Fic: Remix by tanrien, Alex/Nico, het, rated R
Title: Remix
Author: tanrien
Prompt: 616 (well, AU) | Runaways | Any | Their parents told them years before. Their parents were grooming them.
Rating: R
Word count: 3344
Disclaimer: The characters and settings featured in this story are the property of Marvel Entertainment. This is a work of homage and no copyright infringement is intended.
Warnings: /
Author's note: Thanks to the most awesome lanoyee, who was able to beta on short notice. // I had so much fun writing this, so thanks to whoever put this prompt in. // Everything behind the cut is part of the story. Yes, the A/N too.
Remix
//
A/N: My personal remix (with some retelling, sorry! But the original is just this good.) of Runaways, mostly of Volume One Better than Pride, but there is also a bit of The Fight, 'till the point where they offed Alex [Spoiler! Read the lastest issue!] and he came back[/Spoiler]. (It's kind of sad seeing the only character one can identify with die. But the grapic violence and the blood effect in this scene was nice, reminded me of The Authority. Still, Alex ;___; ) Credits to the awesome creators.
//
"I knew it!" Chase screamed and twisted my arm behind my back. He had always become angry easily, and now it showed: My shoulder burned, but thankfully my hands were beginning to go numb. Chase's gloves had done some heavy work on them. But this had been expected. "You fucking asshole! How could you-- It was Molly! You killed Molly! Molly!"
I knew.
This was why I did it.
"Just wait 'till Nico gets you," whispered Chase in my ear, but it was no threat anymore. My most precious thing, Nico had already invaded with her spell: my mind.
Heavy footsteps told of Nico's arrival. Chase stepped away from me and my arms fell to my sides, useless. But Chase, even if he behaved like one, was no coward. Nico would be the one to hurt me. If not first, than at least in the most hurtful way. Chase knew and therefore, Chase fled: No coward, like I said.
"No, Alex, the coward is you. I had thought better of you."
Hello Nico.
"Speak," Nico demanded, so used to being obeyed that she didn't even use her staff anymore. She didn't need it anyway. Her dress was plastered with blood, mostly Molly's, I thought, but some of it might be mine too.
"What do you want me to say?" I asked.
Nico shook her head, "What to say when your thought is already known?" she mused, then frowned. "I really thought you were one of us."
"It's good that I wasn't, don't you think? Every team needs a traitor. Classic," I said and braced myself for a spell. It didn't come, but Nico had always been unpredicable. Not only because of my clouded judgement when it came to her.
"It could have been Karolina. Her fragile ego needs some outlet" Nico said and smiled. This was the smile I had fallen in love with. It was a bit on the cruel side, but I didn't mind at the time and neither did my heart. Cruel was Okay. My parents agreed with me. It wasn't until later that I realised that even if I was a kid, what my parents did was not always right. I realised that I had to learn how to think on my own. I realised that I was a kid, still, in some ways, and this was okay, but I couldn't stay a kid forever. I didn't dare to. And following our parent's wishes, their footsteps, was blind, childlike behaviour. Even if Nico and the other Runaways thought it was alright and adult.
"Well," said Nico. "At least I know that you were honest about one thing: You liked me."
Love, I thought strongly, but she ignored it.
"But killing one of us-- Show me how your mind works, Wilder. How can you kill a little girl and call yourself one of the good guys? Hell, you killed our parents too!"
"With the alternative being what? Molly's soul being sacrified to the Gibborim by you? She is better off dead", I answered. It hurt. Nico knew how to hurt me and Molly was and still is one if the things which has the power for it. She was strong, she was needy - like all of us --, she had killed, but she was stil young.
"Oh, don't be so pathetic. You took our chance for immortality! A new world!" Nico waved her staff and I tensed, but she didn't cast a spell. "We could have been together, you know, forever, if you had just overlooked this one little girl's soul. But you had to play superhero."
I was no hero. I, too, killed, to hold up the charade. I thought I would be able to save at least Nico. The clouded judgement again.
Nico set her jaw for a moment, but continued. "We could have fucked day and night and I know you are horny enough--"
It hurt. But I interrupted: "I wouldn't have touched you."
