like THUNK THUNK THUNK THUNK ((EXPLOSION))

[deerteatime]

rotating him in my brain full speed at all times (click for better quality)

Please don’t repost w/o my permission!! personal use is fine with credit. rbs appreciated!

version w/o bg vic backgrounds are hard

[determinationisnotcrash]

‘Like Gunbuster, but with Dudes’

I wanted to try and capture the passionate, energetic tone of a scene from one of my favourite OVAs in writing, so I attempted it with characters from the GB Discord I’m on.

Kit belongs to @topazshadowwolf

Impact belongs to me.

The scene this is a reference to is this one!

“I-I… I can’t go on…!”

“Impact!?”

The raptor’s jet abruptly halted, formation breaking as Kit unintentionally overtook him in this strange space. Hurriedly fumbling with the controls, the half-Blaster turned on the commlink to reveal his friend huddled in the cockpit, trembling.

Concern for the larger, yet younger skeleton welled up inside him. What had happened to make him break down all of a sudden…!?

Impact’s voice was usually either calm and controlled, or completely over-the-top and bursting with energy. But now… “I can’t do it anymore…! It’s useless… all useless…!”

Flashes of what the Papyrus described to him of his home timeline ran through his mind. It was likely that this wasn’t something sudden – rather, it had been festering inside him ever since he first mutated. “Impact…”

“Even if we succeed in our task, there’s no point to it all! The Ray Empire’s still choking the Earth! With the Emperor hoarding all the power for himself, he could easily rip away everything from us at any moment!”

The beast brought his misshapen forepaws in front of his face, clenching and unclenching them. At the stage he was at now, they could barely be called hands anymore. “I’m trapped in this disgusting body, which could give out and degenerate at any moment! And…!”

He slumped against the controls with a pathetic-sounding ‘thunk’. “There’s no one waiting for me back in my home world! My friends and family are all gone… and there’s nothing I can do about it. With neither past nor future… I may as well just die!”

Kit pressed his paw-like hand against the monitor, as if trying to physically reassure his friend. “Impact… please get yourself together. If this continues, we’re both done for!” As if to emphasise this, the massive aircraft violently rattled, like caught in turbulence. Their enemies had taken advantage of Impact’s hesitation, bombarding the two with relentless attacks.

Regardless of his growing panic, Kit continued, “While you may never be able to return to the past, you don’t know what the future holds yet. You could have the chance to experience more happiness than ever before… but if you can’t take that step forward, you won’t be able to even try!

Now the lights within the craft were starting to flicker. More and more nightmarish shapes were latching onto their vehicles, trying to crush them. “This conflict… it’s grown beyond the scope of a single world. If we let the demons from between dimensions devour any of our worlds… no one will have a future! The entire universe – reality itself – will be eaten up by the Void, and not even Determination will be able to bring it back!”

Impact’s sobbing ceased, his body having gone still. Hope starting to well up inside him, Kit pressed through with his encouragement. “Doc, Sabre, Hikaru, Red… all of them are counting on us to get through this! They chose us to be the ones who would venture through the gap, stop all the demons, and save everyone!

“If we fall here, everything that’s happened up ‘till now… everything that will happen… it’ll all be for nothing! For the sake of our world… for the sake of the people living within it… we need to go on!”

The half-Blaster voice cracked, putting every last drop of his emotion into his plea. “So please, Papyrus…! Fight!”

…

…

…

After what felt like an eternity… Impact rose up. His eyes were filled with resolve. “Kit… I understand. We fight together!”

“Impact…!” Despite the dire situation, the Sans couldn’t help but grin. Eagerly, almost as if on autopilot, his arm shot to the special ‘MODE’ lever. From ‘transport’ mode to ‘battle’ mode! “I’ll focus on the weaponry and energy output. You just do your thing with the controls. I’m behind you all the way, bro!”

