Chapter Text
The moment that Bee opened his eyes, Oum immediately pulled him into her lap. She gently adjusted him so that his head rested to her shoulder, his body slumped across her legs. She looked at his face, watching intently as his eyelids pulled further apart. A smile ticked against her lips as she finally saw her husband's eyes after an discernible amount of time.
"H-Hey, are you okay...?" Oum managed to whisper, her voice shaky. "You really scared us...."
Bee blinked a few times, a small groan escaping his lips. Oum noted how his eyes appeared a bit dull and unfocused, but she tried not to think about it too much. She just continued to hold him, looking into his eyes as she quietly and gently urged him to keep waking up.
Beside her, Anne and Sasha watched intently. They kept a bit of distance so that Bee had breathing room. Oum could see how their bodies trembled, wanting so much to grab onto the man and hug him. Small whimpers slipped from their lips, their eyes occasionally darting to Oum as if to ask permission to get closer. Oum shook her head. It was too early for that. Bee could lose consciousness again if they weren't careful.
Oum bit her lip and her heart twisted as Bee's eyes started to close again. A jolt of energy rushed through her body and she fought back the urge to shake her injured husband. She reached down with a hand and gently patted his cheek. Bee's face slightly scrunched up before he turned his head away. Oum applied light pressure as she turned his head back, her eyes refusing to unlock from his.
"Come on now honey, y-you have to get up. We... We can't stay here..." Oum was shocked at how weak and desperate she sounded. She grasped Bee's hand and squeezed it. "This place is falling apart. We have to keep moving. You have to..."
Bee managed to open his eyes again. There was still no spark of life, as if all his energy had been drained from him. He tried to look at Oum, his eyelids growing heavier by the second. He opened his mouth like he was trying to speak only for his head to lop to one side, his breaths becoming strained.
Something cold chilled the inside of Oum's heart, the hope she initially had starting to break apart. She didn't want to believe her husband was about to slip back into unconsciousness again. He had just woken up. He couldn't already be....
Oum shook Bee a little more firmly, hoping to rouse him even just slightly. Tears strolled down her cheeks as Bee's eyelids only lowered further. Anne and Sasha both let out scared whines as they moved in closer, unable to keep their distance anymore. Sasha gripped onto Bee's uninjured shoulder while Anne nuzzled against her father's face.
All the while, Oum could only just stare as Bee's eyes closed all the way again.
"N-N-No.... No please... D-Don't do this to me..." Oum felt her throat lock up and her body went rigid. She swallowed and leaned in closer, staring at Bee's face. "O-Open your eyes, please..."
At first, nothing happened. Bee just laid there, his breaths shallow and weak. The girls huddled closer to him, resting their heads against his shoulder and neck. Oum's heart felt like it was being ripped into countless pieces as there didn't seem to be any sign of improvement. With a shaky hand, she stroked his hair, a few tears dropping and hitting his forehead.
...then Bee started to move his eyes again. Oum held her breath, her chest starting to swell as the man showed signs of life once more. Anne and Sasha moved away as Oum straightened up Bee's body to help him breathe better. She kept her arms around him, unable to tear her eyes away as he opened his eyes again.
A lump formed in Oum's throat as she saw that Bee's eyes were still glazed over. She wasn't even sure if he could see her, if he knew where he was. She kept eye contact with him, stroking his face as she silently hoped and prayed there would be some improvement.
Bee blinked slowly, exhaling a small groan. His head moved a bit and one of his hands twitched. He closed his eyes again and they opened up once more. His eyes were still unfocused at first but they started to move, turning left and right. Another blink and there was a definite change to his gaze.
Bee looked right at Oum.
And the woman's heart fluttered.
Oum had to fight with herself to avoid squeezing Bee tightly. She wanted to scream and shout to the hidden sky, to express her joy that Bee was finally awake.
But he was still in a precarious position. Any sudden movement could knock him back down. Oum took in a few deep breaths to calm herself. Her heart continued to pound in her chest as she patted her husband's head.
A few seconds later, Bee managed to weakly choke out in a strangled voice, "...wh-what.... what's..."
Oum pressed a finger to Bee's lip to silence him. "Shhh... Don't talk. You need to save your strength. You... You might pass out again..."
Bee looked at Oum as if she had spoken an alien language to him. He tried again to talk, forcing Oum to apply more pressure and be more firm with him. She would have loved to hear his voice again, but now wasn't the time. She needed him to put his limited energy towards something else.
It was imperative they kept moving. If Bee could regain enough of his strength to carry himself for a while, it could help them all get out of here faster.
As Bee's breathing grew stronger, Oum sat him up further, letting him lean against her for support. A few moments later, she attempted to help her husband to his feet.
"And just where do you think you're going?"
Oum froze, eyes growing wide. She immediately pulled Bee against herself as she turned her head to face Darcy. A million thoughts raced through her head as her breaths came in stiffened puffs of air.
"Y-Y-You're already awake...?" Oum had thought for sure that Darcy would remain knocked out for a bit longer.
Darcy sighed and folded her arms. "Did I disappoint you?"
