Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

People go missing all the time, maybe they’re found or maybe there aren’t. No one makes these choices, it’s all up to luck.

But, what if that missing person was just in front of you and faded away in a moment. Maybe they died, sure, but their bodies aren’t ever found. And their existence seems like a lie.

The mist has never been forgiving. It takes people from everywhere, the past or the future it doesn’t care. That’s why, everyone hates it, or is that all?

These missing cases always go unanswered. Only one group has understood but they’ve gone missing without showing their finds.

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A boy was standing on the sand looking into the water, wooden ships scattered in the water, unmoving. He looked behind him and locked eyes with a girl. Blood dripped down from her forehead and broken chains wrapped around her limbs.

His mouth moved but she couldn’t make out the words, then he ran off. She stared at him before chasing after him. A bloody puddle where she once stood.

—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Arlo hated this place, he has long lost count of the time that’s passed. It was once himself, and eight others. Now there’s sixty including himself. While thinking he opened his eyes and looked at the sand below him “where’s this..” looking around, it was a dock.

He shook his head and looked behind him, watching the girl disappear into a bloody puddle “of course.” He stepped back and started running towards a house.

“Boo!” The girl jumped out behind him and smiled, a young girl with scars, and a knife in hand. She walked towards him.

Arlo sighed and jumped over a fence.

The girl tilted her head and huffed, “You don’t want to party?”

“Not really.” Arlo watched her carefully, she was walking over to where he was standing. The ghost, Kiara Cruz. he has known her as a killer for a while but she has a survivor self too. In Fact, a lot of killers came into the mist as survivors.
“Come on, come on!” She jumped over the fence and attacked him narrowly missing.

Arlo was shaken out of his thoughts and ran off, he’s fast for sure. Not fast enough. He realized this as a sharp pain ran through him and he collapsed to the ground out of breath and with a knife in his shoulder

“I got you!” She clapped and left after a few seconds speaking about finding the next party.

Arlo grumbled, the knife disappeared in a few seconds so he held his wound, “I hate this place.”

The mist has given everyone one of two roles, sometimes it drags the same person in twice but from another timeline and gives them both but it rarely happens. the killers and the survivors, both given their own unique perks. The killers get both an active and passive ability while survivors get one. When killers hit a survivor, no matter how deep the wound actually is, the survivor always goes down. Sometimes a killer has a harder hit than the others and tends to draw more blood. This wasn’t the case for Arlo, still hurt though.

Arlo dragged himself to the house’s wall and laid there for a moment.

After a minute of waiting a boy with ashy blond hair came over and picked him up, “There you go!”

Arlo looked up and sighed. “Sweetheart.”

The boy put him down a few seconds after when Arlo’s wound appeared to have healed. He hummed, “Yess?”

Arlo smiled, “Nothing, Thank you Kelvin.”

“Always!” Kelvin started walking farther into the city, looking at run down houses. “This new place is so big.”

Arlo shrugged, “I guess.” He paused and pointed at the yellow box a little farther away. “There’s a generator.”

“Oh yeah!” he walked over and grabbed onto some loose wires and crouched down.

Arlo looked at him and followed behind him, grabbing a single wire and sitting beside him. “Let’s see…”

A girl jumped out a window in the building beside him. “Hello Arlo!”

Kelvin stared at her and mumbled, “I’m here too.”

She smiled “And kelvin. I was getting there.”

Arlo waved at her “hello Becca.” and for a moment he was silent till he asked, “How many stacks?”

Becca thought for a moment and shrugged, “About two, maybe Elizabeth got hit.”

Becca was one of the survivors considered undetectable. A killer can see everyone's locations for five seconds, undetectable on the other hand have the chance to not have their locations shown at all. Becca gains stacks whenever a survivor gets hit for the first time and when they die.

Arlo hummed and looked at the generator and before mumbling, “I’m tired.”

Becca stared at him and crouched down by the remaining spot on the generator. “You’ve been here the longest haven’t you?”

Arlo just nodded. “It was weird…I was getting ready for a party…and then I was here.”

The two just listened and Becca shared her own experience. “I killed a man before coming here. I…don’t exactly regret it.”

Arlo laughed awkwardly, “I can’t be surprised. We’ve died countless times here, what’s one death outside.”

The generator dinged and turned off.

The three looked at it and Becca sighed, “I’ll get going.”

“Oh right, goodbye.” Kelvin waves as she walks off.

Arlo frowned while walking away from the two, Kelvin soon spotted him, rushing to catch up, he then grabbed Arlo’s shoulder “watch this,” He pulled out a crossbow and shot a wall, a red light then appeared. Arlo crossed his arms and Kelvin let him go, “Let’s go the other way.”

“Thank you.” Arlo huffed and turned to go somewhere else.

Kelvin smiled. He had a detection skill, allowing him to take out a crossbow and shoot an arrow that glows either red or blue. Red means that the killer is near, and blue means they're not.

