South Park: Dragging Me Down

Pep Talk

After spending a few hours trying to find an open fruit stall for Pip, Mysterion had had quite the busy evening kicking criminal butt after a few incidents had been raised by civilians. He felt bad for Pip because he'd practically just left him on the spot, but naturally the British blonde was very understanding about the situation and was happy for him to leave.

It was now the early hours of the following morning and Mysterion was exhausted from getting punched, kicked and stabbed all night. He had hoped to find Pip again and see him before he retired for the night but he hadn't been aboe to find him. He most definitely wasn't where Mysterion had left him. The hero hopped along the library roof, scanning the streets for any sign of Pip.

Just where would he have gone?

"Little China." Mysterion suddenly realized, taking off for the tea shop. After a few minutes of hauling himself along building rooftops, he landed at his destination. He found Pip sitting on the roof next to the ventilation shaft, curled up into a ball. Mysterion gently landed beside him and pattered to a stop. "Hey buddy." he greeted. "Sorry I've been so long. Hero work, y'know?"

Pip gave him a minute smile which quickly fell. Mysterion sighed. Pip still seemed to be in a downbeat mood. He'd been quite quiet since his earlier outburst that evening and obviously still had a lot to think about. Mysterion shuffled beside the Brit and mimicked his pose, pulling his knees up to his aching chest. "Wanna talk about what's bothering you?"

Pip shook his head.

"Are you sure?"

Pip shook his head again, eyes beginning to water.

"You know I won't judge you, right?"

"I'm just tired." Pip muttered, holding his head in his arms.

"Okay, that may be part of the reason but you're clearly upset and I want to help you." Mysterion offered. "Please tell me." he added quietly.

Pip sighed, raising his head a little. "I'm just thinking about how much of a failure I am. Okay?"

"You're not a failure," Mysterion replied sternly, "I hate it when you talk down to yourself like that. What have I told you?"

"I'm a failure because I can't keep a family and I can't make friends. There's just something wrong with me and I can't work out what it is, but I'll figure it out and that's that," Pip said gravely, resting his head back on his knees. "Don't worry about me."

Mysterion gave him a hard prod in the shoulder. "If I don't, who will? Now stop moping already! None of this is your fault."

Pip's eyes brightened.

"You have to stop caring what other people think about you. You care too much about what others have said and it keeps upsetting you. It's a dangerous cycle."

"A-Aren't you supposed to care?"

Mysterion shook his head. "I don't see why you care so much about others when they just don't care about you. You need to focus on the people who DO care about you, Pip."

"B-But..." Pip started.

"Yes?"

"T-There's only you." he spoke quietly, feeling bad.

"Then just focus on me. Only my words matter. A lot of people just lie to you out of spite and you have to learn to ignore it."

"W-Why would they do that?" Pip asked innocently.

"Because they're cruel. So SO cruel. You deserve a lot better than how they treat you." Mysterion intoned with a nod of his head. "Honestly."

"Do I?" there was a glimmer of hope in his voice.

Mysterion nodded, "You have to try and stop dwelling on the past and give the future a chance." he commanded.

"F-Future?"

"Yes."

Pip looked at him with shining eyes, trying to absorb this information. He'd never really thought about his future before. He'd kind of assumed that he'd die young and broke on the streets and never be able to experience any kind of future. But Mysterion gave him hope. The hero was really trying to see the good in him and wanted him to do well. Nobody had ever been bothered about him like this before and it warmed his heart a little. "So... just to clarify... um, do you... really care about me?" he asked nervously, half expecting the vigilante to turn his back on him.

Mysterion knelt down to his eye level and held his hands in his own gloved ones. "Of course I do."

"But... why? I'm kind of just... bland. Weak."

"Why? Because you don't fight back when people pick on you?"

Pip nodded honestly.

Mysterion sighed. Pip thought so little of himself. "You're not bland. You're just a little lost, and that's okay. I'm a little lost too. I think everyone feels that way at some point in their lives and it's totally normal. You feel that way because nobody's ever given you the chance to shine before."

"S-Shine?" Pip was absorbed.

"Yes, shine. You continually get eclipsed by those around you and this makes you feel at fault when in reality you haven't done anything wrong. They're at fault. Not you."

"Uh... oh." Pip was at a loss for words. He didn't really know what to say in response. He suddenly realized he'd forgotten how to speak. His mouth clammed up and he balled up his hands tightly.

"Why don't you take a day off school tomor- today? It might make you feel better." Mysterion suggested.

Pip shuffled uncomfortably, bowing his head subordinately. "I-I get lonely!" he spat out, panicked. "At least at school people acknowledge me. When I'm here I'm alone for days. I-I don't like being alone..." he hugged himself.

Mysterion was surprised Pip actually admitted something like that, "What if I were here with you?"

"B-But your alter ego has school and that means you'd have to skip it too, which you've already done before, and you don't have to do something like that just for me... again!"

"But you're lonely!"

"I've spent the majority of my life alone!" he admitted, "I know how to handle it!"

"But that's not fair!" Mysterion snapped.

"I-I'm used to it!" Pip inputted, trying to reassure him. "It's been the same since I was younger so I'm used to it. I'm just being a baby."

Mysterion absorbed this information with a sigh. It wasn't fair that Pip had been made to feel this way.

"I-It's fine! Anyway. D-Don't worry about it. Don't worry about... me." he smiled awkwardly, feeling bad about the whole situation.

The duo remained quiet for a few moments.

"I can't stop worrying about you." Mysterion finally admitted, head turned away from his companion. "I care about you."

Pip stared at him in shock, willing him to repeat it so he knew he wasn't dreaming.

"I care about you." Mysterion repeated, facing him with a serious expression. "I'm your friend and I care about you. Fuck what the others say."

Pip felt his face heating up.

"So start putting yourself first. You're not being selfish if you do that. You're being more human. At the moment you're practically a shell of your former self and I don't like it. I want you to be happy. So whatever amount of shit they throw at you you've just got to learn how to ignore it because they're not going to stop any time soon. Ignore them and stop believing all the crap they spout. You're not worthless or pathetic or any of those. You're brave for actually admitting your weaknesses. You're stronger than them and your actions will eventually prove that."

Pip slowly lifted his head up. "I'm not... worthless?"

"Say it again."

"I'm not worthless."

"Now start believing that and you'll be fine." Mysterion gave him a small smile, holding out his pumped fist. A little in a daze, Pip slowly curled his own hand into a ball and delicately bumped his fist against Mysterion's gloved one.

"Boom." Mysterion chuckled, causing Pip to finally smile.