Oum couldn't think of what to say. Swallowing, she moved away from Darcy as she slightly tightened her hold on her husband. Anne and Sasha both tensed up, their bodies shaking and eyes narrowed as they prepared for another fight despite their pain. The fear surging across their faces was unmistakable yet they were still willing to engage with Darcy in combat if needed. Oum wanted to tell them to back down, but she feared any movement would accidentally provoke an attack.
Oum watched, her teeth gritted, as Darcy moved a little closer. Darcy's eyes studied Anne and Sasha and then locked onto Bee. A sharp gasp sucking into her mouth, Oum pressed him even closer to herself, shooting a glare at Darcy, giving a silent warning.
Darcy stopped and tilted her head. "You don't want him to get help?"
The question threw Oum for a loop. She stared wide-eyed at Darcy for several moments before she shook herself out of it. She clenched her teeth tighter as she stared unwaveringly into Darcy's glowing eyes.
"He can't get help here. This place is falling apart. He needs to get out of here and into a real hospital." Oum's voice was stiff as she struggled to keep her emotions under control. "You wounded him, remember?"
"That was not I, but that impatient co*ckroach. But that isn't a matter to be concerned with anymore. I took care of it." Said Darcy, her voice steady and calm despite the irritation in Oum's words.
"....you killed her?" Oum asked tentatively.
Darcy shook her head. "I merely forced her to feel what Marcy feels. This should at the very least make it harder for her to do something reckless again."
Oum couldn't be certain how truthful those words were. This hadn't been the first time Aldrich 'removed a problem'. He had gotten rid of King Andrias, but it was by death, not by forcing him to feel every wound dealt to Marcy. Could she really believe he didn't kill the inner Darcy too? Was he even sincere in his earlier claim of not wanting Marcy herself dead?
Darcy said, "I know it's hard to believe me. But be assured that I speak the truth. Things should run much more smoothly from now on. And with that out of the way..."
Darcy took longer strides, closing the gap between her and Oum easily. When she got a couple feet away, she slowly reached out, her hand motioning towards Bee.
"Hand him to me."
Anne let out a loud snarling hiss, getting in front of Darcy, baring her teeth.
"Wh-What...?!" Spluttered Sasha, her eyes flickering pink for a second. "S-S-Stay back, you...."
"This isn't a suggestion. It's a command." Darcy's facial muscles stiffened as his voice grew stern. "I don't get any benefit from him dying. So hand him over so I can treat his injuries."
Oum rested her chin to Bee's head, his body slumped as he struggled to support his own weight. Her hand moved along his back and then reached up to cradle the back of his head. Her intense emotion-filled eyes didn't leave Darcy's sights. She kept her body tense, Bee's weak body still pressed against hers, her arms folded around him protectively.
"This isn't negotiable. Give him to me. Now." Darcy took another step forward. "If you don't, then I'll have to..."
"This place is falling apart, you idiot!" Sasha's eyes widened briefly as she processed what she said. Then she continued, "L-Look... we can't stay here... If you really do care about keeping....y-your host's body alive, then..."
"I have what I need to treat everyone here. The medical room is reinforced. Just head there and let the rest of this place crumble." Darcy was now just a foot in front of Oum and Bee, unfaltering. "Now I will repeat again."
Darcy grabbed onto the back of Bee's shirt.
"Give. Him. To. Me." Darcy growled.
Oum let out a small growl and pulled Bee away. Her voice was low and dark. "No."
Darcy stared at Oum for several moments, the silence deafening and the air thickening. Darcy's eyes widened a bit, the glowing pupils slightly shrinking for a split second. Her face hardened and she reached over again.
"This isn't up for debate, human." Darcy slowly raised her hand up. "Since you won't be cooperative..."
Oum's glare turned fearful as she looked around, seeing parts of the ceiling and walls break off as Darcy summoned up multiple tendrils. Anne let out a squeak and jumped away as one of the metallic tubes shot out from the ground underneath her. Sasha was knocked to the side when a third one cut through the floor.
Darcy's eyes narrowed slowly, her head slightly tilting upwards. "I'll just have to make you cooperate."
With that, one of Darcy's clawed tendrils shot out towards Oum. The woman let out a scream and scrambled to get back.
Crash!
The wall behind Oum split open, crumbling apart like it was made of paper mache. Oum quickly bent over to cover Bee with her body, bits of rock and broken metal hitting against her back. She could hear the girls scrambling to get away and she tried to see where they were. Her vision was blurred by a veil of dust.
And through that dust, she could see a pale pink shape with what looked like an open mouth and sharp teeth.
Oum's eyes widened.
"P-Parisia?"
The olm shot towards Darcy, moving at a speed she couldn't keep up with. Darcy tried to grab onto the giant amphibian. Parisia easily broke through all of them as she launched herself towards Darcy, snapping her jaws close enough to force the hivemind to jump back.
For a few seconds, Darcy stared at Parisia with wide eyes, unable to even blink. Her eyes soon narrowed and she gritted her teeth. "What are you doing here? Haven't your lot caused enough trouble?"
Parisia hissed loudly and attempted to chomp down on Darcy again. The olm narrowly missed and her head ended up crashing against the wall. Parisia rubbed her head and shook it before screeching in Darcy's direction.
