Chapter Text
“Nah, I don’t wanna play this silly game. I want to do this MY way! I want to do it exactly my way! It doesn't matter if you’re a Mean Gill or a Bad Boy or T.I.E.S or a Clocker! You’re all going down, none of these niceties, this is a death match for a reason.”
Finally, after so long, Martyn stood victorious. A thundering cackle fell from his mouth as he raised his hands to the open sky, basking in the glory. He stood there for only a few minutes but in his mind, he stood there for far longer. Soon, the rush of adrenaline from his previous battle began to wear off, leaving him to turn and evaluate the blood spilled world around him.
To the right, his diamond ax sat half buried in a pile of pale, creamy sand, while to the left, a few feet away, stood his sword in a pile of beige sand buried halfway up the blade.
He knew which pile of sand belonged to whom based on the color alone, how could he have not? They looked completely different. Watching the people around him crumble to a pile of sand as their time ran out became almost normal to him, especially after everyone turned Red.
Pulling the sword from the pile, he noticed the red bowtie laying half exposed in the sand. He didn’t have to take a closer look to know it belonged to Impulse. Turning away from the beige pile, he stalked over to the pale sand, kneeling before it and sifting around it until he found what he was looking for.
“Here, I want to give you this,” Scott said with an outstretched hand. ”I want this to be a sign of loyalty between us, that we’ll always stick by each other’s side no matter what happens.”
In his hand he held a conch shell strung delicately on a string of pearls.
“I found it in the water while you were building the hourglass; I thought it made the most sense since we’re living in the water.”
Martyn stared down at the offering in the other man’s hand, a soft sense of joy washing over him as the man stared back with pleading eyes.
“Martyn, promise me that.”
“...I promise. I swear on my life…”
“I’m sorry Scott,” Martyn quietly said, shaking the rest of the sand loose from the necklace. “In the end I wasn’t able to keep that promise.”
His gaze turned away from the pendant in his hand to the one laying feet away from him. Pieces of the conch shell that once hung around his neck lay scattered along the worn, traveled ground, as it was trampled in the heat of battle. A bittersweet smile crested onto his face as he looked between the two. It was an impulsive decision for sure, ripping off the necklace and throwing it in Scott’s face, but it made the look of betrayal on his partner’s face all the more savory.
He let out a long, winded sigh, stashing the pendant in his pockets.
With the battle being won, Martyn, for the first time in his life, stood alone on the hill, unsure what to do now. He pulled his communicator out from his trousers and checked the time.
“One hour left…” He muttered aloud, staring down at the bold red text displayed across his screen. He stared off into the distance, unsure what to do with all this time on his hands. Climbing up into the clock tower, his red eyes glazed over the area, silently taking in the various piles of sands that littered the land left behind from where people met their fates, friends, and foes alike.
He took one last look at the land before an idea drifted into his mind. Rummaging through his pockets, his fingers traced over the cool steel and sharp rock he was looking for.
Perfect.
The forest was the first to go as damaged hands lit the first sparks of the soon to be wildfire. Martyn raced along the landscape setting ablaze any flammable object or structure he could find, burning bits of his hair in the process. He used the remaining TNT he could find to blow the rest of the structures to the ground, leaving a path of destruction in his wake.
Finally, as the sun finished setting, he stood in the blown up remains of what was his and Scott’s home together, Mean Gill HQ, if you will. He inhaled sharply as he watched the world around him burn at his hands, his own doing. He reveled in the thought, knowing the world he was trapped in was ending on his own terms.
There wasn’t much time left for him, he knew it. Evident by the blaring tick, tock… ringing throughout his ears, providing an agonizing soundtrack to his final minutes of life.
He checked the time remaining one last time before chucking his device into the sea, smiling slightly as he laid in bed for one last time. He looked over at Scott’s side of the bed, messy sheets laying halfway off the bed from where they got up this morning. As he stared at the pillow where strands of messy teal and red hair laid, a part of him felt… missing.
He shouldn’t be sad his only partner isn’t here to share in his victory; he should feel happy. He won.
But no matter how much he tried to convince himself, the feeling still persisted.
With a sigh, Martyn took the conch shell Pendant out of his pocket and held it in his hand, providing at least a small sense of closeness to his fallen Mean Gill. Finally, he closed his eyes, knowing this would be the last time he was going to be able to do so willingly, and…
He was okay with that.
The last few seconds pounded away against his skull as his chest tightened, each passing second sending an ache throughout his entire body. He found himself counting down along with the seconds, the numbers drifting quietly out of his mouth as he squeezed his eyes shut and clutched the Pendant to his chest.
