kieran // quin

Acid felt normal when he woke up.

His body didn’t hurt, he didn’t feel any weird demon shit in his veins. Had the wall he stared at not been completely foreign to him, he would have thought the events of the past night had been a nightmare or, worse, a hallucination. But he wasn’t in his bed, or his bedroom at all. The mattress under him was different, too comfortable to be his own. Sitting up, he took stock of the room again, having been too tired to do it last night.

His new room was very bland, probably was some sort of guest bedroom before he got there. The walls were a dark grey, and all the furniture in the room was made of a dark colored wood. Despite how empty the room was, everything was very fancy. Pricey, Acid could only assume. The room had no windows, though many lights lay scattered around. All but one of them was off, a lamp at Acid’s bedside table illuminating the room. The light it cast was warm, mimicking that of sunlight. No need for windows in… Where was Acid? Hell, he assumed, but he wasn’t sure.

Swinging his legs over the side of his bed, Acid was careful as he stood. He was ready to catch himself, prepared for his legs to give out under him. But that didn’t happen. Holding him up, his legs only felt stiff from sleep, just like the rest of his body did. Acid rubbed his eyes as he looked toward the door. Before he even had time to mentally debate if he should go out there, though, a knock startled him.

“You awake in there?” Phantom’s voice called from the other side of the door. So everything that had happened was real.

Acid stayed quiet, crossing the floor to open the door for him. There Phantom stood, a soft grin stuck to his face, as well as an arm full of clothing. “I just woke up.”

“Thought so. Mind if I come in?” Phantom held the clothes out for him. Moving from the doorway, Acid hung next to the door as he gestured for Phantom to come in. He took the offer with a smile.

“Those for me?” Acid closed the door behind him as Phantom stepped in. Turning from his glance around the room, Phantom looked back at Acid.

“It hasn’t changed yet?”

Though, as the words came out of Phantom’s mouth, Acid watched the room around him shift. Spreading from one corner of the room to the opposite wall, Acid watched the room morph before his eyes. As if by magic, the room changed to look like Acid’s bedroom back at home. Posters covered the walls, all his knick-knacks and collectibles in their places on his shelves. Rows of CDs and DVDs and books formed from the warping. Acid watched wide eyed, and saw the look of confusion on Phantom’s face shift to a laugh. “Never mind, there it is. Probabaly because you’ve been asleep.

“And, yeah, these are for you. You have the rest of your clothes in there, but I brought some new stuff that you’ll need for today, at least.” Phantom held out the small stack of clothes in his hands, containing what looked to be only a shirt and pants.

“What’s today?” Acid asked as he took the clothes from Phantom’s hands. It was a simple white button up and black dress pants, clothes he already had in his closet, but he could only guess these were somehow different.

Laying the clothes out on the bed, Acid looked over toward his jewelry drawer, then to his closet where his shoes were. Before he could truly think about accessorizing, though, Phantom broke his thought.

“Today, I’m gonna show you around. The club, the bar, the basement,” Phantom winked on that last word, knowing something about it that Acid would soon find out. “And I… I just need you to look plain today. Sorry, just for the tour. Can’t draw too many eyes too soon.”

“The hell does that mean?” Acid asked as Phantom walked back toward the door, question ignored. Opening the door, he stepped outside before calling back to him.

“Just, trust me. Once you’re ready, I’ll be waiting out here.” He closed the door, leaving Acid to process what he had just said.

Attempting to shake it out of his head, he slipped out of his old clothes. The mirror across the room caught his eye as he dropped his pants into the small pile of dirty clothes. He admired himself for a moment, truly feeling confident in himself. It made him smile. Finally, after so many years, he liked his body. He pulled on the pile of clothes Phantom had brought him and slipped on the most minimal of accessories, his every day wear. A necklace, a ring, and a couple bracelets. Even if he wanted to do more, he felt it was a bad idea, judging by what Phantom had said. Acid grabbed a pair of shoes, the most minimal yet fancy pair he had. After another glance in the mirror, a little makeup, and some hair gel, Acid decided he was ready to go.

Like he had said, Phantom was waiting outside his door, leaning against a wall staring at something in front of him. His hand was held out, something that looked like a hologram hovering above it. The way his fingers moved under the projection, it looked like some sort of magic he was casting. Acid didn’t get a good enough look at it before Phantom swiped it away. The way Phantom’s gaze lingered on Acid and ran over his body almost made him blush, but Acid managed to keep it together.

“Perfect, you look great. Come on.” Phantom stood up off the wall and began to walk down the hall, away from Acid’s room. Only a couple feet away, the hall made a sharp left turn, stopping Acid from seeing anything beyond it.

“So, this place is you… your club, I’ve gathered, Phantom?” Acid questioned as he fell into step behind him. He heard Phantom chuckle, sparing a glance at the man behind him. His cane and his shoes tapped against the floor as he walked, echoing off the walls of the otherwise quiet hall.

“Oh, oh yes. I’ve worked very hard over many years to craft this place.” But Phantom sounded uninterested as he spoke. Like the words he said were lines from a script he had read off more times than he could count.

Acid followed him around a corner, and the words he was about to say died in his throat. The hallway opened into a grand lobby. Everything sparkled, looking more expensive than all of his belongings combined. Phantom spared another glance back at him, a more smug look stuck on his face this time. “Well?”

“Holy shit…” Acid whispered under his breath, eyes wide as he looked around the room.

If this was any indication of what was to come… Acid started to feel out of place. He swallowed hard. Maybe this was a bad idea. Phantom continued walking, giving Acid barely a moment to take it all in. He realized they were heading toward a large set of double doors. Shut at the moment, Acid almost dreaded seeing what was behind them, fearing it was as extravagant as the lobby.

“Now, you probably won’t choose to be in here most nights but, since this is the main attraction, you still should see it.” Phantom turned to Acid as he spoke again, blindly pushing the double doors open.

