Across Dimensions //Will Cipher x Fem!Reader//

24// Queen

The colors fade, and you're feeling dizzy, but you immediately wrench your arm from Will's grasp and whirl on him. "What are you doing?" you yell. "Will, this isn't like you!"

"How do you know what I'm like?" Will asks calmly.

"Because I know you! I've spent all summer getting to know you!"

"Getting to know a part of me," Will corrects. "The part that dominated when I was captive. But now I'm not captive. Now my true self is emerging."

"No!" You have to scream the word, because if you don't, his words might be true, he might actually be like this, the Will you know might actually be a façade. And you refuse to accept that. "N-no, you're just not th-thinking straight—"

"Yasmin?"

You turn. Pacifica Southeast stands in the kitchen doorway, with Gideon Pines peeking out behind her. "Yasmin, is everything okay?"

"No," you say. "No, get away, it's not safe—"

"I'm not safe?" Will asks.

"No you're not!" you explode, rounding on him once more. "You kidnapped a baby, you kidnapped me, and you want to hurt people! That's not safe at all, Cipher!"

"I want to hurt people who fully deserve it," Will corrects you.

"Wait," Gideon says, "he kidnapped you?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't matter right now," you say. "He wants to go after the Gleeful twins — we gotta do something."

"I'm right here." Will sounds annoyed. "And there's nothing you can do. Plus, I doubt these two will want to protect the Gleefuls, anyway. You haven't been hurt by them, Yasmin, but we have."

"I-I don't really want to hurt anyone, though," Gideon says, his voice small.

"Well, you don't have to," Will replies. "I'm the demon here; I'll do the dirty work. C'mon, Yasmin."

What, he wants you to watch him hurt people? "N-no," you say. "I'm staying right here."

"What?" Will asks. He didn't mishear you, but he probably wants you to reconsider your defiance.

Pacifica takes your hand in hers, lending you emotional strength. "I'm staying," you repeat. "You're right. There's nothing I can do to stop you. So I'm not going to watch you."

"Yasmin." He actually looks. . . hurt? He tries to take your hand, but you pull it away. "You made this possible," he says. "You empowered me. Don't you want to see me make things right?"

Guilt slams you as he speaks. You did make this possible. It's your fault that Will became so awful. Your fault that he wants to hurt people. You force down the guilt and say, "Make things right? You're not making things right, you're — you're getting petty revenge."

"Oh," Will says. "So my pain is petty, now?"

It's useless. He's just going to keep twisting your words. But you keep trying. "Revenge isn't going to do anything, Will. It won't change that your pain happened. Hurting someone else will just cause more pain — it won't fix yours."

Will almost looks to be considering this. But then he shakes his head. "Fine," he says. "Stay here. I thought I could share this victory with you, but I guess even my charity is seen as a threat."

With that, he pushes his way out of the room and leaves the house. He takes the dimension hopper with him — for now, you're stranded here.

"Yasmin." Pacifica guides you from the kitchen, to the couch. You didn't realize how much you're shaking until now. With Pacifica's help, you end up seated on the couch. You feel numb.