"You always were willing enough before."
Ouch.
"I wouldn't have wanted to dirty my fingers."
"Asshole," Nico swore and stomped down with her boot. I looked in her eyes.
"Come on, just kill me," I said.
"Killing you would be too easy on you," Nico snapped. "You made us doubt our parents, you made us into your marionettes and then at the peak of triumph you kill one of our own. You don't deserve death, Alex."
I bowed my head. If she wanted to play like this, we would play.
"We will use your intelligence just to reach the one thing you despise. The new Pride, The Runaways, will rule the world and you will do it for us", Nico said slowly.
I knew.
Nico smiled a bit. "You know, I always wanted to try this since I read the books." She pointed her staff at me. The wound on her arm was constantly bleeding, even if her parents didn't cut her every second hour anymore. I had kind of hoped I would get old enough to see her become the woman she was groomed into. "Okay, let's try it: Crucio."
I didn't see Nico leaving the room.
//
Nico's arms were warm around my shoulders as she leaned forward to kiss my chin. "You can't be serious", she then whispered against my ear. I turned my head slightly. To her it had to look like I was offering her my neck to bite, which she did. But the other's reactions were far more important for my future plans. Karolina was blinking rapidly as she stared into the ground. Her head was bowed like it always had been and her hands were trembling. She was scared, of everything. Except, of course, Nico and her parent's demands. But she was nothing more than a quick rainbow-glow. I knew she has had no friends except us, with her parents hiding her away as a useful power-source. I dismissed Karolina as unimportant, while she tried to be swallowed by the couch.
Gert had her jaw set. "What proof do you have?" she asked tensely, like I had predicted. Nico made a disapproving sound and raised her head. She turned slightly to stare Gert down, then looked again. "Show me your proof."
I smiled. "Then come on," I said and pointed to the hidden door. I had all of it set up. Luckily, my friends - my real friends - had been willing to help me make this look and sound convincing.
While I led the way, Molly asked, presumely Chase: "Why would our parents want to kill us?"
I bit my lip. So fucking innocent. I had at least to try to save her. This was the first step. The answer to Molly's question was easy: Jealousy. Greed. Anger. Hate. Fear.
But they were going to see. That was the least I had to do.
//
"And you say he is Ultron's son?" Chase repeated. I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the wall of the 'frog. It was no use, but I knew this already. Still, it gave me the illusion that Nico was not constantly smirking at me like I was some kind of trophy - an animal's head maybe.
"Alex' head says so", Nico answered. I opened my eyes to see Chase scrowling at me. Gert was probably not making out and Nico only fucked with guys outside the team since me. From what I was able to find out about Victor, Nico would be soon to change her policy. At large it had been a tactical error to store all of this in my head and not on a self-destructing memory drive. With the advanced technology from Gert's parents, which I had already used for researching, this even might have been easy. The information about young superheroes and supervillian's kids had been useful, but not so much that Victor deserved being pulled into this. But a tactical error was one to never be made again. And it wouldn't.
"Just you try," Nico said and I looked away from where she sat in the front with Chase, driving the 'frog. Instead, I was confronted with the large holographic image of Karolina and Xavin fucking on one of the Skrull's Empire's planets. I didn't need to be able to read Nico's mind to know why she kept showing this: Being horny herself while having to stay on the 'frog, and showing me what I could have had.
//
"Gert! Gert, come on!" Nico screamed over the blasting and the explosions. I hadn't known, so they hadn't known as well, that Iron Man and a troup of Shield's men would show up. Xavin pushed me roughly up the ramp into the 'frog. Karolina flew behind him, turning bullents into streams of light. Blinded by them, I couln't see a thing and only hear Nico's orders for Gert to come the fuck on!
Xavin leapt up to the conrol and Victor rushed forward. Karolina moved with them, leaving me unprotected.
I knew. But knowing was no protection. Clouded judgement. It was this, and love, because that was the only thing that could explain why I didn't jump off the ramp. I might be killed then, but when I was able to sacrifice a little girl, I could make myself one for a world without the all-knowing villains Runaways. They had the Skrull empire, soon they would have the old Pride's territory. But Nico would never take the second best. And the best we could do was the world. Without me, not so much.