The room inside was dark, Acid watching as light from the lobby spilled over the shapes in the room. It was a large area, Acid could tell before Phantom waved his hand. But as the lights blared to life with his movement, illuminating the rest of the room, once again Acid was taken off guard. A large club was laid out in front of him. It looked both grungy and expensive at the same time, like everyone who was anyone would enjoy being here. A large bar was on one wall, shelves stocked with every liquor you could think of, and a DJ station and two huge speakers were pressed against the back wall. The room also looked to be under construction, various tools and building materials laying around. There were holes in the walls, it looked like a lot of damage had been done in there. The walls were hard too look at, Acid couldn’t really tell what color they were. They looked dark and light at the same time, brown and bright pink all in the same second. Everything in the room felt off in a strange way, but he could only assume it was one of hell’s affects. Acid didn’t look at the room much, instead paying attention to Phantom as he spoke again. “This is where I spend most of my time, and it’s in one of the rare moments that its closed. Usually, it runs all day and night… Well, down here there’s not quite a day or night. So everyone parties at every time of day.”

As he spoke, Acid watched Phantom wave his hand again. The lights went off. Before he closed the door, Acid swore he could see figures moving in the darkness. It looked like they were working. He didn’t mention them.

“What happened in there?” Acid found himself asking as they walked off toward the opposite side of the lobby. They passed what looked to be front doors, but Acid couldn’t see outside of them. Phantom hesitated before speaking.

“A… situation. Someone got mad, we took care of it, but not before they did all that.” Phantom chose his words carefully, his voice dropping now. He spoke quietly, like there were people around that he didn’t want to hear that. But Acid didn’t see anyone around. In fact, they seemed to be more alone than Acid would have anticipated in a place like this. He pushed the thought from his mind as Phantom continued with the tour.

In front of them was a nice looking restaurant, though the food on many patron’s plates wildly differed from table to table. Some had typical fancy human food, some had some sort of alien slop. Many tables had a mix of both. The atmosphere was dark, moody. Reds accented the grey walls, bringing a pop of color to the place. It seemed to be lit only by candlelight, casting an eerie glow over everything around. But Phantom didn’t stop there, didn’t even spare it a word, instead following the wall of the room to a door off to the side.

Phantom held the door for Acid, ushering him in first. A hallway stretched out before them. The walls were dark, but the sterile lighting made sure it didn’t look dark. It wasn’t creepy, but Acid still felt his skin crawl. It was as if they had stepped into an entirely different building. Phantom stepped out in front of him, continuing to guide him through the halls. Though, their next stop was merely feet away. Instead of following the hall to the left, which Acid looked down to see more doors and more hallway, Phantom knocked on the wall to the right. As he did, Acid noticed a red shimmer from his cane, though he didn’t have time to question it as the wall in front of them disappeared, revealing yet more hallway. But this hallway wasn’t as well lit, the lights warmer but dimmer. It had the atmosphere of a dungeon. Phantom stepped inside, turning back to Acid with a smirk.

“You’re hesitating now?” He laughed, stretching a hand out toward Acid. Swallowing their fear, Acid took his hand and and followed after him. His skin was warm to the touch.

The shift in the air was immediate. This place, whatever the hallway was leading them to, was different than the rest of the club above them. Once again, as if they had completely changed locations. Despite this being hell, whatever was down here made a pit form in Acid’s stomach. Something was different.

Stepped out of the hallway into a room, Acid quickly realized why this place was different. The hallway opened up into a large, well lit room. This place was not expensive like the expansive club they had just been in. The walls looked grungy and dirty, like the unfinished basement of someone’s house. On the left wall was another bar, though this one wasn’t as fancy or decorated (or stocked) as the one he had previously seen. A darker theme covered this one, as well as a couple dark stains decorating the wooden top. Acid could only assume those were blood.

The blood stains weren’t the most jarring part of the room, as Acid’s eyes were drawn to the center piece next. A large, circular cage stretched from floor to ceiling, its diameter spanning about 15, maybe 20 feet. The floor inside the cage was simply a slab of concrete, suspiciously cleaner than Acid would have expected. The cage was worn down, looking like it had been used and torn at for many, many years. A handful of small spotlights around the outside of the cage, pointing all inside of it. Illuminating whatever went on inside.

Past the cage, a couple yard away against the far wall, was a small stage and standing area in front of it. A couple of lights shone down on it, though they were dimmer than the ones on the cage. Two figures moved around the stage, setting up for a show. Though, Phantom’s echoing footsteps as he approached the bar drew both of their attentions.

“Good evening, you two. Ready for tonight?” Phantom called as he reached under the bar, producing two glasses and a bottle of something. Motioning Acid over, Phantom set both glasses on the countertop. He followed, sparing a glance at the musicians. They both seemed familiar to him, but Acid couldn’t pin it. Maybe he was making it up, or maybe his brain was still foggy from his transformation. Absently, he cracked his knuckles. The veins in his hands began to glow a bright green under his skin as he sat at the bar.

Neither of the two on stage answered Phantom, continuing to set up. Rolling his eyes, he called over to them again, “It’s gonna be a big one, you know.”

In the corner of his eye Acid saw Phantom slide him one of the glasses, now filled with whatever alcohol had been in the bottle. It was clear, though seemed to shift colors depending on the way the light hit it, like an iridescent liquid. He inspected the glass for a moment longer before taking a sip. It was sour, but the perfect amount of sour. There was virtually no taste of alcohol present, just sweet and sour fruity flavors in perfect combination together. His preferred taste. Acid forced himself to set the glass down. knowing that could be dangerous.

“Yeah yeah, thanks Devo.” One called, not looking at Phantom as he spoke. The voice hit Acid immediately. It was Nate’s voice, though minor differences were present. Like Nate playing a character that spoke ever so slightly differently from himself. Not an accent, something smaller. The way he spoke, his cadence on certain words, how he accentuated his words. The other figure on stage glanced over at Acid and Phantom. Acid already had his suspicions of who this was judging by the unnatural aura around him, but seeing his face just proved him right; Darkiplier barely looked at Phantom, but offered Acid a nod before returning to the bass guitar in front of him. He must have muttered something at the Nate copy, as a couple seconds later he turned around, eyes trained on Acid.