Darcy spoke in a low, grumbling voice. "You pesky oversized worms have been a thorn in my bloodline's side for far too long. Your role in helping Leif hide the music box is something I cannot forgive. I should've done more than just..."
Parisia spat, "Did you expect Mother Olm to abandon her? Even back then, Mother Olm had a tendency of taking pity on 'small defenseless creatures'. It simply would not have been in her nature to turn this Leif away!."
Leif...?
Who was this Leif?
Oum sifted through her memories, struggling to pull up anything about some amphibian named Leif. Nothing came up no matter how hard she tried. Her head began to ache as her efforts continued to lead her into nothing. The only thing she could tell for certain was that Aldrich didn't seem to be particularly fond of this Leif character and that she had something to do with the box disappearing.
....was she the one who put the box on Earth? Did she play a role in Anne and her friends being pulled into such a hostile world?
A bitter taste filled Oum's mouth. She couldn't say she could feel any fondness for that amphibian, either.
Oum flinched when a flash of pink rushed in the corner of her vision. The walls on the other side cracked as Parisia rammed Darcy into it. Oum's eyes traveled up, widening as she watched the cracks spreading along the ceiling. She took several steps back, unable to look away. She could hardly hear the roars and shouts from Parisia and Darcy as a bit of the ceiling came loose. Oum's legs were too frozen for her to move.
A pair of hands grabbed onto Oum's shoulders and she yelped as she was suddenly yanked back. Her vision warped briefly as someone put their arms around her and pulled her away from the falling piece of ceiling. It took a few moments for Oum to regain her bearings and she stared at the piece of rock that could've easily crushed her skull.
"You shouldn't just stand there! You could've gotten hurt!"
With a few heavy breaths, Oum turned to see Mrs. Wu standing there, her dark-colored eyes furrowed with concern. The shock of seeing the woman so suddenly after so long paralyzed Oum in her tracks and she found herself unable to speak.
"Oum...? What's..." Mrs. Wu started to say, stopping when Mr. Wu rushed over. Her eyes turned to him as she said, "I think she's in shock!"
Mr. Wu gently patted Oum's face. "Hey, are you still with us? Say something!"
It took several moments for Oum to finally snap out of her trance. She stared at the Wus for a while, reaching out a shaky hand, wanting to know for sure this wasn't some hallucination borne out of desperate hope. When her hand met warm resistance, that's when it truly clicked with her that this was real. Her vision immediately warped as a few tears swelled up in her eyes.
"I-I-I... I thought... I didn't think that..." Oum stammered, her left side suddenly feeling weak from the rush of emotions. "Y-You're really here...aren't you...? Y-You..."
"Yes, we're here. It...required some convincing and...." Mr. Wu rubbed the back of his neck. "I get the concern but...we just couldn't...you know..."
Mrs. Wu let out a sharp gasp. "I-I-Is that my baby...?!"
A sharp pain shot through Oum's heart, the fear evident in the black-haired woman's face. Oum barely managed to nod, the aches spreading through her chest as Mrs. Wu's face contorted into horror.
"Oh gawd..." Mrs. Wu covered her mouth, barely reacting to Mr. Wu putting his arm around her. "What did that thing do to her...?"
Mr. Wu kissed his wife's forehead. "We'll get her back, don't you worry."
Oum bit her lip as she watched Mr. Wu try his best to comfort Mrs. Wu. It dawned on the woman that this was the first time these two had seen their daughter in this state. It had been one thing to be told about it. But to see it for themselves, Oum couldn't imagine the pain and fear the two of them felt.
Turning her gaze around, Oum sighed in relief when she saw Parisia holding Darcy firmly with her tail, the thick appendage wrapping around the hivemind's squirming body. Darcy must've finally gotten it in her head that conjuring up more tendrils would easily lead to unwanted demise and was forced to rely on trying to squirm her way out of Parisia's grasp. Darcy never got far.
The sound of purrs rumbled through the air and Oum felt tears rim her eyes as Sasha was reunited with her parents. The blonde didn't hesitate to bolt towards her mom and dad, latching onto them as if they'd disappear if she let go. She nuzzled her head against them repeatedly, moving her arms around to keep herself close to them. Mr. and Mrs. Waybright were crying tears of happiness as they held onto their daughter, whispering comforting words to her, stroking her back, and petting her hair.
Oum felt something warm and soft against her and she looked down to see Anne snuggling up against her. Oum smiled gently as she put her arm around her daughter and pulled her close, planting a kiss to her head. Anne let out a happy trill and buried her face into her mother's shoulder.
But Oum couldn't remain happy for long. What about Bee...?
Oum turned her gaze towards her fallen husband. He was still awake thankfully. But the sudden destruction caused by Parisia's arrival had knocked the man away from her. He now laid on his back, his chest heaving as the pain began to creep into his consciousness once more. He gritted his teeth and clutched at the ground, biting his tongue to keep himself from screaming. Oum kept her eyes locked on Bee for several moments before she pulled away from the Wus and rushed towards him.
Mrs. Waybright looked up from her daughter as Oum rushed by. The blonde woman's eyes laid upon Bee and she took in a gasp. "Wh-What happened to him?"
