[TW] Pyrophobia

Chapter Six | "Possession"

DUH

After his long and rather peaceful day with Sebastian, Duh had decided to stop at the grocery store. He expected a text from Doc any moment now asking where he was. The poor guy often worried about him. Duh didn't blame him, after all the shit that happened.

As he clicked the power button, his phone turned on, but no notifications appeared in his taskbar. That's weird. Doc normally texts me around this time whenever he's getting home or is late. He decided to dismiss it for now... maybe he was busy with a patient, or there was some sort of medical emergency he had to manage.

Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling something felt... off. He only grabbed a few things from the store: just a bag of chips, some hamburger buns, and condiments, for a dinner perhaps. After he paid, he quickly left and began to drive home.

That was when the world twisted into chaos.

A loud bang sounded as he was driving nearby an empty street and he couldn't help but stop. Was that a gun? His blood almost ran cold. He knew damn well Doc had a gun. As he stopped the car, he quickly got out of it and crept around it, scanning the area for any sign of him. What's going on with you, Doc? What is it now...?

He stepped into a patch of grass, and he heard another bang, this time louder than the previous. It caused him to hide behind a small tree and peer out from behind it. He heard... voices. All too familiar voices.

"This has to stop." He knew that voice instantly... he knew it. Doc. "This has to stop! You can't keep holding a grudge against him forever, he's done nothing wrong to you!"

"It's not him I hold a grudge against." The next voice slithered out as an all too familiar hiss that told Duh that it was Scope challenging his love... but how? He thought that she would leave them alone after they killed RED... had they gotten it all wrong?

"Then why're you doing this?" Doc stepped closer, gun shining in his hands as he pointed it to Scope. "And don't even try to step near me. I'll blow your fucking head off."

"You can try. You're too much of a pussy. And besides... you know I won't kill you." Scope chuckled and daringly took a step closer, just as Doc had told her not to. In return, he had shot again, causing Scope to dodge the bullet swiftly. She leapt at him and tackled him to the ground.

Duh watched in horror, terrified to interact. She's going to kill him! Something told him to interfere, but at the same time he couldn't move. Duh, you've got to help him!

Scope stole the gun right out of Doc's hands, and as she pinned him to the ground with a strong foot, she towered over him, pointing the gun at him. He couldn't see it, but that beast had a twisted grin on her face, and he knew it damn well. "Look how the tables have turned. Now I can blow your brains out, your piece of shit."

Doc just stared with a glare, but Duh could tell that he began to tremble slightly beneath her.

"...I've got other plans." Scope tossed the gun away, letting it skid on the sidewalk. She leaned close to him, her multiple eyes narrowing as they all glared at him. "I can let you suffer. And I know just the way to do it."

Before Doc got to reply, he let out a pained yell as Scope slashed down right on his eye with what appeared to be sharpened claws of sorts. Duh gasped in horror and trembled, feeling an unwelcoming rage begin to become him. How dare she...! Infuriated, Duh slowly began to step closer, revealing himself to the public. Scope had stepped away from Doc but turned suddenly as Duh stepped out of the shadows. "Ah, so we have company."

Duh glared at her and turned to face Doc. He was writhing in pain on the pavement floor, his hands covering his right eye, blood covering his face and palms. His gaze softened and he crouched down, gently pressing his hand against Doc's hair. "No, no..."

Doc winced in pain and looked up slowly, his eye still covered as his other looked at Duh, teary and narrowed, obviously expressing his agony. "...Shit... w-why are...?"

"There, there..." He must've just come back from work... his surgery mask is still on and everything... Duh gently lifted Doc's chin, sighing. "...Don't worry... are you okay?"

"Fuck, man, I don't know..." Doc huffed, trying to meet Duh's gaze, but looking very faint. He let Duh hold his head in his hand, shaking.

"It's okay... rest..." Duh combed his other hand through Doc's hair once quite tenderly before turning to Scope, who had watched with a glare. He gently rested Doc beside a nearby tree and something inside of him... snapped. Without a thought in his mind, Duh had then rushed towards Scope, tackling her.

"Wh—?!" Scope didn't even have the time to react before falling to the ground. Duh angrily slashed at her chin and in reply, she tried to shove him off. Using brute force, he continued to rake at her, once her arm, another her face. No blood was drawn, at least he would assume. How was he meant to known when all that was visible was some goopy multi-eyed freak?

Eventually he clamped his hands down on her throat in an attempt to choke her. Perhaps to death, Hell if he knew. She scratched at his arms once or twice, but he didn't care, he wanted her dead. He only snapped out of it when she lashed out at his face, managing to kick him off of her and hurrying away with a hiss curling out of her lips as she did.

Blood trickling down his sore arms, Duh held himself from the floor, breathing heavily, feeling strength suddenly leave him and be replaced by an overwhelming weakness that made him want to collapse. But he kept himself steady, he had to.

"Duh..." Doc's weak voice sounded from behind him, a rasp of pain but one that called out to him, "what the Hell was that?"

Duh looked behind him, feeling a warmth begin to trickle down his face as his head turned. I'm bleeding on my face, too... shit... He shook his head and slowly went to stand, beginning to stagger over to Doc, who had still been rested against the tree. "She's gone now... she's gone."

Doc looked up at Duh, trembling. "Duh... you're a bloody fucking mess... what the fuck did you do?"

"What... do you mean...?" Duh's eye twitched in reply to Doc's words, and he realized now that Doc seemed... afraid. Is he... scared of me? Why would he be? Duh dealt with Scope, he dealt with the problem, didn't he? They were free, at least for now...

"You almost killed her..."

"Isn't that what you want?" Duh smiled.

"What's gotten into you?" Doc blinked slowly, breathing carefully.

Duh's smile twisted into a frown quickly. "What...? I... I thought I was..." Duh looked at the ground, at his bloody hands, his bloody sweater. No, this isn't me.

"You're not the monster..." Doc winced. "You're not normally... the... monster... I..."

He didn't get to finish as he suddenly let out a rasp for air, falling back against the tree with a puff of air. He was still breathing and shivered as blood coated the side of his face where he was blinded, but Duh realized with horror that he wasn't conscious of his surroundings.

"Doc?" Duh drew closer, and quickly hurried to his side as he crouched down beside him. He finally understood the mistake he had made, but how come it didn't seem he wasn't in control? Had he really been in his own mind when he had attacked Scope, when he had tried to choke her to her own demise? To her own death?

Why had I tried to kill her? I don't want her dead... do I?

Despite all the blood covering his gloved hands, he used his available strength to lift Doc and staggered to the car. I'll get you home... I'll make up for my mistake... if it was even my own to begin with.