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There was only one thing Alex hated most about battle… the recovery. And right now, he just wished he could have done more.
Grian thankfully stayed calm as his father wrapped a bandage over his face, covering up the gash that went from the bottom of his left cheek to the top of his right eye.
“Hey, Dad, I’m ok. Dream just got a lucky hit in.”
“It still never should have happened. We should have gotten there before things escalated to that point.”
It takes Grian a moment to place his hand on his father’s arm. “You did the best you could do, and everything worked out. We got some good people off that server and the masterminds are getting served justice. Besides, we kinda match now.”
A chuckle escapes Alex as he absentmindedly touches the X shaped scar over his face. “Guess we do.”
The parrot nods as he leans against his father. “... Dad?”
“Yeah?”
“How did you get your scars?”
Alex stiffens reflexively then sighs as he puts an arm around his son.
“... I guess you’re old enough to know the story now.”
On a peaceful day, the twinkling stars of the End are a beautiful sight, their ever present light comforting its inhabitants and guiding travellers through the vast and endless void.
On good days, they are just another incredible sight that makes the mystical realm more breathtaking.
But in times of war, they are as red as the blood being split, as if the stars themselves were enraged by the slaughter of their people.
That’s what Alex believed as he raced through the battletorn streets, following his brother as the two ran into their home, still untouched by the carnage but not for long.
“ᓵ⍑╎ꖎ↸∷ᒷリ, ⍑╎↸ᒷ リ𝙹∴!” Obeying their mother, the two twins ducked under a low table, covering their ears to block the screams as their father is split into two.
Xisuma held his brother close as they heard a loud snap of bones and their mother was dropped to the ground limply.
The two orphans trembled as their parents’ killer stalked closer to their hiding spot, a single slash of the monster’s sword shattering the table and the shards gave the boys their soon to be iconic scars.
Screams escaped them both as the monster raised it’s blade for a final blow, only to get blown away by a shot to the back of the head as a man in green armor stormed the house.
The demon hunter looked down at the two boys and lowered his weapon a little as he crouched in front of them. “Don’t worry, you kids are safe now.”
Xisuma lowered his defenses in relief, but Alex did no such thing as he saw another of the monsters charging towards his rescuer.
As quick as a teleporting Enderman, Alex grabbed a pistol that would one day be his primary weapon and mimicked the motions he had seen the armored man do, firing at the creature’s head and ending it instantly.
The man didn’t hide his surprise and under his helmet his lips upturned into a smile. “You have some natural talent, kid. What’s your name?”
“A-alexander Void. And this is my brother, Xisuma.”
“Alexander and Xisuma, good names. You kids can call me Doom, I’ll take care of you guys.”
“... and after that he adopted us both, taking us on adventures through all the realms and training us up to be demon slayers like him.”
Alex had a small smile as he fondly remembered the good parts of his childhood, but snapped back to reality as he saw the tears in his son’s eyes.
“Grian, what’s wrong-”
“WHY IS YOUR BACKSTORY SO SAD??”
Alex chuckles as he lets the boy get his tears out and hug him tightly. “It’s ok bud, it doesn’t hurt me anymore.”
“BUT WHYYYYY???”
Knowing that he now has a sobbing birdy attached to his hip, Alex smiles as he scoops his son up and starts heading back to his base to meet up with his brother and get some warm tea to calm his kid down. “Heh, Dad would love you kid.”
“Wait, he’s still alive?”
“Yeah, he’s just way deep in the depths of the Nether slaughtering demons. Kinda hard to tell time down there, but I know one day he’ll come back and you can meet him.”