Oum pulled Bee into her lap, her face twisted in fear as she stroked his hair. Anne settled down beside her parents, purring fearfully as she cuddled up to them. Oum looked at her daughter, then Bee, then back to Mrs. Waybright. She tried to say something, but any words she tried to speak wound up choked.
Mr. Waybright's eyes furrowed, his hand running up and down Sasha's back. "I can take a guess..." He flicked his eyes towards Darcy, his glare speaking for him.
"Is... Is that...thing what injured our daughter?" Mrs. Waybright whispered, her gaze lowering towards the red blotches that decorated Sasha's side and lower half.
Oum made one more attempt to speak, but her voice remained stuck in her throat and she could only nod.
"We need to rip that helmet off." Growled Mr. Waybright.
"W-We can't, remember?" Mr. Wu shouted, his voice laced with fear. "I-If we do, Marcy might..."
Mr. Waybright shot back, "Then what are we supposed to do?"
"O-Olivia said..." Mrs. Waybright tried to speak, but was cut off quickly.
"I know what she said! I just don't know if she can help!" Mr. Waybright's body shuddered. "What if she's wrong? What if Marcy dies anyway? Would it make a difference?"
"...th-that's..." Mrs. Wu's trembling voice faded.
Oum felt her heart twisting as Anne released a fearful hiss and Sasha whimper. The idea of Marcy not surviving this had been a possibility that weighed on them. They had tried to push that fear aside, hopeful that there would be some solution that could save her.
But at this point, Oum realized they did need to accept this could still be a possibility. She hoped it wouldn't have to come to it.
But if it did...
"Don't you dare touch my Marcy!"
Oum and the others swung their heads to find more individuals coming through the hole. The first one they recognized was Yunan. The tall pink newt had her metal claws out and took on a defensive stance. With narrowed eyes and teeth gritted, she addressed Mr. Waybright, swinging her claws in his direction.
Yunan snarled, "If you so much as THINK of doing that, I'll...!"
Mr. Waybright held a hand up defensively. "H-Hey, it's not like I WANT to do that! But you can't deny that it's..."
Yunan hunched her back slightly as she stalked towards the man. "Say that again and I'll..."
"General! Stop it!" Olivia ran to Yunan's side and gripped her arm, pulling her back. "He isn't threatening Marcy! He's just being realistic! Do you think Marcy would want you to skewer one of her friends' parents?"
Yunan glared at Olivia before her face slowly relaxed and she let out a sigh. "....yeah, you're right." Looking back at Mr. Waybright, Yunan rubbed the back of her head. "I'm...sorry about that."
Mr. Waybright stared at the newt warily for a moment before slowly nodding his head. "It's okay. I guess I was just being paranoid."
Sasha blinked and raised her head. "H-Hey, if you're here, then does that mean....?"
Sure enough, as if on cue, Grime walked over to the Waybrights, a toothy grin adorning his face.
"Did you miss me, Lieutenant?"
"G-Grime!" Sasha lept from her parents and pounced on Grime. "You're here too!"
The force of the lunge knocked the old toad onto his back. He let out a few rumbling laughs as he gently hugged Sasha to himself. Sasha rubbed her face against him, her throat vibrating with loud purrs.
"Heheheh, easy there, Lieutenant. You don't want to hurt yourself more." Grime said as he sat up, gently helping Sasha to her feet. He stared briefly at her wounds, a flash of concern crossing his eyes. Then he smiled and shook his head. "You're the toughest girl I've met." He smiled at Sasha and gently patted her on the shoulder. "Even the Core is given a run for its money with you."
Sasha managed a small smile. "Thanks, Grimesy."
Moments later, the other amphibians arrived. Oum watched as Sprig bolted in a straight line towards Anne, who did the same. The two of them collided with each other like a train wreck, rolling across the ground and getting absolutely filthy. Yet they were laughing and hugging each other, Anne purring, Sprig scritching her head affectionately. Hop Pop approached them slowly, a smile stretching his wrinkled face, and he patted the top of Anne's head.
The last ones to appear were Maddie and Polly. The pair had rushed over in unison, Maddie holding up a potion bag while Polly wielded a knife. They stood next to each other, both in a battle stance, looking around for a threat to take down. Then they soon saw Parisia already apprehended Darcy and they both slumped, disappointment oozing from their voices.
"Aw man, we missed it..."
sss
A part of Marcy wasn't sure why she was doing this. There was no reason for her to think this could work. This could all fall flat on her face and she'd have nothing to show for it. That wasn't even getting into the fact that there's little reason for Darcy to take interest in her idea. Marcy wasn't certain how she could even convince her doppelganger to listen.
But there was no denying that Darcy hated Aldrich as much as she herself did. It might be for different reasons, but the point still stood. If Marcy played her cards right, she might be able to manipulate Darcy into helping her get rid of Aldrich, or even the entirety of the Core. She just needed to play on Darcy's fear of being obsolete.
...what about Crypt? What would happen to her? Where did she fit in the plan? Would she even agree to it?