Arlo on the other hand, has a healing one. Giving himself and the person who either he picked up or was the one who picked up Arlo, the shield defends from killer attacks for a short while. He picks people up faster if the killer is nearby. Though he’s currently on one life so only the former really works as of now.

Arlo glanced behind him and watched a white light appear. “Gates opened, let’s go.” He grabbed Kelvin and dragged him towards it.

“Are you sure? The device here says we need…” He dropped the device he was talking about and paused. He looked back and shrugged, “Okay.”

The two entered the light and when they opened their eyes…

“Where the fuck are we?” Arlo stared at what was in front of him.

There was a large town, the guards looked at them and talked among themselves. Arlo and Kelvin listened to a bell ring as the gates closed.

A person with a purple hoodie and long hair covering their face was walking along the defence wall and seemed to be looking at them.

Kelvin sighed, “This isn’t the cabins..nor the mist.”

Arlo let him go and crossed his arms. After a moment he looked behind him “It’s warm.” a desert was behind him, not much.

Some guards surrounded them “What’s your business and how’d you get here.”

Arlo stared at them and rolled his eyes, “I’m not doing this.”

Kelvin looked at Arlo then the guards and awkwardly laughed, “Magic…?”

The two survivors glanced at each other, this would be a long day.

Chapter Text

Arlo glared at the random creature floating around him and yelling.

“No Voids detected!”

Kelvin watched as Arlo raised his arm and smacked the robot out of the air, which earned him a scream from a weird looking unicorn.

Arlo mumbled a curse as he watched the robot fly back up and shake its head.

“QJ!” yelled a blond boy grabbing the robot and glared at the duo.

Kelvin thought he looked a little like Crosby but Arlo shut him down on the idea and because in his words “blonde hair is where the similarities end”.

Arlo looked at the robot and sighed, “What the fuck even is a Void.”

The unicorn huffed, “Have you been living under a rock? A Void is a dangerous beast! A force to be reckoned with!”

Arlo and Kelvin shared a glance and looked at him. “Never heard of it.”

The unicorn looked flabbergasted and his friends looked a little shocked and that blond boy spoke again, “They’ve destroyed many towns and as the nine soldiers! We-”

Kelvin looked at him and cut him off, “Nine?” He looked at the group and raised an eyebrow. “Unless I've forgotten how to count over the years, that's five.”

The blond paused and sighed “The other’s situations are rough, and the name has yet to change.”

Kelvin nodded, “sounds like some of your friends there passed.”

The unicorn group went silent except for a girl in the back who mumbled, “Not all of them…”

Arlo glanced over at her and with a raised eyebrow, “What do you mean?”

“Some people are still alive. Some aren’t, it’s weird. But, introductions are in order as you aren’t aware of us already.” She then began pointing at everyone and saying a name. “Well, that’s Luke Braveheart, Unio, Memmeln, QJ. And I'm Natsuko Hirose.”

The two looked at her and Kelvin took it as their turn to speak, “Nice to meet you, I’m Kelvin Mars-”

“Like the planet?” Natsuko interrupted.

Arlo glared at her but Kelvin continued “Yes?” he paused for a bit, ”That’s Arlo Flores.” Pointing over at him.

“Oh…” Natsuko looked over at him and, meeting his gaze, stepped back. “Okay!”

Arlo looked past her and into the gateway of the town, “A…party?”

A green haired elf spoke, Memmeln, “It’s the harvest festival. We’re currently preparing.”

“Is that so…”

“Hey Luke, what if these two stay with us?”

The blond guy shakes his head, “Absolutely not! You’re already enough!”

“They aren’t in the movie… so they’re like me.”

Unio screamed “More people like the purple gremlin! That's horrid.”

“I’ll kill you!”

Kelvin grabbed the unicorn from Natsuko’s hold and pulled him away, “Like you, you say?” Glancing at her.

Arlo followed Kelvin’s comment, he followed with a question with crossed arms, “Mind explaining?”

Natsuko looked at him and with crossed arms said, “We’re in a movie called tale of perishing, I was poisoned and brought here.”

“We’re not the same then. You’re dead, and we can’t die.”

Luke looked at the two and raised an eyebrow, “Can’t die?”

“We’re literally unable to.” Kelvin shrugged.

Arlo mumbled, “Every wound hurts like a bitch though.”

Memmlen’s eyes changed and it didn’t go unnoticed by Kelvin.

Luke sighed and nodded, “Fine. you will stay with me…”

Kelvin looked at Arlo and hummed, “Getting deja vu here.”

Arlo thought for a moment and nodded, “That was the day I got a new roommate.”

Kelvin looked at Arlo, he was getting harder to read. Still as kind as the day he met him but seemed more closed off and shuts down any conversation about himself for the sake of talking about others problems. He smiled and with a huff, mumbled, “I wonder what Sanjana is doing.” He then ran over to Arlo who was abandoning him.

Arlo laughed, “Welcome back to earth, sweetheart.”

Luke stopped walking and looked back while asking, “You both are, together?”

Arlo glanced back at him and gave a nod.