Kit’s grin was contagious, a huge toothy smile spreading across the Papyrus raptor’s maw. “Alright…! LET’S DO IT!” With a burst of light, the demons clinging to the planes were blown away! The two vehicles drifted closer to each other, glowing as the fusion sequence started.

As the machines combined, Impact’s thoughts wandered back to his Sans and Undyne. Sans… Undyne… watch me, from wherever you are. I’ll see this battle through to the end. 

The planes underwent several shifts as they merged together, each movement far faster and more complex than the untrained eye could follow. After mere moments, the light disappeared to reveal a humanoid shape. Two flames had united to form an inferno! The True Dimension Knight, warrior of justice! Defender of the innocent! Saviour of all Earths… had finally arrived!

Like moths drawn to a flame, dozens- no, hundreds of skeletal dragon-like demons swarmed towards the steel titan, rushing through the interdimensional space like ravenous sharks in pursuit of their prey.

The Blasters’ response? “Impact, remember the plan. We just need to make it to the centre of the Dimensional Gap. That would be… right past these guys.”

“Kit, shall we use ‘that’?”

Kit let out a genuine chuckle. “Heh, I thought you’d never ask.”

“UUUUUUOOOOOOHHHH---!” A battle roar exploded out of the main pilot as he launched the machine up into the ‘air’.

Within the mechanical knight’s hands, a giant sword materialised! A glowing golden weapon, illuminating the darkest of nights and cleaving through evil!

“ULTIMATEEEE…”

“HEAVEN-MEETS-EARTH…”

“SWOOOOOORD!”

True to the second pilot’s philosophy, the strongest attack came first. The blade of light cleaved through the abominations effortlessly, leaving titanic explosions in its wake. It slowed down in time to reach a floating chunk of rock, using it as a temporary foothold.

Despite the sun’s rays being unable to pierce this space, it nevertheless glinted off the mech’s armour. Its arms folded, announcing to the entire battlefield, “Don’t assume that this Dimension Knight is some random machine! Everyone’s legacy, from the past…”

His brother’s companionship.

Undyne’s fiery passion.

Alphys’ enthusiasm.

Toriel’s and Asgore’s warmth.

The compassion Frisk showed him, even if it was fake.

“Everyone’s dreams, for the future…”

Sabre’s kindness.

Doc’s care.

Red’s support.

Hikaru’s hope.

“THEY ALL LIE WITHIN IIIIIIT!”

The draconic helmet of the suit parted, revealing a mechanical Blaster head. It looked and functioned just like the real thing! An immense beam surged forth from the maw, blowing apart the formless monstrosities in their path with searing, pure magical energy.

A beep on Kit’s monitor alerted him to more danger. “Heads up, Impact!”

“Ah…!” Following his friend’s warning, he turned the mech’s head upwards, the blast coming with it. When he could see the giant meteor-sized ribcage bearing down on him… he had already bisected it. But that wasn’t the end of the demons’ counterattack. This time, Impact’s monitor was the one that flashed with the warning sign. “Kit! Incoming from below!”

“You got it! Beam Spikes, scatter!” The tail of the draconic mech whipped around with a slash, firing out several spikes as it did! With a force rivalling the most powerful of mother nature’s storms, the leviathans rising up from below were rendered harmless pincushions.

All this was enough to even inspire Kit, filling him with the energy to utter another speech of his own. “No matter how thick or smothering the darkness choking this world threatens to become… our hearts will only shine brighter!”

Impact would have given him an affirming pat on the back if he could. “Couldn’t have put it better myself! No matter what gets in our way, we’ll break through!”

As if in response to this challenge, wall-like beasts, living shields approached… their intent to hit them like trucks… but Impact wouldn’t allow that. “ROTATION LASERRR!” In a slick, fluid motion, he threw his shield and fired a sword beam, diffracting it off the spinning shield to slice through them all like butter.

Eager to seize upon this opportunity, he retrieved his weapon and rushed forward… but perhaps, he was a bit too eager. “Impact, pull back! We’re going too fast!”

