( karma police, i've given all i can, it's not enough )

chapter twenty-eight!

VINCENT COMPLETELY, UTTERLY, AND UNEQUIVOCALLY HAD LEARNED TO STOP GIVING A SINGLE FUCK. Everything around him was either going to shit or going suspiciously well, and Vincent had figured if he just stopped caring altogether none of it would hurt so bad in the end. He was right, of course, but Vincent was known for caring too much and suddenly not giving a shit was going to be difficult. He'd try anyway.

Vincent had this voice in his head, one that constantly told him all the nice things he had were going to blow up in his face; perhaps even literally. Vincent had a bad habit of listening to that voice, giving in to everything it ruined for him with open arms, smiling when it ended up killing him a little more everytime.

His conscience would choke him and his thoughts would grow toxic, and Vincent would learn that, really, there was never any use in trying to make it stop. He'd learn that letting it consume him entirely was, truly, his only singular option. Vincent would let his darkness eat him from the inside out, and he wouldn't even care.

Except, in all truth, he would care.

Vincent had always clawed his way out of bad situations and diverted himself away from the terrible hopelessness his brain plunged him into every now and again with a joy that was unmatched, unmatched yet so fabricated, string by string. Vincent was but a puppet, and he hoped to God he would never meet the puppeteer.

Vincent felt things getting better for him, but he couldn't possibly ignore the coexisting sense of dread. That was always as it had been. Things would go okay for Vincent and he'd be something similar to happy, and then something horrific would happen and again he'd fall back to the starting line. It was a never ending cycle, and Vincent hated that he felt that way again.

Five's admission of feelings was shocking and fantastic, yet so horrible at the same time. Vincent was scared more than anything; scared that this would do nothing more than throw them into yet another frenzy, down a never-ending rabbit hole. This would never bloom into something more simply because it couldn't, no matter how desperately Vincent wanted it to. Maybe the reason it wouldn't was due to just how much Vincent wanted it to.

Vincent's mind- although always already plagued by never ending thoughts of the teleporting asshole of an elderly man- was more stuck on Five than ever. It was odd, to have the feeling of someone's lips memorized on your own. Maybe Vincent was obsessive, but he could almost feel Five's face underneath his fingertips when he closed his eyes. Every ridge and imperfection and scar that Vincent had taken to forcibly remembering with all his might was right there, and this time it was the closest to being all his than it had ever been before. That was scary, the prospect of being so near to everything he'd ever wanted, yet knowing that really it was so out of reach still.

Vincent sighed heavily, earning yet another glare from Five. "Can you stop doing that? You're gonna forget how to breathe or something." Five commented, walking ahead of Vincent into the living area.

"I could never forget how to breathe, unfortunately," Vincent sighed dramatically, throwing himself down on the sofa. "So what's the plan, gay boy?"

Five was about to speak, but effectively choked on his own words at the next part, coughing harshly into his elbow. Vincent, naturally, laughed loudly at the sight, sitting up more. "Gay boy? I'm not gay." Five murmured in a raspy voice, clearing his throat and trying to will away his red face.

"You can't be serious. You just told me you love me. Sounds pretty gay to me, gay boy." Vincent continued, sighing dramatically again.

"That... I'm not gay. There's other things, aren't they? In the... letters spectrum." Five spoke slowly, furrowing his eyebrow, confused by even his own words.

"The what?!" Vincent laughed out, shaking his head. "You are fucking insane, babe. Yes, there are other letters. What? You wanna be D?" He asked jokingly, grinning wide when Five flipped him off with both hands.

"Was that a dick joke?" Five asked. He shook his head and teleported quickly beside Vincent, sitting on the arm of the sofa, putting a hand over his mouth before the taller boy could respond. "Nevermind. I already know the answer to that. Just shut the fuck up."

"So very sorry, ma'am," Vincent mumbled jokingly, muffled by Five's hand. "Your hand smells weird. Is this your right one? Gross," He continued, laughing at Five's confused misunderstanding of the joke. "Okay, take your hand off. Or I'll actually become your father and then make out with you."

Five scrunched his face up at that, quickly removing his hand from Vincent's face and wiping it against his shorts. "I'm so tired of you." He sighed.

