Chapter Text
—————Mk’s POV——————
It hadn’t been long since Mk had gone after the Monkie King. Despite being so far away from them, Mk could still hear the yells of his friends in the back of his mind. He remembered Pigsys pained expression knowing that he’s losing another one. Tang and his panicked yells, worried for his friend. Sandy straining to keep them from trying to leap of the mountain in order to follow him. Mk’s heart had never aches more than that day. But he had to get answers. Why didn’t the Monkie King tell them of his plan? Why lie? Was he not trusted? Why not tell them about Mei? Mei. Mk tried to shake away his thoughts as he felt his eyes starting to burn. His tears reforming and clouding his vision, only to see a Monkie off in the distance.
“Monkie King?!” Mk had yelled aloud before he had even thought of what he was doing.
He covered his mouth and dove to hide by a near by rock. The mountain the Monkie was on was a slim one. Tall as well, they were right above the clouds and the trees that surrounded them reminded Mk of flower fruit mountain, except more dull and less lively. He heard the Monkie look around and the shuffling of their feet. He trying to be as quiet as he could but he knew how well Monkie’s could hear. A pause, and then silence. Dead silence. Mks heart rate quickened and couldn’t help but peak around the corner. The Monkie was sat on a rock in the Sun. It seemed like those scenes in the movies, trees surrounded the Monkie, while Sun peaked through the trees landing on them perfectly. If Mk wasn’t terrified of who was sitting there he would’ve loved it. Mk didn’t dare move even though every cell in his body was screaming to run. Mks eyes couldn’t help but look at the six eared Monkie staring right at him.
“Hey kid.”
Mk couldn’t think. What? His mind felt calm. An uncomfortable calm. He was anxious but he couldn’t genuinely feel it. His fear was there but he wasn’t experiencing it. It was as if he had been watching himself outside his body. Sensing fear but only reacting in a calm manner. Macaque’s eyes shrank into a squint.
“I did not expect to see you here!”
The new sentence seemed to snap Mk out of his trance and in seconds Mk had found himself weaving through the trees. All of his senses came back and so did his fear and panic. He was light headed, bumping into trees and getting tripped by sticking out roots. Branches slapping and cutting Mk as he let out a hiss in pain. His world was going black around the edges and the trees were merging together. He couldn’t feel his legs and failed at attempting to put them under him, trying to keep running. His head was pounding and he fell to the ground. The cold hard floor brought him back, steadying the spinning world and bringing back the feeling to his limp legs.
“That was quite a show there. I didn’t even have to pin you down!”
The voice struck Mk and shivers ran down his spine. The old fear has rekindled and he had the motivation to run again. Pushing his arms under him only for his tired arms to give out, leaving him on the ground. It wasn’t long before Mk was inching away from Macaque. Eyes blown wide and every hair on its end he crawled away backwards from the Monkie. Macaque looked amused, as if his fear was a delightful distraction from his awful day. Why was he so scared? Mk couldn’t think of an answer. He had never been so scared of Macaque, so why now? What’s different? Mk’s hand had shoved itself into a rock trying to push itself away from Macaque. A yelp from Mk as he picked up the rock and held his hand close to his chest. Macaque let out a snicker and opened his mouth to speak.
“Y’know, I’ve never seen you this shaken up. Even when we first met you didn’t seem a even a little bit scared.”
Mk gripped the rock. He was so foolish back then, trusting Macaque so easily. Mk threw the rock rage filled at the thought of the Monkie making a game of his fear. It flew past three of the ears the six eared Monkie owned. The immortal gave a annoyed expression and started getting up from his spot from where he was sitting across from Mk. Mk shook. He didn’t have his staff. He didn’t have the Monkie King. He didn’t have his friends. He was trapped. Panicking his eyes darted looking for an escape. His eyes moving faster and faster with every second the elder moved closer, soon all he could see were blurs. A whimper escaped Mk when Macaque picked him up from the back of his shirt.
“If you listen, I won’t kill you.”
That deal had seemed terrible seeing as a simple ‘no’ could get him killed but it was better than being killed because he said, ‘no’. Considering the ragged state Mk was in, it wasn’t as if he could defend himself. His sudden burst of power had left him as quickly as it came. He was drained and dehydrated. Complying was the only thing he could do. He could feel his exhaustion creeping onto his face. His eyes were lidded and his face went slack. Soon the grip and twitches he had made themselves scarce as he went limp in the mango scented immortals arms. The last thing he heard before he slipped unconscious was,
“Night kid.”
—-————Macaque’s POV———————
The kid was out sooner than Macaque had anticipated. He sighed and kept walking. He had to find a place to stay tonight. Then it was straight for lady bone demons place. Macaque frowned at the thought of it. It wouldn’t hurt to take the long way there. He looked down at Mk shifting in his arms. His face softened and he looked back up to the trail. Place to stay first.
Macaque had been looking and finally wandered onto a house. A small first story with the woods as it’s backyard. The red house had wood and brick to add personality to it. It’s flowers— Lily’s and Pansy’s— clustered together in the front of the house stopping next to the door and end of the wall. A white truck was left on the gravel road, leading downwards, towards the small town below. Macaques eyes rested easy on the house and the house was high and far enough from the town where his ears would not be disturbed by the noisy people living there. Hands pre-occupied, he kicked opened the door and found a woman sitting with her dog on the couch. He had forgotten people lived in houses.
“W-who are you?!?”
“If you want to live, you will leave the keys to your home and car.”
“What?! That’s absurd!”
“If you leave now, and run, pray that I’ll feel merciful and leave you be.”
That seemed to be the motivator for the woman and she got up from her seat leaving the keys to her house and car, calling her dog and leaving out the front door. Before she closed it, Macaque had released a series of words that made the woman’s heart jump.
“Tell anyone we’re here and it’s the dog that’ll be gutted.”
———-————-——Morning———————————
Mk hadnt been expecting a dog to be laying on his chest when he woke. He also did not expect a bed, and a fresh change of clothes. What he did expect was the soreness, cuts, bruises, and excruciating pain he found himself in. Mk groaned at the weight of the big dog on his chest. He believed his chest and ribs would’ve caved in if Macaque hadn’t called it off. Mk sat up faster than he should’ve, and found himself doubling over his bed throwing up whatever he had to eat from the last few days. He could feel the tears run down his face and his throat aching and burning from the lack of water. A hand on his back had received a flinch and smack back to where it came from. Wincing in pain and exhaustion, Mk went slack on the edge of the bed. He was tired. Extremely tired. His stomach had also made it apparent that he was hungry too. Well, with his stomach growling, he took a wild guess that’s what happens when you barf everything up.
“You hungry?”
“What do you care?”
“Enough to feed you. You’re no use to anyone if you aren’t active and energized.”
“I’m not helping anyone. Especially if that ‘anyone’ is you.”
“Fine. Starve. See if I care.”
Despite his uncaring tone, Mk could hear to venom in his words and he turned to see Macaque. Mk watched Macaque storm out of the room with the dog in tow. Macaque shot a glare as his tail lashed angrily one last time before he slammed the door, leaving Mk alone in a poorly lit room with nothing but himself and his thoughts.
He’d stay that way until the next morning rolled around.