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"Can we stay?" The sound was so quiet, that any second of not actively listening meant you would miss it entirely.
Dark shot him a questioning look. A breathy, disbelief-filled laugh hitched in his throat, but looking closer, Dark realized with a jolt of discomfort that Chosen actually meant it.
"Oh, totally." Dark scoffed, crossing his arms tightly over his chest, as his boots ground loudly against the terrain. "Man, I'm just dying of excitement here. Great joke, ten out of ten. Now quit messing around and move." It wasn't intentional, rather the restless movement of someone who honestly believed they both found this world incredibly dull. In his mind, they were a team; this world was a mutual waste of their time. He stared at Chosen, waiting for him to admit he was just messing around.
"Can we stay here a bit longer..?" Chosen asked again. He didn't look back. His eyes remained fixed on the horizon, searching for something he couldn't quite place, burning noise of existence stopped beyond that point.
"...What?" Dark's voice dropped, the mockery giving way to genuine confusion.
"I mean stay in this world more. Just... a little."
"I know what 'a bit longer' means, Chosen," Dark snapped back, his voice taking on an annoyed edge. "But why would you even want that? It's so mind-numbingly boring in here, there's nothing happening! No action, no adrenaline, nothing!"
Chosen stayed silent, there was nothing much he could add to defend the world's entertainment value– Dark's perspective was entirely right. It didn't get their adrenaline pumping the way their usual chaotic places did. But Dark couldn't feel what Chosen felt, he couldn't know what the silence offered.
Normally, Chosen's mind was plagued by a deafening background hum- the crackle of his own powers pulsing beneath his skin. There was a particular, profound sense of serenity Chosen experienced in this place. It was a deep, intoxicating calm that he rarely ever got to experience, a place where the buzzing constant pressure in his mind finally fell silent. The world demanded nothing from him, wanted nothing, just letting him exist.
"Please?" Chosen finally turned, his gaze dropping slightly toward the ground before rising up to meet Dark's piercing eyes. There was a subtle tightness in his expression, vulnerability that looked almost unnatural on him.
For a fraction of a second Dark froze, his eyes twitching as he stared at the unfamiliar expression. It was just weird to see. It looked weak, completely out of character, and it cracked the fierce image Dark always held of his partner. He didn't understand what he was looking at, and he didn't want to. The sight made his skin crawl. Dark chose to act like he hadn't seen it at all. Acknowledging it meant dealing with it, and he had no intention of doing so.
"Yeah, alright, enough of that." Dark huffed, shaking his head with a bit of irritated laughter to break the tension. "We've got places to be, Chosen. Why would we waste time on this useless world? Just get moving already." He turned sharply on his heel, waving his hand in a dismissive motion. Effectively cutting the conversation short, Dark began striding towards the exit with sharp, impatient steps, that practically demanded compliance. Dark had already turned away, blind to the way something inside Chosen's eyes collapsed.
Chosen lingered. The wind brushed past him one last time, a cool, soothing sensation, he knew he wouldn't feel again for a very long time. He cast one last glance in the direction of the small house. His fingers brushed against his pockets, feeling the rigid, hard edges of a few blocks still tucked away inside, his grip tightened around them, holding on until the sharp edges dug painfully into his skin.
Taking a heavy, ragged breath, he finally turned his back to the horizon. He dove forward into the glowing vortex of the portal, following right behind Dark's vanishing silhouette.
***
"Man, you should've seen their screaming faces up close! This is the best laugh I've had all week!"
The heavy iron doors banged open with a loud crash as Dark barged into their hideout. Still cackling wildly at the memory. He unclipped his coat, the edges entirely charred, fraying from recent chaos, it carried a thick, suffocating scent of smoke. Without looking, Dark tossed it carelessly onto the first stool that came into his line of sight, sending a cloud of soot spinning into the air.
"You're right." Chosen murmured, his voice sounding detached even to his own ears.
He kept his distance, trailing just far enough back, so he wouldn't interrupt Dark's amusement. He knew how Dark got after a rush– he needed an audience. Chosen didn't have the energy for a fight, so staying quiet was the best option at his disposal.