Natemare now stared at him, a confused look on his face. He pried himself away from the stage and began to approach Acid and Phantom. “Who’s your friend?”

“Mare, I’d like you to meet my newest demon, Acid.” He hummed. Acid took another sip of his drink, limiting himself to a small amount of the booze. He didn’t want to get completely smashed, not just yet at least. Technically, he didn’t know these men all that well. And he was literally in hell. Mare looked him up and down, eyes narrowed as he inspected Acid. The look did not help Acid’s feelings of unease.

“You really did move on to experimenting, huh?” Mare laughed, the sound sharp as a knife as he spat it from his mouth. It was mocking, not in amusement but unhappy shock. And Acid realized it wasn’t at him, as he followed Mare’s gaze back to Phantom, who now wore a tight smile. He chuckled, but the sound was forced. That drew a real smile from Mare, who now turned to Acid once more. “Acid… Did you choose the name yourself or did it come with the… with whatever he did to you?”

“Why, choosing whether to insult it or not?” Acid took another small sip of their drink, a smile finding its way to his lips. Mare pressed his lips together, though they were still pulled into a smile. He didn’t answer. Acid assumed that was a yes. “I chose it.”

The veins in his hands had already dimmed when he glanced down. Apparently, the glow didn’t last all that long. In an attempt to show off, Acid cracked their neck, the sound loud in the otherwise quiet room. Mare’s eyes widened as he watched the man start to glow, the veins creeping from their neck to their face starting to glow a bright green. The sound drew Dark’s gaze as well. “Impressive.”

“Thank you, Mare,” Phantom hummed over the counter, smirking when Mare shot a glare in his direction. Acid saw their gaze’s connect, a look passing between the two of them as Phantom narrowed his eyes. Mare backed down, turning his eyes back to Acid.

“I recognize you, you knew Nate, right?” Mare hummed as he gave Acid another once over. Acid, mid sip of his drink, simply nodded. Admittedly, he didn’t know Nate all that well. Sure, they were friends and all, but before all of this they hadn’t spoken for some time. They had both been busy, preoccupied with life and other stuff. Mare’s face twitched, eyebrows furrowing together as he stared Acid down. He was silent for a moment. When he spoke again, his voice was lower, as if he were just talking to himself, “You… you were there.”

Seeing Acid raise an eyebrow, Mare seemed to realize he was staring and took a step back. “Sorry, I-”

“They do that, sometimes,” Phantom hummed, finishing Mare’s sentence. It earned him another glare, but Phantom didn’t acknowledge it this time. Silent for a moment, Mare looked between Phantom and Acid.

His eyes landed on Acid a moment later, “I think we should step away from him. He’s… interrupting us.”

Glancing at Phantom, Acid saw him narrow his eyes, but he didn’t object. So Acid followed Mare to the other corner of the room. Far from the stage, and far from Phantom. Acid noticed his repeated looks in their direction as he set up the bar. Phantom didn’t seem happy to be out of earshot.

“You were there that night when they filmed.” Mare’s words drew Acid back in. Mare was staring again, recognition behind his gaze this time.

Finally, Mare’s words made sense. Acid, or technically Kieran, had been there the night Nate was filming the Mangled music video. Natemare’s origins. Kieran had done Nate’s makeup that night. The dark eyeshadow, the blue-purple tear streaks. He wanted to match The Puppet’s look, with it’s creepy dark eyes and streaks down either side of it’s face.

Mare, in this form, seemed to have taken inspiration from that look. He wore less black eye shadow now, but just enough to make his eyes look almost sunken in. Instead of solid tear tracks like his original look, the blue eyeshadow looked now like it had been smeared from his eyes to about halfway down his cheeks. More wearable, casual version of the makeup Acid had done so many years ago. Acid also took note of Mare’s extra tattoos, his neck the most notably more inked location.

“You… helped make me. You were the first, and then his fans took it and… ran…” Mare’s voice got softer the more he spoke. He managed to tear his gaze away from Acid, eyes darting back and forth across the floor, slipping back into thought.

“So the fan’s brought you to life? Like… Like a…”

“A poltergeist, a spirit, a ghost? Yeah, kinda.” Mare shrugged as he took in a breath, running a hand through his hair, “Gave me a name, gave me power. I think I’m more of a glitch, though.”

Before Acid could press him any further, an echoey voice interrupted them, calling across the room from the stage, “Mare, can you stop yapping and get back over here?”

“Sorry, Dark, I’m comin’.” He called back, though hesitated as he looked at Acid again. The two locked eyes. A smirk spread on Mare’s face, “If… If you helped in making me, does that make it inappropriate if I call you hot as hell?”

Acid felt his face heat up, and wordlessly he watched Mare wink at him before heading back over to the stage. Stunned for a few seconds, Acid managed to shake it off as he started back over to the bar where Phantom stood. His eyes followed Acid the entire time, wiping off a glass that he wasn’t paying any attention to. Phantom almost seemed… upset. “What?”

“Don’t let him trick you, he’s a piece of shit,” Phantom muttered, setting the glass down next to some others. He picked another one up, despite the fact that it looked like it was already clean. “He’ll act all sweet and flirty, and then fuck you ove-”

“Phantom, what time is it?” Mare called from the stage. Rolling his eyes, Phantom slipped a pocket watch out of his breast pocket. Acid looked over and saw the stage fully set up, and now two more people stood up there with them. Acid didn’t recognize these two. Dark held a bass guitar, while Mare stood in front of a microphone. Of the other two figures, one sat behind the drum kit and the other held a rhythm guitar. Dark was tuning his bass, plucking some strings and twisting the knobs as he listened for the sound. Mare looked at Phantom expectantly.

“You’ve got 5 minutes until doors, folks.” Phantom announced to the room of the 6 of them as if he were talking to a crowd. Slipping his pocket watch away again, Phantom set his glass and rag down and stepped from behind the bar. He stood next to Acid, watching the figures on stage move around. Mare and the drummer were messing around on a laptop, making sure everything was set up and ready to go.

“Why did he call you Devo?” Acid watched him adjust his suit, smoothing out any wrinkles in the fabric as he did so. Phantom laughed, his gaze lingering on the cage in the center of the room as he spoke.

