Let's Restart..? [Macaque x Monkey king]

Where Do Your Loyalties Lie?

The silence that filled the air was deafening, and the tension was almost palpable. Wukong's tail moved in an odd fashion, lacking any emotion—almost synthetic. Mei viciously tapped her foot, clearly having much to say but deciding not to. Mk sprawled on the floor in a melodramatic fashion, his arm draped over his eyes. Tang shivered against the cold cell walls, trying to gain some warmth, while Sandy sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, exuding an eerie calm.
Pigsy, on the other hand, couldn't contain his scowl as his glare burned a hole through Macaque, the elephant in the room, sitting on the other side of the cell bars.

To Pigsy, Macaque was mocking them. He stood just outside the cage, arms crossed, free as a bird while they sat confined in their cold, dark prison—because of him.

But to Macaque, it was anything but mockery. He felt the weight of Lady Bone Demon's game bearing down on him. This job, standing as their guard, was her way of toying with him. She knew his loyalties were swaying, that the life he'd started to build with them had begun to matter more to him than the debt he owed her. She had stationed him here as a challenge, a dare to defy her orders. If he so much as breathed the wrong way, she would know. And the moment he acted against her, he would be wiped from existence. No questions. No hesitation.

It was obvious to Macaque, but the rest of the group didn't know. They didn't understand the precarious balancing act he was trapped in, and their contempt for him only grew by the second.

Wukong's POV

I couldn't stand the silence anymore.

Macaque stood by the bars, his face unreadable. Once, I could have seen past it, but now it was like staring into a stranger. That realization hit harder than I wanted to admit.

"Macaque," I finally said, my voice low but firm.

He didn't look at me. His ears twitched at the sound of my voice, but his gaze remained fixed on some distant point beyond the cell.

"Macaque," I repeated, louder this time.

His eyes flicked toward me, a glimmer of something flashing through them—guilt, maybe? Or was it exhaustion? I couldn't tell anymore.

"Are you really not going to say anything?" I asked. My tail lashed behind me, the motion almost involuntary.

He let out a long sigh, his shoulders slumping slightly. "What do you want me to say, Wukong?"

"I don't know—maybe explain why you sold us out?" Pigsy cut in, his voice a mix of fury and disbelief. "After everything we did for you? We trusted you, we let you into our home, our LIVES. And this is what we get?"

Macaque's jaw tightened, but he didn't respond.

"Pigsy, stop," I said, my voice sharper than I intended.

"Stop?!" Pigsy turned to me, his face red with anger. "How can you defend him right now? Look at us! We're locked in a cage like animals because of him!"

I took a deep breath, trying to keep my own emotions in check. "I'm not defending him. I just... I want to understand."

"What's there to understand?" Mei snapped, finally breaking her silence. "He's a traitor! End of story!"

Mk sat up, his expression more conflicted than angry. "Guys, maybe we should—"

"Don't," Macaque interrupted, his voice quiet but cutting. "Don't do that thing where you try to make this easier for everyone, Mk."

Mk's mouth snapped shut, his gaze dropping to the floor.

I stepped closer to the bars, my eyes locked on Macaque. "If this is some kind of sick, twisted game to you, then say it. But if there's more to it... just tell us. Tell me."