“Three…
Two…
One…”
As the final timer came to an end, so did the world. Time came to a halt as the cold rush of death fell over the last man standing, or in this case laying.
However, the universe had other plans.
You have played the game well, said the Universe, clutching the small fragment of soul in its hands.
You are alone, yes, but only for a short time, said the Universe.
Come, I have a new project for you.
__
Slow, steady clouds drifted overhead, blocking parts of the warm sun rays cascading down from the bright sky above. Cool blades of grass dance in the wind in the surrounding area as a gentle breeze sweeps across the ground, carrying a sweet aroma from the nearby flowers in the fields.
It hadn’t been long since the group began claiming the newly found area. Many of them were getting their bearings while others set out on an adventure either in a group or on their own. They erected a spawn area complete with a waystone for fast travel under a modest decorated gazebo, and nearby sat some chests filled with items they might need on their journeys.
The crisp mid-morning air picked up again as the warm scent from the nearby maple trees drifted along the wind, nipping at the nose of the only remaining person in the area.
Martyn sat lifeless laying under a maple tree, bordering on the cusp of consciousness. Gentle flickers of light from the trees above causes his mind to stir, the warm, sweet scent from the trees helping to ground him. With a soft groan, he stirs from his sleep, rolling over onto his back as he begins waking up much to his dismay.
Taking a deep breath, he began rubbing his eyes. His hands were cool to the touch, clashing gently against the warmth from his skin as he wiped away whatever drool had spilled out the night prior.
Martyn opened his eyes for the first time that day, and the view that greeted him in his half-asleep daze sent a chill down his spine. Finally, he sat up, rubbing his eyes again as he looked around the area, and that’s when his heart sank.
Huh…?
Staring back at him were lush, green fields with various different trees dotting the hillside, a complete turnaround from the bamboo-littered island in the middle of the sea he had helped create.
He remained silent as his eyes glazed over the area, not sure what to make of it; he felt like he was dreaming.
Surely this was a dream; it’s the only thing that would make sense! Another dream to lure him into a false sense of security before being thrust into yet another life-or-death game, just like last time.
Though this dream was different; Ren was nowhere in sight.
Martyn arose to his feet, placing his hands on his hips as he continued to survey the area. The small structure was the first thing he explored, curiously wondering who built it. As he approached the small pillar in the center, the crystal shaped Eye seemed to stare back - almost like it was watching him.
His hands reached to touch it without thinking, holding onto the purple and blue crystal Eye in the palm of his hands.
This time, it felt different.
The feeling in his hands was actually there.
I can feel it.
His mind felt hazy as he put the crystal back in its place. Staring down at his hands, he noticed they weren’t covered in blood like they were previously. Watching the muscles move and contract as he flexed his hands felt so alien to him.
Is this a dream…?
He stood silently wondering as a million different thoughts raced through his head until a name surfaced.
Ren. I want to see Ren. Everything fell quiet around at the passing thought of his king.
He pleaded with the world around him, but the world gave no response.
Martyn groaned, pressing his hands to his head as hard as he could, his confusion turned into frustration.
He’s done it before, why couldn’t he do it again?! Why isn’t the dream listening?
He smacked the side of his head once out of habit before pausing.
Pressing the cool fingertips to the side of his head, his mind slowed down just enough to get a coherent thought out.
That… hurt…?
The thudding against his head brought him back to reality, the confusion wrapping his mind quickly turning his brain into a warzone.
Removing his hands from his head, he stared down at them as they began to shake.
“No, this must be a dream.” His voice was shaky as he reached out and pinched his forearm, recoiling from the sting.
What…?
Alarm bells started ringing in his mind as it began to swell with panic. What the fuck is going on. His thoughts ran wild as he frantically looked around the area again, the lush, green hills becoming too overwhelming to look at.
Tears began to gather in his eyes as he stood there motionless, his mind unable to fully comprehend what was happening around him.
Ren. I just want Ren. His mind latched on to the king he once served, desperately pleading with the universe to return the great, powerful king to him once more. His vision blurred as tears rolled down his cheeks and onto the creamy, white floor below.
Time slowed to a crawl as he stood there, silently begging the universe for void knows how long. Begging the universe to give him another companion to travel this empty, hollow world with, to adventure out into the great beyond and find the perfect place to build their home together, their own slice of paradise like they have done a few times before.
This went on for some time until a voice broke him away from his thoughts. He was so enveloped in his own mind that he barely noticed the other man approach until his voice was the only thing that filled his ears.
