Stuck In Paradise

Face Yourself

Kim was peacefully sleeping...that was until her phone rang.

Letting out a groan she picked it up only to see Aubrey’s name.

She sprung up at that, quickly throwing her blanket off and sitting straight on her bed. She picked up the call and quickly noticed how Aubrey’s breathing was off.

“Hey, Aubs. What’s happening?” She asked, already moving to grab her shoes.

“I...Kim, holy shit. I need help.” Aubrey’s voice was the most panicked she ever heard her.

“Already putting on my shoes. Where and when?” Kim made sure her voice didn’t waver. She was going to help her friend no matter what it was.

“At the hideout. Shit went down. Don’t ask, just help...please….”

Kim wanted to ask what happened but held back. Aubrey will tell her when she is ready. She had to trust her friend.

“Alright, I’ll be there soon.” Kim hung up and ran out her front door.

~~~~~~

Things weren’t going so great. Kel was busy with the operator and Hero was knocked out along with Basil. Sunny was bleeding to death and Aubrey was trying to stop the bleeding using her jacket. She had to call over Kim who she knew had some medical knowledge in case the gang ever got badly hurt.

Speaking of the devil, Kim ran through as her life depended on it. She quickly made her way to Aubrey before letting out a gasp and covering her mouth.

“Yeah, I know. Do you know what to do with extreme bleeding?” Aubrey asked.

~~~~~~

Hero felt like his head was split in two. Everything hurt and he felt like his skull was broken. He sat up anyway, taking a look around.

He was in some sort of gray void with a figure standing up ahead. He forced himself off the ground and proceeded to walk forward, though it was more like limping.

He nearly tripped and stumbled a few times before making it to the figure.

They had long hair and were wearing some type of gown. They turned...no. She turned around and faced Hero with a small yet sad smile.

“Hero...it’s nice to see you again.”

“M-Mari?” Hero felt tears appear in his eyes.

”Yeah, it’s me.”

She smiled and it made Hero’s heart flutter. He missed that smile. He missed it a lot.

” I know you would rather stay here with me, but you need to go back...Sunny and Basil need you. Kel and Aubrey need you.”

“I...I know.” Hero looked away.

” Hero, some really bad things are about to happen. You’re going to go under a really intense battle. I want you to promise me you wouldn’t give up, okay?”

Mari gave him a genuine smile and Hero smiled back.

“Of course I won’t give up. I’ll protect them, I promise.”

Mari chuckled.

” Good! Now get out there and live up to your name!”

Hero nodded as a door appeared behind him.

He walked forward and grabbed the door handle. He turned around to see Mari waving goodbye before disappearing.

With a new resolve, he opened the door.

He was going to be a Hero.

~~~~~~

Basil felt dizzy as the world spun around him. He could hear people talking but they were becoming more faded as time passed.

He blinked and he was back in that weird void area with the masked version of himself.

“Trying to cover me with fear again I see.”

He hated its voice.

“Don’t ignore me. I know you know what I did out there.”

“Of course I know what you did. You...you….”

The memories of Sunny’s unconscious body bleeding out filled his mind.

“You hurt him.”

“Yes, yes I did.” The masked Basil let out a groan.

“He...He didn’t deserve that! You hurt him! He did nothing wrong!” Basil yelled.

“He did everything wrong. His first mistake was becoming Something’s puppet. His second mistake was being friends with us.”

“SHUT UP!” Basil ran forward, his gardening shears appearing in his hands.

The masked Basil simply blocked his attacks with his own shears.

It became a back and forth battle between them. Both sides are trying to get rid of the other.

Masked Basil easily knocked Basil down. Basil was exhausted and his head hurt way too much to process what was about to happen.

He was going to be erased again.

Masked Basil was going to hurt Sunny again.

There was nothing he could do about it.

He let out silent tears as the shears came down, about to plunge into him and take everything away.

Until the sound of something hitting flesh hard rang out and the sound of metal hitting the ground accompanied it.

Masked Basil was knocked back with the shears out of his hands as Hero stood over him.

Hero reached his hand out to Basil who starred with tears rolling down his face.

“Here, get up. We have a lot to talk about in the morning.” Hero gave a small smile.

Basil blinked a few times before accepting his hand. Hero pulled him up and Basil gave him a small smile back.

Masked Basil also got up, picking his shears off the ground and turning to the duo with unfiltered rage in his eyes.

“You...asshole….Leave us to perish.”

“Absolutely not.” Hero refused.

“Fine. Have it your way. But I am also not fighting alone.”

Basil quickly looked around and saw nobody who looked like the masked version of himself, “You’re lying.”

“Is he?”

Hero’s voice rang out but Hero never moved his lips.

Another Hero appeared behind the masked Basil.

He was black and white as well but other than that he looked exactly like the real Hero. He also wore a mask, this one being sadness. Just like the mirror in Black Space.

“You thought you could escape me? Sorry, that isn’t happening anytime soon.”