Fusion 2.0

Chapter 28. Too many Crimes not enough time

(I have been drawing all the characters so they will be here the drawing today is of Sun Wukung)

MK, after his encounter with Mei, found himself drawn back to the forbidden forest. Following the creek that flowed through the dense woods, he took in the sights and sounds of nature—the rustling leaves, the chirping birds, the quiet bubbling of the stream. But as he continued his walk, he noticed an eerie silence had settled over the area. The once lively forest had grown quiet, almost too quiet.

Pushing forward, MK spotted a "No Trespassing" sign, partially obscured by shadows. The darkness beyond the sign felt unnatural, almost as if the shadows themselves were alive. Ignoring the warning, MK stepped into the darkness, his curiosity and determination guiding him. His eyes darted around as he cautiously followed the creek, all of his eyes now fully open, searching for any sign of danger.

Suddenly, a voice echoed through the shadows, causing MK to tense up. "Oh, hello, little ametrine. Can't you read?" The voice was unfamiliar, yet there was something unnervingly familiar about it. MK spun around, trying to pinpoint the source, but the shadows only seemed to deepen around him.

"Who are you? Where are you?" MK demanded, his voice echoing through the darkened woods. The response he received was a laugh, a sound that started as a chuckle but quickly escalated into something far more sinister and unhinged.

"Oh, Qi Xiaotian," the voice said, drawing MK's attention upward. There, in the shadows, a purple outline began to take shape. It was a figure that resembled the Monkey King but with distinct differences—a crescent moon symbol on its chest, six ears, and a wild mane of hair that was not styled like Wukong's. The outline's eyes glowed, one of them replaced by a haunting X.

"You don't remember me?" the shadow asked, stepping forward to reveal a gem with a crescent-shaped purple moonstone on its chest. His dark purple skin contrasted sharply with his black-blue fur and tail. His eyes were a dark gold, filled with a predatory gleam. He wore dark gray armor that seemed to blend with the shadows around him.

"It's me, Macaque," he said, grinning mischievously. MK instinctively summoned his hammer, prepared for a fight, but Macaque only laughed again.

"Oh, you go by MK now? How quaint," Macaque teased, eyeing MK's hammer with mild interest. "You know, if it weren't for my original gem, you wouldn't be wielding that hammer, nor would you even be here at all."

MK glared at him, tightening his grip on his weapon. But before he could react, Macaque vanished into the shadows, reappearing behind MK with an eerie ease.

"Look, kid, you've got half of Wukong's power, but the other half? That's all me," Macaque said, his voice oozing with confidence. "I can teach you how to harness your shadow powers, make you a better fighter than Wukong ever was."

MK turned to face Macaque, wary of the offer. "What do you say, kid? Let's make a deal," Macaque proposed, holding out his hand with a grin.

MK hesitated, unsure of whether to trust this strange gem. "No, I don't even know you," MK replied, stepping back.

Macaque's grin widened as he made his next move. "How about you let me train you, and in return, I won't tell your friends that you set Red Son free."

MK's heart sank, and he knew he was caught. Reluctantly, he extended his hand and shook Macaque's, sealing the deal.

"First lesson of the shadows: making weapons," Macaque said, demonstrating how to conjure weapons from the shadows. MK struggled at first but eventually succeeded in creating a shadow staff.

"Good, kiddo. Now let's practice some more, and then you can go home," Macaque instructed, and MK obediently continued his training.

The next morning, MK woke up in his bed, a note from Sun Wukong resting on his nightstand. It simply read, "Meet me at the hut." MK sighed, knowing he had no choice but to go. After getting ready, he made his way to the teleportation pad, ignoring everyone else in the house.

In a flash of blue light, MK found himself on Monkey King's Island. He walked toward the familiar waterfall, reaching out his hand to trigger the golden glow that parted the water, allowing him to enter the cave. After a long walk, he arrived at the hut, where Sun Wukong and Nodlies were waiting for him.

"Hey, bud. I have a question for you," Wukong began as MK sat down to pet Nodlies. "Where's Red Son's bubble?"

MK froze, fear gripping his heart. "I don't know?" he lied, trying to keep his voice steady.

Wukong raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "How about a bet? We fight. If I win, you tell me the truth. If you win, I'll leave the topic be," Wukong proposed, summoning his staff with a spin.

MK knew he was cornered but nodded in agreement. He summoned his hammer from his gem, readying himself for the fight. As Nodlies trotted off towards the waterfall, Wukong began the countdown.

"Three, two, one," Wukong counted, and as soon as he reached one, MK slammed his hammer down, but Wukong easily dodged the attack.

"You know, kid, you're a very powerful being," Wukong said, using his staff to try and disarm MK. "But I also know you're a good kid."

MK dodged another attack, but Wukong was relentless, tripping him with his staff and causing MK to lose his grip on his hammer.

"And I know you've been training with Macaque. That part I don't really care about right now, but I won, MK, so tell me where's Red Son," Wukong commanded.

Defeated, MK sat up, unable to look Wukong in the eyes. "I wanted to see him again, and he's somewhere he can't hurt anyone. I made a deal with him—he doesn't hurt anyone, and he can have his parents' gems and leave," MK confessed.

Wukong sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Kid, Red Son is going to tell the Jade Emperor there are gems here, and we will be shattered," Wukong said, his frustration evident. He extended a hand to help MK up, and the ametrine accepted it.

"Go home, MK, and tell me about your interactions with Red Son. I’ll judge if he can be trusted," Wukong said, his voice softening. MK nodded and headed to the teleportation pad, feeling the weight of his actions on his shoulders.

That night, unable to sleep, MK snuck out of the house and walked into town. He eventually reached the lighthouse, scanning his hand to open a secret entrance that led to Red Son's hideout. Red Son sat in his spinning chair, typing on red holograms as the door closed behind MK.

"Hey, Red Son," MK greeted, trying to sound cheerful despite the turmoil inside him.

Red Son barely acknowledged him. "What do you want, peasant?" he asked, turning to face MK, who hid his hurt at being called a peasant.

"I just... I have this book," MK said, pulling the book from his gem and handing it to Red Son, who sighed in exasperation.

"Can't sleep?" Red Son asked, noticing MK's unease.

"Yeah," MK admitted, scratching the back of his head. Without warning, Red Son picked MK up from behind, and the two fused into Proudretteite once more. This time, their fusion was only two feet taller than the individual gems, still with six eyes and six arms but no longer possessing an extra pair of legs.

Proudretteite settled into a corner of the hideout and quickly fell asleep. MK knew this was wrong, knew that fusing like this wasn't the answer, but it felt comforting, like a temporary escape from the confusion and guilt weighing on him.

(This took 1288 words)