Chapter Text
He can feel his heart beating, threatening to jump out of his chest as his scream is trapped in his throat. With a corrupted glitch of his screen, he's back where he once stood. The entity glances at him with a single step forward, its tail flicks up.
"Yea. Next time you say I'm not scary, remember that." It huffed, the words sent chill down Ze's spine before the sudden change in Regect's demeanor.
Ze stumbled, watching the entity and the clown run ahead of him before he swallowed and gasped. "Oh god. Oh my god."
Fear ate at him like never before. Poisoning his life like a growing venom, replacing his rage and hate with fear and reluctance. At first, Regect didn't seem to notice. Ze was always distant, they never did get along.
But Regect did notice how Ze tensed at his touch, or his eyes darting away when they faced eachother. His feathers ruffled and puffing up when Regect was even near him. At first he teased him, insulting him for these reactions.
But with time, even Moe started to pull Regect aside and question him, asking him to quit it. He crossed his arms, eyes narrowed.
“I'm not doing anything to him.” He mumbles, looking straight at her.
"You're scaring him." She signed, with a gentle honk to finish it off.
The moment it was told to him straight on, he began to notice the terror emitting from Ze. Isn't that what he wanted? Regect began to question himself, his motives. For once, somebody was scared. That's what his entire being was created for.
Why didn't it feel right?
-
The only time Ze felt that fear again was his encounter with him.
That only drove them further apart, Ze's thoughts tore them. Hell, Regect remembers Moe's panicked honks when Ze pulled a gun on them. When they came back to the house in shambles, Ze curled in the corner muttering to himself with tears pricking the corners of his eyes.
A growing worry began to form in Regect's being. A familiar case of events replaying in his head, and as much as he hated himself for it.
He went to find Ze and talk to him.
The avian locked himself away in his room, that Regect bluntly let himself into. He prepared for gunshots, screaming. But all he could hear was a quick shuddering breath.
"Ze, hey dude. Listen, we need to talk. I'm getting- we're getting worried about you. Ever since you got out of that place, you've just been. Off.”
Regect stands at the doorway, waiting for a reply. He can hear Ze shuffling before sitting up at the edge of his bed.
"I'm fine. Just spooked out, I guess." Ze exhales, hesitantly looking at Regect before looking back at his feet. “I guess I am still pretty..”
"Hectic? Anxious? Distraught?" Regect steps forward, a few feet away from Ze. "Scared?"
Saying that last word reminded him of a voice, smaller, confused, looking for him.
Ze tenses, only able to nod. "All of the above."
Regect motions, and Ze scooches to the side. The entity takes the spot beside him, tugging his own collar. "I'll tell you this, Daemon is a stupid asshole who's so stuck up about himself he might as well be hopping on his own dick."
Regect laughs, Ze doesn't react. His gaze is cold, growing pale. Regect continues, "But don't let him get to you. He needs your fear to control you, your fear drives him.”
"I assume it's the same for the others." Ze lets that comment slip out, and he almost slaps himself to cover his mouth.
"What?” Regect asks, but he doesn't need to. He knows exactly what Ze is referring to, and in the moment he can answer his question. It didn't feel right because he didn't want to scare Ze. It was never his goal.
"If I'm going to be honest,” Ze looks at him, unable to hold eye contact as he crosses his arms to hug himself. "It's you I'm scared of."
It's you. Scared. The words repeat and Regect's fists clench. "No you're not- You said it yourself!"
"And what did you do? Throw me into- hell or whatever the fuck that was!" Ze tenses, pushing a finger into Regect's torso. "I know that Daemon is terrifying, evil, I know it can hurt me."
Ze pulls away and stands quickly, "But I have no idea what you can do. I don't know if you'll hurt me."
"Ze you know I wouldn't-"
"But you have. Regect, I don't feel safe around you. I haven't run out and closed my game because of Moe." He spills, treading past Regect quickly as he darts out the room.
Ze hears the footsteps behind him as Regect follows him and sputters out apologies that grow angrier with Ze's stubbornness. The entity reaches and grabs Ze's shoulder, flipping him around. His other palm grabs Ze's face and forces their gazes to connect.
"Ze! For Fuck's sake can't you just stop and listen!?” He squeezes, earning a quiet yelp as Ze struggles and grips onto Regect. Ze's hands clenched Regect's wrists. His hold is tight, quick and uncontrollable. Like a bug stuck in a web, helpless as he can feel Regect hold him tighter. A strength he never felt. One he was scared to fight.
Moe walks in, honking at the scene. She catches Regect—his body seemingly glitching and growing unstable— as he yells at Ze, who is pathetically begging for Regect to let go. Moe runs over, she has never seen Ze like this.
She shoves Regect, and he finally pulls away. He stumbled, gritted teeth as he looked up. She darts him a glance before kneeling down to Ze, who had tumbled back and fallen.
Regect takes a deep breath, his pupil shrinks. He sees blood, on the floor and on Ze. He looks down and the tips of his claws are covered in it.
Regect tries to approach Ze, but the avian's wings are up high as he screams at him to stay away. His arm has a deep gash, while he holds onto his cheek that is bleeding heavily. Moe was quick, rushing out the living room to find a first-aid kit.
Regect keeps his distance, as Ze's breathing is fast. Too fast. He watches the man slowly tilt, holding onto his chest before falling unconscious. Whether from blood loss or fear, Regect doesn't stay to find out. When Moe returns, Regect is gone and all there is is the unconscious body of Ze.