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"To be honest Tord, I support you and your ideas." Edd says quietly after a long while of picking at his Eddsworld brand cereal.
"What?" Tord asks through a mouthful of cereal, his brow raised in confusion.
The morning sun has just begun to peek through the small window of Edd's apartment. It spreads soft golden shafts of light across the floor, they stretch, yearning to reach as far as they can. Outside, cars can be heard hustling down the street, cluttered in with a cacophony of shouts, whistles, and squeals of the early bird passerby or the occasional night owl who is dragging themselves to bed. It is a much quieter roar of noise then what comes in midday, so some still sleep in their flats and houses.
Edd and Tord, however, are very much awake. Edd was working, as usual, and Tord, who had slept over, had been busy mapping out new ideas for inventions. They now are taking a break to eat breakfast. It had been quite a quiet morning between them, not at all unpleasant, but, peaceful. Well, quiet up until Edd decided to bring up a thing he had been thinking about.
He hadn't just been thinking about it for a couple hours, he had been thinking about it for weeks, months even. Thinking about Tord and his army, how he still has a few loyal followers who just hide and wait for his call to bring the army back. Edd doesn't really like Communism, but the basis of it, Socialism, is actually a good concept. He knows his friend hasn't stopped thinking about rejoining his army ever since he left. He knows that Tord probably would've gone back, even without his support. He knows the world does need some sort of change. Something to push it to becoming better, and maybe, with the right care and support, his friend's idea might help. The only reason why it failed before was that Tord became power crazy, then deserted his army to apologize to his friends.
It has taken Edd weeks to come to a decision of whether or not he should tell Tord about his feelings. Finally, on this very morning, he says something. Then can't stop saying things.
"About your army, and your vision... as long as you remember your friends and don't let yourself get caught up in the power you get from leading. I think it's a good idea and I think you should go with it, the world needs something to happen. We have so much war and horrible things... maybe... maybe we need to be united..." Edd begins to ramble when he sees Tord's shocked expression.
"Edd, woah woah, slow down!" Tord waves his hands in front of his friend and Edd obeys, stopping to hear what Tord has to say, "So... you mean you... you support the red army?!" Tord's eye is wide with disbelief and surprise.
"Yes, just as long as you stay you! Stay the kind person that always slips Ringo bacon under the table, yeah I notice when you do that, but anyways. Be the man who replaces each one of Matt's mirrors when they get broken. The person who only pranks Tom in immature, but non-dangerous ways. The guy who runs to the store and buys me cola at three am when I'm doing an all-nighter. Don't be the stranger who came to our house two years ago and blew it up with a giant robot." The brunette sighs, "Tord, just be you and I'll support you 100%"
"I..." Tord smiles, "I promise Edd, if I do go back to the army, I will stay myself this time. I don't think I could ever forgive myself if I went back to the power-crazed maniac I was... Thank you for supporting me."
"Of course, Tord."
-The year 20- A bus passes by before the numbers can be properly typed, in the future-
"Join me Edd."
"Never."
Red Leader narrows his eye at the man before him. Edd is forced into a kneeling position at his feet. His eye is swollen and he has a few gashes from being beaten by Red Leader's soldiers. Edd had been caught, finally. The leader of the resistance. The cause of all of Red Leader's troubles. Well, other than Eduardo and Mark, but with Edd captured, they will soon be at the Norwegian's doorstep, no doubt. He will crack Edd, make him spill the whereabouts of the rest of his gutter rats. Make him join him alongside Matt and Tom.
What a delightful thought for the friends to finally be all back together again. Red Leader cannot help it, he lets a small smirk curl onto his lips. Edd may have said never, but he will join him in the end. As all of his friends do.
Red Leader kneels to look Edd in the eyes, tsking softly, smiling a smile that can only be described as serpentine and bittersweet. Edd looks away, then lets out a sharp groan as Red Leader roughly grabs his chin and jerks it back so he is facing him.
