Chapters are linked to my user page!
The parts are likely to be longer now :0
TWs for the chapter: abandonment, weapons, violence, gore
TWs for this part: abandonment, mentions of weapons
Chapter name is a line from "Jesus in LA" by Alec Benjamin
Chapter Five: Vibrant Colors (From the Lights Fade Away)
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Life's been pretty crazy lately. Purpled couldn't keep up. You'd think the anniversary of your brother and sole family member's disappearance would give you an excuse to take the day off, right?
Yeah, no. And frankly, Purpled was utterly exhausted. But a job's a job, and Punz trained him well.
It started with self defense. Punz had sprung up the question one day, while they sat with a galaxy puzzle splayed on Purpled's desk. Punz claimed his little brother needed to know how to protect himself in case something inevitably went wrong.
Of course, Purpled agreed. And they worked on that together. In a month, he was able to deflect nearly all of Punz's advances, and knew how to hold someone in a chokehold, how to use different self-defense devices, and how to knock the assailant off-balance.
Then they started on offense. Punz taught him everything he knew; swords, spears, knives, bows, axes, pickaxes, hand-to-hand, martial arts, explosives, even how to fight with a shovel. Purpled regretted never asking where Punz learned.
And Purpled had given his all, but it wasn't enough. Punz just decided to walk away. He left.
Only a few days after his brother departed for one of his "business trips," Purpled had discovered a small box of envelopes on Punz's desk. Although thinking Punz had probably wanted them private, twelve-year-old Purpled's curiosity got the best of him.
He sat down and read them, one afternoon.
And when he exited the room, he wasn't the same anymore.
Inside he knew, Punz only wanted the best for him. He did this for the two of them. But it was still so horrible. Punz had only been fifteen, working as a mercenary to earn money for them.
A part of Purpled was sympathetic and worried for his brother. The other half was furious that Punz had kept it from him. He wanted to be there for his sibling, and Punz had pushed him away.
Still, Punz was his brother, and his whole family. Purpled awaited his return, so that they could sit down and talk things out, and within a few days things would be completely fine again between them.
He didn't think much when Punz was a few days late. He was a bit confused when Punz hadn't returned after a week. But he kept going on the futile waiting for a loved one who's already been lost.
A month over the return date. Purpled's birthday quietly slipped by. Two months. He took up mandolin as a hobby. Three months. Christmas crept by silently, and Purpled didn't even notice. He watched New Year go by alone.
Four months.
Punz wasn't coming back.
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"Wilbur? Shit, man, I gotta go! I mean, I gotta find Wilbur!" Tommy whirled around and started to dash out the door. He stumbled straight into the other "captive," the Slime who had been taking in with Ranboo. Slimecicle had somehow escaped containment.
"Whoa, hey buddy! Be careful!" Slimecicle called cheerily. Tommy shrugged him off and made a run for it.
"Stay here," Purpled ordered Ranboo. Then he cursed softly before turning and running out, chasing after the reckless blond teen.
Stupid, stupid, stupid. He's gonna get murdered.
"Tommy!" Purpled hissed into the flashing red halls. "Toms?"
Mad footfalls echoed from a corridor to the left. Purpled groaned in annoyance, and followed. What an idiot. He's obviously never heard of neither Ember nor Daemon before! They're gonna kill him.
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Tommy skidded to a halt when he overheard his brother's voice. Resisting the urge to shout out, Tommy clenched his jaw and listened just out of sight.
"I don't know where he is," Wilbur's voice growled.
A soft-edged, unfamiliar voice laughed softly. "I'm sure you wouldn't want him to meet someone less merciful, Orpheus? If we don't get to him now, what are the chances he'd find trouble?"
"He doesn't get into trouble. It finds him first," Wilbur defended.
"What if that trouble comes in the form of something deadly? Or should I say, someone?"
"That won't happen. I've promised Lady Death I'd take care of her son."
Tommy's blood chilled. Lady Death, and Wilbur referring to her son...
They're talking about me.
"I know you'd do anything to protect Tommy," the person confirmed, "and I respect that. But what are you going to do when he runs into someone like Sapnap? Or Dream? Or Punz?"
Tommy knew who Dream was. People called him the Puppetmaster, the Spider, He who Pulls, God of the Marionettes. Dream sounded quite terrifying.
Sapnap and Punz, though, Tommy didn't like the sound of those names.
Suddenly both voices quieted. "He's coming. Ember is coming," the unknown person(?) warned. "Good luck, Orpheus." Tommy decided it was his time to step out, and waited a good ten seconds while faking footsteps growing louder. He heard Wilbur shuffling around, trying to look normal, most likely.
Tommy hated liars, and it seemed he couldn't even trust his own big brother anymore. He rounded the corner and ploughed into Wilbur.
"Tommy? What're you-" Wilbur spun around, seemingly startled. Such a good actor. "What are you doing here?"
"I could say the same for you. Why didn't you tell me you were part of this shit? Why didn't you tell me this crappy hotel was an underground base?" Tommy shot back.
"I'm not part of this, Tommy, I swear," Wilbur started.
"No time to explain, 'pheus." Tommy turned at the sound of Iris's voice. "We have to go. They know where we are." Chills were sent down Tommy's spine when he saw the look on Iris's face. Fear.
Tommy remembered that Iris was still so young, having to go through all this in a fucked-up world, alone. This place is so messed up.
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"We have to go. They know where we are," Purpled breathed, after getting lost and finally catching up to Tommy. He knew he had intruded on something important, but it probably could wait.
Tommy stared at Purpled. For a moment, the poor boy looked mortified. But before he could reply, loud, heavy footsteps rapidly started approaching them.
Purpled's eyes widened. "Quick, to the right. Run." He turned to the two boys behind him, calculating the distance between the bunker and the intruder. "Go," he ordered, giving Tommy a shove towards the bunker. When they didn't move, Purpled called for them to leave again. "Back to the bunker. Find Artemis and Aphrodite. Go! Hurry!"
Then he turned and ran with light, padded strides to the meeting room. There was a dark aura coming from that direction, and from Punz's lessons, only Daemon could make that type of energy. Not knowing what to expect, he drew his sword.
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Thanks for so many pings :D
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Next update on Fridayyy :L
