Chapter Text
M1g found himself in a void. He glanced around, blinking rapidly as he struggled to remember how he got there.
“Um- Hello?” He called, his tail curling up tightly behind him. He was expecting that robot or the person who looked like him to appear and scold him for whatever he had done wrong this time, but neither were anywhere to be seen.
He fidgeted with his hands, his head on a swivel as he waited for either harsh words or cold orders, unsure of what was happening.
M1g's memory of his episodes was fuzzy… He did have a few clear memories of this dark place, but never of it being empty.
It’s so cold.
After an uncomfortably long few minutes, though, a voice suddenly punctured through the darkness. “This is the tool you rely on so heavily? It's quite fragile.”
The voice was unfamiliar, and had a strange, echoing quality to it that made M1g's hair stand on end. Something in his subconscious was screaming that this unseen voice was dangerous. It screamed that it was a predator, and that he should run.
The voice seemed to notice his fear, though, as it chuckled, “My, my. Just look at the poor thing. What have you done to it? It's shaking like a leaf.”
Before M1g could muster up the courage to respond, a more familiar voice snorted, “This is 918, and don't call him an it, if you would… He's always been like this.”
The familiar figure of the other M1g that he had been seeing in his dreams slowly emerged from the shadows, continuing, “For some goddamn reason or another, I can't beat some sense into him.”
The voice just chuckled, the sound causing M1g’s anxiety to spike further. He could feel his ears flattening back and his hands shaking, and he was vaguely uncomfortable with being seen like this.
The source of the unknown voice still didn't reveal themself as they then hummed, “I see. But he is useful, yes? You enderman hybrids… Always very peculiar, but your teleportation abilities prove themselves useful.”
M1g just kept glancing between the other version of him and the sky- or whatever was above him- as his confusion grew. 918? Enderman hybrids? Teleportation??
He opened his mouth to speak, but the other M1g interrupted him. “Don't even start, we don't have time for questions.”
“Yes,” The voice from above agreed, “Those nuisances from outside are attempting to awaken you.”
“I- Nuisances? You mean Legs and Anathra?!” M1g yelped, feeling insulted on their behalf. “Hey, that's-”
“Shut it.” The other M1g snapped, shooting him a withering glare.
M1g decided not to argue.
“Now, onto business, 621.” The voice growled, a hint of irritation in their tone.
“That's Prime to you, but fine.” He huffed, then turned back to M1g. “The mission is changing, some new factors are at play. We need you to open a portal this time. I don't care where, but keep it hidden. Create a portal as per usual, but bring nether stars to power it. M1GB0T will activate it remotely, but your mission will be to keep it a secret.”
He then leaned in closer, causing M1g to step back uncomfortably as he growled, “Got that?”
M1g nodded quickly, his tail curling around one leg. “Y-Yes. Got it. But why are we even-”
“Stop asking questions.” The voice from above ordered. “Do as you're told.”
The voice’s words put a bad taste in M1g's mouth, but his heart was still racing just from the sound of the disembodied voice, and he did not want to piss off the other him again.
Not after last time.
“...Could I at least know your names?” M1g asked quietly, his muscles tensing slightly. He half expected the other him to lash out at the question, but he couldn't help himself, his curiosity was too strong.
As expected, the other M1g bared his alarmingly sharp teeth in irritation, but the voice just coldly responded, “You have no need for my name. I am simply one who Watches. This, here, is M1G-621.”
“M1G Prime.” The other M1g, 621, grumbled, but the voice ignored him.
“Your past mission will be replaced completely with the current one.” The voice continued, seemingly without regard for 621’s visible annoyance.
A small collection of purple particles began to appear around M1g, the voice seemingly coming from them. “…And for the time being, consider me your ‘boss’ or whatever you lower creatures call it. You work for me now.”
M1g opened his mouth to speak again, but the voice spoke over him. “Now, your little ‘friends’ are pulling you back, but remember your new mission. And keep in mind…”
The particles suddenly condensed together, forming dozens of glowing purple eyes all around M1g. He practically leaped out of his skin, but didn’t dare move out of fear of touching them.
“I’ll be Watching you.”
As the voice finished, M1g began to feel himself being pulled back to the waking word. His whole body started to feel fuzzy, and his vision blurred. For once, though, he was relieved to get the hell out of there without any more answers.
***
“…M1g, buddy? Where'd you go?”
Legundo poked his island partner experimentally. M1g still didn't move, just staring blankly at Anathra, who was visibly getting uncomfortable.
“Does he always do this?” Anathra asked, glancing between Legs and the semi-unconscious M1g.
“No? Well- Sometimes? Usually not mid-conversation??” Legs shrugged helplessly.
He then tried to grab M1g by the shoulder and shake him a bit, but still elicited no response. Although he had seen this dozens of times, it still freaked him out a bit.
Anathra paused, then offered, “Maybe we should try to talk to him like this? You mentioned that he spoke Standard Galactic when he was spaced out, yes?”