Hundreds of blasts, made of choking darkness and equal in intensity to their own, obliterated the spot where the Blasters’ mech… used to be. Kit’s warning let Impact pull back just in the nick of time, separating the Dimension Knight into its component aircraft and evading the attacks!

Kit kept watch over the readings on his screens. Dodging everything while setting up a counterattack was a hassle… but pushed onwards by his motivation for a bright future, he could do it. Keeping one eye on the enemies outside, while the other eye on the system inside, he yelled to Impact, “Doesn’t look like the concentrated fire will let up! You know what to do next.”

Within the other aircraft, Impact grinned. If the enemies wouldn’t give them a break… then they would just have to make one! The jets boosted forwards as they re-combined, the humanoid figure already in a battle-ready stance. “HOLY GREATSHIELD!”

The knight charged, thrusting its shield forward as it smashed through the demons like a living battering ram. From a zoomed-out view, it would be as if the off-white clusters of twisted bones and teeth made way before this golden meteor!

Another boast left the pilot’s maw. “You think that’ll be enough to deal with the likes of US!?” Lowering its shield to expose its mouth, another blast from the mech tore through the unholy creatures.

Kit took advantage of this break in the enemies to check his display. “We’re almost at our destination! Just a little more to- WHOA!”

He barely had a second to react before he found himself almost literally holding up the heavens. A titanic planet, covering his entire vision, quickly came down on him. As if the mindless enemies were crowing, ‘There’s more where that came from,’ another living planet of bones and spikes rushed up at the mechanical knight from below!

Even the 250m steel titan started to struggle from this, the joints of its limbs creaking ominously as the pressure intensified… However, in stark contrast, the pilots were more composed than ever. Impact lightly chuckled, carrying the same air as someone who saw mildly interesting sight on a roadtrip. “Who would’ve guessed? That they could even become celestial bodies.”

Kit winked at his co-pilot. “The power of these things is truly astronomical, eh?” The Sans casually pressed a button, producing a blast to hit the ground beneath the mech. It didn’t even scratch the vast object.

“Not bad.”

“However… our own power – that of righteous hearts – is not to be underestimated!” Impact briefly closed his eyes, steadying his breathing… before announcing the mech’s true ultimate technique. “LIMITLESS LIIIIIIIGHT!” The golden glow about the mech intensified further, to almost blinding levels! It even burned his own body, every inch of him sizzling with pain… but for how much Impact was hurting, it hurt their enemies hundreds of times more.

With one last surge of energy, everything in the Blaster duo’s nearby area violently shook, before exploding in a flash of light! When all the smoke and flames cleared… the True Dimension Knight was still standing.

However… so were their enemies. If even one demon was left alive, it could reproduce endlessly and create more spawn. That was why…

“We’ve made it to the core. You ready, Impact?”

“Yes!”

The mech was powered by Light itself. If they overloaded it here, at the centre of the demon’s spawning grounds, it would certainly spell the abominations’ ends.

Kit entered the code for the self-destruct sequence, and the change was almost instantaneous. Unlike the golden, passionate aura that the two pilots could make it exude, it now took on an almost ethereal glow, indicating it wasn’t much longer for this world.

As the glow engulfed its body, it also spread to the space around it. The ghastly, roiling purplish-black of the Void began to clear, peeling away to reveal a pleasant, gentle blue sky beneath.

Kit and Impact couldn’t stay to appreciate the sights, though – it was still unknown what the Light would do to normal creatures. A lone jet, much smaller than the massive crafts that formed the mech, emerged from the Dimension Knight’s chest and sped away.

The remaining hellbeasts shrieked and writhed as they fizzled away into nothingness, like ghouls that vanished with the coming of dawn.

Impact turned his head back, looking for one last time at the remains of the creation that helped carry them so far. “Thank you for everything, Dimension Knight. This is farewell…”

Flying back to the portal from which they entered, the warriors returned towards their world… towards where their friends were waiting.