“That’s my demon name, short for Devokatos. No one really calls me it anymore, though. Except Mare. He likes trying to get a reaction out of me.” Phantom smiled down at Acid. Slipping his pocket watch out again, he kept it open as he spoke again. “It’s like if I were to call you Kieran. Still you, but not quite your name anymore, is it?”

Acid nodded silently, the words hanging heavy on his concious. That wasn’t him anymore, Phantom was right. He found himself staring at the center piece of the room again. The object of his curiousity. “You never explained this place. What’s with the cage?”

“You’ll see, my dearest.” Acid felt his heart leap. He didn’t look at Phantom again, trying to hide the way his face flushed at the nickname. Phantom chuckled beside him.

As Phantom approached the doors, the band began to play. It was background noise, setting the scene of the place as people began to filter in. Acid sat at the bar, watching as people found their spots. Some looked like they had been here before, and immediately took place at the front of the cage. Others looked around skeptically, meandering around with their eyes all over the place. They eventually found a place to stand, usually favoring the cage. Acid noticed almost everyone circle the cage or the bar, but a couple had their eyes on the band. Mare had picked a guitar up, strumming along with the rest of his bandmates.

Phantom took his place behind the counter again as people began to sit at the bar around Acid. Looking at these people closer, he could tell none of them were quite human. They all had some sort of inhumanity to them. Some more obviously than others. Wings and tails and horns adorned many of the patrons, and some where completely non human while others were more subtle. Acid felt like he stuck out amongst the group. He cracked his knuckles again, but only one hand would crack. He let it glow, showing himself off as he took another sip of his drink.

A hand on their arm caused Acid to jump. Phantom was grinning at him as he turned.

“Go, enjoy yourself. I’ll be here to take you back after all the fun is over,” Phantom hummed. He gestured out to the floor, where the cage and the stage was, with a grin. Like a parent telling their kid to go play on the playground.

Reluctantly, Acid stood. With drink still in hand, he found himself walking toward the stage. He still wasn’t sure what the cage was for, and he didn’t want to be all that close to it as the show started. He chose a spot near the band, where he could watch everyone trickle in. The room grew more and more crowded. He guessed nearly a hundred people filled the room before Mare’s voice broke through the music and chatter.

“Welcome back, freaks!” This earned a cheer. Mare paused, letting the noise die down before continuing. “Tonight, our cage has 5 rounds of fighters ready for your entertainment. And we have the soundtrack to their bloodshed queued up for you. If this is your first time joining us-” Mare spared at glance at Acid, and winked again “-don’t worry, you’ll catch on quick.”

It was a fighting cage. Acid felt his stomach leap. With nerves or excitement, he wasn’t sure.

“Up first, we have a newbie fight to start us off.” The music was slowly growing in volume as Mare spoke, leading up to something loud and fast. Mare held his phone in his hand, reading the names off it, “We have two first-timers, Crazy Eyes up against Scarlet Smite!”

As soon as Mare finished speaking, the music kicked up. The room grew loud, crowd roaring as two figures entered the cage. They circled each other as the band began to play.

As expected, the music was loud, heavy, and fast. It was a song he knew, fitting for demon cage fighting too. He watched the fighters pounce on each other. He didn’t know which fighter was which, but one of them was more demonic than the other. They had large horns atop their head as well as green skin. Their form was very feminine, the little clothing they wore showing it off. The other fighter looked more human, but was more buff. Acid didn’t have any guesses to which would win.

The fight was more gory than he expected. Back at home, Acid had watched wrestling a couple times with his friends. He knew it could get gross and bloody. But this fight was 100 times worse than any of that could ever hope to be. Apparently, what would kill humans didn’t even phase demons, as he watched one of the fighters punch a hole through the stomach of the other while their eye hung out of its socket. Wide eyed, Acid’s attention was captured as the demons went at it. Blood poured from both fighters and seeped into the concrete below them. Organs and skin and muscle littered the floor of the cage. Each howled in pain, but neither stopped or slowed down. The fight only lasted a couple minutes, though Acid felt like he was watching it in slow mo. In the end, the buff fighter crumbled to the ground, practically torn to shreds, leaving the green demon, though in bad shape, standing and pleased.

“Scarlet Smite takes the crown!” Phantom’s voice called now, the band continuing to play, and Acid looked over at the man just in time to watch him wave his hand. His fingers glowed red, and from where he stood Acid could see that the glass ball on the top of his cane was glowing red as well. The cage cleaned itself up, the blood and guts on the floor disappearing and Crazy Eyes’ unconscious body standing itself up again. Many of their wounds were healed, but some minor injured remained as they regained their awareness. They looked stunned, almost confused as their eyes darted around the cage. But slowly, their surroundings became familiar again, and they grinned as their opponent.

The two fighters shook hands and exited the cage just as the band’s song was ending. A crowd had separated off from the cage to enjoy the music. Acid stood off to the side of them, watching. Mare announced two more fighters, they entered the cage and the fight began again. Once again, the music kicked up and the two fighters began to tear at each other. Fighting through wounds humans wouldn’t survive, the crowd cheered for the especially gory bits.

Raising his cup to his lips, Acid found it empty. The alcohol was starting to kick in, making his body feel more lose and his brain ready to move.

“Mark, wait.” I stuck my arm out in front of him as I stared down the hall. He bumped me, and started to say something before freezing. His gaze followed mine. There was a wormhole opening at the end of it, and on the other side stood a figure. They also stared at us, but with the way the light illuminated them, I couldn’t see their face very well. But they didn’t attack us. They didn’t make a movement at all. They were just still. I managed to find my voice again. “Hello?”

