Work Text:
Voluntary sacrifices will not cure the curse.
The line runs through Tango's head over and over as he huddles inside the dark dirt hole he's dug for himself. One hand scrubs against the corner of his eyes, pushing in vain against the tears. Above him, he can hear the muffled sounds of the others. He knows they're talking about him.
About his failure.
Voluntary sacrifices will not cure the curse.
Tango had been the Boogeyman before, but that was in Limited Life. Things worked differently then; there was a reward for doing the kills well, and more lives to have overall with the time mechanic.
Here, there was no reward. And he was out of time.
Voluntary sacrifices will not cure the curse.
He'd been TRYING, okay? They can't call him lazy - he'd been running around the entire server going after basically anyone he could! To the point that pretty much everyone knew he was the Boogeyman like halfway through the session, which made his job even harder!
Why'd that stupid jerkface Scar have to go and blow up the improv class? Six people, an impressive achievement, enough that killing his own teammates gets forgiven! And all of it making Tango's failure to kill even one person look even worse.
Voluntary sacrifices will not cure the curse.
Tango hears Impulse's voice above him, low and muted in conversation with Cleo, and his arms wrap around himself. He knows what Impulse is saying, without having to hear any of it clearly.
Tango can still see the moment when Impulse moved closer to the lava, and turned his shoulder. Deliberately opened his back to Tango. Encouraged him to push. Whispering, It's okay. Do it.
Tango had put down the lava to jump into himself. To have one more chance at control over what happened to his lives, even if it was just to get rid of them before the curse did. But he pulls it back into the bucket before Impulse can fall in. He can't risk it.
Voluntary sacrifices will not cure the curse.
The thing is, even if it would have worked, Tango still wouldn't do it.
Impulse is his friend. His teammate. His Gluten Guy. He'd already done so much for Tango; even let his rail duper get blown to bits as a decoy trying to kill Cleo (and not even hurting them).
He knows Rendog would offer himself, too, and Tango won't kill him either. The man is too used to offering his neck for the axe; he's too good for Tango to even consider.
Tango knows what Boogeymen can do to a team. He'd rather die.
Voluntary sacrifices will not cure the curse.
At this point, it's over. The fight that marked the end of session is over. Scott won so fast that Tango couldn't even light the TNT before everyone was leaving the arena. They all know; they all saw.
So many of them afterwards yelling at him to Just Go For It. Enemies and allies alike, trying to push him to get one kill, any kill, even just try. Skizz growling to Find someone, anyone!; Gem grabbing his shoulder to shake some sense into him; Grian gesturing at armorless Joel in the distance. But Tango knows.
It wouldn't work anymore.
Anyone he could reach would be feeling sorry for him. It would be pity slowing their hand, dropping their guard. It would be willingly letting this pathetic excuse of a Boogeyman stab them. The only way he could get a kill would be for someone to let it happen.
And that wouldn't work.
Voluntary sacrifices will not cure the curse.
Tango feels the thread of his lives pull taut as the world comes to a close. The dirt is cold against his back. His chest hurts. His eyes hurt.
This is the price of failure.
The curse comes to collect.
Three lives at once hurt to lose.