Marcy couldn't deny the boiling anger she felt when Crypt admitted to leaving her family behind. But that didn't mean that she wanted Crypt to die. After spending a bit of time with her, Marcy couldn't really view the yellow newt as a truly bad person. Compared to Aldrich and King Andrias, Crypt didn't seem nearly as harsh or cruel. Shouldn't she get another chance?
But if Crypt did oppose Marcy's plans, if she tried to stop her, then...
Marcy sighed, closing her eyes for a moment before she looked over at Darcy. She watched as her 'twin' sat against the wall, leaning into it with her arms wrapped around herself. Marcy breathed in deeply and exhaled. Then she got up to her feet and walked over.
"Hey..." Said Marcy.
"What do YOU want?" Darcy snarled curtly. "Here to patronize me?"
Marcy shook her head. "No."
"Then why are you here...?"
"I...want to talk to you."
A low growl rumbled in Darcy's throat. "What's there to t-talk about? J-J-Just go away."
Marcy furrowed her eyes slightly as she tried to think of what to say next. She took a second to look over at Crypt. The yellow newt was close by, those red eyes watching her every move carefully. Marcy turned her head back before Crypt noticed any shifts in her expression. Given how she managed to slip away from just a few moments of not being watched, Marcy couldn't be surprised to find Crypt never turning her line of sight away this time.
That would make speaking with Darcy a bit tricky. It would be significantly easier to convince Darcy than it would Crypt. Darcy was the one who had been treated as something extra and clearly had the most anger geared towards Aldrich. Crypt might be convinced; it would just take more manipulation to get her to cooperate.
So for now, it was best to focus on Darcy first.
"I just..." Marcy struggled for words, lowering her gaze to try and not feel too imposing to her 'twin'. "I don't think you really, uh... deserved to..." Marcy froze for several seconds as Darcy's glare pierced her soul. Swallowing, Marcy forced herself to continue, "I-I mean, it is...unfair you're treated like..."
"Oh shut up. I know you don't mean that. Even if you did, why should I care?" Darcy hissed. She attempted to move, but a wave of pain stopped her. She gasped and gripped against the wall for support. "Th-This is all your fault."
"Wh-What? How is it my fault?" Marcy asked.
Darcy turned to sneer in the girl's direction. "You know exactly what I mean, 'mother'. If you had just stayed in your own c-corner....if you hadn't tried to escape..."
Marcy growled before taking in a few slow breaths, riding out her own pangs of pain. "Did you think I wouldn't try to get out? D-D-Did you think I'd let you continue hurting my friends?"
"Tch, don't refer to them as that. We both know what they are to you." Darcy smirked. "I know the way they look at you...how you look at them..."
Marcy narrowed her eyes. "Then you know why I can't let them be hurt."
"Heh. If they didn't want to get hurt, then they should've been obedient. It's their own fault what happened to them." Darcy's smile twisted into a frown. "...but of course, sunshine just had to..."
"HER NAME IS SASHA!"
Marcy froze and covered her mouth as she heard her own voice bouncing off the walls. She slowly turned to see Crypt's eyes widened and her head pulled back. Looking over at Darcy, Marcy could see how her armored body froze in place, her expression contorted into a mix of anger and shock. Marcy's heart thumped rapidly in her chest as she struggled to settle herself down.
Then she continued, her voice softer this time, "Don't look at me like that. Y-You know it's true. My girlfriends' names are Anne and SASHA, not sunshine. Anne and Sasha. I don't care how much you don't like it. You WILL start referring to Sasha by her real name."
The shock on Darcy's face melted away as it was replaced with a smirk. "Oh? Well you're swimming up the wrong river bank. I will call sunshine whatever I want."
A wave of heat struck through Marcy's body and she nearly lunged at Darcy. She managed to stop herself just in time and she forced herself to take a step back. She took in more slow heavy breaths as she reminded herself of the actual reason she wanted to speak to Darcy. Marcy knew she needed to set aside her personal feelings regarding certain things if she wanted to get anywhere.
With a heavy sigh, Marcy said. "...then so be it."
Darcy grinned for a second before confusion plastered over her face. "What did you just s..."
Marcy cut her off, ignoring the question. "I w-wanted to tell you that..." Marcy paused to consider her words carefully. "....I'm....sorry..." Marcy ignored the bitter taste on her tongue. "...about referring to you as...useless."
Darcy blinked a few times and tilted her head. "Oh come on, you don't really mean that."
"But I do. I-I shouldn't have said it. I... I was just...desperate..." Marcy's voice gained a bit of energy, confidence rising inside of her. "I might hate you...but th-that doesn't mean I think you deserve to be..."
"Tossed aside like trash?"
"...yeah."
Darcy remained silent for several moments, studying Marcy's face with a frown. After a few more seconds, Darcy turned her head away, her expression hardening. The silence spoke volumes.
Marcy sighed, looking away as well. This turned into something more awkward than she had anticipated. Did she even sound convincing? Did Darcy see through her words? What would she do if this plan didn't work? What if she accidentally starts to really sympathize with Darcy and thus sabotage the plan before it got off the ground?
Marcy didn't want to abandon this strategy just yet. There might be a chance to salvage it. She just needed to...