Legs stopped to consider this for a moment before he nodded and hummed, “I mean… Yeah, actually! I just kept trying to talk to him and he eventually responded. Just- Very creepily. I don’t really trust him to not stab me when he’s like this.”
Anathra gave him a concerned look, but didn't question further. He warily tapped M1g’s shoulder, still not getting a response.
“I mean,” Legundo shrugged, “We could just hit the reset button and ask him again.”
There was a long pause as Anathra went still, the gears visibly turning in his brain before he looked back at Legs.
“...The what??” He whispered loudly, confusion written all over his face.
Legs could help but laugh loudly at the reaction, but once he pulled himself back together, he explained, “He usually goes back to normal after someone hits him over the head. Like a factory reset button.”
“I… Alright.” Anathra chuckled, running one hand through his hair. “But no, I don't think we should. You said he only spoke Standard Galactic like this, so I would think that we would have to talk to him now.”
He did have a point, so Legs nodded and turned back to his island partner.
Waving his hand in front of his partner's eyes, he called out, “M1g… Earth to M1g… Are you alive in there?” He then tapped M1g on the forehead. “Are there any brain cells in here?”
Behind him, Anathra covered his mouth with one hand as he stifled a small laugh, then added on, “Any brain cells that perhaps speak other realms’ languages?”
Legs laughed at that, but to his surprise, M1g twitched a little. He definitely wasn't spacing back in, but his tail flicked to the side and his hands moved a little.
Both of them shut up immediately, staring at M1g for several painfully long seconds. Anathra clearly wasn't entirely sure what to express, but Legundo was already dreading having to stare a very ominous M1g in the eyes again.
When M1g didn't move any further, Anathra warily asked, “...Is this what it looks like when he starts talking?”
“I think so?” Legundo responded, then took a small step forward. “M1g, buddy? What's happening? Talk to us.”
He watched nervously as M1g's eyes began to move slightly, not quite focusing yet. “...What's going on, M1g?”
Abruptly, the purple eyes snapped up and locked onto him as M1g hissed, “ᓭℸ ̣ 𝙹!¡ ᔑᓭꖌ╎リ⊣ ᑑ⚍ᒷᓭℸ ̣ ╎𝙹リᓭ.”
Both he and Anathra froze again, unsure of what to do. Legs could already feel goosebumps rising on the back of his neck, and he immediately forgot what he was meaning to say.
After a long pause, though, it seemed that Anathra had pulled himself together enough to speak. He held out one hand warily as he took a careful step towards M1g.
“...What’s happening? We can't understand you. Why are you speaking in Standard Galactic?” He asked, his other hand twitching towards the sheathed sword on his belt.
M1g took a second to respond, the words appearing to lodge in his throat for a second. “...||𝙹⚍ ᔑ∷ᒷ ʖᒷ╎リ⊣ ∴ᔑℸ ̣ ᓵ⍑ᒷ↸.” He then twitched before adding, “ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ|| ᔑ∷ᒷ ∴ᔑℸ ̣ ᓵ⍑╎リ⊣ ||𝙹⚍.”
Glancing between the other two, Legs awkwardly chuckled, “That's not helping much, M1g. English, please.”
“Irish works too.” Anathra shrugged.
“He can't speak Irish.”
“You didn't know he could speak Standard Galactic, why not?”
“I- Because- Now is not the time to be arguing if M1g speaks Irish!” Legs ran one hand down the side of his face.
The other man just shrugged with a small smile on his face, so Legs gave a long sigh before turning back to face M1g.
He doubted that this state was going to be of any help, even with Anathra there. Honestly, it probably was less helpful with Anathra there.
Legs shook his head, then sighed, “Alright, if we're not getting anything out of him, I'm waking him up. He freaks me out just a little bit.”
He grabbed M1g’s shoulder again, shaking him for a moment, but when M1g just continued to stare at him, Legs reluctantly rolled one shoulder in preparation to hit his island partner over the head again.
“Sorry bud, but you're getting another bump on the head.” He chuckled. Legs moved to knock M1g back into consciousness…
Then his hand was stopped.
M1g caught his wrist in a tight, bruising grip, his violet eyes burning as they narrowed at Legundo. A sharp chill ran down Legs' spine, and he immediately felt the sharp sense of danger return.
“╎ ∴𝙹⚍ꖎ↸ リ𝙹ℸ ̣ ↸𝙹 ℸ ̣ ⍑ᔑℸ ̣ ╎⎓ ╎ ∴ᒷ∷ᒷ ||𝙹⚍.” M1g hissed, his tail twitching again, but he otherwise stayed unnaturally still.
Legs couldn't find anything to say, his heart hammering in his chest. His mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, but no words came out.
Behind him, Anathra took in a sharp breath and drew his sword, but didn't interfere. Legs was thankful for the backup, but he also couldn't help but be concerned that M1g would take it as a threat.
