[TW] Pyrophobia

Chapter Seventeen | "Dissolution"

DUH

"Haha!" RED cackled at the four of them, leaning down close. "You really think you can defeat me? You've killed me once, twice. I could kill you all if I really wanted to. I can destroy your little happy ending, Doc... you don't want that, do you now?"

Doc winced and looked away. Duh couldn't help but glance over at him. What did RED mean by that?

"Admit it, I'm unstoppable." RED morphed into a much more humane figure, stepping soundlessly and creating a gooey trail behind him. "Scope, dearest sister, your creation only made me more powerful. I can bend it beyond your own understanding." He lifted a piece of goo he had left in the air, shooting it straight at her. Duh flinched and staggered back, standing closer to an injured Mateo and worried Doc. "You really were out of your mind all those years ago, ending my life. One wrong move and I can just simply end yours."

"Shut the fuck up already, RED." Scope grumbled. "You're right, I should've done something else. It was right to get you out of my way, but I didn't think you'd go on and fuck up everything."

RED just smiled and turned to face Duh, Doc, and Mateo. "And the three of you. What'll you do? I've already so badly hurt your father, Doc... aww, poor thing looks in terrible condition, really."

Doc seemed to growl under his breath, clenching his fists, but Duh only put his hand on his shoulder. "Calm down," he whispered, "I'll take care of this."

"Take care of me?" RED raised a brow. "What'll you take care of, punk? You've brought nothing. Where's your weapon?"

"I don't need one." Duh narrowed his eyes. He felt enraged, he felt... angry. For once, he welcomed this. "You taught me something, RED. I already have my own weapon I can use, whenever you're alive."

"And what's that?" RED cackled. "Your fists?"

"My own temper." Duh snapped. He charged at RED and tackled him to the floor, gripping onto his arm as RED let out an alarmed growl, growing in size and beginning to swing him around.

"Get off of me, stupid rat!"

Duh didn't listen, he barely even heard him. His claws sunk into RED's gooey skin and tore, releasing a strange blinding red blood that covered his figure. RED let out another angry yowl and swung his arm, flinging Duh straight off and onto the grassy floor. Duh caught himself and prepared to leap again but only weakly collapsed.

"Oh, Duh." RED began to creep closer and closer to Duh, that same heartless grin plastered onto their face. "Filled with rage or not, possessed by me or not, you've got a heart of gold... why do you think Scope is still alive?"

Scope flinched as RED said this and glanced at Duh, narrowing her eyes. Duh caught her gaze and said nothing at first.

"You made a mistake keeping her alive. You've made a mistake challenging me, you should've just let me rule the world those few years ago. Everything would've been at peace. But now..." RED raised a sharp claw, fury sparking in their bloodthirsty eyes, "I'm afraid that can never happen."

Before Duh could say anything, he heard quick footsteps. He looked back and saw Doc leaving Mateo's side, running right towards Scope. RED was startled too, and turned just in time to see the smaller figure grabbing her and tugging her by the arm.

"Wh—?! Doc, let me go—!" Scope demanded.

Doc narrowed his eye, and then spoke loudly as if he was calling out to the world. "It's time to end this, RED! Once and for all!"

Duh gasped and the world seemed to fall in slow-motion. Doc swung Scope by her arm and threw her straight at RED's direction. RED panicked and tried to move out of the way, tried to even shift in time, but Scope seemed to fall straight into his red, goopy figure, reaching out and letting out a dreadful scream as she did so. RED let out a screech as Scope suddenly seemed to disappear inside of him, and goo began to melt from his figure.

What the Hell did you do, Doc?! Duh got up and quickly staggered back, closer to where Doc stood. He glanced at the smaller figure, who only watched coldly as RED seemed to melt before his very eyes. Although Duh noticed his eye twitch... was that sadness? He winced and looked at RED, who dreadfully reached out to them before all he became was a pile of goo that sunk into the Earth.

"...Doc—" Duh began.

Doc didn't answer, immediately hurrying to Mateo's side. Duh looked back and nodded. Oh, right. He glanced back at what was once RED. Where was Scope? Was she... gone too? Suddenly life didn't feel right anymore. He hated her guts but... he missed her. He followed Doc much more slowly, crouching down at the side of the older figure.

Mateo seemed to rasp in pain, bleeding out from his cut-off arm. He just let out a small chuckle and stared up at Doc. "You did it, kid."

Doc frowned and looked away. "I... guess I did. Didn't I?"

Duh rested his hand on Doc's shoulder. He had nothing to say, he just had to let everything unfold.

"I knew RED could go out that way." Mateo seemed to start trembling. "He... is weak, really... he doesn't have as much power... as he tries to say. Scope was truly the source of all of this..."

"...Just stay here, okay?" Doc pleaded. "I can get to OneLife. I can get you bandaged up, I-I—"

"No." Mateo insisted. "It's too late for me, Doc."

"What?" Doc shook his head. "B-But— no! No. You've got to stay alive, I—"

"If I was supposed to stay alive, then I'd only live a life of misery. I have to own up to my mistakes somehow, Doc. I ran away from my responsibilities, my youth caught up to me when I was meant to be looking towards my maturities. I can't live another day knowing I've ruined both our lives."

"But you've changed." Doc whispered, his voice shaking. Duh glanced at him, and flinched as he noticed tears beginning to trickle down his face. "You've changed, p-please..."

"...I'm sorry for everything." Mateo rested his remaining hand on Doc's own, lying the rest of his body weakly on the floor. "Duh, please... keep him safe, as long as you can... I'll watch over you, son... always."

"Of course, you will. Because you're right here with me." Doc smiled and lifted his hand with Mateo's own. But a dreadful sound could be heard: a thud. The hand falling to the floor. Doc looked up shakily, and Duh squinted his eyes shut. He couldn't look.

Mateo was... really dead, wasn't he? Doc could see him as a ghost, but it would never be the same.

He'd never be able to see him normally, he'd never be beside him in the real world.

Duh nearly toppled over as Doc leaned against him sharply, stifling a sob, crying into his shoulder. Duh didn't know how to help him, so all he could do was bring him into a hug and hold him close. After all, he lost people too, but never his father. Well, he did... but he didn't quite grow close to him.

"I know it hurts, Doc..." Duh whispered gently. As he was hugging Doc, he felt a sharpness in his arms begin to disappear... he couldn't help but glance over Doc's shoulder and look. The Spreading, where... where was it? "The Spreading...?"

Doc sniffled and slightly pulled away. "W-What?"

"My arms... it's..." He looked at his hands, then pulled up his sleeves. Was he hallucinating? Was this all a dream? Maybe RED was still alive after all, and this was just a... mostly happy ending he could only wish for.

"It's gone...?" Doc sniffled, managing to whisper the question as he too glanced at Duh's arms that once had the Spreading on them. "It can't be..."

"It's really gone." Duh let out a smile, and then hugged Doc. "It's over."

Doc seemed to tremble beneath Duh's grasp, and Duh only felt him hug back, so relieving to him. He too whispered. "It's over... it's over..."

At last, the war was finally over.