"Oh Edd, Edd Edd Edd Edd. What on earth am I going to do with you?" Red Leader tilts his head, the sickly smile still etched on his face, "I mean, you are my friend, so I don't want to punish you too much... but, you are the leader of the resistance, so I can't exactly let you go, now can I?"
"Fuck you, you aren't my friend, you aren't the Tord I knew!" Edd growls, struggling to free his face from Red Leader's hand.
The Norwegian blinks, his eye widening slightly. A pang of guilt and sadness writhes in his stomach for a second. His mind bursts with the memory of the promise he made all those years ago, and, just for that second, the real Tord appears. He is gone just as fast as he arrived though, replaced by the cool, serpent-like Red Leader. "I may not be, Edd, but, people change. Especially when they need to lead, well, everything. Which... you encouraged if I can recall correctly... You said you supported my ideas Edd.." Red Leader leans closer to Edd, taunting him with each honey-coated dagger.
"NOT LIKE THIS TORD! I thought the world needed change, not an awful tyrant who murders who he wants in order to get power!" The brunette almost spits his words at the other man, his eyes watering with tears he forces himself not to shed, "Tord, I-"
Red Leader grasps a fistful of Edd's hair and twists it, causing the smaller man to yelp in pain. He pulls Edd so close that their noses almost touch, hissing his words in a silky yet menacing tone, "You said I'm not Tord, so, do not call me by that name. Got it, old friend? I am Red Leader."
"Fine... Red Leader." Edd winces as Red Leader's grip gets tighter, then sighs when he lets go. Pain still pulses through the brunette on many parts of his body. Red Leader's soldiers really did do a number on him.
"Good, now Edd, it would be a lot less painful for the both of us if you joined me. Think about it, you'll have Matt and Tom again!" Red Leader does not pull away from Edd, still so close to the other man that he can smell the traces of cola contraband lingering on his breath. His Tone is soft and inviting, friendly, compared to a second before. He gently caresses Edd's hair like a mother would to a crying child, "We can all be together again, be happy, you want that right?" The Norwegian gazes at Edd with a soft, knowing expression.
"... Of course I want that Tor- Red Leader..." Edd looks rather distraught and confused at the man's sudden one eighty, but he knows not to trust it, "But... that will never happen. We can never be friends again, not after every time you've stabbed me in the back. I kept giving you chances... and you kept casting them aside then apologizing and pleading for 'one more' to 'make it up to me'... ALSO! Whatever you did to Tom and Matt to make them join you, I will find out how to put a stop to it! They would never join you like this! Well... Matt maybe, but not Tom! He would never join you!"
Red Leader quells the rage that has begun festering inside him and just smiles at Edd sweetly. "Remember Edd, people change. Tom and I are besties now, he chose to join me. Matt joined me way before Tom. He wanted me to help him stay beautiful, even though he still is handsome to this day, but, who was I to turn him away? You've been the troublesome one Edd. The one who simply won't listen to reason! Why can't you see that what I'm doing will be good in the end?" Red Leader rests his forehead against Edd, "I want my friend to come back, I'm sorry Edd, for everything, but it's what I must do. Every time I broke a promise, it was because I had to." He begins to gently stroke Edd up and down his back in a soothing gesture, smiling as he feels the man relax a little into his touch, "One more chance, I will fix everything, I'll unban cola and, you will be able to call me Tord again. We can fix this broken world together, you and I, and Matt, and Tom. Just come back to me." Red Leader whispers his last few words in Edd's ear softly, sounding vulnerable and gentle.
Edd shivers and nearly lets a whimper escape his lips. He hears Tord, he wants it to be Tord so desperately it burns him, but it isn't Tord. He knows that the man that is caressing him and whispering sweet nothings into his ear is only doing so to convince him to do what he wants. Red Leader is only trying to manipulate him into believing his friend is here.
"Are you serious Red Leader I just said no more chances!" Edd growls and tries to tug himself from the larger man's embrace, "I am not a naive young man anymore!" He spits at Red Leader and slams their foreheads together, causing the other man to double over backwards in surprise and pain. His hands are bound behind his back so he curls up and pulls them over his feet to his front. He then struggles to stand, but Red Leader is already recovering from the initial surprise and dizziness of getting his head bashed.