“Oh.”

Natsuko walked past them, “it’s 2025, get used to it-”

Grabbing Natsuko with wide eyes, Arlo repeated, “2025…?”

Kelvin thought for a moment, He remembered what Becca said, about Arlo being the first person in the mist, time had always been a mystery but that doesn’t mean it hadn’t passed.

Unio looked at Kelvin, “What’s so bad about that?”

“It’s complicated.” He walked away and stood behind Arlo before tugging on his sleeve just a little, “Hey?”

Arlo flinched before letting Natsuko go and turning around, “I’m…”

Unio looked at Luke and mumbled “ever heard of therapy?”

“Don’t be rude.” He crossed his arms, but then mumbled, “What is therapy-”

Unio just started yelling at him.

“Arlo, let’s walk around. They did say there would be a festival.” Kelvin held out his hand for Arlo to take.

“Right, let’s check it out…”

Memmlen looked at them and then at Natsuko. “I’m getting you out of that outfit. Come on now.”

Natsuko stared at her and then yelped “Wait, wait, wait! I’m fine with this! Save me Luke!”

Both duos then left into the town leaving Luke, Unio and QJ alone.

“Well, we should go too.” Unio shrugged and walked away.

“Right.” Luke responded as he followed.

—---------------------------------------------

Arlo and Kelvin knew they stood out, The townsfolk stared at them with puzzled looks.

Arlo was dressed a little fancy but it was a bit out of place for a medieval themed movie. A grey cardigan with a black shirt underneath, some dark grey dress pants and a purse that went over his shoulder.

Kelvin on the other hand, looked straight from a sci-fi movie because he had an eye shield which he promptly took off. He also had a sort of military armor on, but it was colored in black.

“I’m getting stares…” Kelvin sped up to catch up to Arlo and grab his arm, “wait up,”

Arlo glanced at him and shrugged, “Not much we can do about that,” with a smile he continued “we oughta enjoy our time here though.”

Kelvin nodded “fair enough.”

They were about to continue walking around the town but listened to some cheers coming from the central plaza and decided to walk towards the sound.

They watched people doing a weird ritual while a priest stood in front of all of them.

Arlo and Kelvin glanced at each other and shrugged, “That’s so fucking weird.” Arlo whispered.

“Yeah.” Kelvin responded with a smile as he glanced over to the podium. After a moment of staring Arlo cut in.

“Natsuko… who put her in that, she looks awful.”

The so called ‘Nine soldiers’ stood beside the podium, a large array of food was on a long table, Natsuko who was in a large dress was so clearly eying it.

Memmlen caught up to some friends after the ceremony and left.

“Huh…”

Arlo watched the elf girl disappear into the crowd and sighed, “Bad vibe?”

“Very much so.”

—----------------------------------

Natsuko was scarfing down all the food she possibly could after she got away. She glanced up and sighed when Destiny approached her father who was talking to Luke.

“Guess that would always happen, but…” glancing over to where Arlo and Kelvin were standing idly by, if she were to guess, they were avoiding everyone. “They’ll affect the plot too…”

The duo seemed to be looking off into the distance.

—---------------------------------------

“So, assuming we’ll see that mist gate again, how long do you think we’ll be here?”

Fidgeting with his necklace, Arlo mutters, “Guessing a week.”

“That sounds about right.”

Arlo looked up, he stared at the town’s gate for a long while, something felt strange about it, assuming it was just paranoia, he looked away.

“Hey Arlo, Let’s walk around.”

Arlo nodded and looked at the ground before standing.

It was barely sunset, the pink skies shining down, illuminating the floor they walked on.

Grabbing some candy from a bowl, Arlo looked at it, then ate one, “Hey, it’s good… I haven’t eaten candy in years, I’ve always been so busy with my studies. Then, the mist doesn’t give us sweets.”

Kelvin watched Arlo grab a few pieces and put it in his bag. With a smile he spoke up, “Those might be for the kids.”

“So an adult can’t enjoy sweets? Cruel world.”

Unio approached them and looked up before mumbling, “I didn’t realize how tall you were…”

They looked down and laughed, “Not really, We’re…”

Kelvin thought for a bit and said, “About six feet, aren’t we?”

“Oh, yeah.”

Unio yelped, “You’re so tall!”

Kelvin looked at all the townfolk, they were either eating, drunk, or just walking. It was getting late so he glanced over at the unicorn and crouched down, “where can we get food again?”

He huffed and pointed to a tent. “That purple gremlin ate most of it, so enjoy the scraps.”

Arlo glanced over to the tent and then at Kelvin, “I’ll check it out.”

“Oh, okay. I’ll talk to this thing.”

“Who are you calling a thing? I’m one of the Nine soldiers!

Kelvin stared at him and shrugged, “Right, now. What do you even do?”

“Glad you asked! We protect the soul futures from Voids!”

—-------------------------

Arlo walked around and grabbed a plate for himself and Kelvin. He smiled as he filled the plate with all sorts of food he hadn't seen. When both plates were full he left the tent to go eat with Kelvin, when he got to him and placed the food down, both he and Kelvin turned towards the entrance.