But I stared through Karolina's light, until I could see Nico, strong and beautiful and crazy. She was pulling Gert with her, who wanted to reach back-- I winced. I have held no sympathy for Chase. None. But too many had already died. And now it was one more.
Nico had reached the ramp, threw Gert inside. Gert was crying, loudly, and Nico shouted: "Just shut up!" and hit Gert with her staff, directly in Gert's face. Gert's body went limp.
Xavin was closing the ramp, while Nico stood there, breathing heavily. I stared at Nico and Nico looked back, and in this moment, I fell in love with her again. Because no matter how intelligent I was, my heart seemed to hate me. I loved Nico like. Like.
Like Gert loved Chase.
"There is no love", Nico said. Blood was dripping down her arms and legs, and her dress, like in the night I betrayed her and her ideas, even if the betrayal had started years before. "My parents taught me so."
"Your parents are dead." I killed them.
She looked at me. "Like I said, there is no love."
I understood and it hurt.
Nico's eyes closed up again. She straightened her shoulders and stepped up to Skrull Emporers Xavin and Karolina, her fuck-toy Victor and the unconscious Gert - her Runaways.
"Get away from here", she ordered.
They left Chase's corpse behind.
//
It was the night before and everything was set up. I should go to my parents, but they would see this as weakness, so I didn't. I apologise silently. What they did was wrong and is still, and I have to save the others. Have to save Nico. If betrayal was the only way, well.
The last night.
I let my mind wander, and it's easy: Making the prediction. What if. What if our parents had never told us about The Pride.
I watched my mind unfold the scenario.
I watched myself die, every time.
Betraying my friends.
But in reality I would save them. I would live.
I didn't want to think about the alternative. Because then, everything would be useless.
And this was the only way for me to go.
I turned off the lights and went to sleep.
//
Nico stepped in front of me, and as I raised my head, I saw her smile.
"Xavin and Karolina were successful", Nico told me with just this soft smile on the side of her mouth. She was pleased.
"Yes, I am," she agreed. "And I wanted to thank you."
"Don't." My throat was dry. I hadn't gotten water for a day, while the operation was running. If they hadn't succeeded Nico would have left me to die.
"It's only polite," Nico said. She leaned forward and kissed my forehead. "Thank you, Alex, for giving us the Skrull Empire."
I closed my eyes and Nico laughed all the way out of the door.
//
And then Karolina sucked Dagger' light out of her body, 'till she looked old and dry, and Nico said: "Dust."
After this, the superheroes' community began looking for the Runaways.
I wanted to turn them in, but seeing Nico, I couldn't.
//
"Open your eyes!" Nico shouted and I obeyed, just to see her impaled on Victor's cock, naked but still not bare. She moaned and Victor lifted his hips to meet her with deep thrusts.
"He's so much better than you, you hear! So much better!"
Nico threw her head back and I used the opportunity to close my eyes again.
//
"What do you want? What is this?" Billy shouted and cradled his boyfriend's - the Skrull heir's - dead body closer. Wrong family bloodline. Kate was staring at Nico, same with Eli, but Cassie looked directly at me. As if she was asking: Everything okay? Do you need help? I haven't had a look like his for far too long. This was a girl, or better: the girl I should have fallen in love with.
"We demand--", began Eli, showing his muscles.
"We only helped you because we need you for ourselves," Nico interrupted him. "Someone here told us you will be very useful."
A flicker of light burned the grass next to Eli's feet. Karolina was floating over the earth, watching from above in the sky. The light in the stars you could see? That was Karolina.
Nico smirked. "Thanks, Alex, by the way."
Cassie's stare turned icy.
//
I didn't want to hear it, which was probably the reason for Nico telling me.
"And then she kissed me, wow, you wouldn't guess by her usual behaviour."
I didn't want to hear.
"Of course I fucked her, right there, but the thrill is everything--"
"Is she in love with you?"
"Oh, Alex, please. Get real."
//
My father stared at me, hard enough that I could hear almost nothing of the conversation going on. When Nico put a hand on my chest, it felt like waking up. Nico pushed me back and held her staff high. "Step back," she told the others. Our parents were already standing at the other wall of the cave. "Except you, Molly."
