Chapter Text
Doesn't it feel great Percival? Finally getting what we wanted. I'm sure it feels brilliant~
~~~
Those words lingered in the mind of a Percival Fredrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III as he watched the bullet pierce through her flesh, the blood quickly pouring onto the floor. The impact of the bullet alone was enough to send shockwaves through the concrete floor. He stood proudly above his work, his life's work finally complete. He could feel the satisfaction creep through his skin, until it reached his lips. Which then crept up until he was grinning ear to ear. The bullet had gone straight through her skull, her face just recognizable enough to confirm he had in fact killed the woman who had been haunting Whitestone for as long as he could remember. Lady Delilah Briarwood. He didn't want to move, savouring each second he could watching her body grow colder and colder. "Wonderful work Percival" The raspy voice of Orthax whispered into his ear, watching over his shoulder as the gun still aimed at Lady Briarwoods body. "All those years of plotting and waiting. Waiting for this very second. Are you satisfied?" The demons smoke trailed down his arm and towards the gun, almost circling around it. Percy closed his eyes, still grinning ear to ear. He collected himself, before opening his eyes once again, shrouded in darkness with two orange pupils that light amongst the dark of his soul. "I've never felt better. ." He whispered to himself, before opening his arms to the side, embracing the smoke that surrounded his soul. "I'VE NEVER FELT SO ALIVE!-"
"PERCY!" Percy quickly turned around, seeing the woman who had shouted his name. It had come from Vex, who was stood in front of the group with her bow and arrow raised. Percy glanced around the group, his smile lowering just slightly. Orthax's gaze hardened. Next to Vex was his dear sister Cassandra, who was frozen in fear as she stared longingly into her brothers eyes. Those eyes, they weren't the eyes of the brother she had loved for so long anymore. They weren't human. Behind the girls, was Vex'ahlia was her dear brother Vax'ildan who clutched Keyleth tightly to his side. Alongside those two was the one and only Scanlan, who was hidden behind the side of Grog. They all stared at Percy, an array of concerned, shocked, and frightened gazes. Percy didn't respond straight away, Vex not lowering her bow. "Well are you going to do something?!" Scanlan screamed from the back, watching his friends continue to stand in one place. "He's just shot a woman in cold blood god knows how many times in the face and we're not going to do anything about it?!" "We aren't going to act irrational Scanlan-" Vax chimed in "This is still Percy after all" "Yeah?! Percy with a demon LITTERALLY inside of him!!" Scanlan continued, waving his arms around. "Soo are we chopping or not?" Grog asked, once again being disconnected from the conversation at hand. "Well let's ask Vex! Vex? VEX!!" Scanlan yelled at Vex, who rolled her eyes at the gnomes insistent chatter. "I'm trying to figure out a plan! If you would just shut up for one minute I could-" "ENOUGH OF THISS" Orthax screamed, cutting off the bickering. His scream sent the group falling back towards the walls, Vax holding continuing to hold onto Keyleth. "Th-Thanks.." "It was nothing." Keyleth weakly smiled, still exhausted from her near death encounter. Vex stumbled back to her feet, looking to the ground seeing Cassandra still frozen in awe. "Are you not going to do anything?" "That isn't my brother. . That's something entirely new. Entirely evil."
"Aren't you going to do something?! We have them right where we want them to be." Orthax spoke into Percy's ear, moving from shoulder to another. "I- It doesn't. . ." Percy muttered to himself, his smile slowly moving down as the weight of his actions started to bring himself back to reality. "Is this not what we wanted? To finally be in control!" Percy still had the pepperbox pistol raised towards the group, feeling the trigger scratching the edge of his finger tips. "They stole the Lord right from underneath us. It only seems fair." Percy watched the names of Vox Machina etch into the pistol, Orthax quietly cackling under his breath. The final name to be added, his dear Cassandra De rolo. "No. . ." He muttered, trying to pull his arm back. His voice quivered, sounding broken and afraid. "It'll only take 6 bullets. . " Percy's breath quickened, trying to restrain himself further. "No. . No . .N-" "Think about the possibilities. ." "NO!" Percy screamed, another gust of smoke filling the room pushing the others back once again. He had aimed the pepper box to the wall opposite the group, feeling his body fight against itself. Orthax screamed, trying to contort the gunslingers body back. "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE DOING TO US. THIS IS WHAT I WAS CREATED FOR!"