“What the hell is that?”

Kelvin stayed quiet and grabbed a dart from his pocket.

Unio looked at the duo and huffed, “What’s got you all pale?”

Kelvin threw the dart onto the ground and it glowed red, then he glanced up at who was approaching. “The priest…”

“But, two.” Arlo mumbled.

Unio huffed, “You must be drunk-”

“We don’t drink.” Arlo cut in.

Unio’s eyes widened and stared at the two priests passing them, “Then…who’s that!”

—--------------------

Natsuko was sitting by a partly drunk Luke when QJ came running, “Voids detected! It’s getting closer!”

“Natsuko.. You said it wouldn’t happen today.” Luke mumbled grabbing some water then stared at her.

“It wasn’t!”

Kelvin ran over and tackled one of the two priests. Covering his ears when it screeched, the priest disappeared and in its place was the destroyed disguise and a bug-like creature, just ten times bigger.

Kelvin jumped back and sighed, “Deal with that… I can only help detect it.”

Destiny rushed over and shouted, only just realizing the Void approaching her.

Arlo caught up to Kelvin, and the moment he did. The Void attacked Destiny, the loud scream echoed in his ears and without thinking he ran towards her, Kelvin didn’t stop him, And Luke watched in horror.

Arlo grabbed her and put his hand on her wound, blood ran down his arms and stained his clothes. Mist appeared and the bleeding stopped as soon as it settled, and the exact moment the Void attacked again but nothing happened. Pulling a bewildered Destiny, Arlo got out of the way.

“Oh my god, I didn’t think that would work.”

Kelvin watched the Nine soldiers attack it and sighed. “I’m so tired.”

Chapter Text

He was far away, and yet he held onto Destiny’s arm like his life depended on it.

The creation that Natsuko called “Serval Cat Mask" destroyed the Void in a few minutes. Arlo just watched, he didn’t realize the way his hands shook, nor the way he was breathing. Well, until Destiny thanked him over and over again and when he blinked the Void was gone, and Kelvin was watching him.

He let go of her, “Oh, It’s no issue.” He mumbled looking at his hands, a bruise that wasn’t there, it must have just formed. He looked at Kelvin and sighed.

Staring at the blood on his sleeve, a firm reminder that life is always lost and he’s just been lucky.

The Nine soldiers cheered and startled Arlo out of his thoughts.

He watched them help Natsuko up. Arlo shrugged and walked over to Kelvin, who after a quick glance nodded and left the scene with him.

—----------------------------------------
Memmeln looked at them leaving and after seeing her friends were okay she slipped away to follow the duo.

She only kept them in her line of sight, not making an effort to listen when they obviously won’t speak.
—----------------------------------------

Kelvin walks silently beside Arlo, who seemed to just be walking just to move.

Arlo stumbled upon a graveyard, and while it was still dark, the sight reminded him how he would be there with them, in the cold dirt a thousand times over.

Kelvin didn’t say anything to the nurse, even when he knew tears were falling down his cheek. Kelvin grabbed Arlo and brought him into a hug. After a few beats of silence Arlo mumbled, “I’m sorry, for bringing you all the way over here.” , he paused to look at the surrounding tombstones and continued, “It seems I ironically walked here.”

Kelvin was staring at Arlo who met his blue eyes head on, not holding resentment but the same emotions as he, only better at hiding.

“It’s okay.” Kelvin began, he closed his eyes and opened them to stare at the sky. “I know that… This has been weird.”

Arlo stared at the graveyard once more. “People die, it’s normal and we’ve seen it. Yet, it’s hard to... ” He didn’t continue.

Kelvin looked at the shorter man and mumbled. “The mist doesn’t kill us permanently. We see the same person die again and again till the feeling is numb.”

“We’ll die here, whether we want it or not, and when that comes. We may return, or not. It’s a shitty thing anyway.” Arlo looked at Kelvin.

“I’m content with that.”

“Don’t be an idiot Kel…”

—-------------------------------------------------

Memmeln had never made it a point to follow people. But if she finds people that can’t die like herself, she'll seek them out, which is currently what she’s up to.

She listened to the two talk about death, she thought about the mist. She understands that’s where they hail from, yet, what exactly it was came as a mystery.

She guessed it was a town but if it kills them it may be a person. But she shut that down as a person can’t be a living place so she went back to her guess of it being a town then, recalling the other elves saying something about a gate. If that’s how they got here then how.

“We hear you.”

She looked up, Kelvin stared at her unwavering so she stood up and laughed awkwardly.

“You two! I was just visiting some old friends.” She thought of an excuse that sounded so forced it made Arlo frown.

“So you hid behind a building?” Arlo argued.

Memmeln froze and looked at them.

Kelvin shook his head and walked away.

Arlo huffed, “You’d oughta approach us normally next time.” He then followed Kelvin.