"Tell me the real reason you're saying this."
Marcy nearly jumped and she found herself staring down multiple orange eyes.
Darcy took a step towards her. "I know you don't really feel that bad for me. I know you're still upset about how I treated your mates. I know that deep down you're glad about what happened to me." As Marcy struggled to respond, Darcy stepped closer, her tail the only thing keeping her from falling. "So why don't you just fuss up the truth."
"Wh-What do you mean? I-I-I am being truthful...! I do feel it was wrong to..." Marcy backed up, raising her hands as she tried to get Darcy to settle down. "I really don't think you're just a..."
Darcy let out a loud snarl. "Don't lie to me!"
Marcy let out a cry as Darcy tried to swing at her. Darcy's didn't get far with her attempt. Pain shot up her body and she froze in place, eyes wide and teeth gritted. Marcy took this chance to move back further, her eyes unable to tear away from Darcy's trembling body.
As Marcy continued to watch, she noticed something wet moving down the other's face. The faintest of pangs spread in her chest as she realized Darcy was crying. Darcy had never cried before, especially not from pain. Marcy couldn't help but be reminded of her own pain and how she had to deal with it. She learned to power through some of it, but that didn't make it any less horrific.
Darcy wasn't used to that. She never had to deal directly with such agonizing consequences. She hid behind Marcy, who was forced to take the blows for her. Whenever Darcy controlled the body, the pain was transferred to Marcy. The experience of pain was almost foreign to the dark-clad replica. It was almost...pitiful.
Marcy took a moment to look over her shoulder. Her eyes slightly furrowed as she saw Crypt staring right back, looking like she was waiting for the ravenette to make a move. Marcy shuddered and looked away. She could feel the newt's gaze weighing her down and it sent a cold wave up and down her spine.
What should she do? Continue to try and edge Darcy along, or should she try her chance with Crypt?
A quick reminder of who posed the most immediate physical threat made the answer easy but not simple.
"....I was...just thinking..." Marcy started.
Darcy gave her a sideways glare. Marcy froze for a moment, gulping, then continued.
"Do you want to prove Aldrich wrong?"
The doppelganger blinked, turning her head to fully face Marcy. After a second of staring, her face slowly furrowed. "Of course I do. What makes you think I wouldn't?"
"Ah I thought so! He hasn't been...fair, has he?" Asked Marcy.
"Tch, you could say that again." Darcy gritted her teeth, turning her gaze away. "Why should I be forced to suffer when HE is the one screwing everything up. If he'd just let me take charge, then everything would've run faster and more smoothly. We could've been back in Amphibia right now, getting you and your mates some proper attire."
Marcy hesitated before nodding in response. "I have my own issues with him."
Darcy let out a bitter chuckle, turning away. "Tell me something I don't know."
"...do you want to do something about it?"
Blinking in confusion, Darcy turned to stare at Marcy once more.
Marcy continued, "I mean, we both have our own problems with him."
Darcy slowly narrowed her eyes. "...what are you implying...?"
"What do you think I'm implying?" Marcy asked, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm sure you can figure it out."
Darcy was silent for several moments before she tilted her head to one side. "Are you seriously suggesting that we..." Darcy paused as Marcy stared back at her intently, showing no signs of wavering. The doppelganger remained silent for a moment, almost frozen in place. Then she narrowed her eyes. "What's the catch?"
Marcy shrugged. "Why would there be a catch? We both want to deal with him. Wouldn't that give us both something?"
Darcy eyed the girl suspiciously. "There's more to it than that, isn't there? There's no way you'd bring this up without wanting something more in return. I'm not stupid, you know. I know a trick when I can sense it."
"No, not a trick. Just something....mutual. I just thought, well maybe it would be better if there was only one leader, you know? None of this fighting over control. And out of you two, Aldrich just seems..." Marcy twirled her hands around each other. "...like he doesn't get it, you know? He's looking at this whole thing purely from an amphibian perspective."
Marcy motioned towards Darcy.
"B-But you, well, you have a piece of me, don't you? Don't you think you'd..." Marcy swallowed back a foul taste as she forced herself to continue. "...do better with us than him?"
Darcy nodded slowly. "Uh huh... And...?"
Marcy gripped her hands to her chest, rubbing them, her eyes pointed at the ground. "He....just hadn't had as much time to get used to..." Marcy swallowed. "...I mean, to understand humans like you do. I... I just think he'll mess up and..."
Darcy snorted and let out a bitter laugh. "Why are you even still trying at this point? Of what benefit is this to you?"
Marcy opened her mouth before slowly shutting it. She struggled to think of a response, swallowing as Darcy's stare intensified. After a moment, Marcy said, "...there's no benefit."
"Yeah I'm not buying that. There's something in it for you." Darcy tilted her head to the other side. "D-Do you not realize who you're talking to? Have you forgotten about..."
"N-No! I haven't! I... I mean..." Marcy raised her hands up, her mind racing as she tried to salvage the situation. "I just... Well... don't we both benefit if we..."