My body felt cold.
Nico turned her head to me, even as she stepped forward to the Gibborim. "This is for us, Alex." She smiled, and I loved her, but notlikethis!
The Gibborim spoke, but this wasn't how it should be going. The blood rushed through my ears and at the far side I could see my parents, I could see The Pride, everything I didn't want us to become and now we were just like them.
Nico raised the knife she used to cut herself and slashed Molly's throat. But she didn't. I didn't know I could move that fast, but it probably was desperation. As soon as a had grabbed Molly away from Nico, The Pride surged forward.
"Alex!" I heard Nico calling me. "What about the plan--"
But there was no time.
"Where is the girl?" The Gibborim demanded to know.
A Girl. A boy. A child. Nico could go after whoever she wanted. The Pride could hunt any of us. There was no time.
Molly stared at me, so young. "Listen to me, Molly" I said and she stilled completely, even when her arm was bleeding from Nico's slash. My arm was bleeding too. "I need you to destroy the cave."
"So that Mom and Dad die?" she asked and held her head up proudly.
I swallowed. "Yes."
"Okay," Molly called and grabbed onto the rock in the wall next to us. Her eyes were glowing and she didn't blink. "Better get out of here, so that you and Nico and Gert and Chase and Karo don't get hurt."
"Thank you, Molly," I said, quietly and ran, while Molly pulled the cave down on us. She wasn't going to make it. I bit my lip.
I had to.
Outside, the Runaways were standing and looking at me. Nico's dress was full of blood.
"Where is Molly?" Karolina asked and it was her voice, seldomly used, that cut the trance.
"What's in your mind, Alex? What-- Read!" Nico shouted, and despite all the chaos and the crashes of the falling rocks from inside the cave, her voice was clear as crystal glass.
I'm sorry, Nico, I thought. But I had to.
Nico stared at me with her eyes wide, wide open and the not-sound she made was the sound of something breaking.
//
"Xavin, Xavin, Xavin!" screamed Karolina as she rushed down into the fight. I felt Nico besides me. And when I looked, I could see her hands trembling. Gert lay there, next to the bits and pieces of a fake dinosaur body - at least they died togehter - and Victor's screams could be heard all over the place.
"Back!" called Nico and her staff glowed brightly when she pulled her Runaways back to us. Karolina seemed to be fighting the pull. To attack those rebels who attacked the Skrull Emporer Xavin. Nico was sweating.
Karolina loved Xavin, that was clear. It didn't matter to her what her parents might have told her. Not any more. She had grown up.
She fought for her love.
"Shut up," Nico said.
Gert as well. And even Molly had loved us. And maybe the new girl, the one with the roses, whom they got to fill Molly's place, maybe she would come to secretly see Nico as her family too.
"Shut up!"
Xavin was there, somewhere in the struggle and maybe he would make it, maybe not. Karolina called his name again, so loud it hurt my ears: "Xavin! Xavin! XavinXavinXavin!"
Love. Trust. Realising that power is not everything. This was, what I had to think.
"Shut up, Alex!"
I was tired. Love. Not Power. Giving up. Growing up. Becoming your own person.
"Alex! Just--"
They were going to get out of here. And they were going to continue. But they also had allowed me to try. I had failed, yes, but I had tried. I couldn't save everyone. This is the end, I guess, I thought. Nico was right. You are no superhero.
"I need to concentrate! I--"
You. Are. Not. Your. Parents. Nico.
"Shut up or I will--!"
No running away.
"Just fucking die already, Alex!"
Nico's staff was freedom and love, still, and everything. A whole world full of possibilities and people to save. And I had tried.
The girl I loved killed me then.
//
extra, [Spoiler]
//
hey, a letter! from alex. and a book? sec plz
teh srs stuff he had goin on?
havnt heard from him for some time
uhh, guys, alex needs our help
got himself some crazy parents again?
i actuly red bout this. new villians. pride. runaways. stuff.
shit. this is serious
vdding ths time?
anime tent porn?