The group watched as Percy fought with himself, the smoke that followed the demon almost consuming him whole. "Yeah, he's batshit crazy" Scanlan mumbled to himself, getting a displeased glance from Vax. "I have an idea!" Grog exclaimed, picking himself up and grabbing his faithful axe. "Oh yeah? And what would that be big boy?" Vax shouted, the sound of Percy's screams echoing wall to wall. "We pounce!!" And with that the half giant leapt up into the air, swinging his axe towards the gunslinger. "GROG NO-" Before Vex could say anything he was already barrelling towards Percy, who quickly noticed Grog swiftly approaching him. He aimed and shot, the bullet just barely fatally wounding him. He collapsed near the entrance, groaning holding his side. "Ourgh. . New idea- Lie here"
"ENOUGH OF THIS!" Orthax screamed once more, turning Percy to face his sister. The demon circled around the gun, her name burning on the barrel of the pepperbox. Percy continued to restrain himself, feeling like his bones were on the brink of collapsing in on each other. He looked to the ground, practically gasping for air. The brief second of collecting himself was cut short as Orthax would force his head back up right, forcing him to stare his sister in the eyes, all the while a worried Vex stood beside her. "Just FINISH THE JOB" Percy's eyes widened, staring into the eyes of a hopeless Cassandra. It made him remember. Remember that fateful night. Trying to flee as the screams of their family rung in their ears, seeing the fear in her eyes before she is shot down. Collapsing into the snow. Her blood bleeding into what was once white and clean. He had only now just got her back. And now it seemed like he was about to loose her all over again. Percy's finger traced the trigger.
"You don't have to do this Percy!" Vex cried, standing in front of Cassandra with her bow and arrow at the ready. She remained calm, though Vax could tell deep inside she was nervous. She approached the gunslinger, reaching out a hand. Though his hand was gently pushed down by Keyleth, who managed to sit herself upright. "She knows what she's doing Vax, you don't have to worry." "Does she?" Vex was now stood within arms length from Percy, being able to get a good look into his eyes. He was on the brink of tears, his eyes glossed over. She slowly reached out an arm through the smoke, that seemed to get hotter the closer you got to the centre. As if that revenge that had been building in his body for so long had started to physically boil his soul. "You don't have to do anything irrational Percival. . We're here for you alright? All of us. ." She gently placed her hand on his cheek, that brought his eyes to normal for a moment. She was close enough that the pistol came into contact with her, Vax getting increasingly on edge. "She's telling you LIES!! Don't listen to her!!" "Please Percy. . Are you still there?" Tears streamed down his face now, like the little boy that had just lost everything all over again. His voice quivered "I'm so sorry. ." He muttered, collapsing to his knees. "Darling you don't have to apologise for anything. ." She knelt down next to him, lifting up his chin to look into his eyes. However they hadn't remained normal, those orange pupils staring back up at her. She gasped, hearing the sound of the pepperbox pistol click. Her name now visible on the top of the pistol. "VEX NO!" Vax screamed, jumping up towards his sister and pulling her out of harms way. The two of them gasped for air, laying on the ground beside each other. "Are you okay sister?" "Fine as i can be. ." She replied, resting into Vax's arms.