“What is it, captain?” Mark tried to ask, but I didn’t answer. I could be hallucinating this, maybe it wasn’t real. But something in my gut told me this was familiar in a way. That I knew this figure, in one way or another. So I took a step toward them. They didn’t move back, now seemingly more interested in the wormhole than us. I watched their head move as they looked at the opening. Getting closer, I began to hear yelling from their side. It was distant, sounded like it was coming from above them. Now taking in their background, they also appeared to be on a space ship, just somewhere in the lower levels of one. Gunshots and banging rang out behind them, mixing with the shouting. Heavy footsteps rattled the metal above their head, shocking them back to reality. They spoke softly. “What the…”

Their voice shocked me. Posture shifting, the little light in the room shone down on their face. Their features now illuminated, I had to fight off a gasp.

They looked almost exactly like Mark, just younger. My breath caught, voice quiet so only this new figure could hear me. “Mark?”

“Simon.” They answered, though their eyes were wide as they stared at me too. The edges of the wormhole wavered as we stared at each other. I could smell gasoline on them. Another step toward them left only a few inches between us. I should be scared of them, I knew that. This was a stranger, and I knew nothing about them other than the fact that they looked like a dear friend of mine. Maybe that was why I trusted them, or maybe there was something else. There was an aura to them that was intimidating. But their face didn’t read that way. They held a soft expression as they stared down at me. Opening their mouth to speak, they were cut off by two figures entering the room. Each spoke at the same time addressing them and getting their attention.

“Simon!”

“Butcher!”

Simon spun on his heel, now facing the figures. I stared in shock at one of them, the one who had said his name. They met my gaze, and I watched their eyes widen as well.

They looked like a younger version of me. One that had gone through something different than I had, or something similar to me, just much earlier. Though younger, they looked weary. Tired.

The wormhole in front of me wavered, growing smaller. I felt Mark’s presence grow closer as he came up behind me. Wordlessly, he stared at the scene in front of us too. I still held eye contact with this other version of me.

“There’s a plan, one to end this. We need your help. We need The Butcher.” The other figure said as the wormhole closed, the last word getting cut off. Mark and I were left just staring down an empty hallway, now.

“Was that…”

“Us?” I finished his sentence, finally turning to him. “I think so.” Mark nodded, breaking line of sight momentarily to look back at where the wormhole had been.

“I mean, with all the other nonsense going on, I wouldn’t really be all that shocked.” Mark laughed and clasped a hand on my shoulder. “Together in every universe, aye captain?”

“Right. Hey, lets get going.” I offered him a smile, trying to mask the awful feeling in the pit of my stomach. It was silly to be worrying about him, about the other side of the wormhole. That had no affect on me, and I couldn’t do anything to stop whatever was about to happen.

But in the back of my mind, I knew something bad was about to happen. To those people, to that place.

Kieran kept catching glimpses of him. First it was in the shadows, the figure of a man would be there. Silent, watching him. One second he’d be there, and in the blink of an eye he’d be gone. Like he never existed. It was always his shadow, a dark space where he was. No details, nothing of note. Kieran thought he was hallucinating, even after he started to see him move. And then he could make out the most minor of details. Dark hair, dark eyes, a look in his eye that suggested something sinister. There was a familiarity to the being, too, one that Kieran couldn’t quite place with the minimal details he had. But the figure never acted out, at most approaching Kieran before vanishing a moment later. Usually, though, he just watched. His visits became more and more frequent until every day he appeared, late in the evening as Kieran was getting ready for bed. Kieran thought that the figure disappeared when he went to sleep, or maybe he hoped it did, but he didn’t know that they watched him all through out the night. Almost protective.

Almost.

He first showed up after Zach disappeared. Just like the figure, one moment Zach was there, standing on stage after his show, and with the blink of an eye, he was gone. Kieran thought it was one of his magic tricks, and a damn good one at that, but when he didn’t turn up after the show, Kieran knew something was wrong. He looked everywhere for him, but it was like he just… vanished into thin air, with nothing left behind. It’s been months since then, and his only hint of anything related to his disappearance is the shadow. There was nothing else. Everything had been left as normal, like Zach didn’t even know he was about to disappear… And maybe he didn’t.

Kieran loved his brother, but even he knew that the last show Zach had put on had been just too perfect. He’d watched the boy practice, he knew the secrets to all his tricks. But these ones, the ones he performed that night? Kieran had never seen, and he couldn’t figure them out. They looked like real magic. He tried to bring himself back to that night, try and look for hints in his memories. Nothing stood out, until he remembered what Zach had told him right before he walked on stage.

“Tonight is going to be perfect, I know it. He told me so.”

“Who is he?” Kieran said out loud to himself, eyes opening to star at the ceiling. He had been pondering that question for days now, just trying to figure out who Zach had been talking about. Rolling over, Kieran saw the shadowy figure again, lingering in the dark corner of his room. “Who is he?” Kieran repeated, addressed the figure for the first time, not expecting a response. He still thought he was crazy, imagining something that wasn’t there or seeing ghosts. His mind making up for the loss of his brother, filling in the gaps. Kieran forced a smile as he rolled onto his back again. A thought popped in his head. He brushed it off, but still spoke it out loud. There was no way… “Fuck, maybe it’s you.”

“Maybe…” Kieran shot up, eyes darting over to the figure again. Had it just spoke? The figure still stood in the same spot, seemingly unmoved. Maybe he imagined it, maybe none of this was real. Maybe he was crazy. Kieran’s mind raced, trying to set everything as straight as he could. His gaze shifted away from the figure, only to return when he saw the briefest of movements from the corner of his eye.

“What… What are you?” Kieran’s voice shook as he spoke, trying to blink as little as possible as he watched the figure. Then, in front of his eyes, it moved. Stepping out of its shadowy hideaway, he was now on full display. A very familiar face held the minimal details Kieran had seen before. A face that made his eyes widen. “Nate?”

Kieran was barely able to get the word out, his voice breathy and confused. Nate was a good friend of Kieran’s, the two having known each other for over a decade now, and a friend that had been worrying him as of late. But Kieran didn’t say that, he knew that Nate was safe… Well, he hoped that, anyway. The shadowy figure wore Nate’s face, sounding almost like him as well, but Kieran knew it wasn’t him. He wore a bright red shirt and black vest, accompanied by matching black dress pants. One hand held a staff, a glassy orb sitting on top, upon which his palm rested. He looked human, so close to Nate, but Kieran knew he wasn’t. There was an aura about him that screamed demonic. A toothy grin was stuck to his face, and with just a glimpse of his teeth, Kieran thought they looked sharp.