Alex says, when this reaches us, he has died
...w?
wha?
and he wants us to bring him back
Author: tanrien
Prompt: 616 (well, AU) | Runaways | Any | Their parents told them years before. Their parents were grooming them.
Rating: R
Word count: 3344
Disclaimer: The characters and settings featured in this story are the property of Marvel Entertainment. This is a work of homage and no copyright infringement is intended.
Warnings: /
Author's note: Thanks to the most awesome lanoyee, who was able to beta on short notice. // I had so much fun writing this, so thanks to whoever put this prompt in. // Everything behind the cut is part of the story. Yes, the A/N too.
Remix
//
A/N: My personal remix (with some retelling, sorry! But the original is just this good.) of Runaways, mostly of Volume One Better than Pride, but there is also a bit of The Fight, 'till the point where they offed Alex [Spoiler! Read the lastest issue!] and he came back[/Spoiler]. (It's kind of sad seeing the only character one can identify with die. But the grapic violence and the blood effect in this scene was nice, reminded me of The Authority. Still, Alex ;___; ) Credits to the awesome creators.
//
"I knew it!" Chase screamed and twisted my arm behind my back. He had always become angry easily, and now it showed: My shoulder burned, but thankfully my hands were beginning to go numb. Chase's gloves had done some heavy work on them. But this had been expected. "You fucking asshole! How could you-- It was Molly! You killed Molly! Molly!"
I knew.
This was why I did it.
"Just wait 'till Nico gets you," whispered Chase in my ear, but it was no threat anymore. My most precious thing, Nico had already invaded with her spell: my mind.
Heavy footsteps told of Nico's arrival. Chase stepped away from me and my arms fell to my sides, useless. But Chase, even if he behaved like one, was no coward. Nico would be the one to hurt me. If not first, than at least in the most hurtful way. Chase knew and therefore, Chase fled: No coward, like I said.
"No, Alex, the coward is you. I had thought better of you."
Hello Nico.
"Speak," Nico demanded, so used to being obeyed that she didn't even use her staff anymore. She didn't need it anyway. Her dress was plastered with blood, mostly Molly's, I thought, but some of it might be mine too.
"What do you want me to say?" I asked.
Nico shook her head, "What to say when your thought is already known?" she mused, then frowned. "I really thought you were one of us."
"It's good that I wasn't, don't you think? Every team needs a traitor. Classic," I said and braced myself for a spell. It didn't come, but Nico had always been unpredicable. Not only because of my clouded judgement when it came to her.
"It could have been Karolina. Her fragile ego needs some outlet" Nico said and smiled. This was the smile I had fallen in love with. It was a bit on the cruel side, but I didn't mind at the time and neither did my heart. Cruel was Okay. My parents agreed with me. It wasn't until later that I realised that even if I was a kid, what my parents did was not always right. I realised that I had to learn how to think on my own. I realised that I was a kid, still, in some ways, and this was okay, but I couldn't stay a kid forever. I didn't dare to. And following our parent's wishes, their footsteps, was blind, childlike behaviour. Even if Nico and the other Runaways thought it was alright and adult.
"Well," said Nico. "At least I know that you were honest about one thing: You liked me."
Love, I thought strongly, but she ignored it.
"But killing one of us-- Show me how your mind works, Wilder. How can you kill a little girl and call yourself one of the good guys? Hell, you killed our parents too!"
"With the alternative being what? Molly's soul being sacrified to the Gibborim by you? She is better off dead", I answered. It hurt. Nico knew how to hurt me and Molly was and still is one if the things which has the power for it. She was strong, she was needy - like all of us --, she had killed, but she was stil young.
"Oh, don't be so pathetic. You took our chance for immortality! A new world!" Nico waved her staff and I tensed, but she didn't cast a spell. "We could have been together, you know, forever, if you had just overlooked this one little girl's soul. But you had to play superhero."
I was no hero. I, too, killed, to hold up the charade. I thought I would be able to save at least Nico. The clouded judgement again.
Nico set her jaw for a moment, but continued. "We could have fucked day and night and I know you are horny enough--"
It hurt. But I interrupted: "I wouldn't have touched you."
"You always were willing enough before."
Ouch.