Percy got back up to his feet, his arms wrapping his body tightly. He was trying to ignore Orthax, who was bellowing insults into his ear. "PATHETIC! JUST PATHETIC AREN'T YOU!?" "ENOUGH!" "SHE WAS RIGHT THERE! CAN YOU DO NOTHING RIGHT?! "I SAID ENOUGH!" He screamed, throwing his head around as he spoke to the demon. "I NEVER WANTED ANY OF THIS! WHY WON'T YOU LEAVE ME ALONE!" He cried out, holding the sides of his head. "YOU CREATED ME! YOU CONTRIBUTED TO THIS OUTCOME! ACCEPT WHAT YOU ARE PERCIVAL, WHAT WE ARE!" Orthax screamed, smoke swirling around Percy as their argument grew louder and more aggressive. He took a moment to look around, seeing what he had done. Lady Briarwood lay down beside his feet, her blood covering his boots. Grog wounded on the ground, a nervous Scanlan trying to help apply pressure. Keyleth had moved herself towards Cassandra, who hadn't moved an inch. And of course the twins, huddling in each others arms. He had done all of this, to Percy the only person to blame was himself. "JUST FINISH THIS WHILE YOU CAN-"
**BANG**
Percy had shot the pistol, however at himself. He had aimed it at the edge of his arm, enough to hurt himself but not enough to cause permanent bodily harm. It seemed to of sent Orthax away, hearing his raspy scream before silence. Percy winced and held his arm, hearing nothing but silence. Though it didn't fix anything, he knew the demon would be back. Percy slowly began shuffling towards the exit, grunting with each step. Cassandra slowly moved her head, watching him stumble away. Her cheeks were stained with tears, quickened breathing. "Percy?. .Where are you going. ." He paused, looking to Cassandra over his shoulder. "Away. . Don't follow me. I don't deserve your pity. ." "Percy wai-" Before Vex could finish her sentence, he had already swiftly made his way through the exit, the faint trail of blood and smoke going up the stairs before it just as Percy had, disappearing into the night. For a moment, the group remains in silence, looking at one another. After enough silence had passed, a voice finally chimed up. "So. ." Keyleth spoke, getting to her feet and slowly pulling Cassandra to her feet. "Where do we go from here?" Vex sighed, bringing herself up with Vax's aid. "We need to regroup up back in Whitestone, wait for Pike to come back from the temple so we can regain ourselves." "And then what Vex? I mean you saw what he did! Dudes managed to hurt Grog, knock us off our feet AND did you forget that he had a gun to your head less than an hour ago?!" Scanlan paced back and forth, nervously waving his hands around. "He does make a point Vex. ." Vax muttered, lowering his head deafetedly. "If we're going to go about saving Percy then we can't rush into this like we have every other situation before. We'll need to plan. Carefully" "Right. .Cassandra?" Vex looked to Cassandra, who was crying to herself quietly besides Keyleth. Vex approached her, gently grabbing her hand focusing Cassandra back to the room. "We'll find you're brother. And bring him home safely. .But in the meantime, we'll need to stay in Whitestone. It's not safe for you to be here alone" "I understand. . We must head back, i'm sure the people are worried in regards to our where about." Vex nodded and wrapped Cassandras arm around her shoulders and began to aid her upstairs. Vex walked alongside Keyleth, who smiled fondly at him. "What you did was brave, i apologise for trying to keep you held back" "It's no problem Kiki, come on you're probably exhausted" He smiled a little, turning his head away. "GROG HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU I'M NOT PIKE-" "But I miss her so much. . ." "She is literally on her way back Grog! Now let me go you're going to ruin the silk!"
~~End of Chapter 1~~
Epilogue.
A cart is driving its way through the woods, the horses grunting at every whip of the reigns. An old gnome is driving it, humming to himself. Inside the cart is an arrange of foods and resources, delivering it on a routine visit to Whitestone. As the man drives along, his horses are suddenly startled by a loud sound, halting mid way. "What in the?! Aye! Lassies! Come on we've got work to do I can't have ye freaking out on me!" The gnome is cut short by the sound of a gun clicking from behind, tensing up. "The cart. Now" "I'm afraid it- It's not for sale. . S-Sir. ." Shame. He'd of made acquaintance. "I'm sorry what was that laddi-"
**BANG**. . . *Thud*