“Oh no no, most just call me Phantom, it’s easiest.” He hummed, holding out a hand towards Kieran. The hint of an old-timey New York accent clung to his every word, a stark difference from Nate’s voice. Kieran took his hand, still eyeing the figure suspiciously. They shook hands, Kieran having never introduced himself. He assumed the figure knew who he was, though. “You can call me that though, if you’d like, darling.”

Kieran’s stomach flipped at pet name, but he didn’t have time to think too hard about that at the moment. His mouth moved faster than his brain, “You’re who I’ve been looking for.” Kieran had no doubt in his mind that this was the ‘he’ Zach had been talking about. The aura surrounding him gave it away. The sense of dread that sunk in Kieran’s stomach like a stone, crushing the butterflies previously brought on. He managed to find his words again. “You have my brother.”

“I’ve been waiting for you to ask!” He grinned, sitting down next to Kieran. Phantom leaned in close, and despite the fact that every inch of his body told him to leave, Kieran didn’t budge. His cologne smelt like magic, but Kieran could pinpoint quite what that meant, or what it actually smelt like. Seeing his suspicions, Phantom’s smile faltered momentarily. “Oh, don’t be scared of me. I’m reasonable, I’ll listen. I already know you’re gonna try to trade yourself for your brother, hm?”

Kieran pressed his lips together, unable to fight their words. Both of them knew Phantom was right, Kieran couldn’t even deny. He couldn’t pull his gaze away from Phantom’s. “Maybe I am, why?”

“Because that’s not how it works, dear. Your brother made his choice, you can’t reverse it…” Phantom hummed, their faces now only inches apart. “Well, not but for a price, of course. A price you may not be willing to pay.”

“Anything, tell me.” Again, Kieran spoke without thinking. With Nate’s eyes staring so deeply into his own, Kieran felt himself giving into this… creature. His teeth were sharp as he grinned again. Kieran started to regret his words. HIs mind flipped between comforted and terrified.

“So willing to accept anything I give you. Are you just that desperate to save your brother, or is it because I look like the man you love-“

“Shut it.” Kieran hissed, causing Phantom to laugh. He felt his cheeks grow red, having not been strong enough to admit it even to himself. “So what if I do? Is that why you chose to take his face? What did you do to him, is he trapped with you too-“

“Slow down slow down,” Phantom finally pulled away, standing once more. Though, Kieran couldn’t figure out if this was better, now that Phantom was towering over him. “No, no I didn’t choose Nate’s pretty face just to torment you, though it was a perk. He did make a deal with me, but he actually read all his paperwork, and he’s free out there.”

Kieran watched Phantom take a step back. The lights in the room seemed to have dimmed, just barely illuminating Phantom and casting eerie shadows across the room. The low light made him look scary, more inhuman than before. A demon, pure monster with lanky limbs and claws that desperately reached out for Kieran. His smile reflected the light, adding an even more ominous glint to his demeanor. Kieran could see his eyes too, just barely poking out of the shadows, staring wide eyed down at him. “Here’s our deal. I let your brother go, unharmed, with the thought that he put on a perfect show and then went about his life. His memory of me fades, and he lives a nice rest of his life. He’ll never have to encounter me again, I won’t come for his soul or life or first born or whatever.

“Instead, I take you. Body and soul, I turn you into a demon beside me. Strip you of your humanity, you will turn into something different than you are now. Kieran will vanish from this world without a trace, and you will be reborn as my apprentice. Zach will think you’re dead, and his memory of you will also likely start to fade over time.”

Kieran paused, letting the words sink in. His brother, safe and sound back in his normal life, though the two don’t ever get to see each other again. Him, turning into a demon and losing his humanity, probably losing his mind in the process. The terms ran through his head a hundred times, brain moving too fast for him to keep up. Finally, he settled on one thing, after a couple minutes of silence passed:

What did he have to lose?

“Yes, I agree.” Kieran nodded, trying to make his voice as nonchalant as possible. Standing, he was still shorter than Phantom, though much of the intimidating height difference was gone. Phantom grinned, and a light flashed through his eyes.

“Done and done!” Phantom chirped. Kieran stayed still, silent for a moment before he mustered up the courage to speak again.

“Do I… get to say goodbye to him?”

“Well, I’m not monster.” Phantom took a step back, holding his staff out between him and Kieran. The crystal orb that sat on top began to glow, light swirling around inside it before taking up the whole thing. Then it spilled out, starting to glow brighter and pulse with a red light until it looked like the light was coming out of the sphere. Looking closer, Kieran realized it was flowing out as it took the form of his brother. Zach stood before him, stumbling and confused and scared. His eyes darted around the room, head jerking around with them. He started to speak, but when his eyes landed on Kieran the words died in this throat. Eyes widening, Zach couldn’t even find the words as he stepped forward, practically collapsing in Kieran’s arms. A frightened sob ripped through his body.

“I’ve got you, you’re safe.” Kieran’s voice was soft as he hugged Zach close, trying to pretend everything was normal for a moment. Arms tightening around his little brother further, Kieran squeezed his eyes closed. “You’re okay.”

“What… what did you do?” Zach mumbled. Kieran stayed quiet. A moment passed before he pulled away slightly, Kieran opened his eyes again. Phantom was watching him, standing back with the faintest of smiles stuck to his face. “Kieran? How did you…”

“Listen, Zach, I…” Kieran looked at the floor as he spoke. He couldn’t find the words, he couldn’t admit it.

“Please tell me you didn’t…” Zach’s voice was soft, shaking his head as the realization hit him. Kieran nodded. “Why would you-“

“I needed to help you!” Kieran interrupted, eyes wide as he now stared at his brother. He shook his head. “I couldn’t just let you fuck yourself over like this, Zach! I had to-“

The words to explain died in Kieran’s throat as pain shot through his body. He gasped, collapsing to the floor, falling from Zach’s arms, forcing him to acknowledge the demon standing behind them. “What are you doing?”

