Work Text:
The sun spills its remaining rays over the horizon.
Microphone heads inside.
Umbrella had called them in.
And Megaphone.
A sweet, quiet little boy.
Maybe he shouldn't be so quiet now.
Red. Sticky, warm, sickening red. It's blurry, and he can't get up. He's falling. He feels like he's dying.
He might be.
"m..icrophone... grandpa.. umb..umbrella.."
He needs his brother. His other half.
He needs his grandpa, to support him like he always has.
He needs his caretaker. They were there when his parents weren't.
Where were they?
It's dark. Too dark. The sun hasn't set fully yet. He closes his eyes and it's a struggle, a tug of war in his eyelids just to open them again.
Well..
His eye, he thinks. Singular. One.
Same for his wing. His balance is thrown off, and he's toppling over like he's a toddler again, taking his first steps and failing to make it all the way to Mic. The only difference is that he's only 10. He shouldn't die now.
It all happened so fast.
And he's fading equally as quick.
Microphone and Megaphone were sent outside, Firebrand didn't want them running everywhere in the manor and wreaking havoc, so he sent them into the garden. They could sing, play, do whatever they want there. As long as the flora isn't damaged.
"My Lord, are you sure that they won't.."
"Umbrella, I know you're worried but the garden is massive! They won't even come close to the flowers and hedges." Firebrand reassured. He loved his grandkids, and trusted them all the same.
".. What about.." Umbrella started, anxiously darting their eyes around to look for anyone listening. ".. The Church?"
Firebrand tensed. The embers on his horn and hands seemed to flare, crackling a bit into small flames before extinguishing.
"They won't be a problem. The children are fine.. It's me and the other Swords they want."
He sighed, then returned to his contented attitude. "If anything happens, you know how to call."
Umbrella relaxed out of their tensed posture, sighing and murmuring "as you say, sir..." As if not fully believing it. He sat on a bench anyway, keeping close watch of the complementary coloured blurs whizz across the garden, Mic carried by Mega in the air, since he couldn't fly with wings so small. They smiled at the gesture, and saw as Firebrand softly sighed in content, happy that the children were safe. For now.
The deity returned to the manor, leaving the kids under Umbrella's watchful eye. Time flew by like the children, melodies filled the calm air and the pair were using the playtime to the fullest. A happy sight, this was. But it was soon time to head in.
The light signaled its leaving as the clock striked 5.
"Mic, it's getting late, yknow? We can finish the song tomorrow, Umbrella and Grandpa would still listen either way.." Megaphone tried to insist, already tired from carrying his brother around and playing with him all day.
"But- but it's almost done! We're so close, and we.. We could show them before we sleep!"
Megaphone sighed. Microphone was so insistent on this singing thing. It's not like he hated it, if he had one hundred problems, a duet with his brother could fix about 99. But it was almost like he valued his possible future career more than the present moment. It was a good option, but there's also school, and other occupations, and-
SNAP
"What was that?"
Megaphone turned his head like an owl's, lightning fast, with eyes wide like a deer in the headlights and ears perked for any noise. Microphone shrugged and laughed. "Your face is so funny! Meg, come on, it's probably just a stick or something. You need to stop being so paranoid."
He sighed, grounded by his brother's voice and high-pitched giggles. "Yeah, yeah... But, uh.. How about we check it out? In case it's really something to worry about."
Microphone shrugged again, just murmuring lyrics and scribbling them down. Megaphone went ahead, not waiting for him.
The snapping sound made him think it was something in the hedges and bushes, but he found nothing there. He went to the statues, but the unmoving stone of the SFOTH only watched over him, no movements seen anywhere near. Nobody on the benches, except for Umbrella, no one in the manor... Nothing. So he decided to wander a bit. Mic would be okay on his own, right?
