Eddsworld Drabbles n Oneshots

A Glimpse Into the Future

((This story is really fucking depressing so don't read it if you don't like that kind of stuff))

The man took one last drag from his expensive cigar before throwing it on the ground carelessly. Not like he was ruining the streets or anything, since litter was practically everywhere. A little cigar butt couldn't do any more harm than had already been done.
It was 11pm currently, and little to no people were on the dirty streets. Hell, the place looked like a ghost town.
The people that were out at this hour were either prostitutes, or normal civilians that quivered in fear from the mere sight of the man. Yet it didn't offend him, it roused his smugness and have him an even higher sense of power. He was the Red Leader, after all.
It wasn't every day you would see the leader of all the world taking a leisurely stroll down the streets, especially at a time like this. Tonight, however, the Red Leader had some...business to attend to. He wouldn't call it business though...more like...visiting an old friend, comrade if you will.
He walked proudly, the click-clock of his black heeled boots echoing throughout the mostly empty town. Finally, he reached his destination; an old apartment building, with all of the lights off except for one on the very top floor.
"Little rebel. Doesn't he know it's past his bed time?" Red Leader commented on the light in the window that was still on.
He walked into the building, heading towards the elevator and pressing the button to go up.
He waited.
And waited.
And waited.
The man sighed, deciding to move on since the elevator was obviously broken. Geez, this building was so old-timey compared to his base. He was used to getting everything on command. The future was now, and he absolutely loved that everything was automatic.
As he approached the stairwell, he sighed.
Almost everything.
The idea of having to climb stairs all the way up to the top floor of the building didn't exactly thrill the brunette.
"How archaic..." He mumbled as he started to walk up the stairs. He put a gloved hand down on the railing and quickly pulled back in regret, since the railings were so dusty. He frowned in disgust.
It took the Red Leader a while, but he made it to the very top floor, and was now looking for the correct door. What was it again...? Ah! Yes! He pivoted on his heel, looking at the number on the door he faced.
"Number 1024," he thought aloud, with a small grin.
He knocked on the door loudly, and stood, waiting for a reply. He took some time to fix the black hat on his head, and adjust his golden brooch, pinned to the breast pocket of his long black coat.
The door didn't open.
His smile soon turned into a displeased frown as he knocked again, this time louder. He waited for a couple minutes, then let out a hearty sigh.
"He must not be expecting visitors," he said to himself.
Red leader tried opening the door, and was satisfied when it complied. He walked into the apartment, not bothering to close the door behind him.
He was greeted with the smell of kitty litter and old pizza. All the lights were on. Napkins and garbage from various different fast food places were scattered on the floor. The man frowned.
"For shame...how could he live like this knowing I could step in at any moment...?" He asked no one.
He explored the house more, walking into the small kitchen. The faucet was dripping onto dirty dishes, and an empty bowl lay on the floor, presumably for a pet. He walked into the living room next, finding that no one was there even though the TV was on. Some Spanish soap opera that had really bad actors. He was about to leave when he felt something rub up against his leg.
Red Leader looked down to find a dark grey cat rubbing against him. He smiled and tsked, bending down to pet the cat.
"Hey there little soldier~" he said ,"Where's your papa? Did he leave you home alone? How cruel of him...~"
The cat mewled at the man, sauntering out of the living room. It looked behind it, flicking it's tail as if to beckon the Red Leader to follow.
Naturally, he followed behind the cat as it lead him down a hallway to a door. The cat pawed and scratched at the door furiously, meowing and howling.
"Calm down munchkin...is your Papa in here...?" He asked the cat, as if it would really answer.
The brunette opened the door, gasping as he saw Edd, hanging from a noose tied to his ceiling fan.
Acting quickly, he picked the stool on the ground up and put it under Edd's flailing legs, but he only kicked it away again. He gasped for air, his hands pulling desperately at the rope around his neck.
Red Leader decided to put the new feature on his robotic arm to the test, and he fired a laser out of his palm, which tore the rope and sent Edd falling to the ground.
Just as Edd started to catch his breath, Red Leader kicked him in the stomach, earning a loud yelp of pain.
"WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU DOING???" He yelled, putting his hands on his hips.
Edd coughed, eyes watery and red. He was still recovering from having to catch his breath twice.
"What the f-fuck do you THINK I was d...oing?" He struggled to speak.
"You could have DIED Edd!!" The other man yelled.
"That was the POINT!" He retorted.
Red Leader stood in awe and silence. "Pathetic. You were going to choose the easy way out."
Edd looked over at him, brown eyes filled with rage, malice, and most of all....pain. After all these years, he had never expected to see Edd the way he was now.
His hair was wet with sweat, and it clung to his skin. His green hoodie was faded and it had a hole in the pocket. Dark circles were under his eyes, and his skin looked oily.
A pang of guilt mixed with pride hit the Red Leader in the heart, knowing that he was the one who caused the tormented look on Edd's face.
"Why did you come here...?" He asked once his breathing calmed down a bit.
Red Leader shrugged, "Just wanted to pay a visit to an old friend~" he stated.
"We are not friends." Edd spoke bitterly.
"You're funny~" Red Leader teased.
Edd untied the noose from around his neck, whimpering at the feeling of his horribly chafed skin.
"I really don't understand you..." He mumbled, looking over at the other man. He observed the Red Leader standing in the doorway, from his black hat to his grey eyes and the scars on his face, his dark coat and the classy red shirt he was wearing underneath it, all the way down to his grey pants and black boots with tall red heels.
"Why don't you just let me be...?" He continued to talk. "What's the use in keeping contact with me if all you're going to do is hurt me..?"
The Red Leader stayed quiet, expression completely absent from his face. He could have silenced Edd right now if he wanted, but the tone of his ex-friend's voice stirred his interest.
"You kidnap me, you torture me, you ban all the things that I like, you get all the people who used to be my friends to go against me...there's so much more I could say that you've done, but then I'd be sitting here rambling on forever," he sighed and frowned, seeing as Red Leader's face stayed the same, showing no emotion what so ever.
Edd chuckled dryly.
"I thought I had the most flawless plan when I decided to try and kill my past self, but no, you had to make that hard for me too. So I decided to try again," he said as he motioned towards the rope that now lay beside him.
"Why Tord...? Why won't you just let me die...?" Edd asked, his eyes glossy with tears. For a moment Red Leader thought he heard Edd's voice crack, and he sounded so much like his past self in that moment. Hearing his old name only made the guilty feelings that was germinating in his chest grow.
"Because, Edd...I'm not done with our little game of cat and mouse...I'm not done with you...I can't let you die, I CANT."
Edd looked up at Tord, glaring hard at him. Oh if only looks could kill...
"You're sick Tord, you know that...? You've stripped me of everything I had...my friends, my mental health...what more do you want?!" Tears streamed down his face.
This was it.
This meant Edd was surrendering.
"Look around you, Tord. You've ruined everything, you've destroyed the world. You won!"
The weight of what he has done finally hit Tord, and when it did, it hit him hard. Edd was completely right. He had been so caught up in taking over the world that he had forgotten who he was. The Tord that used to get into pointless fights and forget it the day after, the Tord who liked going to the arcade with his friends, the Tord that played paintball with real guns as a joke.
He wasn't Tord anymore. He was Red Leader now.
Red Leader looked down at Edd, who was now crying. There was a number of things he could do right now. He knew Edd needed someone to hold onto, someone to give him hope, and he needed it very badly. He could decide to use his position of power for bad things, but what was the point anymore? Edd almost died tonight.
The man sighed, getting down on his knees so he was on Edd's level, and he did something that he hasn't done in a long time. He wrapped his arms around Edd, hugging him tightly.
To his surprise, he felt Edd hug back, crying into his expensive clothing.
Red Leader started to think about it all. The betrayal, the hurt, the years they've wasted by fighting each other. Was it all worth it? Was this power he had worth losing everything he had? Losing Edd?
He continued to comfort Edd, rubbing his back. Maybe tomorrow they would stop fighting. Maybe tomorrow the streets would be clean. Maybe tomorrow he would be Tord again.
He decided it wasn't a good time to talk. But silence is easier said that done.

You gazed into the future and what did you find?
I found that the future looks grim.

((I warned ya))