Vincent grinned wide, dropping his head back on Five's knee. "You're not. You could never be. I'm the only bitch you tolerate in this house," He laughed.

Five looked down at Vincent with a blank look, flicking his cheek hard. "You're a bitch, alright."

"Cunt." Vincent replied back smoothly, reaching a hand up to poke Five's throat, making the boy cough again. "Now tell me the fucking plan."

"I will not if you call me a gay boy again."

"Okay, gay boy."

"Vincent—"

"Sorry."

Five rolled his eyes, but still started explaining what he had in mind. "I'm gonna teleport you to Harold Jenkins- Leonard Peabody- and I'm going to leave you there," He began, huffing when Vincent sat up quickly, already shaking his head in protest. "Not forever. Just for a little. I want you to be persuasive. Or murderous. Whichever works best. I have to talk to Luther, Diego, and Klaus alone."

Vincent frowned. "Now you're the one being a bitch. I don't want to spend time with fucking Penisbody." He complained. "He's obsessed with me. He had a figurine of me, Five. Who the fuck has figurines of random fucking French dudes? Next thing you know I'm gonna find a sex doll of me in his attic or something."

Five raised his eyebrow. "I doubt it. He doesn't want to have sex with you, Vincent. He wants to assure the end of the world occurs."

"You don't know for sure that he doesn't wanna have sex with me. He probably does. You're leaving me with a guy who wants to have sex with me. What kind of fucking partner...?" Vincent rambled, cut off by Five grabbing a fistful of Vincent's hair and tugging hard, making Vincent pout.

"Shut up, Vince. None of that is going to happen." Five laughed a little. "You know how to defend yourself anyway, don't you? I trust that you'll figure this one out on your own. You're smart when you're not losing it."

"And you assume I won't be losing it?" Vincent gawked.

"No. I just hope that you won't be." Five smiled. "I'll be back to get you in the morning or until you call Klaus on the phone you stole. If you're dead I'll be the first to find your body. Isn't that swell?"

"I'll kick your balls back into your body and we'll see if that's swell." Vincent seethed back before shaking his head. "Fine. Take me to my inevitable burial site. Your loss, I guess."

"You won't die, darling. Leonard seems to be fairly harmless so far." Five smiled, before grabbing hold of Vincent's hand and using his stupid power to teleport them back to the stupid cabin where Vincent had previously had his little freak out.

Vincent could safely say that he hated this place. It was ugly and grimy and way too dark and, honestly, he'd rather be literally anywhere else but here. Five hadn't teleported him inside, luckily, though Vincent had a full body shudder when he noticed the car sitting in front of the cabin. "Dude. Dude. I'm going to be murdered so hard." Vincent spoke quickly under his breath.

Five laughed a little and shook his head. "If you do I'll be really angry with you. Just keep that in mind," He joked before bringing a hand up to gently pat Vincent's cheek. "Good luck, Vince." He mumbled, leaning up to leave the shortest kiss to Vincent's lips before stepping away and disappearing into a cloud of blue.

Fucker.

Vincent groaned to himself, kicking at the dirt with a small curse. Fucking Five and his stupid fucking inability to do any fucking thing by himself, Vincent thought to himself as he took a slow deep breath. He tentatively walked up the stairs leading to the cabin doors, stiffening a little when he heard the distinct sound of people arguing inside. He placed his ear against the door, attempting to listen in the best he could.

That plan easily failed miserably when he didn't successfully hear anything, so he just said fuck it and swung the unlocked door open, putting on his widest grin and opening his arms. "Hello! The party has arrived." He exclaimed, looking over and freezing at what he saw.

Leonard was there, of course, with a bloody patch over his eye and his expression shocked, but the thing that struck Vincent as odd was the presence of Vanya, standing parallel to Leonard with an almost angry look in her eye. Vanya's eyes widened, jerking her head to look. "Vincent...?" She started slowly.

"Oh shit, hey! Vanya! You're alive? That's... that's sick, actually. I missed you! What are you doing in this shithole? I could be your knight in shining armor, sweetheart," Vincent rambled out, whether it be from nerves or just actual pure excitement at seeing someone who had shown him a great deal of kindness again.

"Hey—" Peabody started, beginning to take a step forward near Vincent. Vincent surprised himself by putting a hand up and closing it into a fist, somehow stopping the man right in his tracks without even really meaning to. "What... what did you do?" He spluttered out when he couldn't move at all, his face frantic.