[draconako]

Fireweeds and the People Who Destroy Them

This is the completed version of the commission @metalfatigue had asked me to do a couple of weeks ago. After a lot of planning and some rl garbage, it’s finally done. I’m... actually quite happy with it. I put a lot of work in haha. I was asked to do a coffeeshop AU of Mystery Skull’s song, “Ghost”, so this is what I came up with. I... took a bit of a different turn at the end than I had originally planned. Shrugs. Anyway, this is Fireweeds and the People Who Destroy Them

Headlight after headlight races passed outside of Vivi's window, each beam showcasing some easily-forgettable corner of Downtown for only a moment before it's lost again. The stereo plays some electro swing song – though it comes through crackled and staticky. Mystery is curled up in her lap, tail over his nose. One paw is jabbed into the crook of her left knee, almost a discomfort.

Vivi's cheek is cold as ice where she's pressed it against the window. Her brain’s stuck in a fog. Faint shocks of pain flare from her chest, never ending, but from what, she can't discern.  

“I—“ Before she can get a word out, Arthur’s speaking.  

“I think we're almost there,” he says, thumbs drumming against the steering wheel.  

Vivi just nods. She doesn't even remember where there is going to be, or why they're going. Her cheek doesn't move from where she has it stuck to the window. She jerks her head a bit, testing to make sure her cheek isn't actually stuck.  

The moment the van turns a corner, Arthur yelps like he's been bit and suddenly Vivi’s pitching forward in her seat as the van jerks. The wheels roll over the curb, tilting the van so that Vivi’s hair falls in Arthur’s direction. Mystery spills from her lap and, startled awake, steps on Vivi’s toes and whines.  

Then it's over and the van thunks to a stop in the mouth of an alleyway. Vivi has the handle on the roof of the van in a death grip. Every part of her body tingles. Her heart convulses inside her chest.  

“A-are you...” Arthur's voice is a high-pitched whistle. He coughs before trying again. “Are you okay?”

She can barely hear him over Mystery’s incessant yipping and the buzzing in her brain. Eyes wide, she fights to uncurl her fingers from the handle.  

“I think so,” she replies after a moment. “I hope so.” Burnt plastic and flesh hits her nose. “Are you?”

Mystery jumps into her lap again, trembling as he forces his head into the crook of her arm. When she looks over, Arthur’s messing with the fingers on his prosthetic hand, working on them with his other hand and massaging each digit.  

“Uh… I think so,” he says without looking up. “But my hand is uh…” He grunts and slams it against his door palm-first before once again massaging his fingers. “It appears uncooperative.”

“Unfortunate,” Vivi replies. As she chews on her bottom lip, she dares a glance out the windshield. A neon sign flickers pink and grey, the letters too fuzzy to make out while her brain is still buzzing.  

“Mmhm.” Arthur slams his hand down again – this time on the steering wheel. Both of them jump when the van’s horn gives a weak screech in response.  

“Didn't mean to do that,” he says. Vivi just nods.  

“Should we get out and assess the damage?” she asks.  

“Might as well.”

Arthur’s and Vivi’s doors open at the same time with the same loud pop. Vivi’s knees knock together as she eases herself out of the van and to the ground. Her heart thunders in her ears. With one hand against the side of the van, she meets Arthur at the front.  

The moment they open the hood, Vivi yanks her hands back with a yelp. The tips of her fingers sizzle where they'd made contact.  

“Ouch!”

Arthur grunts. “You okay?”

The tips of her fingers numb within seconds, though whether this is because of their burns or because of the cold, she can't tell. She shakes her hands in the air. “Burned myself,” she says.  

“We should get ice for that.”

The nearest streetlight to them flickers, faint but audible pops sounding from it. Vivi glances over, noting its surroundings. A bright pink neon sign catches her attention – one she's seen before. The Dark Roast.  

“We could –“ The bulb in the streetlight explodes, plunging them into darkness once more. Vivi's heart slams to a stop. A scream bubbles in her throat and erupts when a hand lands on her shoulder.  