"I wouldn't have wanted to dirty my fingers."
"Asshole," Nico swore and stomped down with her boot. I looked in her eyes.
"Come on, just kill me," I said.
"Killing you would be too easy on you," Nico snapped. "You made us doubt our parents, you made us into your marionettes and then at the peak of triumph you kill one of our own. You don't deserve death, Alex."
I bowed my head. If she wanted to play like this, we would play.
"We will use your intelligence just to reach the one thing you despise. The new Pride, The Runaways, will rule the world and you will do it for us", Nico said slowly.
I knew.
Nico smiled a bit. "You know, I always wanted to try this since I read the books." She pointed her staff at me. The wound on her arm was constantly bleeding, even if her parents didn't cut her every second hour anymore. I had kind of hoped I would get old enough to see her become the woman she was groomed into. "Okay, let's try it: Crucio."
I didn't see Nico leaving the room.
//
Nico's arms were warm around my shoulders as she leaned forward to kiss my chin. "You can't be serious", she then whispered against my ear. I turned my head slightly. To her it had to look like I was offering her my neck to bite, which she did. But the other's reactions were far more important for my future plans. Karolina was blinking rapidly as she stared into the ground. Her head was bowed like it always had been and her hands were trembling. She was scared, of everything. Except, of course, Nico and her parent's demands. But she was nothing more than a quick rainbow-glow. I knew she has had no friends except us, with her parents hiding her away as a useful power-source. I dismissed Karolina as unimportant, while she tried to be swallowed by the couch.
Gert had her jaw set. "What proof do you have?" she asked tensely, like I had predicted. Nico made a disapproving sound and raised her head. She turned slightly to stare Gert down, then looked again. "Show me your proof."
I smiled. "Then come on," I said and pointed to the hidden door. I had all of it set up. Luckily, my friends - my real friends - had been willing to help me make this look and sound convincing.
While I led the way, Molly asked, presumely Chase: "Why would our parents want to kill us?"
I bit my lip. So fucking innocent. I had at least to try to save her. This was the first step. The answer to Molly's question was easy: Jealousy. Greed. Anger. Hate. Fear.
But they were going to see. That was the least I had to do.
//
"And you say he is Ultron's son?" Chase repeated. I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the wall of the 'frog. It was no use, but I knew this already. Still, it gave me the illusion that Nico was not constantly smirking at me like I was some kind of trophy - an animal's head maybe.
"Alex' head says so", Nico answered. I opened my eyes to see Chase scrowling at me. Gert was probably not making out and Nico only fucked with guys outside the team since me. From what I was able to find out about Victor, Nico would be soon to change her policy. At large it had been a tactical error to store all of this in my head and not on a self-destructing memory drive. With the advanced technology from Gert's parents, which I had already used for researching, this even might have been easy. The information about young superheroes and supervillian's kids had been useful, but not so much that Victor deserved being pulled into this. But a tactical error was one to never be made again. And it wouldn't.
"Just you try," Nico said and I looked away from where she sat in the front with Chase, driving the 'frog. Instead, I was confronted with the large holographic image of Karolina and Xavin fucking on one of the Skrull's Empire's planets. I didn't need to be able to read Nico's mind to know why she kept showing this: Being horny herself while having to stay on the 'frog, and showing me what I could have had.
//
"Gert! Gert, come on!" Nico screamed over the blasting and the explosions. I hadn't known, so they hadn't known as well, that Iron Man and a troup of Shield's men would show up. Xavin pushed me roughly up the ramp into the 'frog. Karolina flew behind him, turning bullents into streams of light. Blinded by them, I couln't see a thing and only hear Nico's orders for Gert to come the fuck on!
Xavin leapt up to the conrol and Victor rushed forward. Karolina moved with them, leaving me unprotected.
I knew. But knowing was no protection. Clouded judgement. It was this, and love, because that was the only thing that could explain why I didn't jump off the ramp. I might be killed then, but when I was able to sacrifice a little girl, I could make myself one for a world without the all-knowing villains Runaways. They had the Skrull empire, soon they would have the old Pride's territory. But Nico would never take the second best. And the best we could do was the world. Without me, not so much.