Memmeln watched them and nodded, “Of course, Actually.” She paused, “Do you two know where the nine soldiers even live?”

Kelvin shrugged, “Why?”

“We’re staying at their place.” Arlo mumbled and looked at the elf. “We’ll figure it out.”

“No, I'll take you.” Memmeln then took the lead.

“You don’t have to.”

“I will!”

Arlo and Kelvin sighed and just followed.

—--------------------------

“Thank you.” Arlo said half-heartedly while standing at a doorway, Memmeln nodded and left for her room.

Luke stared at them with his arms crossed, “I have no room for you yet, sofa work?”

Arlo glanced over and the sofa that looked way more comfier than his bed in the mist. “That’ll work.”

Kelvin nodded.

Luke left for his room but not before pointing at a blanket and then leaving the duo alone. Arlo eventually fell asleep with Kelvin sitting at the edge of the sofa, playing with the ending of the blanket.

He stared at Arlo for a little then thought about his friends.

Sanjana was probably worried, she seemed serious all the time but Kelvin knows mama Sanjana cared about him so he couldn’t help but feel the same.

He stayed deep in thought for a while. He kissed Arlo’s forehead and found a way to sleep beside him.

—--------------------------------------

Arlo woke up in a hurry, nearly falling off the sofa, mumbling that backless sofas shouldn’t exist. He stared at Kelvin, huddled beside him and sighed.

Kelvin opened his eyes and yawned, “Nightmare?”

He relaxed his shoulders and nodded. “I remembered the time Christopher told me what he did.”

“He killed your ex. Don't sugarcoat it”

Arlo paused and got off the sofa, “He’s still like a dad to me...”

“A shitty one.”

Luke walked over when he said that and looked confused, “Wait what?”

“Nothing.” Arlo looked at the window, “It’s early, why are you up?”

“I have guests so I’m preparing food for you two, Memmeln and Unio and I’ll eat later”

Arlo paused, “Isn’t Natsuko here?”

“She’s probably out for three days, I won’t make a portion for her till then.”
Arlo frowned, the nurse in him told himself, he should probably check on her. “Is that so?”

He glanced over to Kelvin who seemed disinterested, Arlo walked towards Luke and grabbed the basket he was holding “here, I’ll help.” He walked towards the kitchen.

“I didn’t ask you to… ugh.” Luke glanced at Kelvin then followed Arlo.

—------------------------

While Luke and Arlo were making food Kelvin left the building.

He looked at the Town’s walls before walking towards central. Decorations were still up and very few people were walking around.

“Excuse me, mister.” An animal-like child approached him. They were in rags and alone, well seemed alone. There were other kids hiding behind a building.

He stared at them before smiling. The kid reminded him of Kiat, a colleague of his that resembled a cat who wanted to do whatever. Actually, he did tons of things behind HQ’s back so when that kid grabbed his eye visor from his pocket and ran off he subconsciously cursed him out, even if the blondie wasn’t in the same universe. “God damn it Kiat.”

He chased the kid down, he was fast, he realized that when he was in another part of the town he hadn't seen. It was run down and everyone looked upset.

The kid ran into a dark alleyway. Kelvin sighed, “I need that thing.” He pulled out his crossbow and shot the wall, it glowed blue but he still saw people were there. “Found you.”

Kelvin went into the alley and walked directly towards the kid, not bothering to look anywhere else because he saw his exact location

He pulled the eye visor out of his grasp. After leaving the kid alone people were staring at him as he walked. He turned to face a random person who ran away. He realized it probably looked like he just robbed a kid. It didn't help that he was dressed much fancier than the people who live in the area.

He sighed and kept walking, he saw a dragon drinking, they were staring right at him.

“Yeah?”

“You came all the way over here to take something from a kid?”

“No? Well yes, but they took this from me.” He put on the eye visor.

The dragon laughs and nods. “I suppose the kids here tend to steal. Well, want to sit with me?”

Kelvin stared at him, he didn’t make a move to go to him or away from the dragon. He crossed his arms and huffed, “No thanks. I’d rather not be seen with an oversized lizard in the slums.”

The dragon laughed, “that hurt. But please call me Justice.”

Kelvin raised an eyebrow, was the introduction supposed to do something? It didn’t matter, he was going back to Arlo. He turned around, paused. Turned back and sighed, “and I'm lost.”

—------------------------------------

Arlo finished making his dish, he had a field day with all the ingredients. The mist gave them a fridge full of ingredients each time it was opened but it had always been random, and so cold that cooking might as well be impossible.

So when he made an omelet that was actually hot he felt so proud and rushed to tell Kelvin but paused when he saw no one. “Kel?” Silence. He yelled, “Kelvin!”

Luke came up to him, “What?”

“Kelvin isn’t here.”

Memeln came into the living room and shrugged, “He left a while ago.”

“What?”

Arlo ran out, and looked at the ground, “For fuck’s sake! Kelvin!” Arlo earned stares but he couldn’t really care, he had to find his boyfriend, unless he also dies and becomes ex number four, and holy hell that’d make his third dead ex.

