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Impulse guides his hands and says, "push me in there," the lava is red and bubbling and rising and all-consuming. "Push me in there, Tango."
There's still time, before the red submerges his entirety. Just one push. His teammate's life, in exchange for his.
Just one push.
(Tango can see specks of flour on their hands.)
"...I can't." It's a quiet defeat, held with a solemn certainty that no, Tango would never— could never do that to the people who have cared for him.
___
(There are beings above who laugh at his stupidity. beings with too many eyes, too much emptiness in their chests. There is a being disguised, laughing, as he watches from a distance.)
___
"Tango." Grian greets him.
Grian has always had this off-putting feeling around him. It's only sometimes, when he stares a little off into the distance, or when he's in these... games. Sometimes, he just goes silent and closes his eyes. And then, life in the vicinity quiets down, like they're being stalked, or being watched.
Tango thinks Pearl knows about it. Or at least, know more than he does.
Presently, there's an all knowing smile on Grian's face. Just like all those times before, like everything is according to plan
Red alarms blare in his mind when Grian stares down at him, "guys," silence. "Tango's about to get it."
The curse consumes you.
Suddenly, there are eyes all around him. He can see Martyn and more people coming over, but they're not theirs. The world is normal except for the violet wisps in the corner of his eyes. There are no eyes, but there are eyes everywhere.
The commotion picks up as more people gather around to see what's happening. In the midst of the confusion, there stands Grian, only observing before his eyes light up in glee.
"Oh, there it is!"
Tango feels nothing but white, hot, exploding pain as he is crushed.
Tango flies awake. then—
Then, he is rotting, withering away as he stumbles back outside— to his teammates, to where its safer (but the one with the eyes is there—)— the sunlight hits his skin and it doesn't help the pain of his body decaying and—
Tango wakes up. Then nothing happens.
He is twitching with the aftershocks of two consecutive, painful deaths. He can't hear anything outside, he doesnt know what's happening. his name is in yellow but there are no signs of another death yet.
But there are still eyes around him. Tango's still being watched. They're waiting for him.
With the weight of limitless eyes on him, Tango steps out of bed, slowly, as if to try and delay the impossible.
Grian's eyes are the first thing he sees.
Then, the sky turns grey and cloudy, the previous sunlight disappearing. Tango feels water drop onto him and he knows what's about to happen.
When the first lightning bolt strikes, his body seizes up in feared anticipation. The lightning bolts after are deafening as they explode in bright lights. And finally, the last one strikes him.
Tango wakes up and sees red.
Your lives are taken. Now take theirs.
___
Things are a bit calmer after that.
The only eyes he sees now are Impulse's and Ren's, both of which are full of worry.
There are others too now, the Rejects— all of them willing to lend a hand, to help him land a kill. But there's this small pang in his heart, one that makes pointing a sword at someone a little hard.
Tango can feel each second ticking by, a countdown of his march into inevitable doom.
And that moment comes when he's stood outside of the Rejects' base with BigB, with promises of kill opportunities. Tango's name is red now, yet he can't help but warn BigB of the creeper behind him, can't help but want to avoid death.
"I just saved your life!"
Maybe this is retribution, for disobeying, for not following the rules of the game.
Tango thinks that maybe he wasnt meant for this—for murder, betrayal, bloodshed.
Tango's body is burnt and bloodied from the blast. Yet later, BigB will notice that his hands remain clean of red.