↳ 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗹: 𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀

𝙆𝙖𝙧𝙡 𝙃𝙚𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙜 - 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘵

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[ any reader ]

Everyone in the village has a gimmick. A trick up their sleeve. Something that makes them them. Whether it be the sole fact that they are a survivor, or whether it be the fact that they just so happen to be a nine foot bloodthirsty vampire.

Everyone has something that makes them unique.

Your partner, Karl, is a special one. While he can move metal with a wave of his hand, is a mastermind and the best engineer you can think of, and has created an entire army to solidify his power, your gift is the ability to see into the future.

Not for very long, but your half a minute visions often prove useful. They can serve as a curse sometimes, forcing you to see the worst things imaginable, or they can act as a blessing in disguise.

"Thank you for spending time with me. I know how busy you are at the moment." You kiss his cheek.

All he has done over the past few weeks is add to his army. Between you visiting his brother and sisters, which he disapproved of but hid to the best of his ability, and him barely stepping away from his work, you've barely seen him.

Sometimes you'll sit on a workbench nearby and chat to him, keeping him company while he works away, but most of the time you deem it best to leave him be. To let him focus on his creations without distractions.

While it was good for him, it was awful for you. Honestly, you're clingy as hell. Not usually, but for some reason, he brings out a side of you that you didn't know existed.

"Anything for you. Oh-"

"Glasses."

"Could you be a doll and grab them for me? You know I can't leave this place without them."

"Suppose." You smile over your shoulder. He chuckles deeply, choosing to check on his most recent lab rat while you do so. The sound is music to your happy ears.

Disappearing into his office to find them sat on his desk, you lean over to pick them up. A new vision piercing through your mind the moment your fingertips come into contact with them.

Shoulders tensing as you clutch them, your eyelids fall and flutter. Lips moving as you whisper incoherently to yourself.

Scrap pieces of metal raise into the air and circle the mechanical giant. The mortal flipping through the air and grabbing onto the tank, firing straight down.

"No, no! This cannot be the end for me!"

Letting your eyes blink open, you frown at the darkened lenses. Unbeknownst to you, Karl is stood in the doorway and scanning your reflection in the mirror.

"What did you see?"

His gravelly voice would've startled you if you weren't so upset. When you slowly turn to face him, his brows furrow.

"I..." you struggle to look up at him. "I saw you."

"That's good." He takes small steps closer. "Isn't it?" His gloved hands loosely hold your elbows. He expects you to say something along the lines of 'I saw you and Miranda fighting', perhaps even that he ends her for good.

"I saw you die."

"That's... not good." Running a hand over his face, he gently takes the glasses from you and places them back onto the desk. He holds both of your smaller ones in his left one, bringing the other to cup your cheek.

"This can't be it," your voice wobbles. "This can't be the end for you-for us. I can't do this without you." He gently pulls you into him, cradling the back of your head. "I'm not ready to let you go."

He squints. "Maybe you don't have to."

"What?" You sniff as he pulls away.

"What if we changed the future? It doesn't have to be me who dies."

"Karl, you're not making any sense."

"Tell me everything you saw."

So you do. You explain exactly what unfolded in your vision without missing a single detail and afterwards, he leads you through the factory. Explaining the ideas running through his head, which is what lead you to building a replica of his mutated form.

Arms folded, you stride towards the giant slumped ahead of you. One of his failed test subjects in the centre to take Karl's place.

Karl waves his hand and binds another piece of metal to the growing monster, taking a step back to check it over. Sturm releases a scorching cloud of flames to melt some pieces, while other robots add to piles of shrapnel that Karl flings left, right and centre with smooth swipes of his arms.

Ignoring the radio blasting rock music to keep him focused, your eyes sweep over his figure from head to toe, memorising every feature in case the plan plummets south.

The mere thought of it going wrong brings a new pool of tears to your eyes, which you quickly wipe away when he steals a glance at you over his shoulder.

As planned, come evening, Ethan arrives and the battle takes place between him and the mechanical monster. You observe from a safe distance, hidden away from the human's line of sight.

Karl's booming voice drowns out the commotion of whirling shrapnel. With some luck, Ethan grabs onto the tank and takes one last shot, reducing the giant to a mound of debris and scrap pieces.

You swallow and clutch the necklace Karl made specially for you. The man himself drops into his seat, processing the amount of fight Ethan has. He stares at the monitor. At the broken monster that would have been him.

Once Ethan has vanished to take on Mother Miranda, you pace back inside, following the rock music blaring through the radio.

The same song as before. Seems oddly uplifting this time round, now that your plan has succeeded.

Karl turns with his hands on his hips and your eyes lock. You struggle to read the expression on his face until he breaks into a gleeful smile. You look at him sceptically as he takes your hand from your necklace, letting out a deep, jovial laugh as he lifts you up and spins you around.

"Have I mentioned how fucking brilliant you are?"

"Once or twice."

"You," he kisses your forehead, "are fucking brilliant." He kisses your cheeks and nose, pecking your lips last. "Smile. Laugh. Celebrate. You just saved my life, darlin'. You didn't want me to leave you, I'm not going anywhere."

When a smile splits through your worried face, you rest your forehead against his and let out a relieved chuckle.

"I guess you're stuck with me." He grins when you shake your head. You yelp when he sweeps you off your feet, giggling when Sturm revs his chainsaws. "Screw it. Go ahead."

Once back on your feet you twirl around, throwing your hands above your head while dancing to the music. Karl has never once claimed to be one for dancing, at most he'll nod along to a few songs while working.

But he'll be damned if he doesn't join in on your fun after you saved his life.

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