"Come on, Penis Boy. You can't possibly not know what I did. Aren't you an expert on me or something?" Vincent grinned, playing it cool and casual like he didn't think his own power was super fucking cool. He turned his gaze back to Vanya, smiling softer. "How've you been, Vanya?" He questioned, taking a slow step underneath Peabody's outstretched arm to sit himself down on the coffee table, hands in the pocket of his hoodie.

"I've.. I've been okay.. what did you do to Leonard?" Vanya asked in one breath, eyes wide as she looked from Peabody to Vincent.

"Oh, you know," Vincent waved off. Honestly, he didn't really even know what he did but at least the guy was still breathing for now. "Now, Urine Boy, if I let you move again, do you promise not to come for my throat?" He asked slowly, laughing a little when Peabody attempted to nod vigorously, putting a hand up again, unclenching his fist.

Peabody gasped as he finally moved, bumping into the wall harshly before Vanya steadied him. "Why are you here? You aren't supposed to be here." Peabody reprimanded, seeming annoyed by Vincent's slow spreading smile and one-shouldered shrug.

"Felt like coming. I don't like to push down my urges. It's unhealthy," Vincent chuckled. "Now tell me Leo,- I can call you Leo, yes?- what is going on here? With your little one on one powwow?"

When Peabody didn't answer, Vincent stood up slowly, eyebrows raising at the resounding flinch that came from the man. Vincent laughed as the man's eyes widened, seeming genuinely scared of Vincent.

"Wow Vanya, you didn't tell me that I'm scary? What's this, Leo? I don't bite," Vincent grinned.

Vanya looked between the two people in the cabin, swallowing roughly before she picked up a book from the floor, holding it out to Vincent, who took it tentatively. "I found this. It's a journal that Leonard stole from my father. It shows that my father put me on sedatives to keep my powers from showing up. Leonard claims they were too much for my father to handle." She explained gently.

"The man was afraid of you, Vanya! He wasn't protecting you, he was restricting you!" Peabody started to exclaim, stopping when Vincent turned a cool glare on him.

Vincent looked down to the journal, sighing a bit before throwing it to the side carelessly. "Whatever. That journal doesn't mean anything to me," He simply muttered, smiling at Vanya and Peabody's shared shocked expression. "Past is the past. Tomato, tomatoe. Now what I want, really, is for Penis Boy here to explain to me- nice and slow- why you're trying to make the end of the world a shining success?"

"What are you talking about, Vincent?" Vanya asked softly.

"I'm not! It's her potential! It's your potential, Vincent!" Peabody protested, moving to step forward. "You both are incredible. Your abilities are unlike anything else anyone has ever seen. If you both teamed up, under my guidance and teaching—"

Vincent laughed loudly at that, shaking his head. "Your teaching?" He laughed more, nearly doubling over in amusement. "Now why the fuck would we need to learn anything at all from an old burnout without any powers of his own?" He grinned, his eyes gleaming with something dangerous when Peabody's nerves visibly became anger.

"Allison was right," Vanya started, taking a stumbling step back from Peabody. "You're sick."

"I'm not the one who tried to kill you," Peabody retorted, grabbing Vanya when she tried to step past him. "What have they ever done for you? Hm? I'm the reason that you got first chair!" He exclaimed, glancing at a bored looking Vincent out of his peripheral vision.

"I auditioned. I earned the spot," Vanya started shakily, stiffening when Peabody began to wheeze out a laugh.

"You think that the first chair went missing all by herself?" Peabody questioned.

"What did you do?" Vanya asked slowly.

"I did this for you," Peabody chuckled breathlessly.

Vincent stepped closer when Peabody tried to pull Vanya closer, watching with judging eyes but still keeping his distance nonetheless.

"We are in danger," Peabody started. "Your family, they've seen you in action and they know what you're capable of and they'll come for us." Peabody's gaze shifted to Vincent. "You think that Vanya's brother cares about you, Vincent? He doesn't. He's just using you. He wants you dead. They all do. They always have." He huffed out.

Vincent kept his face blank and apathetic, trying not to think about the words. He knew he couldn't believe some dickhead like Leonard Peabody, but deep down he couldn't really help it. They were practically his own impending thoughts anyway, served to him on a blood stained silver platter.