His voice was gentle and soft, like a fresh flower carefully picked from the earth. Martyn recognized the voice, but it wasn’t what he was expecting to hear.
“Martyn…?”
That all too familiar crisp Scottish accent wormed its way into his head as he frantically tried to wipe his tears away.
Scott?
He had almost forgotten about his teal-haired partner, the one he had betrayed. Was this the universe’s way of making him atone for what he did that fateful evening? If it was, it was cruel.
Martyn sniffled once more as the voice repeated what it had said, softly calling out his name. He raised his eyes to the crystal ball in front of him before turning to face the voice.
His mind went silent as he stood there, for looking back at him wasn’t what he was expecting to see. He pictured deep, red eyes and a pained expression staring back at him, but what greeted him was a pair of orange and blue eyes and a gentle, if not worried smile.
“...S..Scott…?” Martyn’s voice broke as he stared at the man, taking in all of his features.
Messy teal hair with streaks of orange… Glowing rings floating loosely around his arms… And… a tail?
“Martyn, are you alright?” The voice asked again, confirming that the voice belonged to this man…
But that couldn’t be right.
Something was wrong, he was sure of it. There’s no way this could be his Scott. Looking back at him, everything seemed to darken slightly. The blonde felt like the world was closing in on him, as if the earth at any point would open up and swallow him whole. Forget a dream, this is a nightmare.
“Martyn, please, talk to me. You look pale - are you okay?”
“Back… Away…”
“What?”
“G-get back or…or else!” Martyn orders, his voice shaking as he raises it.
A look of confusion washes over Scott as his brows furrow.
“Martyn, what’s gotten into you? Please, I’m trying to help,” Scott responded with a strained voice, taking a step closer to the blonde.
Martyn felt his muscles strain as his body tensed up, his hands shaking as he held back tears. He took a step backwards, trying to maintain the distance between them, until his back pressed into the stone pillar behind him. Shit, he thought. I can’t run. I guess that leaves me with no other choice.
“Th-this is your last warning...!” he shouted, gritting his teeth, and trying to muster up whatever strength he had left.
Scott froze, swaying back on his heels. What in the void is he talking about? Looking back at his friend, he bit back another plea to ask what was wrong. It hasn’t been that long, has it? It’s only been a few days since he went scouting for an area to build in, he was sure about it.
Seeing the pained look on Martyn’s face moved something within him. Scott wasn’t sure what happened while he was gone, but he was sure as hell going to find out.
He sucked in a breath before lowering his voice, making sure the words that followed could be clearly heard.
“Martyn… Please, I just want to help…”
Time slowed to a crawl as they stared back at each other, waiting for the other to make the final move to end this game of cat and mouse. Scott would be none the wiser, making that fateful move.
With some gentle movement Scott offered his hand to the blonde with his palm facing up, hoping Martyn would snap out of whatever state he was in, begging that he would just take his hand. Just let me help you. He silently pleaded to the universe, though it would not answer his call.
Martyn flinched at the sudden movement, his eyes narrowing in on the person standing before him. A deep sense of panic bubbled up from within as his mind kicked into auto pilot.
He didn’t have to think about his next movements, for his hand was already at his side as he reared back and slapped the teal-haired man clean across the face and left the sound from the impact to echo slightly throughout the area. The cool feeling in his hand seemed to intensify, as if he had just stuck his hand in a bucket of ice water. He ground himself just enough to process what had happened before taking off into whatever direction his body faced first.
His lungs burned as he scaled the lone mountainside. The sun had already set at this point, but he didn’t care how much time had passed. His legs buckled under his own weight as they struggled to keep up, allowing him to take a few more labored steps before collapsing in the snow. Some snow flurries danced around him as the wind began to pick up, sending a slight chill down his spine. He knew if he stayed out here any longer, he would surely freeze to death, but luckily for him there was a small hollow in the mountain calling out to him.
The small cave he found wasn’t much to write home about, just enough room to stretch his legs and build a fire. After dropping another bundle of logs and sticks, he decided that would be enough for the evening and lit a fire for the night. A somber weight filled the air as he sat there, cautiously staring out at the opening of the cave just in case anyone or anything decided to follow him up here.
Some time passed before he decided to get some rest. As he went aways deeper into the cave he noticed some ice building up on the side of the cavern walls, reflecting bits of warm amber light trickling in from the fire. He froze in front of the mirror of ice, taking in his reflection - or what he thought was his reflection.
Placing his hand up to the ice solidified in his mind that it was, in fact, him in that reflection, but something wasn’t right.
Why are my eyes blue?