But I stared through Karolina's light, until I could see Nico, strong and beautiful and crazy. She was pulling Gert with her, who wanted to reach back-- I winced. I have held no sympathy for Chase. None. But too many had already died. And now it was one more.
Nico had reached the ramp, threw Gert inside. Gert was crying, loudly, and Nico shouted: "Just shut up!" and hit Gert with her staff, directly in Gert's face. Gert's body went limp.
Xavin was closing the ramp, while Nico stood there, breathing heavily. I stared at Nico and Nico looked back, and in this moment, I fell in love with her again. Because no matter how intelligent I was, my heart seemed to hate me. I loved Nico like. Like.
Like Gert loved Chase.
"There is no love", Nico said. Blood was dripping down her arms and legs, and her dress, like in the night I betrayed her and her ideas, even if the betrayal had started years before. "My parents taught me so."
"Your parents are dead." I killed them.
She looked at me. "Like I said, there is no love."
I understood and it hurt.
Nico's eyes closed up again. She straightened her shoulders and stepped up to Skrull Emporers Xavin and Karolina, her fuck-toy Victor and the unconscious Gert - her Runaways.
"Get away from here", she ordered.
They left Chase's corpse behind.
//
It was the night before and everything was set up. I should go to my parents, but they would see this as weakness, so I didn't. I apologise silently. What they did was wrong and is still, and I have to save the others. Have to save Nico. If betrayal was the only way, well.
The last night.
I let my mind wander, and it's easy: Making the prediction. What if. What if our parents had never told us about The Pride.
I watched my mind unfold the scenario.
I watched myself die, every time.
Betraying my friends.
But in reality I would save them. I would live.
I didn't want to think about the alternative. Because then, everything would be useless.
And this was the only way for me to go.
I turned off the lights and went to sleep.
//
Nico stepped in front of me, and as I raised my head, I saw her smile.
"Xavin and Karolina were successful", Nico told me with just this soft smile on the side of her mouth. She was pleased.
"Yes, I am," she agreed. "And I wanted to thank you."
"Don't." My throat was dry. I hadn't gotten water for a day, while the operation was running. If they hadn't succeeded Nico would have left me to die.
"It's only polite," Nico said. She leaned forward and kissed my forehead. "Thank you, Alex, for giving us the Skrull Empire."
I closed my eyes and Nico laughed all the way out of the door.
//
And then Karolina sucked Dagger' light out of her body, 'till she looked old and dry, and Nico said: "Dust."
After this, the superheroes' community began looking for the Runaways.
I wanted to turn them in, but seeing Nico, I couldn't.
//
"Open your eyes!" Nico shouted and I obeyed, just to see her impaled on Victor's cock, naked but still not bare. She moaned and Victor lifted his hips to meet her with deep thrusts.
"He's so much better than you, you hear! So much better!"
Nico threw her head back and I used the opportunity to close my eyes again.
//
"What do you want? What is this?" Billy shouted and cradled his boyfriend's - the Skrull heir's - dead body closer. Wrong family bloodline. Kate was staring at Nico, same with Eli, but Cassie looked directly at me. As if she was asking: Everything okay? Do you need help? I haven't had a look like his for far too long. This was a girl, or better: the girl I should have fallen in love with.
"We demand--", began Eli, showing his muscles.
"We only helped you because we need you for ourselves," Nico interrupted him. "Someone here told us you will be very useful."
A flicker of light burned the grass next to Eli's feet. Karolina was floating over the earth, watching from above in the sky. The light in the stars you could see? That was Karolina.
Nico smirked. "Thanks, Alex, by the way."
Cassie's stare turned icy.
//
I didn't want to hear it, which was probably the reason for Nico telling me.
"And then she kissed me, wow, you wouldn't guess by her usual behaviour."
I didn't want to hear.
"Of course I fucked her, right there, but the thrill is everything--"
"Is she in love with you?"
"Oh, Alex, please. Get real."
//
My father stared at me, hard enough that I could hear almost nothing of the conversation going on. When Nico put a hand on my chest, it felt like waking up. Nico pushed me back and held her staff high. "Step back," she told the others. Our parents were already standing at the other wall of the cave. "Except you, Molly."