But Chosen's footsteps abruptly halted when Dark stopped mid-motion. The laughter died down as Dark looked back to face him. The lingering glint of malicious joy was still bright in Dark's crimson eyes, up until he actually met Chosen's gaze.
Chosen just stared back blankly. His face sharing none of the same excitement. He looked exhausted, drained of the spark that usually ignited them both.
A sudden, sharp jolt of panic hit Chosen when he saw the remaining joy vanish from Dark's expression, replaced by dangerous curiosity. Desperate to avoid a confrontation, Chosen forced the corners of his lips to curve upward, straining every muscle to patch together a convincing, easygoing smile.
Dark's eyes narrowed into a piercing squint, staring directly at the rigid expression, before it could even fully form. The silence stretched between them, heavy, suffocating and accusing. Chosen held the smile for three agonizing seconds before his lips twitched, the facade withering away entirely. He could feel Dark's eyes cutting right through him.
"What's with you? You've been acting weird all day." Dark asked. He tried to phrase it half-jokingly, but the humor didn't quite reach his eyes. His voice carried a sharp hint of irritation; the sudden awkwardness was getting on his nerves.
Chosen averted his look, dropping his gaze to the cracked floorboards. Unable to hold that intense, demanding stare any longer.
"Are you getting those withdrawals or whatever? Jeez, way to ruin the mood." Dark sighed. He rolled his tense shoulders and turned to resume his walk without waiting for an answer.
"Its fine, I'm sure a few more days like today and you'll go right back to normal." Dark muttered. His heavy boots began to click against the cold floor again, his voice echoing up the narrow passage, as a familiar smirk crept up onto his face. "You know, I've been working on something very interesting lately. You're going to LOVE it."
Dark strolled off, his elongated shadow stretching monstrously against the concrete walls before he dissapeared completely into the unlit, pitch-black flight of stairs ahead.
Chosen remained frozen in place under the dim entryway light. He stared into the darkness where Dark's back had just vanished. The faint, maddening sound of Dark still laughing to himself about his new weapon echoed softly off the cold walls.
Chosen's hands twitched at his sides, tiny orange embers sparkling, before dying out. A bitter spark of irritation crawled up his spine, warming his cold skin, but he quickly pulled it back, suppressing it out of habit. A wave of deep unease crossed his features when Dark's voice suddenly cut through the gloom, calling out to him from the upper floor.
"Are you gonna stand there all evening or what? Come here!" Dark shouts echoed down the stairwell, a heavy layer of annoyance slipping into his tone.
"Coming!" Chosen yelled back, but the sound was dry.
He forced his legs to move, stepping away from the dimly lit entryway. The darkness of the stairwell swallowed him immediately. His body felt heavy, thoughts blurring together into a hazy mess, his limbs unnaturally numb and uncoordinated. As he stepped up, the steps seemed to shift in his peripheral vision. Chosen misjudged the depth, his boot catching on the edge of a step, but he quickly stabilised himself, letting out a rushed breath. He really needs to stop his mind from wandering elsewhere.
At the top of the stairs, the sound of Dark's footsteps stopped instantly.
Chosen looked up and winced, the sudden harsh light colliding painfully with his eyes. After a few seconds of adjusting, he could barely make out the silhouette of Dark looking straight down at him.
Dark leaned against the wall, blocking the doorway. He tracked Chosen's form with an analytical stare.
"You really are a mess today, aren't you?" Dark asked, his voice wasn't annoyed or angry anymore; it dropped into a lower, calmer tone, that made Chosen pause.
" 'm just tired." Chosen muttered, forcing his eyes to lock onto Dark's.
Dark took a step closer. Before Chosen could figure out what he was doing, a heavy hand came down on his shoulder. It wasn't a violent shove, but the grip was firm, holding him in place. Dark didn't push him away, instead- leaned in.
Chosen froze, his mind going blank for a second, trying to proces the sudden change. He tilted his head away from the physical contact, his eyes widening in genuine confusion.
Up close, Dark's expression was a strange mix. Traces of annoyance lingered in his eyes; he obviously disliked seeing Chosen's being this way, the vulnerability was agitating. Yet at the same time there was a strange satisfaction in his gaze. Dark almost looked pleased. He was enjoying the fact that the usually calm Chosen was off balance, and that he was the only one to witness it. He relished in knowing that in the entire network, he was the only person Chosen could rely on. Loved knowing he was the only option.
