I can feel your presence, yet you're still absent. || [SMG34]

Chapter 1

Trigger Warning: Described Panic Attacks 

"Let's get out of here!" SMG4 yelled to the group, their city was destroyed even more than the castle that disintegrated into the ground. It was silly. Two different catastrophes to this world, it seemed almost unreal to the Guardian. As he watched his group of friends run away, SMG4 checked the surrounding area. Someone might be left, it was a savior complex thing, most wouldn't understand it or recognize it, but he did. The only one left standing there was SMG3, looking up at the monster who had destroyed their land before them. Was it hypnotization? He wouldn't know. The monster was doused in a gross puke-like goo, which made SMG4 almost want to throw up.

"SMG3?" He called out, as he didn't respond, just continued to watch as the goo fell down the monster's face and into a puddle before them.

"C'mon, we have to leave like the rest already did." No response again. SMG4 sighed, walking up to his counterpart. He stood behind him for an amount of time, maybe seconds, or minutes but what felt like hours, before something happened. SMG4 went to rest an arm around 3's neck, his arm having to swoop around SMG3's back, but the tactic of reassurance seemed to backfire as a pain whipped through SMG3's chest, at first it was nothing more of it, but as he got pushed to the ground that's when the sharp pain in his back became more noticeable, and when SMG4 realized his mistake. He looked at the sword in his hand, his fingers wrapped around the handle, a sword so pretty yet so full of mistakes and betrayal.

SMG4 looked at SMG3, who laid on his back because of a loss of energy. The wound was prominent, you could see the things that make up the SMG's. Code on the deeper edges but still full of veins just as anybody else in this world they've come to love. Four had no time to gaze, this was on purpose by the creature, for something he did not cause, yet cannot fix either. Dropping the sword, SMG4 picked up SMG3 in both his arms, holding SMG3's back with one arm and supporting his legs with his other, running away. He ran as fast as he could with his short stride, SMG3 felt shockingly lighter, but he wasn't waking, he looked like he was barely breathing. Where did SMG4 accidentally stab him? Was it that bad?

He approached the group, breathing heavily as he continued to hold 3 close to his chest.

"What happened?!" One would yell, but SMG4 couldn't make out the voice as he took sharp inhales and let out long exhales. Four didn't respond, looking at Three who seemed to not be opening his eyes.

"SMG4, what happened to SMG3?" Meggy asked, the weight on Four's arms started to drop, shaking like they would drop the poor guardian any second now, but he wasn't going to.

"I..." SMG4 whispered. He looked at Meggy, then Mario, then back to SMG3. "I don't... I know but I don't– an.. and we just need to- can... I'm not thinking, but I can't stop and say and think when..." His voice rambled, trying to piece together a coherent thought but all that could come out were jumbles or words smashed together to form sentences that had never been formed before.

"Hey, hey. It's okay. Let's just, get him to a hospital as soon as we can and-" Meggy tried to comply, but another voice stepped in.

"They were destroyed, remember? The nearest one is far, heck, maybe days away. There's no way we can get there in time." It was unrecognizable to SMG4, too blurred out by the white noise going through his head to try and piece together what had happened. What kind of savior was he, when he has put Three's life in danger countless times to the point where he's the reason he's slowly dying in his arms?

"Well, what can we do then?!" Another voice got through, still unrecognizable and it hurt to try and listen in with the white noise growing louder and louder as SMG4 looked at Three's pained face.