“Vi! Relax!” Arthur’s mouth is closer than she thought it'd be, perched near her ear. “It's just me.”

His face is a mass of shadows, faint pink highlights making his eyes appear larger in their sockets. She can feel her pulse everywhere, from her head to the tips of her burnt fingers.  

Arthur waits a moment before sliding his hand down her arm and grasping her fingers. He jerks his head in the direction of the sign and the shadows on his face warp. “Wanna see if they have a phone? Or some ice?”

At her feet, Mystery walks between her legs and rests his head on her calf. "Not you, Mystery," says Arthur, and Mystery's tail droops. "You wait in the van for us."

Her stomach flips, but she forces herself to nod anyway. Mystery drags his tail along the ground and jumps into Vivi's seat, making several rotations before lying down. Arthur closes the door for him.

Each footfall they make echoes throughout the alleyway, along with every other sound. Something moves – near the trash can, by the sound of it – and Vivi grabs Arthur’s hand tighter, even though it hurts. Before long, they're before the door under the sign. Their shadows dance across it in time to the sporadic popping of the sign – and to Vivi’s anxious shuffling. She can only see black as the door swings open.  

Above their heads, the sign gives one last buzz before dying in an explosion of sparks. Hands find purchase on Vivi's back and shove her forward, into the dark. Mystery's muffled barks sound from the van.

"Ah!"

On hands and knees, she trails her fingers across what feels like linoleum before pushing herself to her feet. A white light flashes from behind and illuminates the floor around her. Even still, the blackness makes the world under her feet unsteady and she wavers, disoriented.  

"Looks empty in here," she says, breath coming out in uneven wheezes.  

A purple flame materializes in front of her, about as long and wide around as her index finger. It moves in time to her breathing, leaning close with every exhale and dancing away at each exhale. Vivi watches it without blinking until a hand cups her shoulder and shakes her.

"Hey. Vivi." Her hair falls around her face. Arthur's breath tickles her ear. "Earth to Vivi!"

She grabs him by the wrist, pushing hard enough to feel his heartbeat in his veins, and removes it from her shoulder. "I'm here," she says, jaw clenched to keep her voice from wobbling. "Don't need to touch me."

"I was just getting your attention..." Arthur's breath catches and he points past her, right at the flame. "What is that?"

"Fire," Vivi replies.

"Where did it come from?"

Vivi shrugs. "I don't know."

Arthur reaches out for it, undeterred by the slap Vivi gives him on the back of his hand, but the flame darts away from him before he can make contact. Before their eyes, the flame swells to twice its size before exploding into ribbons of flame. The moment they touch the ground, the flames grow once more, devouring everything their violet tongues touch. Vivi jumps back, knocking into Arthur, as the flames surge towards her.

"Outside!" Arthur says, grabbing her by the shoulder. "Get outside!"

Even as he says this, the flames overtake them. Vivi plants her trembling hands over her eyes, too numb to even cry.

This is it... This is it...

Ringing fills her ears, like she's flicked a million glass cups at once. With her eyes squeezed shut, she slaps her hands over her ears and groans. Even still, it doesn't stop for several moments. Bright light pierces through her eyelids. A live wire, she shocks both herself and Arthur when he grabs her shoulder again.

"Vivi..."

His voice is lost to the faint but rising sound of a dulcet-toned singer and the piano that accompanies them. Vivi can't remember what the lyrics are from, but they tickle something in the back of her mind. Coffee beans and toffee – and a hint of cinnamon – assaults her nose.

The spell is broken as glasses clink together and someone coughs. Vivi's eyes snap open.

"Woah..."

The dark space has changed to a large room in the time she's had her eyes closed. White fairy lights stream across the walls and frame pictures where they hang. Several tables decorate the space in strategic locations, dressed with a single flickering candle and lilac table cloths.  

It's... a coffee shop? Vivi wrinkles her nose.

A man in a fedora raises his cup at her from one such table, eyes black as ink under his hat's shadow and his skin a sickly blue-grey.

