[img]http://i.imgur.com/8mPMSWF.png[/img] “You caused all this, remember. All this pain… this death and destruction… it was all your fault, Marcus.” Everywhere around him, the town was engulfed in fire and rain. Explosions echoed mercilessly, intermingling with the thunder ahead. The sounds of bullets whizzing, of steel meeting steel and of magic being unleashed and striking against armour and flesh was relentless. It never let up. It never stopped. “It’s all your fault those people died.” Marcus said nothing, looking and staring at the ground, trying to avert his sight from the scene he had played within his mind time and time again. Every single night he had replayed this moment, and every day woke up in a cold sweat from remembering it. “You can’t ever escape it, Marcus,” The doppelganger continued. His taunting voice had departed now, as if even he too understood the severity of this situation. The cheer and mirth was not welcome here. No laughter or happiness was. “It’s in your destiny, Marcus. Your very being. You’re designed to hurt people. To bring death and despair, no matter how much you resist it and try to deny it. It’s evitable. You can’t run away forever. You yourself… you even know how futile that is.” “That’s right, Marcus.” Another male voice, from behind him. He turned and span in the direction of the voice, already knowing what to expect. That particular voice, and this scene surrounding him. Like his alternate had said, it was inevitable. There, standing across the rain slicked mud, beside a fallen building crumpled with brick, mortar and wood, were two figures dressed in white. One was a man in a crisp and clean suit, the other a much smaller, younger girl. Both of them Marcus had seen countless times, forever hounding and dogging him, no matter how often he would scream at them to leave him alone. Both of them stood, in the pouring rain, ignored by the tapestry of events unfurling around them, oblivious to the elements hailing down on them. Both of them instead, just looked towards the crumpled building, at the pair of fallen, murdered bodies buried underneath, and at the hooded man that was crouched by their side, his shaking hand desperately holding onto a small, bloodied, unmoving hand. “You can’t ever escape us. Can’t ever escape what you did to us.” The girl spoke, with a weary resignation. “We’re with you now, for the rest of your life. It’s only fair, considering…” “Do you understand, Marcus?” The mage’s doppelganger started to speak again, walking forwards, towards his twin. “That which has happened… will only ever happen again. It doesn’t matter how much you try to deny it, try to run away and reinvent yourself. You can’t change who you are.” The silver haired man stopped, looking straight into Marcus’ eyes. [b]“You are going to kill them.[/b] Estelle, Lisette, Trixie, Moira, Syed… all of them. It’s only a matter of time.” He turned, and began to walk away, the doppelganger’s head turning from side to side, as if seeing something. Sensing something, around him. “Hmm… I can feel them now. How strange.” The copy mused, before a smile stretched back upon his face. “I’m going to do you a favour now, Marcus. You might not be able to face reality, but I can. You see, this might not be real, but it doesn't matter. It can still bring with it the same conclusion. What I’ll do here, will be just the same as if it was in your world. Just as final. No more distractions. I’ll tear them all apart and kill every single last one of them for you. And I’ll leave [i]your hero[/i] for last.” The doppelganger took a step forward to depart, but found his body unable to take another step forward. A powerful hold gripped his arm, and he turned, with a coy smile, to see himself glaring back at him, teeth clenched tight, magic sparking along his body. “No…” Marcus spat. “You don’t touch any of them.” His doppelganger tilted his head back with a roaring smile. “Ah, Marky, I’m so glad!” He giggled, as his face melted into a frightening new visage. [i]“Now you begin to acknowledge me.”[/i] ------ [i]“No, I don’t.”