He wandered around, he didn’t have an ability to help him find Kelvin. Kelvin could use his to an extent to find him, what is Arlo to use?

—-----------------

Kelvin was following Justice till thugs approached him. He wanted nothing to do with this disaster of a dragon. “Are you shitting me?”

He just assumed the thugs were all talk. till one of them punched him. “What the fuck!” He stumbled back, his vision adjusting.

Justice tried helping but they cornered him.

Kelvin groaned and grabbed his attacker, “You asshole-”

Blood. Kelvin felt it, falling down his neck. He let go of the thug and just stared at the person behind him. It didn’t make him collapse instantly so he took the chance to beat the thugs till he passed out, he looked at the corner of his vision.

Bleed Out, the number was one and the next second it was zero. “Fuck.” He felt his body go cold and he fell to the floor. It wasn’t new, nor was it ever going to be pleasant.

Justice watched him fall and the moment he hit the floor he stopped moving and faded into a white mist. He felt dread, he was once a hero and he let someone die in front of him. Again.

—----------------------------------------

Arlo hadn’t finished searching the town till he just froze, he looked at the floor and felt one tear before he turned back.

“I’ll wait for tomorrow…”

Chapter Text

When Arlo first met Kelvin the boy was on the dirt, he wasn’t injured. So Arlo didn’t worry about that and Kelvin was easy to carry.

He brought him into his cabin and just left him in on his bed and shut the door. The blanket was pathetically thin but something nonetheless.

He grabbed ingredients for soup and then it came to the fire. He grabbed the stones, took him a while to get it, a spark didn’t start the fire and the cold air blowing stopped any small fire. “Oh you, fuck!” He burnt his hands but he got the fire going, “Finally!”

When the soup was ready he brought the tray to his room, and the figure on his bed caught his attention. Setting the tray down he tried finding his words, fidgeting with his fingers he began, “Um…Hello-”

“Where am I?”

“Oh, uh..I brought you here..” He looked away, “As for where here is…”

“The mist.” Kelvin finished his sentence. “Oh god…”

“Yes…uh, how did you know?”

The blond looked at him and mumbled, “I’m not from your time.”

“Seriously?”

“Well…”

Arlo paused and realized, “Oh, you’re those people we heard from the weird rift…”

“You heard-”

“If you’re here, it didn’t work out.”

Kelvin was a part of an organization that took in criminals to work for the government to research the mist. The thing causing all sorts of disappearances, the rift they used to inspect the mist malfunctioned and dragged them in.

Kelvin remembered the white light, and not knowing what to do he just apologized.

“Doesn’t matter, now eat! Making a fire here is more trouble than it’s worth.”

Kelvin took the bowl and stared at it.

Arlo smiled, “Anything else you want?”

“Your name…” He gave him a weak smile and sighed, “I’m kelvin.”

“I’m Arlo.” He said, taking off his cardigan, “It gets cold here so..”

Kelvin looked at the tear that fell onto his hand. He wiped his face and looked away.

“Are you crying?”

“No.. I’m not”

Arlo sat down on the bed “okay.” he looked at him, “I know how you feel..”

“It’s a hellhole here, but everyone is trying to get out so it’s not so bad… We don’t sit around all day, if there is a day.”

“It’s not that,” He paused and looked at Arlo and sighed, “I feel like an idiot.”

Arlo got up and patted his head, getting a confused look from Kelvin, “Okay Kel, you tried your best and you’re gonna continue doing that.”

“Uh…Okay.”

Arlo smiled and then said, “Now eat before it gets cold because I’m not starting another fire.”

“Right, thank you Arlo.”

Chapter Text

Dreams are short, but when one finds themselves in one. It seems to go on for hours.

It is a dream…right Arlo?

Arlo.

Arlo!

He looks at the area around him, if he recalls correctly, it’s called Camp clearwater, or something like that. He stares at the person shaking him, a familiar jacket. “Riley?” he begins and backs up, taking in the surroundings, a generator in a cabin and he was standing on the path, blocking the way in. “Oh, sorry.”

He stepped away but Riley doesn’t go in, he’s watching him, expecting.

“Are you okay?”

Arlo blinked, “Why do you ask?”

“Arlo…the mist has been glitching out…” Riley seemed to fade out, “You don’t exist-”

He didn’t finish when Arlo’s head starts ringing, every survivor he’s met, all their voices calling him.

“Arlo, Kelvin and you need to get back.”

—--------------------------------------

The sound of water flowing behind him is the first thing he hears after getting up in a shock. He didn’t even know when he dragged himself to the garden and fell asleep on the grass. He glanced at the fountain then the sky, watched a weird bird zipped past–he paid no mind–the sky a shade of orange, maybe pink.

He thinks about the dream–is it really, felt real…–the words repeat, and he mumbles “Get back…”

It’s quiet, till he started sniffling. When did that happen? When did he start crying?

He sat up and sighed, new day and probably a Kelvin.

