The New Toppat (Curtisson)

12: Dark Room

"You need to go interact with your clan more," Hat Girl said suddenly, making Sven jump out of his seat.

"I didn't even know you were here!" he cried.

Hat Girl chuckled and pushed him out of the office.

He slithered across the floors of the hallways, entering the cafeteria of the airship. He looked out at the beautiful sky, his eyes twinkling.

That was when he saw something in the distance. A shape that was getting bigger and bigger, closer and closer...

His pupils constricted.

No...

"EVERYBODY GET DOWN!" he screamed just as the thing crashed into the window, shattering it. Immediately, he was restrained with a gun pointed right at his head.

He started hyperventilating. He was on thin ice, between life and death...

"You're the leader of the Toppats, hm?" the person growled into his ear. Their arm was wrapped around his neck.

"You're all under arrest!" they shouted. "If you don't surrender peacefully, I'll shoot your leader!"

"Go ahead."

Sven's heart stopped.

"After all, he's not like Reginald, or any of the other former leaders. Honestly, this is all his fault. And the rules state that any leader who isn't meeting expectations gets overthrown and killed." 

Sven vainly tried to see who was speaking, but he couldn't.

"If Reginald and Right Hand Man weren't missing, they'd still be here, and we'd still have a good leader. Why did they even pick a young, inexperienced Toppat to take their place?"

Sven started to cry, tears dripping down his cheeks. 

Through his blurry vision, he saw Carol and Burt run into the room, alerted by the noise. They skidded to a halt as soon as they saw him.

"Shoot him and leave us alone." 

Why isn't anyone talking back..? Do they agree..?

Sven painfully tried to see them all, but he couldn't.

He then realized why nobody was saying anything.

Because the person who was dissing him...

Was his mind.

"J-Just shoot me and l-leave them alone..." Sven muttered, choking on his tears.

You're not like the others...

They're gone and it's your fault...

You'll never be a great and powerful leader like them...

You're weak.

You're small.

You're inexperienced.

You're useless.

You're wrong.

"SHOOT ME AND LEAVE THEM ALONE!" Sven shrieked. He gasped with sobs.

Sounds good.

Nobody said anything in response. 

Sven looked to see everybody staring at him. Even Burt and Carol. 

Suddenly, the person released their grip on him. Their presence disappeared.

Everything around him vanished. Except the people.

It was pure darkness, with Sven surrounded by mocking, laughing faces.

I-I thought they believed in me...

They don't. They want you gone so a better leader can take your place.

"It's all your fault anyway!" somebody shouted.

Somebody else stepped forward. 

Burt.

"B-Burt..." Sven whispered.

The Toppat looked at him dully.

"They are right, y'know," he muttered. "It's your fault. The government wouldn't be after us if you hadn't lacked in proper qualities to be a leader."

"Y-You... Y-You don't mean that!" Sven cried.

"YOU LET US ALL DOWN!" Burt snapped. "JAG HATAR DIG, SVEN!"