"You don't need to be pretentious around me, Cho," Dark said, a small knowing smirk tugging at his face. He gave his shoulder a tight squeeze. "Who else is going to put up with you, if not me?"
A wave of nausea washed over Chosen. The words were meant to sound reassuring, but they made him feel nothing of sorts.
"We're a team," Dark continued, his tone swelling with manic sort of affection as he pressed in closer. "I'm the only one who knows what you're truly capable of. Others would see you and throw you away. But not me. I'll make sure you stay right where you belong, by my side." The corners of his mouth stretched, giving Chosen a small smile.
Chosen stood completely rigid, his mind struggling to process the weight of the threat in Dark's words.
Dark finally stepped back, showing him the room. His hand stayed on Chosen's shoulder, lightly guiding him.
After a few more paces, Chosen lifted his head, his eyes taking in the full, terrifying 'glory' of his partner's supposed masterpiece.
The room had a wall covered in unfinished blueprints, each version aggressively scratched over or rewritten. Dozens of fried, shattered circuit boards pooled on the floor, radiating strong stench of melted plastic and burnt solder.
"Isn't it amazing?" Dark asked, his eyes fully reignited with intense joy that had left them just a few minutes prior. He looked at the messy room, like it was an insight into his brilliance.
"What is all this?" Chosen asked. His eyes hovered over the broken metal parts, failed prototypes that couldn't live up to Dark's standards, until they finally landed on a massive display of the Spider hanging over the monitor.
With a quick movement of his hands, Dark quickly typed in a command on the computer, the Spider grew a jagged spike on its front leg, Dark proudly took it off and slashed the nearest item on the cabinet not too far away, smiling at the dissolving sparks of code when the item started fading away.
"This, my friend, is our road to ruling the internet." Dark turned back to the display, admiring his work, truly believing he had outdone himself. His hand glided proudly across the glowing lines that resembled a massive, predatory spider. After a few seconds of silence, Dark continued in one breath, "Just imagine what we could do! All of the internet will weep at our feet. This is our real goal."
Chosen stared at Dark's back in absolute, paralyzing disbelief, his words catching violently in his throat when he examined the still dissipating particles of the item Dark slashed without a second thought.
He felt cold chill pricking at his skin, freezing his thoughts; it was something entirely new for them, truly a line never crossed, one that he didn't wish to cross.
"Impressive, right?" Dark radiated bravado, clearly overtaken by pride in his horrific creation. Entirely blind to the fact Chosen had gone completely rigid beside him.
"And to make it even better!" Dark laughed loudly, a sharp sound that snapped Chosen right out of his trance. Dark triumphantly gestured at a separate terminal. The screen glowing with preloaded coordinates.
Dark proudly walked up to it, a manic hum burning in his eyes.
Before Chosen could process what he was doing, his body moved on it own. He lunged forward, slamming his full weight into Dark and roughly shoving him away from the panel.
Dark stumbled a few steps back, disbelief painting his face for a brief moment before twisting with rage. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Don't do it," Chosen said, facing Dark down. His own heart beating so violently it felt ready to break though his ribs. "Do you realise how many you're going to kill with this?" He tried to reason with Dark, but his voice cracked, the words tearing unevenly from his throat.
"Hah! You're real funny today aren't you?" Dark snapped back at him, his tone sharp, slowly walking back up to him. "If I didn't know, do you I think I would've done all this crap in the first place?!"
He close the gap between them, his shout echoing off the concrete walls. "I do all of this for US. How do you not understand?!" Dark slammed his palms into Chosen's chest, pushing him away from the terminal. "Why are you being such a hypocrite all of a sudden? We were killing those worthless insects not that long ago. Since when do you lose sleep over a bunch of data?!"
Dark whipped around to face the keyboard, his arm swinging toward the launch button.
"Dark- don't!" Chosen lunged at him, a desperate yell tearing through his throat.
His fist connected with Dark's cheek, but the impact came a second too late. The button clicked beneath Dark's fingers. The virus was already delivered.
"Fuck." Chosen muttered.