Kelvin…

—---------------------------

Kelvin’s head was spinning, this was different from when the killers struck him down. Actually, he definitely felt more sick then dead so that might be a good thing. Still shitty.

He grabbed onto his head, probably with the intention to rip it apart–and god he might!

“Now..where am I.”

He locked eyes with someone drenched in blood. A red glows and he seems upset but doesn’t attack, he seems to be contemplating something till he blurts out an error message. Right, Android, P3-NG if what Yan says is actually a name.

“Error: Target not found.” The tall android says but he still stares at him, “Who are you again?”

“Uh…Kelvin Mars!” He knew there were ‘killers’ that didn’t kill because they wanted to, rather for survival, this android was a part of the group and at the same time wasn’t, he burns down targets quickly to kill though he often yells an apology as he runs off. The mist messed with his code and it hurts to see something so kind be destroyed in a place like that.

“I recognize the name.” He nodded and started leaving, “But, you aren’t in the mist, therefore I have no reason to deal with you.”

Kelvin sighed, he didn’t have to die twice. Now how to get back to the town.

—-------------------------------------

The survivors played the games without fail, Arlo and Kelvin's cabin had been acting up and they hadn't seen the duo but, it wasn’t their issue.

A blue haired boy sits by the bonfire the survivors managed to make, dragging large logs was annoying but it made for a nice spot. “Gossip time!”

A blond girl laughed, “Dae-jung!”

Dae-jung smiled, “Any funny pictures?”

Another boy, one with glasses nodded and slid his camera over. “Got a few of your ex and-”

Dae-jung laughed, then fell backwards, and oddly looked pretty even while laying on the ground.

The two photographers wasted no time taking pictures of the once idol. For the memory book they say.

“Eiji, Millicent-” One of the survivors who exited her cabin hummed.

“Hi Chaoxing!” they said, snapping a picture of the once pop star too.

“Oh.” She laughed.

They can be happy too, maybe death isn’t so bad if we can bond like this.

A girl glanced out the window, she sighed, Yeona clearly is the saddest of the survivors.

Chapter Text

Luke stared at Natsuko for a moment and sighed, they’d been trying to understand how the void entered the town.

Natsuko had been drawing the ultimate void or a design for it. She said it was to trick Memmlen but Luke didn’t understand why.

“Tell me what the void’s connection with Memmlen is.”

“She was the void in the movie, you both get in a fight and kill her.”

“What?”

She gave him the drawing and a small run down of the story.

Luke frowned, “What proof do you have?”

“I’ll show you.” Natsuko stood up but paused when she heard something.

They glanced over to the door, has it always been opened?

—---------

Kelvin eventually found his way back to town and found the Hero’s place. He was now sneaking around the building until he found Arlo, Which didn’t take long as he was standing right behind him.

“So?” Arlo crossed his arms, his hair was messy and he looked tired.

“I…got in a fight?”

“You have to be more careful. You’re lucky we still revive.” Arlo looked away.

Kelvin gave him a small smile, but Arlo didn’t meet his gaze until they were in the garden.

He turned around and questioned him, “Right. Did you have a weird dream?” This threw Kelvin’s mind in a loop for a moment till he composed himself.

“Uh, yes. With the android.” which Arlo raised an eyebrow.

“A killer?”

Kelvin shrugged, he hadn’t thought of it much. The mist was messing with him like always–but they aren’t in the mist–the dream was short, and he’d never dreamed in the mist before so the moment was new.

Arlo looked into the sky and shrugged, “I had one too, mine had Riley in it, something about us not existing.” Kelvin frowned.

“The android didn’t recognize me.”

Arlo looked at him. He didn’t say anything, when he looked away he smiled. “The mist might be broken. Whether that’s good or not is up to fate, if that's even real.”

—--------

The mist in a way shut down, even since Arlo and Kelvin vanished it’s been acting up, generators weren’t where they were supposed to be and killers had to hit twice.

Now, the rounds stopped, the most recent one was maybe an hour ago, everyone was gathered around. Survivors near their cabins and the Killers near their own. The two never saw each other outside of rounds, if they wanted to look for each other they’d get lost…but if they tried now..

Cole sighed, he rested his head on P3-NG who was powered off, probably not even aware of the fact they were laying on him.

The mist was cold and the Android was constantly warm, also he was nice, unlike the others. He glanced at the others.

Alexei was rolling his eyes at Finley who was yelling at Ye-Jun. Instead of finding a way out these killers find entertainment in fighting.

Cole glanced at the girls, Jules and Kiara were making bets with Tanasha, not new.

Cole yawned, waking up P3-NG. He pushed him off and took a moment to stare at him before mumbling, “Oh, it’s the dog…”

He blinked, his tail twitched, “Who are you calling a dog?”

Alexei glanced over at them and laughed, “Oh the furry upset?”

Cole crossed his arms and looked away, why was he always a target? He glared at a lump of dirt. There’s a literal rat running around for mist’s sake. It wasn't his fault he’s a werewolf. He sighed and looked up at the sky, is it getting colder?