Phantom shrugged, managing to hide the twisted smile that wanted to show itself. His voice was smooth, calm as he spoke. “Your brother made a deal to save you. Your life for his.”

Before Zach could reply, he was in his apartment. Alone, confused, scared. His eyes darted around, trying to get his baring and calm down. But that calm didn’t come, his emotions high and panic higher. He collapsed to his knees.

Kieran writhed on the floor in pain, eyes rolled back and mouth agape as he lie there. His body flexed and strained. He felt like he was being torn apart from the inside, his limbs torn off and rearranged. Like a toy, a doll… He felt like he was being changed. White hot searing pain shot through every limb, filling every vein. And then, as quick as it happened, it vanished. The pain stopped, through a sore feeling still lingered on his bones and joints. An odd sensation seemed to flow through him, one he couldn’t quite place. Though, that wasn’t what Kieran was focused on right now. He forced himself to breathe, still unmoving on the ground. Silent, Phantom sat down next to him.

“Take your time, I know it hurts.” His words felt oddly comforting, voice seeping into Kieran’s brain. He felt defenseless, though there was nothing to defend himself from. If Phantom wanted to hurt him, he would have done it by now. Or maybe that was the hurt he wanted, Kieran didn’t know. Minutes that felt like hours ticked by, the soreness and stiffness in his bones fading enough to the point that Kieran could start to move again. Unthinkingly, he reached for Phantom, who took his hand. “I’ve got you.”

“What…” Was all he managed to croak out, voice cracking hard before he began to cough. It hurt, his already sore chest aching with every harsh movement. Finally. Kieran forced himself to sit up, using one shaky hand to steady himself. His gaze found it’s way to Phantom again. “What was that?”

“Your transformation. Take a look.” With a wave of his hand, a mirror formed in front of Kieran. He met his own gaze in the glass, but the person that stared back was not him.

What first drew his attention was the neon green hair now atop his head, short and poofy. The sides of his head were shaved down, black hair buzzed close to his scalp. His eyes were also the same neon green, dark eyeshadow smudged around them making them pop even more. His neck was decorate with equally green neon veins, which looked to be glowing from under his skin. Those ran all over his body, decorating much of his naked skin. Black-work tattoos also covered much of him, though seeming to just be in patterns that had no significance to him. Swirls, lines, other forms of shapes. His clothes had vanished, leaving his new body on complete display. His boobs had vanished, though what looked to be long healed top surgery scars were visible upon close inspection. He had very minimal body hair, mostly focusing on his arms, legs, and above his groin. His genitalia now contained both a dick, about 6 inches and average girth, and a cunt. The dick looked like one of a cisgender man, like he had grown it himself. His legs also contained the same tattoos and brightly colored veins as his upper body did. The base of his body had remained the same, his face shape and, for the most part, body shape, however. Like an extreme, magic makeover.

This body was… perfect. Like Phantom had read Kieran’s deepest desires and knew exactly how he wanted to look, and then built on it. He stood admiring himself for awhile, and when he smiled he caught a glimpse of his teeth. They looked sharp, like he was an animal… or a demon. They looked like Phantom’s He could see Phantom grinning in the mirror behind him. “You like?”

“Yes, I love it,” He blurted out, turning to Phantom with a smile. With another wave of his hand, the mirror was gone and clothes now covered Kieran’s body. A simple white button up was tucked into black dress pants. Phantom looked Kieran up and down, as if admiring his work… Or simply just admiring him.

Feeling stiffness in his fingers, Kieran pressed his knuckles into his palm to crack them. A soft pop sounded, and Kieran gasped as he watched the veins on his fingers begin to glow. Phantom’s smile grew more. “So I… I’m a fucking glow stick?”

“I mean, if that’s what you want to think.” He grinned. “You got a couple more tricks in that form, but I think you’ve had enough excitement for one day.”

Phantom walked past Kieran, and turning around Kieran saw Phantom open the closet door. Though, behind the door was not the usual sight. Instead, it was a bedroom, one much bigger than the size of his closet. Phantom took a step inside, holding out a hand, invite Kieran to follow him. He did, taking Phantom’s hand in the process. Phantom closed the door behind him as Kieran looked around.

“Your new bedroom, darling. Oh, and we have one more thing to discuss before I leave you alone. You must be tired, after all.” Phantom sat on the bed, pulling Kieran along with him. As Phantom spoke, Kieran felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him, eyelids suddenly feeling like led. He felt as if he could sleep for days on end. Kieran sat, meeting Phantom’s gaze. “What is your new name?”

Kieran didn’t even have to think. It popped in his head as if he had always known it. As if it were his own, born with it. “My name is Acid.”

"One day, the sun just didn't come up."

Or, not quite.

The world didn’t just go dark. And, technically, the sun didn’t “set and never rise.” That was a simplification we told to the kids, to the one's who wouldn't understand. One half of the globe would have eternal day, while the other stay stuck in eternal night. Plus, that means that the world must have stopped moving in some way. If it had, none of us would be alive to tell this, now would we? No, it was gradual, it took time. We knew what was happening the whole time, though we were powerless to stop it. We had to watch the end of the world come and engulf us.

It happened over the span of a month. It started with the clouds. One second it was bright and sunny with not a cloud in sight, and an hour later the sky was dark with storm clouds. But it didn’t rain, not on the first day. They cleared up pretty fast the first time. But the clouds already did their damage, already struck fear into all of us. They appeared all over the world, dark clouds blocking out the sun and the moon. For some long moments, the entire world was dark. The first time in recorded history, likely since the ice ages. The clouds disappeared shortly after, but the terror they had stricken stuck well. And then they returned the next day, and stayed for longer. And returned again and again and again. Sometimes a couple days would pass without darkness. Sometimes they would come up every day. There was no way to predict their return until mere minutes before. This phase lasted two weeks, the clouds becoming more and more common.

And then the rain started.