"No," Vanya assured. "They'll listen to me. They'll listen to Vincent."

"No, they never will!" Peabody protested, stepping back and grabbing the journal from the ground, gripping it to his chest. "They want you to feel small, but they are the small ones next to both of you. Compared to them, you're gods!" He huffed. "Vanya, you just needed your eyes open to see who they really are. I gave that to you. So, let's finish what we started. Vanya, you need me."

"What I need is my family!" Vanya responded easily, eyes flickering to Vincent for just a moment before back to Peabody. "I didn't... I didn't mean to kill Allison."

Vincent raised his eyebrow slowly, "Uh- actually Vanya—" He started, cut off by Vanya continuing to speak.

"And I love her. And I love them," Vanya spoke firmly.

Peabody shook his head slowly, "Your father was right. Not strong enough. He knew it, and now I know it." He mumbled, walking to stand in front of the dining room table, almost chuckling when Vincent stepped just the slightest bit closer. "And Vincent— what can I even say about you? You're the biggest failure of them all. I wasn't even going to bother with you because I knew you'd be uncooperative. I was going to let that kid take to killing you sooner or later. Because that's how it always ends, you know? With you dying. There's no version of this story where you live, Vincent. You die over and over and over again," Now Peabody was grinning from ear to ear, liking that he was seeing the slow crack in Vincent's blank stare, the slow belief that maybe Peabody was telling the truth. "You're both one in the same. I thought I could at least fix Vanya. Guess I was wrong."

"Shut your fucking mouth, Penis Boy," Vincent mumbled shakily, feeling his hands trembling in his pocket. He swallowed hard when he felt Vanya's gentle hand on his shoulder, squeezing softly. Vincent glanced at Vanya's hand before up at her own unsure gaze, and he did the last thing he thought possible in this situation. He smiled. He smiled as wide as his jaw could handle and turned back to face Peabody, letting out a small laugh. "Look man, you're digging your own grave here."

"What—" Peabody started, cut off by Vincent bringing a hand up and pushing it down roughly in the air, forcing Peabody to sit at the edge of the table harshly.

"I think you'll want to be sitting for this, Leo.." Vincent smiled, feeling his exterior crumbling. If he didn't calm down, he'd definitely lose his grip on his shape shifting. "This cabin is ugly as all hell. You two have sex here?" He mused jokingly, glancing around.

"I- maybe I should just call the police. I have evidence on both of you! I could turn you—" Peabody started frantically, trying to stand up but still held down by the weight of Vincent's power.

Vincent laughed, using his other hand to just point to the stereo in the corner of the room, switching it to a channel that was playing 'Fuck Tha Police.' "What are you, a fucking pussy?" He grinned widely. "I'm just like that Matilda girl, man. I'd be so scared right now if I were you." He laughed out in giddy amusement. He had never actually seen the movie Matilda, but he did know what it entailed, thanks to Klaus explaining almost every scene in great detail over text.

Peabody swallowed hard, shaking his head quickly. "You're insane! This is why— Vanya, this is why I chose you. Do you see the way Vincent acts? He's mentally ill!" He exclaimed, looking more than angry when Vincent twirled his finger, making the stereo turn up high enough that he couldn't hear Peabody's voice, bobbing his head to the music.

Vanya sighed softly, leaning close to Vincent. "Turn the stereo off. I just... I have to make things right." She spoke softly, squeezing his shoulder again.

Vincent looked over at Vanya and sighed before shutting the stereo off entirely with his mind. "You guys invite me to the party just to tune me out? That's bullshit." He joked, reluctantly releasing his other hand as well when Vanya gestured to it, allowing Peabody to stand up again.

Peabody let out a wheezing laugh, looking between Vincent and Vanya. "You both are crazy." He spoke slowly. "You're weak!" He exclaimed, smacking the journal in his hand. The lights began to flicker overhead, and Vincent wasn't sure if it was him doing it or Vanya.

"Stop it," Vanya started gently, items beginning to shake in the room. She removed her hand from Vincent's shoulder, gesturing for him to take a slow step to the side, which he did without question.

"You're pathetic," Peabody smacked the journal again.