Kiara appeared behind him and hugged him, “Hey puppy! Wanna join us?”

Cole yelped as he fell forward. “Wha…”

“Oops?” The blood on her dress never stained anything and the blood on her face never dripped farther than her neck.

The android glanced at them then looked confused. “I powered off when I finished my round, how has another not started?”

The group paused and stared at him, “The mist isn’t working or something.” Tanasha said, looking through her cards.

“Is that so?”

—----------------

Kelvin and Arlo were looking through Natsuko’s drawings when she and Luke left to do something.

“She was drawing something important, Luke sounded stressed out but I couldn’t get any more of the interaction.”

Arlo grabbed a few unfinished drawings labeled Ultimate void. He looked at them and mumbled, “So a void?”

“Wait what?”

He flipped the paper around and showed him a sketch.

Kelvin thought for a bit and then said, “They also mentioned the void we saw last time.”

Arlo put the drawings back and nodded. “She rambles a bit about this world’s plot.”

Kelvin hummed, looking at the Soul Future. A crystal on the top of a building, told to give fortune or so. Supposably protects the town too.

“How about we check out that crystal?”

“Why not.”

Chapter Text

Arlo and Kelvin stared at Soul Future.

Arlo’s attention shifted to his hands, if things go awry he knows he can heal the townsfolk and if he’s hurt, Kelvin will just pick him up. He thought more about it, but if they’re both down they’d have messed everything up with no way of getting back up till the day after.

Kelvin tapped his shoulder, Arlo looked up at him and started walking. “Don’t you worry about me.” He offered him a smile.

“I will anyway.” He walked over, matching his pace.

—----------------

Natsuko was about to follow the cult elves into the cave but her attention was drawn to the Soul Future. Her pegboard started yelling at her.

Natsuko grabbed Luke’s sleeve and pulled him away.

Once she was far away she spoke up, “The Soul Future might be in danger.”

“What do you mean?”

She didn’t respond right away, only when she was able to properly see the building the Soul Future was on she turned around. “There’s this weird feeling I got that the plot is going way off.”

—----------

Arlo had eye contact with a bird. He just stared at it before saying, “What an ugly fucking bird.”

The bird started yelling and he backed up a little.

“You parasites! You’re ruining my movie!”

Kelvin shrugged before glancing at the Soul Future, “from what I learned when watching the mist. You don’t mess with random power sources.”

He pulled out his crossbow and shot the stone, Kelvin turned around. “Counted as an entity. We can damage it then.”

Arlo was busy fighting the talking bird. After he got a good grip on them he smiled. “Natsuko says it protects the town, once destroyed the ultimate void appears.”

They glanced down watching Luke run towards them. “Get away from the Soul Future!” He threw his sword, narrowly missing Kelvin and hitting the Soul Future.

“No!” Natsuko screamed.

Arlo let the bird fly away and grabbed Kelvin’s hand, “Are we the villains in this story now?”

The two watched the Soul Future shatter and then it turned black.

—-----------------

Arlo glanced at his hand, he was still alive so… He turned around after he heard a familiar voice.

“Arlo, how’s school?”

“School…” He repeated and stared wide-eyed, school. He never graduated school. “Uh…I haven’t been working much, falling behind.”

He mumbled, he didn’t want to disappoint Christoph. He was like a dad.

“Oh?” The surgeon nodded as if he knew what was going on. “Med school is hard. Don’t wear yourself out.”

Arlo shook his head, his mind felt cloudy. He didn’t have school. He was…what.

He was what? It didn’t come to him, it was weird.

He only laughed, it was weird how he knew something was up.

—-----------------

Kelvin stared at the blond. Kiat was typing on the keyboard, he was sorta cyber security.

“Kiat.” Kelvin called out. He looked up, turning his screen off like he was doing something he shouldn’t.

“Hallo!” He smiled, pushing himself away from the desk.

“What are you doing?”

Kiat paused and said blankly, “None of your business, Kel.”

Kelvin froze, that’s strange, Kiat never spoke like that. “Excuse me?”

Kelvin stepped back, as Kiat stood up. “The mist is weird, it didn’t take me but you and Sanjana are together.” He walked over and stopped in front of him, “Makes you wonder why, doesn’t it.”

—--------------------

Kelvin looked at Arlo who was frowning, “Did you also have a weird dream.”

Arlo glanced up, “I miss Christoph.”

He looked at the last town, destruction.

There was a white puddle and he looked at Kelvin. “Back to the mist?”

Kelvin sighed, the mist slowly started to feel like home and PTSD will follow them even if they truly left.

Arlo jumped in the puddle with Kelvin following.

—----------

The survivors watched for the first time in what felt like years, Arlo and Kelvin’s cabin door opened.

“Finally, You two are back.”

Almost immediately the mist started working, sending random survivors into a round.

Arlo sighed, “The mist is so weird.”

Kelvin nodded.

The tale of perishing’s plot was changed and the mist was back to normal.