It's the second day Purpled has been gone and he's starting to worry.
Purpled said they'd be here by today.
What if something happened to them.
He fully believes in Purpled's abilities but their still mortal. They still have limits to their abilities.
He swears if he doesn't do it himself stress will be the thing to kill him.
He paces around the room with his phone on his bed and he gives it shuttle glances hoping for a text or call, anything that will show that Purpled is still alive and ok.
Maybe he's overreacting. Purpled never put a time that they would be back.
Maybe the mission had some change of plans.
Maybe they decided to go eat somewhere and the place is really busy.
Maybe there was a car accident that's making people have to use different roads.
Maybe they have arenas to run and they can't find a item.
Maybe they took another mission in the area for some extra cash.
Maybe there was a hero meet and greet and they can't get through the crowd.
Maybe their having a spar.
He realizes he's hyperventilating.
He starts tapping his leg to intervals of three. He tries to breathe every time he taps his leg but it's so, so hard.
He stumbles sitting beside his bed.
He doesn't think he can pick his leg up to sit on the bed.
Tears slip down his face as he lets out pitifully sobs.
His body shivers and it's hard to think. It hurts to breathe.
He just wants Purpled to come home.
He feels Dogchamp.
"H-hey buddy." He greets through sobs.
He hugs Dogchamp putting his head on theirs as he slowly pets them.
"Thank you Champ." He mutters into Dogchamp's fur snickering a bit at his own joke.
He sits there for longer than he can count, shakily petting Dogchamp.
He slowly gets up looking back at his phone. Slowly he goes and grabs it eyes widening when sees the news.
Breaking News
Former mercenary Punz and their apprentice turned hero
He's at a complete loss for words.
Why, why would Purpled betray him? They wouldn't do this for a mission would they? This is blatantly giving up their identity to the public. They didn't even tell him. If this was a mission they would of told him.
He spent all that time worrying about a traitor! How could Purpled do this to him! They were brothers! They were brothers. He drops to his knees and tears start running down his face quicker.
This might just be worse than finding out Purpled's dead. At least he was mentally prepared for that outcome.
Dogchamp roles up by him seeming to know something bad is happening.
Of course he couldn't have one normal day, something always has to be happening under the seams.
Stupid trust, stupid hope.
He should of known no mortal can be trusted.
He let down his guard. He broke his one rule to never rely on anyone. He called them flock and they stabbed him in the back. He should of known from Tubbo's betrayal.
He felt and saw the consequences of letting down his guard and he still lit it happen. How could he be so stupid.
He gets up to clean up his face to go for a walk.
He covers up his face in his black medical mask.
He doesn't think he can bear talking to anyone.
Thank Prime for Covid making medical masks common place.
He takes his bag and walks down the sidewalk.
Onlookers be damned he doesn't have the mental energy to worry about how he looks.
His pace is even, just like he was tough. Every step has to be in the perfect interval and in perfect pace.
"Walk like a soldier boy. That's all you are, a soldier." A familiar but distant voice scolds him.
Maybe that's what he's suppose to be. A soldier, one that can't die as they can heal themself. A forever living soldier.
Forever soldier, that's a good name.
He should tell Pur- no. Purpled betrayed him. He almost forgot.
His eyes seem to of dried out as no tears fall. Just like back then. He's slipping back to his old self,.
Putting up a happy personality in front of others, but being a broken soldier when he's alone. Crying only when the pain became too much to handle.
He forgot about this side of himself, shoving it as far back in his mind as possible.
It makes sense. This personality is dark and cold. Concerning to most older than him. It's the personality he uses when he isn't going to show mercy.
The true reason his power seems so unlike him. The people that know his power and him never truly seen him. Just the happy go lucky boy that is so easy to crack.
It's about time he stops playing games. It's time to remind humanity that karma is just another way of saying a dark conscience.
It's time to be the bad guy the humans think he is.
It's time to take down a fucking hero agency.
He stops in a alleyway full of blood vines.
"Hey Vines, let's cause some pain to the heroes."He laughs, red horns, tail, and eyes proudly displayed as they light up the room.
A twisted grin rests neatly on his face.
"Oh how I've been waiting to hear you say that." Vines squeals, vines grabbing at his wrists as they pull him somewhere.
He follows the vines till he reaches a door like opening covered head to toe in vines.
He is lead into the place and he is in a modern city one point and a old mid-evil dinning hall the next.
A big crimson egg stands at the back, the red vines extending from its base.
"As beautiful shell as always Vines." He compliments, shacking of the vines on his hands.
"I am always beautiful, I know, but I have to hatch to destroy the heroes!" Vines brags, picking him up by the waist and putting him in front of itself.
"Yes, yes, you do have a more human form under that shell, don't you." He inquires, putting a hand on the shell.
Red smoke covers his hand and then spreads to cover Vines.
"⏚⍀⟒⏃☍." He commands, then the egg like shell breaks and in the middle is a Fae like creature.
Light pale skin, hair of red vines, red dots under their eyes, and clothes made of soft silk and shell.
The clothes are a loss dress with the shell as a armor and shoes made of dried blood.
Vines opens their eyes and it is like looking at the cause of insanity.
"God of insanity and manipulation." He smiles, walking over to Vines and holds out a hand for them to grab.
"God of darkness, the nether, and family." Vines smiles back.", taking his hand and pulling themself up.
"Almost forgot the family part myself at how little humans pray to me about it." He laughs, hugging vines before letting go and taking some steps back.
"They haven't seen you in a long time. They've forgotten how compassionate you are." Vines praises, stretching out their under used muscles.
"I'm not compassionate." He bickers.
"Your only not compassionate when your doing dark work." Vines laughs, walking to a separate room.
He follows behind them.
"You really put the entrance to a magic mansion in a alleyway." He deadpans, looking around.
"We can stop talking in god's speak now you know that, right?" Vines questions, leading him into a lounge room.
"I know, but it's always better to make sure mortals don't understand the more important part of the conversation." He answers, going to sit on one of the couches.
"My minions shouldn't be here as I sent them out not that long ago." Vines explains, waving a hand as they go to a separate room.
He looks around the room and sees the remote for the TV and turns it on.
Dream's getting interviewed by the TV interviewer and Punz is with them.
Dream so hired Punz. There isn't a way in the world Punz would work for the heroes if they weren't getting paid extra to.
He wonders, could he do something just by looking through a screen? He hasn't ever been able to test that fact.
He stretches out his hand and thinks about making the lights turn off, just for a second.
To his delight the lights flicker off than back on.
Oh this bit of knowledge is going to be so helpful.