Work Text:
ONE YEAR, ONE DAY BEFORE THE RITUAL
2:04 AM
Billy pulled out his knife and scratched it to the wall of the alley he knew best. "Places that banned me" written above the new notch he was currently adding. He didn't feel like counting them tonight. He laid his jacket on the ground and laid down to rest. "They don't know who I am. They don't know anything." No one was around for him to be talking to, no one was convinced by his words. All was quiet, and he fell asleep.
Billy was back home. His parents sitting at the dinner table, not yet acknowledging him. He walked over to join them at the table and then saw himself walk through the door. His horns clipped the doorway as he walked in causing him to let out quick curses. This was a memory of Billy's, the day he became Billy.
"Oh God what is that?" Screamed Billy's mother, Adrienne, hiding behind her husband.
"Go under my bed, now. The safe is unlocked. Don't worry about me. Go!" Billy's father, William, lunged at him. Pinning him to the ground. "Who the fuck are you? Who's house do you think this is?" William then recognized a tattoo on the wrist of his son. A tattoo that caused a 14 year old Billy to get in the most trouble of his life. "Son... Junior... What.. What did you.." He couldn't form the questions he needed to.
Billy had been too shocked to speak after seeing his mom so scared his dad look him in his new yellow eyes. "I ain't junior anymore. I'm Billy." He stood up and dusted off his clothes as his mother walked in, but the gun she held didn't belong to Billy's family. It was modern OSIC.
Billy stopped paying attention to his memory. He swung at the fading memory of his mother. A man stepped back as Billy's fist went through the illusion of his mom. "Is this the only way you could think to talk to me asshole? You know how this memory ends too." Billy realized it wasn't his dad, just another faceless arm of the OSIC. The man looked at Billy.
"We have no intent of killing you. We have come to inform you of your fathers passing. We have no intentions of killing you, We only needed to adapt to your dream to fit in. No models of the weapon is in Our offices at the moment." The man sounded like he was reading, not actually reaching out. Billy hated him either way so truly nothing mattered. "We will now be leaving. Do not inform the public of the sandman division. It was your mother's request we tell you. We would not if your father was not such an important agent. Good Night."
"What got him." Billy asked, pretending he didn't care.
"We cannot tell you. We have left you with a gift from your mother. When you wake, it will stay with you. Good night." The agent now seemed more aggressive.
"Hey fuck you too pal." Billy flipped him off as he exited Billy's dream, which resumed
"Adrienne stop. It's him."
"No. No, It can't be.."
"Who did this to you Junior? Who have you been around." William got stern. "I know someone who can undo stuff like this. Please."
The memory of Billy spoke up finally. "Nah, This is me. I'm Billy. I just came back to grab somethin' so let me get going." Billy tried to walk past his parents to go to his childhood room.
Adrienne was crying. William stepped in his way. "You're not going to come here and treat me like this. Look at what you've done to your mother! God, you left us for 8 months worried if you were even alive! I didn't reach out because of what you said last time. You're my son, and I'm your father."
The memory pushed past his parents, leaving them foggy and mixed up without focus on them. The sleeping Billy watched as his former self turned his back on his parents. He also saw the dagger fly at the memory. The dream Billy hit the ground right outside of his door. His mother began to chant a healing rite while standing over him. The world blurred until nothing remained, where the memory ended.
The real Billy, now shrouded in darkness had seen this dream a dozen times before. Other frequent dreams came and went on a normal basis. He could remember every time his father beat him. It was a cruel joke from the universe that he got to relieve it every other night. Billy would prefer those memories to this one. He saw it as a rejection of his true self from his parents. On his 17th birthday, he ran away from home. His dad would abuse OSIC resources to visit him until Billy told him to stick a knife up his own ass. He saw them once every year or so. He never wanted to. That night he had gone home to get an emergency cache hidden in his rooms walls. He woke up back in the alley. Beside him when he woke was a small box and a couple letters. Mostly mail Billy had been sent. Warrants. Bills. A couple personal tales of friends stuck in prisons. Then a note from his mom.
Dear Junior, Your father passed away yesterday. I am asking his friends in the OSIC to get this to you. Please come home. I forgive you for everything. Please." signed off by a stamp of her signature. The letter came on top of the box. He sat for a minute and decided to open it. Inside was a plush toy from his childhood. A goat stuffed animal. He chuckled a little and clipped it to his belt. He noticed there was a letter he didn't pick up, but he could remember making sure he sorted through all of them. It wasn't addressed to anyone and it was subtly yellow in color. The paper felt old. He pulled the small letter out from inside the envelope with a key dropping from the envelope too. After he put it in his jacket, he read the note.
Billy, the world has failed you. You have been overlooked your entire life. I can make them worship you if you help me. Come to New York.
He didn't have anything else to do.