"Ar...thur...?" She reaches back without looking for something – anything, really – to hold, but finds nothing. Her gaze flicks to the counter at the back, littered with metal contraptions. A machine hisses, spitting smoke from its open maw into the cup a tall, shadowed figure holds before it.  

As if sensing her eyes on them, they look up at her and wave. Their hand dangles from their wrist, fingers contorted. Vivi represses a grimace at the sight.

Arthur leans in close behind her. "Maybe we should leave," he whispers into her ear. "I'm getting a bad feeling."  

"You can't leave yet!" replies a voice. Vivi looks to and fro for the source, heart pounding, but sees nothing. The man in the fedora shakes his head when she looks his way.

"It's not me," he says in an airy voice. Coffee sloshes from his cup as he raises it and gestures at the wall. "Ask them."

"T-th-them?" Vivi glances at the pictures on the wall and her blood turns to ice in her veins. From one frame, a woman with pinned-up hair and incredibly red cheeks stares at her and cocks her head to the side.  

"Why do you want to leave?"

The world falls under Vivi's feet. Arthur's on her at once.  

"Vi! What's wrong?"

Vivi's entire body shakes as she points to the woman in the photo, who smiles at her, and screams through her fingers.. "Sh-sh-she moved!"

The woman leans her arm against the bottom of her picture frame. "I'm sure I'm not the scariest thing you've ever seen, dearie." Though her body stays within the confines of her portrait, she points into the room. The tip of her finger is a pale circle on the surface. "Take him, for example."

Vivi looks back to the man with the fedora, who just shrugs.  

"I don't know what she's talking about."

She can feel Arthur's heart beat against her back. His metal arm is cold against her skin, raising goosebumps where they touch. If not for his presence, Vivi is certain she'd pass out then and there.

"He's not even the scariest one, though," continues the woman. She points again, this time to the back counter. The shadow at the espresso machines looks up again.

"Me?" Their voice is like wind through a skull. Vivi shivers against Arthur.

"No, not you," the woman replies. "Him."

"Hi--" Before Vivi can get her sentence out, a cold wind rakes her body. The candle on the table closest to her flickers and dies with a sigh. Thunder roars and Vivi jumps – until she realizes that the "thunder" is really the door to the back office slamming open. A purple-hued figure stands in the doorway. At once, everyone falls silent. The shadow at the espresso machine stops mid-movement.

Armed with a cane, a heart-shaped broach, and a pinstripe suit, the new figure steps into the light. Every footfall echoes around the small coffeeshop. Shivers crawl up Vivi's spine, paralyzing her as the figure approaches and her heart roars louder in her ears.

They're... a skeleton?

Their skull is lavender in the candlelight, further accentuated by the two purple flames in their eye sockets. The flames periodically shrink and grow, like they're blinking. When they're close enough, the figure stops, wing-tipped shoes tapping against the ground, and points their cane in Vivi's direction.  

Her stomach sank. "M-m-me?"

Silence. The figure yanks their head from side to side and jabs their cane past Vivi's shoulder, into Arthur.

"Me?" Arthur asks.

The skeleton in the suit nods. Careful not to bump their cane, Vivi shifts so that she can look Arthur's way. Lilac light shines from the end of the cane, pressed against his metal arm, and sinks into him.

"What're you --" Arthur's eyes widen as the figure trails their cane up his arm, leaving a streak of lilac in their wake.  

What a pity.

Vivi's chest constricts. The figure hasn't moved their mouth, but she can hear their voice loud and clear.  

The ends justify the means. Don't they, Arthur?

Something inside of her screams at the figure's words. So familiar... But how? She glances Arthur's way; He shakes where he stands, white as a sheet.

"You... were supposed to be--"

Dead? Yes. The figure lowers their cane to the floor. Funny how that works out, right? Grudges are one hell of a life support.

"Arthur?" Vivi turns to face him now. Stomach in knots, she swallows down her nausea and looks him square in the face. "Why does he know your name?"

