Death's Destructive Family: DestructiveDeath Sequel

Chapter 27: Clinging to Family

NO POV

It takes days, weeks, nearly months, but they find the location that Shattered streams from. Shino tells Reaper with a smile. She opens a portal, going through with Reaper while Goth and Raven look after Geno who gets a rare chance to sleep.

They glance around, realizing that it may take longer to find their Error here. It looks like a nearly endless number of jail cells in rows that ascend into a high ceiling that they can't see. Entire pods and cell blocks are seen extending into the distance. They glance at each other and sigh.

"Let's begin."Shino says

"Let's release the rest of them as we go, too."He says

Shino nods.

They start going through the pods and every cell block, Reaper flying as high as he needs to reach the top levels. They break into each cell, freeing any prisoners regardless of who it is and opening a portal to send them back to their AU. But Shino keeps a code screen open to guide her to the soul shard matching their Error.

Error hears the portals shut but is too weak to lift his head after all of the painful experiments. He can't even open one of his eyes. Somehow he hasn't crashed as Shattered's programs seem to test his limits and strength until there's some use for him. He's shocked that he hasn't seen Shattered this whole time, but he'd rather it this way.

He has learned how things work by now. His cell is basically getting live-streamed for any viewers to see and whatever they pay for, he must obey or be painfully punished with another test. Even if they pay for him to get stabbed or tortured, he must endure it or face something worse. He thought being toyed by Fate was bad, now there are dozens in control of him and he can do nothing to stop it. Some are merciful and show some compassionate care for him, paying to feed him and provide healing magic or other resources. He's lucky whenever they come along and pay enough for him to get more than stale scraps, like a delicious chocolate bar. But most are cruel and twisted, trying to find the worst ways to use him, taunt him, and get entertained by his pain.

They're currently amused by his inability to even move and forbid him from speaking until they pay for him to make noise again. He's carefully obeying it, knowing the living hell he will get if he doesn't. He can hear all their donation messages from speakers though and it makes him sick as they question what to "make him" or if toying with him like this is good enough to satisfy them. Some are even considering buying him and petitioning for Shattered to open his cell to auction like the rest of the cells are used for. Most comments are after his power and seek to use him or force him to become an obedient servant/pet that destroys anything they seek destroyed for a "treat" and reward. He hears mentions of Reaper or Horror and the gang as targets and sighs too quietly for them to hear over the dinging of their own donations.

The thought of returning safely to his family, seeing them all again and recovering, has been the only thing keeping him going. It keeps him grounded and determined to endure it all. Just the thought of seeing their faces and feeling their warm embrace or gentle care alone makes him smile. There have been plenty of moments in the months spent here that the pain seemed too much and that he'd rather it all end there...But the thought of leaving his family behind was the last spark that kept him from giving in.

But now? Now that he hears that he could be sold off and forced to obey someone else...probably with a collar similar to the one Dream put on him or the limits Gaster used to keep him in line...someone who intends to use him to cause harm to the ones he loves most...is making him reconsider.

Maybe it would be better....for this to end....Maybe it would be better....They would be safer...If I was gone...

A mirror appears in front of him, letting him see just what has become of him. Aside from his usual glitching, he is a mess. Two horns grow from his head and half a wing from his exposed spine. His legs fuse together into a long lamia-like tail but with smaller legs extending from it like a centipede. His right eye is sealed shut as the right side of his face is covered in scars and wounds, yet even before he shut that eye he couldn't use it after three tests. He had no vision in that one anymore and after another test...it's best to keep it shut. His arms have doubled and he's missing one left hand while his original right hand is hanging from his wrist by a thread. A mess for him and the livestream to see. He frowns as he takes in the sight, disgusted at what he became and all the scars now covering his body. He's weak and there's no denying that. He hates being weak. Then the comments start filling his head with insults, calling him disgusting names worse than just freak or abomination and tell him that he's nothing but that. A freakish mess. Nobody's coming for him. Nobody will ever come for him. Nobody will ever love him like this or care for him. Not when he's like this. They'll be too disgusted to take him...Unless of course, they seek to use him. His only value is what he can destroy or give and he has to face that. At least, that's what they say. What they don't realize is that their comments are pushing him further and further into a downward spiral and considering leaving nothing of him behind to be used.

It could all be over.

All he has to do is open his mouth.

How tempting does that sound?

But then...He sees them.

Reaper and Shino run right past his cell without even glancing in, determined to find him as they free everyone that they can. But just the sight of them lit the last embers of hope in Error. They're here for him. They'll find him. He'll be safe soon. They love him and care about him. If Reaper loves him as the broken Geno or the glitchy mess that he is, then what will make these experiments change his mind? Unfiltered hope starts to burn in him to the point that he'd usually consider overly optimistic or unrealistic but he didn't care anymore. He just wanted them and to go home. He could feel them holding him already, feel Reaper's kisses as they both speak so lovingly to him...Sounds perfect.

He glances up through the transparent ceiling into the cell above him containing another version of him. Reaper and Shino burst into that cell and break that one free of the chains. The other him calmly stands up, thanking them before glancing down again at him. They've grown to recognize each other and would often chat whenever there was an ad break. He knew this version of him sails the seas in an AU before getting caught by Shattered and that they both got punished the most.

"Uh, nOt tO bE uNgrAtEfuL oR aNyThINg, bUt wHy cOmE tO mY ceLl?"The sailor asks

"We're looking to free everyone out of here so Shattered has no business to run!"Shino says confidently

"THeN wHy diD yOu sKiP mY bUd dOwnStAiRs? He has SuFfEreD a loT aNd jUst wAnTs tO gEt bAcK tO hIs kIdS. He dEsErvEs tO bE fReE."

"What are you talking about? There's nothing but a solid wall beneath you."Reaper says

"OooH rIgHt! YoU pRobS cOuLdn'T sEe hIm sInCe hE's iN a pRivAcY cElL!"

"What's that?"Shino asks

"It's a hIdDeN cElL thAt iS mOrE eXpENsIvE fOr viEwErS. They caN't bUy anYOnE iN thEm unLeSS ShAtTerEd deCiDes tO lEt tHeM. It's bAsiCaLLy cAgED aNiMaL eNteRtaInMeNt WhErE vIewErs pay mOre tO sEe whAtEVer tHey dEsIre bE dOnE tO oR bY tHe pRisOnEr. AnY dIsoBedIeNcE hAs nEaRly deAdLy coNseQuEnCes. OnLy pAyInG viEwErs cAn sEe iN tHe cElL aSidE fRom nEigHbOriNg pRisOnErS liKe mE. BuT yEaH, yOu rAn rIgHt pAsT hIm."

The two look horrified. Shino looks at her code screen, then down at the floor as if trying to see Error who is looking weakly back up at her.

"Is my papa down there? Lovespoon's grandpa?"She asks

The other version of him looks down to him and he nods the best he could.

"He cAn'T sPeaK rIgHt nOw bUt hE cOnfIrmeD iT. YOu wOn't bE aBlE t0 g3t iN tHeRe tHoUgh. It'S reInFoRcEd aGAinSt mAgiC oR aNyThiNg uNnaTuraL."

"Unnatural huh? Alright...I have an idea. Here's a portal back to your home. I'll find a way to him. Thank you, Sir."She says

Then once his neighbor left through the portal, Reaper and Shino leave his sight. It's silent for a few minutes as he can't hear anything besides the comments from the viewers. But that only lasts for so long until....

The calvary arrived.

TBC