“Be a warrior.”
From the moment he accepted the boy’s offer, Macaque knows how it’s going to end.
Completely and utterly disastrously, as any mess related to Wukong would.
Doubly so if the so-called Great Sage started it.
Macaque is an expert at this, and he could tell Mk that. He probably should warn the kid, maybe nudge him about what, exactly, he’s asking of him. Maybe. It would be the… honest thing to do, the logical thing to do for his own continued survival, but Macaque hasn’t been an honest person in centuries, long before he’d clawed his way out of the dirt Wukong buried his corpse under. The Sage might have been known as a trickster, but Macaque was double so the schemer compared to the older monkey. Many of his tricks had been attributed to the Monkey King, over the years.
It would be honest, Macaque concludes, but it certainly would not be kind. He’s spent long enough around the Monkey King’s successor to know that acquiring this knowledge will only result in the child panicking, backtracking, and potentially costing them the fight. No, this is how things need to go. If this world has a chance at seeing a new dawn, then Macaque needs to do everything to ensure it. This includes making certain questionable, definitively dangerous and most of all underhanded choices. Chasing MK and his friends across the desert, pushing the boy over and over again to drags his powers back out in time for this final fight -Macaque has done everything he thought possible to ensure the kid is ready.
And he is ready. Kind of. He can play his part with some sensible percentage of success, and so can Macaque. He needs to do this for the kid, because Macaque is painfully aware he is MK's only available card left -the only one capable of doing what they need done. Nezha's been captured, Wukong nothing but a puppet for the Lady Bone Demon-
-so Macaque keeps his mouth shut.
It’s easier this way.
“You okay?”
The boy’s voice draws him out of his thoughts; Macaque turns his head to look at the human plopping down on the stone bench next to him. The others were getting ready, preparing the truck for the final voyage.
Macaque thought he’d been pretty safe in his corner of the temple, waiting for them to be ready to head out. Clearly, MK sniffed him out. Maybe he senses something. Maybe he doesn't. Macaque needs to handle this carefully.
“What makes you think that?
“You’re pretty quiet.” The boy hums, legs kicking, betraying his nerves. “...and you’re not answering my question.” He points out quite truthfully, brown eyes squinting at him. He's been around Wukong for too long, if he's starting to distrust Macaque's words.
...even if he should. Macaque snorts, avoiding his gaze in favor of looking at the rest of the group.
“It’s not going to be an easy fight, kiddo.” He admits, not wishing to lie to someone who didn’t deserve Macaque’s brand of twisted bullshit.
He watches from the corner of his eyes as MK visibly shudders. Hesitation dances in those brown eyes. Macaque shifts, hesitation mixing with the desire to say the truth but he can’t, that would break him - his tail flicks for a moment, then finds its way to wrap securely around one of the kid’s wrist, squeezing gently.
MK’s head is clearly somewhere else but the boy notices, if the way both hands start fiddling with the tip of Macaque’s tail. The shadow demon indulges him, waiting patiently.
“Do you…” The boy bites his lower lip, deep in thought. “...do you think we can do it?”
Macaque opens his mouth to retort, and pauses, not for the first time wondering if maybe he should say something. Then he reminds himself, again, that it would be just cruel.
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Brotherhood: Destiny Fulfilled
Fanfiction"Be a warrior." From the moment he accepted the boy's offer, Macaque knows how it's going to end. Or: Macaque knows that Wukong has been holding back, and what happens when he doesn't. It doesn't change his decision Sun Wukong and Macaque are brothe...