Yes, Arthur. The figure picks up their cane and slams it down again. Do you want to tell her, or should I?

"I don't know what you're--"

Tendrils of lilac flame snake out, surge around Vivi and snap at Arthur's body. Like whips, they grab his wrists and yank him forward. Come on, Arthur. Don't lie.

Vivi's body trembles as she forces herself away from the two of them. The flames pass through her, leaving only chills where they make contact, and she looks back and forth.

"I don't understand." Her hands ball into fists. "I don't understand any of this." She jabs a finger at the figure's direction. "I don't know who the hell you are." Then at Arthur. "And I don't know how you know him." The nauseated feeling in her shifts to acid, warm and bubbling.

I can explain, the figure says with the faintest movement of his cane. Even if he cannot. Flames shoot from his eye sockets and stream up his scalp, forming a purple pompadour atop his head.  

"I don't want your explanation!" Vivi's hands shake now. Anger turns her blood to flame. "I want yours, Arthur. Start. Talking."

"I... uh... Well, you see..."

The tips of Vivi's fingers chill her palms. Her nails leave deep crevices in them as she uncurls her hands and gives Arthur a wild-eyed stare. "I... I'm sorry." She shakes her head, brain buzzing with words.

"So then, it really is you." Arthur sighs behind her. "Lewis, I mean."

"Lew...is?" Vivi narrows her eyes and gazes up into the skeleton's face. Yes, she decides, something about you is familiar...

"You really don't recognize him?" Another sigh. "That's a surprise."

"I don't..." Her hands fly to her temples as searing pain shoots through her. "Ah!" Against her eyeslids, she sees hazy images, one after another. Faint voices fill her ears.

"What're you doing?"

"What I should've done months ago!"

All she can see are jagged rock spires and ominous green light.

"Vivi... Vivi... Vivi!" Hands grip her shoulders and shake her. "Hey!" Her eyes snap open.

Do you remember? Though his face is pure bone, the flames in his eyes are more blue than purple now. His free hand clutches at the heart-shaped broach on his shirt and it pulses with yellow light through his bony fingers. This? Me? Any of it?

Her hands remain at her temples. "I feel like I should." She pauses. "But I don't. I'm sorry."

I was afraid of that.

Arthur's warm hand slips into hers. "Let's--"

NO! The flames in Lewis's eyes flare and he gives a mighty, disembodied roar. Vivi clamps her hands over her ears, but it does nothing to abate the noise.  

Why do you want to leave? He drops his hands to his sides and clenches them into fists. Arthur lurches forward, dragged along by the whips that latch onto him. The flames on Lewis's scalp and in his eyes shift, their base more blue than purple, and he yanks again. A wave of heat blasts Vivi and she staggers, fighting to keep from being bowled over.  

The man in the fedora lets out a single piercing screech as his skin blackens and starts smoking. Embers erupt from his mouth as he chokes. The machines in the back of the room hiss louder now. Steam fills the room.

Why do you want to leave me...

His pompadour is alive with writhing flames that move in a gruesome fashion on his scalp. For a second, Vivi swears she sees figures in the wisps of smoke, but then it's gone as Lewis throws his head back and roars again. Arthur collides with the small of her back and the next thing she knows, she's flat on her stomach, palms and nose to the ground. Her chin smarts; she must've banged it coming down.

Why...

The heat recedes for only a heartbeat before returning full-force. Vivi's eyes tear up as the steam gets thicker around them. A scream comes from some corner of the room.  

Arthur grabs the back of her shirt and drags her to her feet. Her palms and armpits slicken with sweat, giving her no purchase against the linoleum. Ash and smoke pierces her nose and sticks to her brain, a smell she knows she won't be able to get out for days to come. As her hands slip across the ground and the neckline of her shirt presses against her throat, the heat grows.  

The pressure builds against her throat. The sounds of chaos fade out of her ears. Screams reduce to naught more than whispers. Stars dance before her eyes, blotting out the flames around her and, eventually, most of Lewis's form as well.