My body felt cold.
Nico turned her head to me, even as she stepped forward to the Gibborim. "This is for us, Alex." She smiled, and I loved her, but notlikethis!
The Gibborim spoke, but this wasn't how it should be going. The blood rushed through my ears and at the far side I could see my parents, I could see The Pride, everything I didn't want us to become and now we were just like them.
Nico raised the knife she used to cut herself and slashed Molly's throat. But she didn't. I didn't know I could move that fast, but it probably was desperation. As soon as a had grabbed Molly away from Nico, The Pride surged forward.
"Alex!" I heard Nico calling me. "What about the plan--"
But there was no time.
"Where is the girl?" The Gibborim demanded to know.
A Girl. A boy. A child. Nico could go after whoever she wanted. The Pride could hunt any of us. There was no time.
Molly stared at me, so young. "Listen to me, Molly" I said and she stilled completely, even when her arm was bleeding from Nico's slash. My arm was bleeding too. "I need you to destroy the cave."
"So that Mom and Dad die?" she asked and held her head up proudly.
I swallowed. "Yes."
"Okay," Molly called and grabbed onto the rock in the wall next to us. Her eyes were glowing and she didn't blink. "Better get out of here, so that you and Nico and Gert and Chase and Karo don't get hurt."
"Thank you, Molly," I said, quietly and ran, while Molly pulled the cave down on us. She wasn't going to make it. I bit my lip.
I had to.
Outside, the Runaways were standing and looking at me. Nico's dress was full of blood.
"Where is Molly?" Karolina asked and it was her voice, seldomly used, that cut the trance.
"What's in your mind, Alex? What-- Read!" Nico shouted, and despite all the chaos and the crashes of the falling rocks from inside the cave, her voice was clear as crystal glass.
I'm sorry, Nico, I thought. But I had to.
Nico stared at me with her eyes wide, wide open and the not-sound she made was the sound of something breaking.
//
"Xavin, Xavin, Xavin!" screamed Karolina as she rushed down into the fight. I felt Nico besides me. And when I looked, I could see her hands trembling. Gert lay there, next to the bits and pieces of a fake dinosaur body - at least they died togehter - and Victor's screams could be heard all over the place.
"Back!" called Nico and her staff glowed brightly when she pulled her Runaways back to us. Karolina seemed to be fighting the pull. To attack those rebels who attacked the Skrull Emporer Xavin. Nico was sweating.
Karolina loved Xavin, that was clear. It didn't matter to her what her parents might have told her. Not any more. She had grown up.
She fought for her love.
"Shut up," Nico said.
Gert as well. And even Molly had loved us. And maybe the new girl, the one with the roses, whom they got to fill Molly's place, maybe she would come to secretly see Nico as her family too.
"Shut up!"
Xavin was there, somewhere in the struggle and maybe he would make it, maybe not. Karolina called his name again, so loud it hurt my ears: "Xavin! Xavin! XavinXavinXavin!"
Love. Trust. Realising that power is not everything. This was, what I had to think.
"Shut up, Alex!"
I was tired. Love. Not Power. Giving up. Growing up. Becoming your own person.
"Alex! Just--"
They were going to get out of here. And they were going to continue. But they also had allowed me to try. I had failed, yes, but I had tried. I couldn't save everyone. This is the end, I guess, I thought. Nico was right. You are no superhero.
"I need to concentrate! I--"
You. Are. Not. Your. Parents. Nico.
"Shut up or I will--!"
No running away.
"Just fucking die already, Alex!"
Nico's staff was freedom and love, still, and everything. A whole world full of possibilities and people to save. And I had tried.
The girl I loved killed me then.
//
extra, [Spoiler]
//
hey, a letter! from alex. and a book? sec plz
teh srs stuff he had goin on?
havnt heard from him for some time
uhh, guys, alex needs our help
got himself some crazy parents again?
i actuly red bout this. new villians. pride. runaways. stuff.
shit. this is serious
vdding ths time?
anime tent porn?
Alex says, when this reaches us, he has died
...w?
wha?
and he wants us to bring him back