"Please don't—" Vanya continued, eyes on Peabody even when Vincent turned a questioning gaze on her.

"Look at you, you're nothing," Peabody continued.

"Seems like something to me. Not very transparent," Vincent commented with a laugh, though it seemed like no one heard him.

"No!" Vanya exclaimed to Peabody.

"You're just ordinary!" Peabody continued, despite Vanya's plea at him to stop. "Just ordinary. You are not special. Ordinary. Ordinary. Pathetic. Nothing!"

Vincent could have laughed at Peabody's outburst, but instead he was too busy staring at Vanya. Vanya, who looked the angriest Vincent had ever seen her, starting to stand up straight and tilt her head back, lifting Peabody up from the ground. Vincent, of course, did not join in, and instead sat on the sofa.

Unfortunately for him, Vincent had never been able to get comfortable long.

Peabody was choking on his own breath mid-air, begging Vanya to stop, basically every trinket in the dining room flying around him menacingly. And then, finally, he was being stabbed time after time with flying objects, and that was when Vincent felt the discomfort creep in.

"Oh fuck—" Vincent started before his mouth was bleeding down his chin and he was scrambling off the sofa onto his knees, gripping his own stomach with both hands tightly, feeling like he himself was being stabbed as well. He should have expected this, to live Peabody's stupid death alongside him, but this really fucking hurt. His body wasn't bleeding, but his mouth always did. It felt like he could choke on it, and he thought maybe he didn't like blood very much anymore.

Vincent still watched on to what was going on with Peabody, almost chuckling despite the pain when Peabody was thrown back onto the table, effectively crushing it. Vincent weakly muttered to Vanya, reaching a hand up and accidentally turning the stereo back on, laughing a little at what he'd done, almost grinning when 'Karma Police' came on. "Fitting huh, sweetheart?" He choked out when Vanya rushed over to his side.

"Vincent? Are you okay? What happened? Did he do something to you? Did I do something to you?! Oh God..." Vanya started quickly, hands moving to Vincent's shoulder.

Vincent smiled slowly, feeling himself grow lightheaded, shutting his eyes a little. "Did this all to myself." He laughed a little with a sharp wince. "Get me outta here, V. Might die if I'm here longer. Ooh, just like Penis Boy said." He mumbled softly.

Vanya's eyes widened, and she quickly pulled Vincent up, dragging him out of the cabin as fast as she could, rushing down the stairs and almost accidentally hitting Vincent's head a few times when he would shapeshift to someone random without meaning to. Vanya took Vincent to the forest area when he'd finally calmed down and had his eyes wide open, scrunching up her nose when Vincent spat out a pile of blood.

"I'm so proud of you, Vanya!" Vincent immediately started with a wide grin, standing up way too fast for someone who'd just felt themself get stabbed at least twelve times. "You killed the bastard! Couldn't have done it better myself, truly. And I was really thinking about it, trust me."

Vanya smiled weakly up at Vincent, but didn't seem too excited by what she'd done. "I have to leave you here, Vincent. I have to go back to my apartment. Do you have a way of reaching Five?" She asked slowly. "I would ask you to come with me, but I think Five would be angry."

Vincent laughed a little. "Wow, everyone is abandoning me today." He joked under his breath before shrugging. "That's cool. I'm gonna sleep in this forest for... the rest of my life maybe?" He grinned before dropping back down on the ground.

"Vincent..." Vanya started. "Don't believe anything that Leonard said. He's been right all these times about me, but I'm sure he's lying about you." She assured.

Vincent smiled. "No, he's right." He laughed, dropping his head back against a tree. "I'm dead meat. That's been chosen for me forever ago. Just don't know how to approach it." He joked.

"You're not.. you're not going to die." Vanya chuckled just barely.

"What? You psychic up there too, Vanya? That'd be awesome." Vincent grinned, his teeth stained with blood. "I've got a phone. My only contact is Klaus."

"How did you get a phone?" Vanya asked gently, beginning to stand up, brushing herself off.

"Stole it," Vincent grinned wider, pulling his phone out of his pocket. "Klaus set it up, but it would have been fine if he didn't wipe it. There was a pony background and it said something about them being my ponies, it was crazy." He laughed.

