Inner Demons 》Ticci Toby x Reader《 Savior Book 2

Chapter 21

"Do whatever you want with us," BEN cried, "just don't hurt her again."

"Such noble companions you have, (Y/N)," Nicholas sighed. You slowly pushed yourself into a sitting position and drew the back of your hand across your face. Your nose was bleeding.

"Please," you begged breathlessly. "Let... them go."

"Not yet," your father replied. "I'd like an audience for this next part."

The sound of fingers snapping rang out again and a narrow bridge of light appeared, connecting your ring of light to Zero's. With one last glance at Toby you staggered to your feet, only to fall back onto your knees by Zero's side. You pulled him into your lap and hung your head. You didn't need to check his pulse to know that he didn't have one. Once again, you ignored the blood that soaked into your jeans and pooled around you.

"Zero," you whispered softly. "Wake up, please."

You clutched his cold, limp body to your chest and your shoulders began to shake.

"I'm so sorry," you whimpered into his hair. "You were counting on me and I was too late."

"(Y/N)," Jeff called quietly. All you could do was shake your head. You knew what you had to do to save him. You'd seen it in your dream, but something stopped you. Maybe it was Toby's gaze fixed on you, maybe it was because it's what Nicholas wanted, but you hesitated. And then, one by one, memories of Zero flashed across your mind: you, BEN, and Zero playing video games together, your walks with him in the woods, his kind smile and his unreadable eyes. So you did what you had to do.

You pulled Zero closer to you and pressed your lips to his. You pretended not to hear Toby's sharp intake of breath and focused on your memories of Zero. After a few moments, you lied him back onto the concrete and leaned back, catching the sadness in Toby's eyes. He didn't look away until Zero began to stir.

"Zero?" you called quietly. The boy's eyelids fluttered.

"You'll have to give him a moment, dear," Nicholas chuckled. "Being dead is very taxing. You and I both know that well."

"Why?" you asked softly and pushed yourself to your feet, staring into the darkness beyond Zero.

"Why what?"

"Why did that work? And why did you show it to me?" you questioned.

"Ah," said you father. "You mean the kiss? I'm not sure why it brought him back. As for why I showed it to you, he had to die so he could be of use to me."

"I don't understand," you frowned.

"For him to fully retain everything about who he was before he became the Zero that you know, he had to die. But, obviously, he's useless if he's dead. That, my dear, is where you came in. Unfortunately, he'll be trapped in that wretched human form."

You looked down at Zero. His chest was rising and falling gently and let out a small sigh of relief. When your eyes found Toby's again, they were unreadable. He gave you a weary smile. For some reason, anger began to boil in your stomach.

"Is this all you wanted us for? Wanted me for?" you snapped at your father after a moment.

"Essentially," Nicholas replied in a lazy voice. "There was another purpose, though. I thought that confronting you inner demons might do you some good."

"So this was all some twisted life lesson from good ol' pops?" you growled through your teeth.

"Now, now, (Y/N). Mind your manners. We wouldn't want a repeat of the past few minutes, would we?"

Toby visibly bared his teeth. Before you could say anything else, you felt a hand wrap around your ankle. You looked down to see Zero's bright red eyes gazing up at you.

"Zero?" you whispered. He didn't respond, only staring at you blankly.

"He's almost ready," Nicholas said eagerly.

"For what?" BEN asked.

"My plan, of course!"

"We're not going to let you use him," you hissed.

"Oh, I believe you are, dear. Actually, there isn't anything you can do to stop me!"

"You said I needed to confront my inner demons, right?" A faint twisted smile found it's way onto your face. "That's exactly what I'm doing."

"You remind me so much of your mother when you try to outsmart me like that," your father sighed.

"You don't know a damn thing about my mother," you spat, your voice and words laced with an unspoken threat. "You knocked her up and left."

"Then tell me," he growled, his voice switching from playful and lazy to serious and hostile in seconds, "How do I know what her screams sound like?"

"Stop," you whispered.

"Tell me, daughter, how I know the sound of her sobs as her blood spills onto the floor?"

"Shut up!" you screamed.

"Tell me!" Nicholas shouted back.

"You killed her, you sick bastard! She didn't take her own life, you forced her hand!"

"She would have done it herself eventually." The laziness in Nicholas' voice had returned. "You're the one that abandoned her."

"I didn't-"

"Oh, but you did, (Y/N). So I put her out of her misery."

"Leave her alone." You heard the whisper, so faint that it was almost inaudible.

"Speak up, son," sighed your father.

"I said," Toby growled louder, his voice almost a shout now, "leave her alone!"

"Aww, how sweet," Nicholas chuckled. "Sticking up for your slut."

"Shut up, you bastard!"

"Drop it, Toby," you commanded softly.

"It's true, isn't it?" Nicholas continued. You could hear the amusement in his voice. "You tried to kill her and she ended up coming home with you instead. Then she married you in, what, less than a year? She's a slut if I've ever seen one."

"I'll kill you!" Toby threatened, yanking against his restraints.

"Toby, stop!" you pleaded.

"Will you now?" You heard Nicholas snap his fingers, then there was a pause. "You know, I was going to give this to your wife, but I think you'd rather have it."

Toby suddenly cried out. You watched in horror as his knees gave out and he hit the ground with a thud. His sickening shouts were enough to bring tears to your eyes.

"Stop it! Please, leave him alone! Stop!" you shrieked. All of your friends added to the chorus of protests. When Nicholas snapped his fingers again, Toby was curled in on himself, panting and gasping.

"What did you do to him!?" you screamed. 

"The same thing I did to you, dear."

"But he can't feel pain," you said with a shake of your head.

"That's why I put it all in his head," Nicholas laughed. Just as you were about to shout a curse, nails dung into your ankle. You'd forgotten about Zero.

"Zero, are you alright?" you called hopefully.

"Stop calling me that," he replied in a listless voice. "That isn't my name."

"But-"

"My name," he said, "is Zalgo."