Darcy raised a hand up, silencing Marcy. "Look, you can try and give this speech all you want to. Nothing's going to convince me that you aren't planning on using me or something. I told you I'm not dumb. You haven't been cooperating with me this whole time and now suddenly you say you want to work with me against Aldrich?" Darcy chuckled darkly. "Do you really think I'll fall for that?"
"I..." Marcy licked her lips and swallowed, taking a step back. She stared into Darcy's eyes, feeling them analyzing her every minute move. "I...just thought that you..."
"S-S-Save it." Darcy snapped, her teeth gritted. "You're just going to make a f-fool of yourself trying to manipulate me."
"B-But I'm not trying to..." Marcy's heart started to race as she could feel her plan falling apart in front of her eyes. There had to be something she could say that would get Darcy's attention. "Please just listen to me!"
"Ah hah! I knew it! I can hear it in your tone! There IS something more to this, isn't there?" Darcy paused for a moment, seething in pain. "You changed your tone too fast. You went from feigning confidence to nearly breaking down at the drop of a tail slap!"
Marcy's body started to tremble, a mixture of emotion swirling inside of her, breaths heavy. She couldn't tear her eyes away from Darcy's smug gaze. She found herself taking another step back, doing her best not to falter. She couldn't let herself appear any weaker. She couldn't let Darcy have a chance to turn this around into her favor.
Marcy had to stay quiet for a bit, giving herself time to recover from the tight grip of anxiety. She took in slow deep breaths and slowly straightened herself. Once she had it all under control again, her face became stern once more. Her eyes remained locked on Darcy's as she got closer to her again.
"....do you want to keep feeling weak?" Marcy finally said.
Darcy spluttered, pulling her head back in shock, clearly not expecting this response.
Marcy continued, "Do you want to live out the rest of your existence being treated like you're nothing? Regardless of any supposed plan you think I have, wouldn't you prefer any chance to prove Aldrich wrong? Wouldn't you jump at the chance to get even with him for what he's done to you?"
Darcy didn't answer this time. Marcy couldn't tell if it was because she was actually contemplating what was being said or if she was just trying to think of another retort. Either way, Marcy pressed on.
"I know you don't think his treatment of you was fair. I know you would jump for a chance at this. You're not the kind of...person...to let this slide." Marcy slowly knelt in front of Darcy, making sure her doppelganger was looking at her. "Don't tell me you would skip this opportunity just because you think I might do something."
Darcy furrowed her eyes, looking at Marcy up and down. She leaned back into the wall, turning her head to give Marcy a side glance. Suspicion still reigned in her face and judging by the growing grimace, it didn't seem likely that Darcy believed her. Marcy kept quiet, giving Darcy time to respond, hoping that she would....
Then suddenly, the air around Marcy grew cold and stiff as a shadow crawled over her and Darcy's bodies. The two of them remained silent as a low growl rumbled behind them, penetrating through their bodies and echoing in their chests. Marcy's blood chilled and she forced herself to swallow.
How could she have forgotten about....
"What's this about overthrowing Aldrich?"
Marcy's body shuddered as she leaned her head back until she could see Crypt's face, red eyes narrowed into slits.
Crypt growled, "Well...? I'm waiting..."
Marcy glanced over at Darcy, who remained frozen and uncertain herself. Realizing that it was up to her to again try to salvage this, Marcy looked back at Crypt. She struggled to smile the best she could, her voice coming out as a squeak.
"W-W-Well you see..."
sss
"You are making a big mistake. I already told you, I have what you need to help him. Just turn around and..."
Whack!
"Ouch!"
"Keep your mouth shut or I'll hit you harder."
"Y-You hit your own daughter?!"
"First of all, you're in my daughter's body but you are not her. Second, that's rich coming from you. Didn't you kill your own son?"
"That was entirely different! Besides you do realize she can feel your hits, do you not?"
"Wait, what?!"
Oum sighed as she turned her head away, trying to ignore Darcy's words and Mrs. Wu's retorts. She didn't want to dwell on that now. Not while they still had to get out of the crumbling building.
Not when so many lives were still on the line.
Oum was grateful for Parisia's assistance. The giant olm had offered to carry her husband and the girls. Oum was concerned it might be difficult as Parisia was also holding Darcy. Parisia insisted and didn't let Oum continue before picking up her husband in one arm and cradling the girls in the other. Oum couldn't bring herself to protest and instead managed a smile and thanked the giant amphibian.
Mr. Waybright offered support for Oum to help her walk. He looped one of her arms over his shoulders and held it there, letting the woman lean into him so she wouldn't fall. Oum managed a small 'thank you' as the group headed out.
Mrs. Wu had done her best to try and treat everyone's wounds. It wasn't much, but with Olivia's help, it should be enough until they all got to the nearest hospital. Oum couldn't feel more grateful for the help. It was almost liberating to not have to immediately worry about wounds bleeding so dangerously.
Oum only wished they could've done something for the pain.
With the adrenaline gone, Anne and Sasha both began to succumb to the pain of their injuries. Sasha couldn't even walk on her own and required help from her mother. Grime had attempted to offer aid. Mrs. Waybright wouldn't allow it as she feared Grime's claws might hurt Sasha further. Oum didn't think Grime would be that clumsy but the blonde woman was insistent. Grime expressed his disappointment but otherwise backed down.