[/i] [img]http://i.imgur.com/QLodCtj.png[/img] [img]http://i.imgur.com/eeX4Zmf.png[/img] “H-huh?” Don took a step back, his world shattering as his bride to be uttered those soul crushing words. She kept her eyes focused on him, her sight and scorn unflinching, as everything else around them seemed to fade into oblivion, leaving only Don and Selan behind. “S-Selan?” “Why on Ddaear would I marry you?” She said, venom spitting from her lips. She took a step forward, one hand outstretched, her finger pointed towards Don accusingly. His feet automatically started walking backwards. “You’re the last person in the world I’d ever marry.” “B-but,” Don tried to focus, but unable to succeed. His world felt dizzy, and incoherent, as if the floor had just been swept out from under him. Nothing made any sense. He loved Selan, more then anything else in the entire world. He would do anything for her, anything. And he tried, hadn’t he? He was sure… so sure that she too… “But why?” “Look at yourself!” The songstress jammed her finger into his chest, grabbing Don’s face and turning it to the side, towards a mirror that reflected their appearance back at them. Don looked at his mirror copy, and saw the anguish and horror laced in his face stare back at him. Gone was the ‘cool, suave, sophistication’ he exuded so well. In its place was himself… younger, shorter. Himself, years ago. Still only a boy. “You’re a boy in a man’s body!” Selan screamed at him. “You’re delusional and ridiculous! Ace Capuello? Crimson Justice? Don’t be an idiot!” She continued. “You dream up these stupid, ridiculous fantasies and believe them to be real, when in truth you’re nothing more then a pathetic little boy who can’t do anything right! These stupid identities you make for yourself… and these ridiculous, harebrained schemes you make! It’s laughable you think you can be a Guilder. Preposterous to think I could ever love a child like you! I’m a woman, Don, I shouldn’t have to be looking after you or keeping you out of trouble. Who do you think I am, your mother?” Don’s world was spinning. “No, no, I don’t. You’re… you’re Selan, and I… I love…” “You can’t read. You can’t write. You can’t count. You can’t swim. Your clothing is tacky and disgusting and your hair is simply [i]ridiculous[/i]. You’re a horrible, horrible man who doesn’t think anything through other then what is good for yourself. You’re an idiot, Don, and in your idiocy you’ve hurt so many people, more then I could even count! It’s all you do, ever!” “No…” His hands clutched his head tight, his eyes screwed tight in the hope of drowning out the truth. “No, no, no I’m not! Stop saying that!” He shook his head frantically from side to side. “All those people you terrorised as a bandit, joyriding about with your stupid posse and sister. All the people you’ve still hurt since you’ve tried to be a Guilder, as if you were trying to become a ‘better man’, when we both know the only reason for it is so you can stalk me…” “No! No, no, no!” “The damage and inconvenience you’ve caused to me and everyone else. To Estelle and Marcus… to Marise, whom you still owe money to. The flights of fancy and damage you’re causing by filling up Trixie and Dylan’s heads with the nonsense you’re shouting. You’re a liability, Don! A waste of space! A cancer! All you do is hurt people, over and over again!” “NO!” Don’s scream echoed out. “ShutupshutupshutupSHUTUP!” “Or what?” Don’s eyes shot open, to see Selan’s cold, angry face pressed right against him. “Are you going to hurt me if I don’t? Hurt me [i]again?”[/i] “No…” Don collapsed to his knees, tears puddling against his knees. “No, no, no, that was an accident, that was… that was… that other woman, she… she…” “I trusted you, as stupid as that was!” Selan screamed at him again. “I trusted you, to at least try and be something better, but that was the last time! All you did was prove who and what you really are! I don’t need to be saved by you, I need to be saved [i]from[/i] you! You’re nothing more then a pathetic little bully, a degenerate waste of space and-” “Nnnyaaaghh shut uuuuppppppppp!” Don’s wail was thrown into the air, his hands cupped over his ears in the vain hope to block Selan’s lashing. It was too much, all too much, he couldn’t… he just… he couldn’t… [i]“Just wrap your hands around her neck and squeeze, son,”[/i] A low, dark growl rumbled by his ears. He could feel warm breath caress his cheek. [i]“Put this stupid bitch in her place. You know you want to.”[/i] Don howled.