Wandering off the garden grounds, Megaphone shuffled awkwardly towards every noise, unsure and curious at the same time. The uneasiness set in, and he felt like he should've worked on the song with Mic instead. He turned on his heel and walked with a newfound speed born from fear, trying to get back to Microphone before-
".. Ey kiddo. Where ya goin'?"
A voice. His heart and feet stopped, but his breathing continued, fast and irregular.
"MEGS!! Umbrella is calling us!!"
Microphone yelled, hoping his brother would follow.
But he was stuck. Sinking in a sea of fear. He was scared, terrified. He needed to get away.
So he ran.
He took off, wings boosting him as he tried to jump away-
SNAP- A shrill scream, piercing the air. Grimy, grasping hands covered his wing as he fell, the broken appendage fluttering as he thrashed and tried to get away, before another set of hands had his mouth covered and eyes blocked.
No covering could block out the series of screams that could make even a banshee seem quiet, though.
Microphone whipped around just before Umbrella closed the door.
"MEGAPHONE?!"
He bolted out the door, fast as lightning. Umbrella followed, slower but no less worried. Microphone kept calling for Megaphone, while he zipped around the garden and scoured every inch of the grounds.
"MEGAPHONEEE! MEGS, CAN YOU HEAR ME?!"
He couldn't see him.
No matter how much he looked.
No matter how much he screamed and called.
Umbrella's voice, meant to console, faded into the soft breeze.
Firebrand, rushing to aid asked questions. So many of them.
Voices.
Screams.
"Is he dead?" "What happened to him?" "Why was he screaming?"
"Did I fail him?"
Microphone was paralyzed. He was sinking, stuck in the sticky tar fear and hopelessness.
Then a flash of purple caught his eye. Covered in red. Thrown to the side.
A wing.
Megaphone's wing.
What did they do to him?
...
They'll pay.
He propelled himself forward with the little wings he had, not enough to fly but enough to gain some speed.
He was going to find his brother, and he would make sure who or whatever did this to him saw the same blinding hopelessness and despair he did.
"It's
loud and
quiet
at the same time
i ne ed
mi
c
i can t
fee
l
anything
i can't se e
ca n t
g e
t
u p
im g
oi n g
to d
ie
m y
ea rs hurt
w ho i
s
t ha t
ye
llo w
?
mi c
a t lea st
i c an
s ay
g
oo
dby
e"
But he didn't.
Bouquets and gifts, a white and blue room, a comfy bed.
Where his left eye and wing should be was empty.
Smoke. It was getting hotter by the moment, but the room was cold before.
He could only make out the faint silhouette of his granddad and Umbrella.
"And they dare to to wrap up their deadly threat in some flowers and a note?"
Firebrand was livid. The room would be on fire if he had no restraint, but it was already faltering.
"Yes sire, I've been quite... angered... about it as well, but you might need to tone it down a bit. Megaphone could..."
"You're right." He sighed heavily, leaning against the wall and snatching the note from Umbrella's hands, watching it burn with satisfaction.
"The True Eye...these bastards," he thought. He looked at the flowers, purple and red.
He'd already memorized what it said.
"He's one of us now. One of our family, not your fake pantheon."
"There can only be one."
"Provide a vessel, and we'll spare them, but until your decision is made..."
"You might want to ensure neither you nor the little one ends up matching."
And he'd do exactly that.
"... grandpa?"
He froze.
By his grandson's side in an instant, he slipped on his gloves and cradled the boy's tired face in his large, cloth covered claws.
"Oh, Megaphone. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry I wasn't there sooner."
Umbrella walked to his side as well, worry and relief etched into the lines and scars of their face.
A dash of yellow came into the room, leaping onto the bed and snuggling up against his frail form.
Apologies, questions and more frantic, high pitched sounds spilled from Microphone's mouth, the hug he had enveloped his brother in getting tighter and tighter by the second.
Megaphone let a tear slip from his remaining eye. He was just happy they were there.
He was happy he was alive.
He was happy he could see them again.
He was happy that they saved him.