"You're... hurting...me..." Large black patches obscure her vision now, paired with an insistent buzzing in her skull that continues to grow louder. Amidst it all, she can hear one voice loud and clear.

Murderers! Both of you!

Images surge into her brain, hazy and desaturated, but now she can make out the frightened faces that flash through her eyes.

Reality slams back into her as Arthur yanks her to her feet. Her lungs ache as air forces its way into her mouth and, head spinning, she gags into the dark.  

"Ow..." she says as she moves to touch at her neck. Her fingers pulse. In her outstretched hands – when did she reach out? - floats a beating golden heart. It radiates cold, a stark contrast to the searing waves of heat that had just buffeted her.

Before she can close her hands around it, Arthur pulls her back again. The heart beats once before plummeting to the floor, shattering before anyone can reach it. Lewis's hands hang in the air for several seconds, purple sparks dancing over his fingers, before he puts his hand to his chest. The flames in his eyes turn blue and shrivel to tiny wisps.

You destroyed it? He looks up. You could've learned... we could've been happy again...

A hand – metal and cold – grasps Vivi's shoulder and Arthur pulls her into him. "She was never happy with you."

Through the golden shards, Vivi thinks she can see a face. Though most of it is obscured, there's something about it that rings bells in her head.

Like you knew what made her happy?

Vivi moves to crouch down, but Arthur's grip tightens. "Hey, let me g--" she starts.

Arthur's heated breath tickles her ear. "Certainly more than you ever did!" He slides his hand over her front until he's got her in a gentle choke-hold.  

Just the faint pressure is enough to make her head swim. "Arthur. Let me go."

I would still be with her, if you hadn't shoved me off a cliff. Lewis's eyes turn purple once more. All you ever wanted was control!

Vivi tries again to bend over, but Arthur's grip is firm. She reaches for his hand before realizing a heartbeat later that the appendage is metal. Then she's jerked backward.

"All I want is her happy. That's something she'll never be if she has to see you."

As they're moving, she kicks out with her feet and scatters the gold pieces. "Let me go!" Then she sees the picture again and freezes. Lewis...

Though the flesh and skin are missing, Vivi knows there's no mistaking the pompadour and body shape. Her blood turns to ice as everything clicks into place in her brain.

"You... you killed him... He didn't just disappear he..."

But it's too late. Arthur's hand moves to her mouth and though she tries to scream, no sound comes out through his fingers. When she tries to throw herself away from him, he lifts her into the air and continues marching.

Vivi! Fire forms from fissures in the ground and move for Arthur, a blazing sea. Lewis springs for them, fingers reaching... reaching...

Cold night air kisses her as she flies through the air. A door slams shut in her face. Wide-eyed and trembling, she feels herself be lowered to the ground.

"I did this for your own good," says Arthur.  

She doesn't look at him as she throws herself at the door with all her might. Pain blooms along her arm and shoulder where she makes impact. The door refuses to budge.

"What" -- she throws herself at the door again -- "what did you do?"

"What was good for you."

Her breath is sucked from her just as fast as she can inhale it. Hiccups are the only sound she can make as, teary-eyed, she changes to kicking and punching at the door with as much force as she can muster.

"Lewis..." Tears pour from her open eyes. Her fist bounces against the door with every strike. "Lewis... Lewis... Lewis..."  

Finally, she drops to the ground on hands and knees, openly sobbing. "Fuck!" Her throat burns as she screams into the night. Her shoulders shake with every pained hiccup. Her knuckles throb and she's certain they're bleeding.

Arthur comes to her side and wraps his arms around her waist. "Let's go."

At once, Vivi's sobs die off. Her tears slide down her cheeks, cold and salty. She doesn't fight him as he hauls her into the van, nor even when he gets in the other side and starts it up. Even with Mystery barking at her feet, all she can feel is a frosty numbness that grows where she thinks her heart should be.

Lewis...