One day, during the cloud’s return, it began to rain, to pour. Clouds dumping buckets upon buckets of water all at once. Flash floods ripped through the world. The rains washed crops away. The world was drenched. The first of the rains was not an hour long, but the damage was done. Baffled, meteorologists scrambled to try to figure out what had happened. The government had been in a frenzy for months over this. First the clouds and the darkness, now the spontaneous raining. Many thought it was the end of the world, the flood that would kill everyone. The rain disappeared with the clouds, and reappeared with them too. Now the clouds came every day, the days becoming 'shorter'. The sun would ‘rise’ later and ‘set’ earlier. The clouds covered the sun more and more as time went on. There were only a few hours of clear sky per day. It became ingrained in our society that, whenever the sun came out, you would run outside to soak it up. Drop everything to go see the sun. Even if it was downpouring. Because we didn’t know what would come next. Whether that would be the last time we’d see the sun, or it would return again tomorrow. If this would even clear up, or…

We took the sun for granted. Now, we would do anything to have it back.

It was dark often, but not dark like it is now. And the clouds would still part back then, giving simple moments of sunlight. The clouds weren’t as thick as they were now. But the streetlights were on almost all times of the day, like it was always night. As the clouds lasted longer each day, the earth began to cool. Summer temperatures dropped lower than ever. Snow covered Florida and Hawaii in mid July. We didn't realize that last day seeing the sun would be our last. I remember exactly when it was, because I couldn’t go outside to stand under it one last time. In was only about a minute of sunlight, but everyone had run outside. All my coworkers were out taking it in, big grins stretched on their lips. Not me. My boss watched me like a hawk and I slaved away at my keyboard. He watched me through my window, also outside with the sun. He always hated me. I did see it through my window, and I watched it disappear. We waited and waited for the clouds to part again. The sky stayed a miserable grey during the day, the sun always covered by a thin veil of clouds. By night, the sky was pitch black. Not a star in sight, not even the moonlight could poke through. And the snow kept coming. Days of no sun turned to weeks turned to months. The clouds began to thicken, covering the sun until the world fell dark. Absolute darkness. A barrier between the sun and humanity. The sun still rises and sets behind the cloud, hence the reason why we haven’t frozen solid yet. The world keeps spinning, it didn’t just miraculously stop, hence why we weren't sent flying. But the clouds block the sun enough that snow falls all the time, yet not enough that we’re frozen solid. Yet.

The snow covers the whole world now, even the deserts and the islands. Popular vacation locations now snowed over. Once the clouds covered everything, the governments of the world lasted a month. By the second month of the apocalypse, we were on our own. Utilities begin to flicker and go out. Fresh produce was immediately an issue. Without the sun, people became unable to grow plants. Grass couldn't grow to feed the animals. Cell towers went down next, and then tv stations disappeared. That's when the government collapsed. Electricity wasn't an issue, but providers still rationed it. Any non-essential electricity was cut off. New York City darkened as they shut the billboards off. Street lamps went out one at a time, plunging the world even further into darkness. No one went outside much these days anyway. Radio waves held strong, still allowing a little bit of comfort in this hellscape. And allowed communication, though few people used it at this point. No one wanted to talk to each other anymore.

Summitview Crest was one of many smaller civilizations that that spawned from the end of the world. Cities fell apart, most moving outwards into the country side. Some stayed in the now abandoned cities, creating their new live among the ghost town. But most either left the cities or died. Many killed themselves when tv news stations started going offline. Everyone assumed this was the end. Some naive, quick to panic podcast hosts influenced this decision, saying that it was only going to get worse from here. And, to some people, you can say it did.

The world fell into an apocalyptic wasteland, covered in a blanket of darkness and snow. Though, some people had become content in their new little pockets of the world. Some people had grown their families more. Some people started communities with their friends or strangers or anyone they could find. Some larger towns even began to prosper. They rebuilt the scraps and hoped to expand back into a larger city again. They didn't last long. When the apocalypse and snow hit, Summitview stayed put. They were all a community before the snow came, and they stayed together after the world began to fall apart. But who knows how much longer they'll last. You read about it, about the tension and fighting and how sick they all are of each other. All the infighting, the borderline murder, just all of it. They aren’t gonna last much longer. We’re betting on it.

A lot of the little pocket communities have turned into that. Humanity has become stressed. All hope for a return to normal has vanished. They can’t stand each other now. After months, years of living like this, this close together in an apocalypse. It got tiring. They became tired. They began to kill each other off, survival groups becoming more and more rare. Many became irritated by the sudden change of their lives and futures and their new normal. It was not uncommon to find out that yet another person had killed their community, and then themself.

After the initial surprise snowfall, the cold didn't claim many lives. Starvation claimed more lives than the snow did. We learned to deal with the freezing temperatures. Don’t get stuck outside and you were okay. Many people needed fireplaces installed in their homes, and many others sold off wood as fuel. But fuel will run out fast, especially when the whole word needed it. We cut down tree after tree, but they were hard to haul back home. So old houses were cut down, fences and signs taken part to burn. Anything that would burn and produce heat was stolen and thrown into the fires. Plumes of smoke were always on the horizon now. They were difficult to see against the dark background of the sunless sky, however. But they burned, and people lived on. Humanity persevered, for the most part. However long they’d last, though, was the real question. The government had collapsed, each group having their own laws and dynamics. Survivors thrown out of their groups usually ended up dead by sunset. No one wanted to take the risk of taking in a random. That is, if the survivor could reach another community.

Sometimes, we wish the world had stopped spinning. Then I wouldn’t have been here to deal with the end of humanity. A lot of us wish that. But some, some keep surviving no matter what. They think they’ll be able to repopulate the earth and form a new way of life. A new start to earth. But I know that, no matter how hard they try, they’ll never do it. My ex-husband tried to suggest we have a child of our own. Even after three years of me telling him I can't and won't go through being pregnant. I'd been saying it before the sun disappeared as well. He tried to pressure me, so I killed him. I ate good for a couple days after that, I shared some of the meat with my neighbors. He was tender, thankfully didn't have any tattoos. Two of them had also killed their spouses before that, while the other two were still a couple. One of the only few left in a group, where one didn’t eat the other. Or maybe the last couple to snap.

The apocalypse can really change your perspective.