After taking a deep breath, Legs shakily asked, “Um- What? What do you mean?”
M1g just furrowed his brow before slowly growling, “╎ ∴𝙹⚍ꖎ↸ リ𝙹ℸ ̣ ᓭℸ ̣ ᔑ∷ᒷ ʖᔑᓵꖌ ᔑℸ ̣ ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ ᒷ||ᒷᓭ ℸ ̣ ⍑ᔑℸ ̣ ∴ᔑℸ ̣ ᓵ⍑.”
“...Is he even listening?” Anathra asked warily. “How do we know that he's not just saying random things?” The man's playful tone had died, and he very clearly did not want to be there.
“He's at least somewhat aware.” Legs pointed out, tugging uselessly at M1g's grip. “He did defend himself… But isn't attacking us. I think he can hear us.”
“╎ ᓵᔑリ.” M1g grumbled.
“Still can't understand you, bud.” Legs replied with an uncomfortable chuckle, trying once more to free himself, but still being unsuccessful. “...Are we even talking to M1g right now?”
“It could be a split personality thing.” Anathra suggested.
“╎ℸ ̣ ╎ᓭ リ𝙹ℸ ̣ , ʖ⚍ℸ ̣ ╎ℸ ̣ ╎ᓭ リ𝙹ℸ ̣ ꖎ╎ꖌᒷ ||𝙹⚍ ⚍リ↸ᒷ∷ᓭℸ ̣ ᔑリ↸ ᒲᒷ.” M1g responded after a brief pause.
From the vaguely annoyed look in his eyes, that was a “no.”
As Legs watched, it hit him that M1g was talking far more than usual, even if they couldn't understand him. He wasn't sure what was happening, but this time was different from the others.
“...Are you able to write?” He asked, trying to find some way to get an answer.
“╎ ᔑᒲ 𝙹リꖎ|| ᔑ !¡𝙹∷ℸ ̣ ╎𝙹リ 𝙹⎓ ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ ᓵ𝙹リᓭᓵ╎𝙹⚍ᓭ. リ𝙹.”
From M1g’s tone, that was also a “no.”
Legs' frustration and confusion built up as he huffed, “Could you at least let me go, then? I won't hit you.”
Thankfully, he was released. Legundo pulled his hand to his chest, rubbing his bruised wrist with a small hiss of pain.
“...I may not know your island partner well,” Anathra began slowly, “But he doesn't really seem to be… Well, doesn't seem to be all here. We probably need to go about this in a different way.”
Legs ran one hand through his hair. “That’s what I was trying to do, but it's not helping that he’s exclusively speaking a language nobody else does!”
“I'm sure there are ways to communicate that don't require speech or writing.” Anathra sighed, but Legs couldn't help but feel like the man was being condescending.
“I- Don't talk to me like that.” He huffed. “It's not your island partner who's acting weird, speaking in tongues, and maybe being replaced by some other person for all I know! Who knows if we’re talking to the same guy?!”
There was a short pause while Anathra just stared at him with a vaguely annoyed expression. He looked like he was struggling a bit to stay calm.
Anathra took a deep breath. “Listen, Legundo. I can see that you're worried about M1g, and that's understandable, but yelling is not fixing anything.” He then glanced over at M1g. “...I think you made him space out again, actually.”
Legs froze, then whipped around to his island partner.
M1g was no longer looking at him, instead staring blankly forward like he usually did, his tail curled stiffly around one leg and his ears flattened against his head.
…Shit.
There was no way that was his fault, surely.
Yes, he knew that M1g usually didn't like loud noises and yelling, but it's not like he was even fully conscious. No, Legs wasn't feeling guilty. The lump in his throat wasn't real.
Legundo glanced at Anathra one more time before hesitantly grabbing M1g's shoulder, but much gentler this time.
“M1g? M1g? Are you still listening? Are you awake in there?” He whispered, shaking his island partner softly.
His shaking quickly got more frantic when M1g's only reaction was a small twitch of his nose, but Anathra quickly stepped in. The man put one hand on Legundo's, silently telling him to calm himself.
Legs' gaze darted around as his grip subconsciously tightened, searching for any sign of consciousness.
In hindsight, Anathra had been right, and yelling in front of someone who flinched and shrank away from loud noises was probably not a good call, but he had been far too distracted worrying about what had happened to think about what he could possibly be doing.
He grabbed his island partner by both shoulders, trying to get him to look him in the eyes, but failing. His chest felt uncomfortably tight as he stared at M1g's fearful body language.
Did I do this?
He was about to start shaking M1g again when the man in his grip abruptly jerked backwards with a yelp.
Relief flooded Legundo's chest as M1g pulled himself back, his tail lashing and his gaze darting around in a disoriented manner. His island partner was back.
M1g gasped for air, his eyes going wide as he stumbled backwards. Legs reached forward in case M1g needed help, his expression starting to soften.
That relief only lasted a few seconds, though, as M1g froze, then turned tail and ran.