Given An Unwanted Second Chance

Chapter 16

A slash was made through the air nearby, making both Gradient and I pause and look over.

Cross walked through with the others, the portal closing behind them.

"Hey!  Good to see you guys are okay."

"What, were you worried about us?"  Dust asked, a teasing tone in his voice.

"Not particularly since the bonds weren't shaking or anything.  Just did a small concern that the Stars would pass by for...some reason."

Horror tched.  "Ink may keep...a closer eye...on the original AUs, but...he doesn't care...about what goes on...in them most...of the time.  As was...mentioned, I don't think...any of them...have even visited my...AU before.  What reason would...they have to visit...now?"

I shrugged.  "What can I say, it's a possibility that they'd decide to visit.  Especially since I'm like 100% sure they're searching for Gradient."

"I would hope they're searching for me.  Serves them right to be worried because that thing they made to try to kill you was terrifying!"

"If it wasn't for you, I'd've been dusted for sure."

"Anyway, were you able to figure out how to sense the balance?"  Cross asked, sitting in a nearby chair.

I sighed softly.  "No.  I think I'm able to more precisely judge the level of negativity/positivity in an AU, but I couldn't figure out how to branch out further than that."

"Well, we've got time.  A lot of it since we're all more or less immortal."

I looked worriedly at Cross.  "Have you ever dusted before?  Like...as an outcode."

He opened his mouth and then closed it after I added that second sentence, thinking for a moment.  "As an outcode?  No...why?"

"...would you even be able to come back if your AU is...well, destroyed as it is? "

Cross looked worried now.  "I...hadn't really thought about that.  The Stars don't particularly target me since I'm usually not directly with the trio when we're out.  Out of sight, out of mind, so to speak.  But...while the trio's AUs reset if they die, I'm not too sure if mine would...it's utterly corrupted."

"Well, now that just confirms my worries...  What about the rest of you?  Have any of you dusted as an outcode before? "

Killer looked thoughtful while Dust spoke.  "I don't think Horror has, and I have been...once.  There's actually a small protocol the boss made since I was the first one to dust out of the group of us.  Can you pull out that map Cross made?"

I nodded, pulling out the map and unfolding it.

Dust came over, glancing over the map before pointing.  "Down those stairs near the training rooms is the dungeon.  Don't ask why the boss made one since we don't technically keep prisoners.  Down there, there's a special cell.  Can't teleport in or out of it.  Magic is significantly weakened to the point that a bone attack would drain all your energy."

I tilted my head in confusion as he continued.  "We found that, when we dust, we...forget about being an outcode when our AU resets.  See, we remember our AU's timeline resetting, but nothing outside it.  When the boss came to retrieve me after I died, I didn't know who he or any of the others were.  Naturally, I was rather...hostile.  He took me from my AU and put me in that cell for a few days, and eventually, the memories came back to me about being an outcode and everything we did."

"So it's more of a safety measure to put any of you who die in that cell? "

Dust nodded as I studied the map for a moment longer before putting it away.  "Killer's dusted quite a few times due to his...reckless nature and more visible soul."