"You little shit!" He hisses and wipes his face, pulling a gun from his inside, uniform pocket and pointing it at Edd.
"Are you really going to shoot me Tord?" Edd's use of his name causes him to freeze up.
"Edd, I-" Tord begins, but is cut off by a swift kick to his head. He crumples to the floor, unconscious, the gun sliding away.
"Sorry..." Edd says in a rather dry voice, searching Red Leader's pockets. He finds the key to the cuffs that bind him and quickly unlocks them. They plop to the floor and he rubs his wrists, looking around. As he had expected, Tord had made sure they were alone. Guards are still probably posted somewhere not too far from the room he's in though, so he has to be cautious and quiet.
Edd spots the gun laying on the floor and picks it up. He points it at the unconscious form of Tord and it expands into a more futuristic, scary looking gun with multiple whirring and glowing parts. His finger ghosts over the trigger as he inhales a breath. All of his problems can be solved with a single laser bullet. If Tord died, the army wouldn't have a leader, the resistance could tear it apart, Edd could get Tom and Matt back. All he has to do is pull the trigger.
Pull.
The.
He groans and lowers the gun. As much as he hates Tord, he cannot kill him. The memories of their friendship floods through his brain and he shudders. How did it come to this? How did they end up fighting eachother, Tom and Matt on Tord's side, Eduardo and Mark on Edd's. Why did Tord break his promise? Why can't Edd just kill the devil? Why does Edd still care about him so much?!
The gun reduces back to looking like a weapon of the past and he stores it in his coat. He sighs and rubs his face. Then an idea that he can only describe as brilliant hits him. If he can't kill Tord, there is one other person he can kill to stop this suffering! Himself! Well, his past self.
Edd restarts his search through Tord's pockets, finding his time travel device. He sets the date with a smile. Nothing at all can go wrong! His plan is absolutely fool proof! He'll kill himself before all of it. Before Tord even returns for the first time. Especially before the cola-less hell he is living in now.
Tord groans and shifts just as Edd is about to press the button. Edd looks at him in surprise and he squints at the man standing before him, his head spinning.
"Edd?... What are... what... what happened?" Tord rubs his head and groans, "Wait." He notices the device in Edd's hands and pats himself down, surprised that it is no longer on his person, "Edd! What are you doing?!"
"Well... I can't kill you Red Leader... so I've decided on a different plan! I'm going to kill my past self and there is nothing you can do about it!" Edd sticks out his tongue at Tord and presses the button.
"WAIT! WHA- and he's gone... great." Tord frowns, his eye fixed on the spot where Edd was. Guiltiness wriggles inside him as he fully processes Edd's words. The Norwegian sighs, "He should've just killed me, I'm far too damaged... but, he's not beyond repair... this world needs him... not me... not me and my fucked up mind." He knows he doesn't have much time before he becomes Red Leader again, so he rises to his feet and trudges to the exit from the room.
"TOM! MATT!" Tord calls, feeling himself slipping, falling back into the embrace of Red Leader already.
"Yes Red Leader?" Tom strides up to him, Matt only a foot behind.
"Edd Escaped."
"Really?! This is the exact reason I told you, we should have been in there too Tord!" Tom bemoans exasperatedly, breaking character from the studious soldier he normally plays.
"I know! Shut up Tom! That... it was stupid of me... but...ugh! Edd went back in time! He is going to kill his past self!" Tord rubs his forehead and forces himself to stay him for just a few seconds longer.
"What?!" Matt almost squeaks in shock.
"Shit." Tom utters, looking uncharacteristically horrified.
"I have another time travel device in the lab, you two take it and stop him before it's too late!" Tord commands, Tom and Matt nod and quickly race away. He slumps back against a wall, giving up the fight in his brain. "I'm sorry Edd..." Red Leader takes control, angry that he hadn't pulled the trigger when he had the chance. Angry that the part of him that still cares about his friends exists.