Chapter Text
“No… no…” Mob stumbled backwards, his legs shaky. His stomach heaved, pulling down his bandana from his mouth. He gagged, his body convulsing. “Twixxel!” he choked out. The stench of the blood filled his nostrils and mouth. His heart pounded as dizziness washed over him. He didn’t want to believe it. He wanted it so badly to be a bad dream.
Mob practically collapsed against the doorframe, retching bits of food. His eyes stung as tears pooled from his eyes.
It was all his fault. He’d invited Twixxel. He’d introduced him to Verity. He’d INVOLVED HIM. Twixxel would be alive, he’d be HEALTHY, if Mob hadn’t been so FUCKING STUPID to bring him onto the server. It wasn’t Verity, it was HIM. He was the problem. His friends would be safer without him around. If he just… didn’t exist. Then Twixxel wouldn’t have died.
His mind flashed to the gun back in his house. Under his bed.
“Mob.” a familiar voice spoke. “It’s just us again. Isn’t that better?” Mob broke down sobbing. Everything faded into a haze as screams tore from his throat and his eyes grew unbearable to keep open through the tears. He felt hands lifting him up, but he was hardly conscious, in a daze of pain. His heart ached. He screamed until his voice went hoarse. And then everything faded out.
When he woke up, his throat was sore, and he felt empty. Twixxel. He turned over in his bed. He didn’t want to get up. He couldn’t. It hurt. Everything hurt so badly. His mind was too chaotic, too grief stricken and guilty to take anything more. Even basic tasks like changing his clothes or taking a shower felt unbearable. He couldn’t be alone with his thoughts. The pain was too much. He pressed his eyes shut again. At least if he were asleep, he couldn't be in pain.
Mob felt hands shaking him hours later. Verity’s yellow face peered at him worriedly.
“Mob? Are you okay?” Nothing was okay. Nothing would ever be okay ever again. Mob opened his mouth to respond, but his throat wouldn’t obey him. He could hardly even form thoughts. A strangled sound left him instead, and he buried his head in his pillow.
After some time, his eyes opened. All he’d dreamt about was that fateful night where he walked in to see…
He put his hands over his eyes. No, don’t think about that, don’t think about it, don’t think about it. Tears formed in his eyes again. He felt so numb.