Chapter Text
Abaddon had been going back to the dawn of time just to save the mortals living in the hotel, he doesn't know why he even bothered to save them from their inevitable deaths. But something about them dying is giving him a weird unpleasant feeling.
The first 40-ish loops he tried to follow how it originally did, not trying to change anything and keep close to the original timeline.
But after doing the same thing over and over it's becoming a chore, and he dislikes chores. So at the next few loops he decided to go to different routes and each outcomes are different than the other. Each new branch opens up to new experiences that never happened in the original, he doesn't dislike it, it actually kept him entertained after doing the same thing over and over. Now he can see which action that could help, to get the best outcome!
But one thing that didn't change in every timeline is the caretaker dying, he dislike his caretaker dying, he even tried to remove the things that made him die from the last loop! But no matter what he did Nathan just kept on dying, his death-day would sometimes change.
The loops where he didn't change anything, the caretaker's death-day remains the same. But the loops he changes, the day of his death changes inconsistently, sometimes it would be weeks or months away from his original date or sometimes too early— heck there was a timeline that took almost a year before he died! He liked that one, he spent more time with him before he...
He observed that the earlier deaths always occured when Nathan knows he's a demon. But that's strange, Nathan doesn't fear him, he usually treat him like anyone with a normal child, so it doesn't make sense of him dying when he learned he's a demon! Before his early death he would do the same thing, and that is teach him mortal needs such as bathing, cooking, and other mortal needs he didn't bother remembering.
As much as he keeps telling that Nathan should stop treating him as a child and he can fully take care of himself like how he survived for 300 years, the caretaker is stubborn and insists that he takes care of him. He actually enjoyed the caregiver's company, and feeling the cold hand of his unmoving the body... Abaddon hates it. It took him an embarrassing few loops to realize that he did care for the Freeling's, so it just felt wrong seeing Nathan dead and no longer able to hold him and feel those warm hugs he give, despite reliving this scenario so many times it, it still felt like the first time he discovered Nathan's dead body.
He could just forget and went about his day like he always did, but it doesn't feel the same after Nathan's death. He could even take his bones! But he doesn't want to take his bones, it felt wrong.
Sometimes he forgets that mortals can die in more quieter ways, he always associated death to blood and gore, loud and pain, since it's much more easier to know that someone is dead by bleeding. So seeing an unmoving body with no blood and no screaming, it just looks like sleeping. He had mistaken him for sleeping when he found him, only when he grabbed Nathan's arm did he realized he's no longer alive. He had seen many corpses and bodies in his long life, some of it is caused by him! But seeing the caretaker's lifeless body just irks him.
It's his 94th loop.
That's it! He's making a plan on what's the best actions to do after reliving timeline after timeline, he had experimented in all those timelines and he's sure what would be the best course of action in the next timeline.
He's just got to find the artifact... The apocalypse had once again came in this timeline. Unlike the other timelines, this time the hotel had been destroyed, with it, buried the artifact.
Seeing the ruble that was once the hotel, his chest tightens, his hands shook as his eyes began to burn.
No...
Nonononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononono—
No.
This isn't supposed to happen! None of the other timelines had a crumbled hotel, so why now? Why now does it have one?! He slumped over and began to hold himself, nails digging his flesh as salt water began to fall from his eyes.
Curse this feeble human body! Making him feel human feelings. He just got to stop the water coming from his eyes and the unpleasant tightness of his chest. He's Abaddon, high prince of the dark realm, king of cobra's and shrimp, angel of the bottomless abyss, king of locusts! He's supposed to be a powerful demon and here he is wailing like a pathetic child— that isn't really far from the truth, feeling his vessel shake from the intensity of his sobs.
The great Abaddon has been reduced to this.
He desperately tried to wipe off the tears, but more kept falling. Why does he even try to save them? He should've been rejoicing at the fact he finally have his powers back, instead he's trying to save mortals that have a shorter lifespan than a demon's day!
He doesn't understand! Why is he doing this? Why does he feel like this? Why is he feeling? He isn't suppose to have feelings, he isn't human! So why? He doesn't understand. His caretaker isn't here to explain to him what's happening.
He sobbed harder when remembering him, he was the first to fall since the apocalypse started, trying to protect his family despite it being futile since his form is intangible.
He cried for hell knows how long, his throat felt sore, eye's puffy, and body so exhausted. He's breathing heavily, staring at the ruined hotel with glassy eyes. He shakily inhaled as he watch the sky break and fall.
Shakily standing up, he began to search.
He shoved burnt wood, not even wincing if he gets a cut or a splinter, not even stopping despite his hands and finger began to bleed and peel, not stopping until he finds that damn artifact.
It took him days just to find the artifact, his relief when he found it is immeasurable after thinking it fell from a crack on the earth. Like the other times, he went back to the dawn of time, just to save the mortals... His... Family.
He experienced the history of the earth once again until the day he was found in a hole he dug himself. Looking up he found the figure of the man he had met over and over, timeline after timeline, and will always reach a hand to him.
"Hey buddy" he smiled and reached for the hand from a familiar man.