Vanya smiled slowly, sighing. "You call Klaus," She instructed before looking around. "It should be bright out in a little less than an hour. I'm sure they'll be fine coming to get you."

"Maybe," Vincent shrugged, turning on the phone with some difficulty, navigating his way to Klaus's number and hitting the call button. "Peace out, V. Don't kill anymore people without me there, yeah?" He told Vanya.

Vanya smiled. "I promise I won't." She chuckled before waving a little. "Don't tell them I was here. If they want to know, they'll figure it out themselves." She added quietly, smiling when Vincent nodded in agreement, watching as Vanya left.

"Vincent?! Did you die? Oh gosh, I genuinely don't know. I could still do this if you were a ghost, you know? That would be beautiful," Klaus exclaimed over the phone after accepting.

"Hey!" Vincent immediately smiled wide. "Not dead, sadly. Not yet, anyway. But Penis Boy- you know who I'm talking about, right? Five will know- is super dead! So good news all around."

"Oh goodie!" Klaus grinned over the phone. "I'll get my brother. He's clearly missed you. He hates us so much here when you're gone. You should just marry him and join the family already, little bro. He's only tolerable when you're around to keep him from being a, how you say, dick." He spoke dramatically.

"The key is to stare at him until he gets uncomfortable." Vincent joked, chuckling at Klaus's hysterical laugh as the phone was handed off to someone else.

"Vincent? Are you okay?" Five answered, sounding like he'd been drinking just a little.

"Well, I just bled out of my mouth and felt like I was getting stabbed by countless sharp objects, so you tell me," Vincent grinned. "Urine Boy is dead."

"Urine Boy...?" Five questioned slowly.

"Peabody," Vincent rolled his eyes. "He got stabbed, like, a lot."

"By who? Are you alright?" Five rambled out.

"Now, that's where I keep my mouth closed. Can't tell you who did it. They specifically requested my silence," Vincent snorted in amusement at Five's responding 'what the fuck Vincent,' continuing, "And I'm fine. Sitting in a forest hoping I won't get eaten by a bear or Slenderman or something."

"Are you still at the cabin?" Five continued, yelling something at Luther that Vincent couldn't make out.

"All these questions. Just teleport here, bitch," Vincent huffed.

"I can't. I have to drive my stupid brothers there with me so we can see the body," Five sighed, grabbing keys to whatever car they had access to.

"I'm breaking up with you. I think you might be a necrophiliac. You seen a therapist lately, gay boy?" Vincent joked with a loud laugh, sitting up more with a sharp wince, the pain in his stomach a dull pinching now.

"Shut up, Vincent. You were on speaker you goddamn idiot," Five groaned out, cut off by someone grabbing the phone from him.

"You're fucking my brother?!" Someone- Diego- yelled over the phone.

Vincent laughed. "Bingo. Took you long enough, Knock-Off Batman." He joked.

"Wow, he's on a roll today guys! Let me talk to him! I'm gonna invite him to my improv group! He'd be fantastic!" Klaus exclaimed in the background, trying to get the phone back.

"This is sweet and all guys, but if I stay here any longer I might actually die." Vincent chuckled out.

"Would that be such a bad thing?" Diego spoke, cursing when someone hit him.

"We're coming, Vince. Just stay where you are," Five cut in before hanging up entirely.

Vincent rolled his eyes, leaning back against the tree more and shutting his eyes. His life seemed to only get worse and worse, but somehow he was content with this. Whatever this was, after all.

He was fine. He'd be fine.

"How cute that was," A voice broke Vincent out of his rest, making him jump onto his feet with wide eyes, not daring to turn around. "Poor Five is gonna be in a lot of trouble, isn't he?"

Or not.

Vincent sighed shakily, clenching his jaw just barely before forcing a smile and turning his body around to face the woman who he hated so much.

"Good morning, captain. You don't stay dead long, do you?"

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A/N: hey guys!!! It's been probably two month maybe more and I'm so fucking sorry nsjddj. everything's been so crazy and I've had NO motivation until the last two days lmao. I know this chapter seems pretty rushed (at least to me) so I'm sorry! But it's Super long lmfao 4875 words to be exact. might be the longest one. :))) Tell me what u think!!

ALSO black lives matter!!!! Vincent says ACAB!!! (if u guys argue under this I swear to fucking god)