As for Anne, Oum would have loved to help her, but seeing how she required assistance herself, Mr. Wu stepped in instead. He helped Anne lean against him as they all continued to walk forward. He was careful not to touch anything that would cause the poor girl pain. Anne kept glancing over at her mother, clearly wanting to be with her instead. But Anne knew any attempt would end in failure, so she didn't attempt to reject Mr. Wu's help.
The Plantars remained close to Anne. Hop Pop made sure the kids didn't get too close, warning them that Anne needed a bit of distance so she could walk. While Polly didn't have too much issue following this rule, Sprig kept trying to get closer only for his grandfather to pull him back. Sprig insisted on being there for Anne. Hop Pop told him that the kind of help Anne needed right now wasn't something Sprig could provide. Though the pink frog understood, he continued his attempts.
Oum couldn't help but feel sorry for the pink frog. He clearly wanted to help Anne. There was just nothing he could really do for her. The injuries she received weren't something he could fix on his own. And when they got to the hospital, he might not even be allowed inside due to him being amphibian. He and the rest might have to hide unless they find some really good disguises.
Maddie was a bit further behind the rest, grumbling about something related to potions and maybe healing. Oum strained to listen to her. It was difficult to pick up her voice let alone understand what was being said. Oum tried to look over her shoulder to no avail. A part of her feared that Maddie would get left behind with how distracted she was.
It took a moment before Oum could manage to say, "H-Hey, are y-you goin..."
"Shhh! I'm trying to think!" Maddie was quick to raise her hand up. "I'm just trying to figure out the last ingredient for this... Hmm...."
"Oh... Okay..." Unable to think of anything else, Oum looked away.
Mr. Waybright glanced down at her, his brows furrowing a bit. "She'll be fine. You should focus on yourself. I'm surprised you're even standing right now."
"It's nothing I can't handle." Oum managed a smile. "...but I still appreciate the help."
"Do you mammals know who I am? I command you to release me at once!" Darcy twisted and jerked her body about, still trying to get out of Parisia's grasp.
"Tch, you think that cliche comment will set you free?" Yunan's voice was low and rumbling. Oum could practically see how the general was seething in anger. "If you don't shut your trap, I'll be glad to do it for you."
Darcy snarled at Yunan before glaring up at Parisia. "If you don't release me, I'll make sure you and the rest of your ilk... HURK!" Darcy froze as Parisia squeezed her tightly.
Parisia said, "I don't think you want to finish that sentence."
With a low growl, Darcy tried to say something only for another tight squeeze to silence her again.
The group continued down the new tunnel Parisia had to make for them all to get here. The tunnel thankfully held up well, allowing them all to traverse safely...for now. The sounds of the building breaking rang against the walls, serving as a reminder that they weren't out of the woods yet. Parisia had been warned these new pathways might be compromised depending on how much of the building's structure was compromised. It was theorized that Darcy's constant use for those clawed tendrils destabilized the foundation and now the building was losing its support structure.
The realization only served to make Oum feel sicker. She, her husband, and the girls were here for days at least, likely longer. She couldn't remember anymore. And in all that time, with how often Darcy wrecked the buildings supports...
They were lucky to have gotten out at all.
Oum shuddered, feeling chilled waves crawling up her body. She tried not to think too much on what almost was and focused on continuing the trek forward. They had been walking for a while now. They must be getting close to the exit. She could almost smell the open air outside and she could feel her leg muscles already trying to get her to move faster. After all of this was over, Oum wouldn't take the sky for granted anymore.
Several more minutes passed. The tunnel felt like it went on forever. Oum started to tune everything else out, focused only on the exit and the promise of everyone finally getting help. She pushed her weak leg to work as hard as her other one, wanting to alleviate some of the effort from Mr. Waybright. She tried not to pay much attention to the chatter going on nor the creaking and snapping sounds the building was still making. The only thing that mattered right now was...
"The exit!"
Oum's eyes widened as she heard Mrs. Waybright call out those words. Almost immediately, everyone's pace increased as they all hurried towards the end of the tunnel. A rush of cool air entered the tunnel, bringing with it the smell of grass and dirt. Oum's whole body shuddered, her heart skipping a beat.
Then as they all got closer, a bright light shined into the tunnel, forcing everyone to shield their eyes. A few took a defensive stance as they expected the worst.
...only for Jenny's face to be revealed among the illumination.
And behind them, another familiar face that stirred up far more...mixed feelings.
Mr. X pulled up in his wheelchair, stopping next to Jenny. Upon seeing the condition of Oum, her husband, and the girls, Mr. X's expression immediately hardened and he turned to Jenny. "We have to get them to the hospital now! Pull the van over here!"
Jenny nodded and immediately went to fetch the vehicle.
As everyone got out of the tunnel, as Jenny drove the van over, as the IT Gals, Terri, and Dr. Jan helped get everyone in the van, as Mr. X shouted instructions into a mic, there was one thought that coursed through Oum's head.
It was finally over.
...wasn't it...?
Oum was so preoccupied with finally being free that she failed to notice Darcy starting to twitch.
