Chapter Text
[My name is Doctor Flug Slys. If you’re seeing this message, then I’m probably dead. For some reason I worry that if I tell you why you’ll be mad at me. But why should anger matter to a dead man? A strange fluke of the human mind. Though it is true, I am curious what may happen when I am gone. How the world will be. I know it will continue. The world will still spin, the stars will still shine, a replacement will be hired, and everything will run just as smoothly as before. I am replaceable. Expendable. My emotions have rendered me useless, and thus I have taken it into my own hands to dispose of myself. Consider this a favor. As to what caused my downfall, for these emotions to consume me, I have left clues behind for you. A puzzle, so to speak. Find all the pieces and perhaps you can truly understand.]
A certain blue bear held the note precariously between two clumsy paws, comically large teardrops dripping onto the paper. He quickly held it away from him and set it down so the ink wouldn’t smear. The handwriting was messy, as if the person writing it had been shaking terribly. That wasn’t really a surprise, given the circumstances. 505 looked up again, but quickly flinched and returned his gaze to the floor. The sweet animal only wanted everyone to feel loved and welcome, and now he had failed. He would never see Flug again! Never help him clean up failed projects, or accidentally scare him in the hallways… he didn’t know how to feel. And so 505 just buried his face in his paws and sobbed loudly. He had just been on his maintenance rounds! He didn’t want to see something like this…
It wasn’t long before someone heard the racket. Demencia had been on her way to bug the doctor as usual, so she was already on her way. But when she heard the familiar sobbing of her dear companion she sped over, only to freeze in her tracks when she saw what had happened. There, in the center of the room above an overturned stool was Flug. His bag had fallen off of his head to reveal mussed ginger hair and a pale, freckled face with wide and unblinking eyes. An incessant metallic clank filled the room as he twirled about, hanging from the chain around his neck.
“Flug! ¿Puedes escúcharme?”
The girl tried to hold back tears, running towards him and righting the stool so she could get up and try to get him down.
“
505 help me! He’s not breathing!
”
Demencia was panicking now. He couldn’t be dead. He couldn’t be! 505 slowly walked over, almost sluggish. He lifted the girl up so she could unfasten the chain, her weak limbs struggling to catch Flug’s body before it crashed to the floor. 505 helped her lower him to the ground, and she collapsed on her knees. She just had to do CPR right? That was it! He wouldn’t have wanted anyone touching his face but that didn’t matter right now. All that mattered was that he
lived
. Demencia leaned over him and tried to breathe air into his lungs, pressing on his ribcage in an attempt to get his heart going. It took a painstakingly long several minutes before she gave up and began to sob. No pulse. No breathing. He was gone. He was gone!
“ Mierda… ”
---
Black Hat had been filling out paperwork when he heard the shouting and what may have even been crying coming from the general direction of Flug’s lab. What could possibly be going on? His brows wrinkled and he tried to ignore it, focusing harder on his papers. It was probably some stupid prank. And yet… It didn’t stop. There was no shouting from Flug telling Demencia to get out of his lab, no crashing or laughter. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong. The demon pushed himself upright and opened his door, walking briskly down the hallway. When he got to the lab and saw what was going on he couldn’t even process it. The chain dangling from a rafter. Flug’s motionless body on the ground, with Demencia and 505 on either side. As soon as it hit him, the first emotion that filled his head was pure rage.
“ WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?! ”
He shouted, hands curling into fists at his sides. Someone was pulling his leg. They had to be. This wasn’t happening!
Demencia and 505 turned their heads slowly towards him in tandem, both their faces shiny and wet with tears. A mournful sound escaped the bear, whilst Demencia found herself unable to do anything but continue to hiccup and sob uncontrollably.
“ YES THIS IS ALL VERY FUNNY BUT YOU CAN DROP THE ACT NOW! ”
He felt his throat tightening. Why wasn’t anybody saying anything?! He wasn’t going to let this happen. He wouldn’t! Black Hat scooped Flug up delicately in his arms, looking down at him with watery eyes. Black magic flickered at his fingertips, brushing against the body; his lips, his chest, but it did nothing. The demon trembled a little, claws unintentionally digging into Flug’s arms which began to bleed freely.
“ Get out. ”
The pair stared up at him like he was insane. After what had just happened he expected them to just leave him there, alone, with the poor scientist that he had tortured and ridiculed countless times? Did he take them for fools?!
“ I w-won’t let you h-h-hurt him! ”
Demencia hiccuped, standing on wobbly legs whilst 505 let her use him as a crutch.
“ I said get OUT , PINCHES IDIOTAS! ”
His form shifted to that of a grotesque beast with large claws and tusk-like fangs that protruded from his mouth, hunched back forcing him to lean protectively over the body in his arms.
“ NO! I’M NOT LETTING YOU DO ANYTHING TO HIM! ”
Without any warning, Black Hat leaped forward and clawed Demencia across her chest. It left deep gashes that would need urgent care. He growled at her ferally, eyes glowing red. Blood poured from her wounds and 505, with fearful eyes, dragged her out of the room and ran down the hallway as fast as he could while holding a weakly struggling girl.
The second the two exited the room Black Hat slammed the door shut, collapsing to the floor and returning to his normal form. Tears poured from his eyes as he hugged Flug close. He didn’t want to be this attached to the doctor, but it was too late to prevent it now. He cared about him so much, and it felt like the world had disappeared completely now that Flug was gone, leaving him with an impenetrable void. He saw the note lying on the floor and snatched it up, struggling to read it through his tears. Why… Why did Flug think he was anything close to replaceable? Why, why why why?! Flug’s skin was cold to the touch, his eyes devoid of any light or clarity. The sight made his gut twist. If Black Hat could die himself, he just might have tried to. But no. He was left with this, this empty world in which he now had to suffer with the regret of something that he knew he had to be a part of.
“ Flug… ”
He murmured, voice barely a whisper as he uttered the words nobody had ever heard him use in his entire godforsaken life.
“ I’m sorry… ”