CONTENT WARNING: NEGATIVE COMMENTS/PANIC ATTACK/SUI
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   "Hah... hah..." Hero falls to his knees, letting go of his frying pan.
   *CLUNK*
   It falls to the tile floor with a loud thud.
   "Hero!!" Kel also drops his weapon, running up to Hero and crouching down in front of him.
   Kel shakes him, "Hero! Listen!! You don't have to do this!! This isn't you, I promise!! We're here for you!"
   Tears start to form under Hero's eyes.
    His eyes were a blank, deep red.
   "You... you ruined my life... 𝐊𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞𝐲-"
   -
   *𝐒𝐋𝐀𝐏*
   It echos all around them, trembling the room.
   They all stand in complete shock.
   Hero holds his cheek in disbelief.
   All that can be heard after that is the heavy breathing of Kel.
   "You... just don't get to 𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 say... that. unless... this was 𝐲𝐨𝐮 all along....?" Kel stood up and shoves his hands into his pockets, walking away.
   "Let's go, you guys." He grits his teeth while speaking.
   "Wait!?" Basil exclaims.
   "What about Hero-" Aubrey starts.
   "Leave him. He's like the rest... He'll never change." Kel painfully forced that last part out.
   "BUT-"
   "ENOUGH. WE'RE LEAVING. 𝐍𝐎𝐖."
    Hero sits still, grasping his cheek.
   ~
   ~
   ~
   I vividly remember the first time it happened to Kel.
   He was about... 7? I can't recall the exact date.
   He had snuck out of the house, trying to reach a friend. But he got found out.
   When he got home, he... my father...
   He raised his hand against his own son.
   I remember the tears and screams of his.
   It was my own brother.
   This happened over and over again, and only got worse.
   When Kel cut his hair with a pair of scissors... I remember waking up to the horrific wails of my brother.
   My own brother.
   ... I was so damn clueless.
   I was so powerless.
   I was careless.
   I was, and still am, just as bad as them.
   I didn't do anything. I never did.
   ... I was scared. So, fucking terrified.
    Would they hit me too? I probably deserve it.
   ... that day... in the bedroom... I.. I told him to die.
   Something like that can't be forgiven.
   Someone like me doesn't deserve to live.
   I was just as bad as them.
   Raising my voice instead of the belt. It's all the same.
   Seeing that go on for years and just leaving him??
   How worthless of an older brother am I..?
   He suffered so much to the point that he wants to kill himself.
   I... I can't even fathom that thought of him being gone.
   ...
   I'm so... fucking sorry... Kel... I.. I'm sorry for being a bad brother...
   ~
   ~
   ~
   "... I'm so sorry for not telling anyone. I'm so sorry for leaving you... when you needed it most... I'm... just... so sorry..." Hero was on his hands and knees now.
   "I... I should've done something... I should've... it wouldn't have gotten this bad... if... I'm... so sorry... Kel." Slowly, his eyes turned back to normal, filling with salty water.
   Kel stopped, not turning around, "..."
   "I deserve it all. Hit me more, if you do desire. Please. Punish me. I wanna feel your pain, I wanna be with you. I'm sorry that I couldn't... I'm sorry that I 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭." Hero violently shook through tears streaming down his face.
   "..." Kel immediately turned around, and with his fists clenched, he stomped over to Hero and-
   Hero finches, preparing for another hit.
   ... Kel raises his hand again... but then drops it slowly.
   Kel suddenly embraces Hero.
   "Wha-"
   "You said exactly what I said... all those years ago." Kel interrupts him, shaking, "I get it. I really do. But... I hope you understand the amount of 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧 I was in for... 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬."
   "I..." Hero says quietly, his voice breaking up, "I... d-do. I know a s-sorry can't fix it all... but I'm... 𝐬𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐲..."
   Kel kept on a weak smile, "I'm so sorry for hitting you, big brother."
   Hero's smile trembled, "I'm so sorry for calling you that..little bro...*sob*"
   "Hey. It's alright. I know you didn't mean it... it's..." Kel took a death glare at Jawsum, who, in fact, was just awkwardly standing there.
   Aubrey had a big grin on her face, one with... evil intentions.
   Her and Basil happily (HELP WHY DID IT SAY MARRIED) trotted over to Jawsum.
   Basil put his knife against his gills, and Aubrey threatened with her plush right next to his head.
   "Now, bitch. You tell us where the last remaining Keys are, or else I will 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐅𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭, 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐛 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐲." Aubrey kept the wide grin on her face, her voice low and her tone harsh.
   Jawsum nervously chuckled, "I... I'm not sure what you're talking abou-"
   Aubrey nodded at Basil, and Basil slowly pushed the blade into his gill. This made Jawsum cough up blood, falling to the floor.
   "A-ALRIGHT!! I'LL T-TELL YOU...!!!"
   Hero held back a stern sigh, "Don't you think you should go easy on him? It's torture, what you're doing."
   "He tortured us, why can't we do it back?" Basil asked sarcastically, surprisingly cheerful.
   Hero noticed that his eyes didn't look the same. They were a reddish blue, with a crimson hue. But he brushed it off, cause Basil seems fine.
   Right?
   "O-okay... I used to be in possession of the last three keys... but that... 𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐭 ate them!!" Jawsum confessed.
   "𝐀𝐭𝐞 them? Do you think this is a fucking joke?" Aubrey spat, "we're running outta time here!"
   "N-n-no!! I'm serious!! Humphrey!! He ate them!!"
   "Who's Humphrey?" Kel let go of Hero and they joined the two of them in the interrogation.
   "E-ever since the dreamer left, Deep Well had been in complete c-chaos!! The ruler of the Deep Well, Humphrey, resurfaced! A-and he took and swallowed the keys- right in front of me too!!!"
   "Dreamer? He must be talking about Sunny." Kel whispered, concluding.
   "Deep well? Is that what this place is called?" Hero asked, not exactly expecting an answer.
   "Where can we find him?" Basil played with the knife in his hands, covered in bright blood.
   "He's b-b-back at his lair! All the way in the 𝐃𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥!! I-I-it's south of here!! A-ask a croc to take you there!! It's across the bridge!!" He held his head, his eyes losing color.
   "W-"
   *THUNK*
   ...
   "Is... he dead?" Aubrey crotched down and waved in front of his face.
   Hero bent down and checked his pulse, "No, just unconscious."
   Kel sighed in relief.
   "Okay. I guess we know where to go now." Basil chimed in, with a little smirk on his face.
   "Right. Ready to go guys?" Aubrey announced.
   "Let's. This Humphrey guy sounds like an ass." Kel added, following her.
   Hero put his hand on Basil, who was staring at the unconscious Jawsum, "you coming?"
If you don't wanna.... then... poor... defenseless animal.
   It was all coming back.
   She's... coming-
   "Hey. Coming?" Hero let go, worried.
   "... yeah."
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   A/n: YOOO ITS "THE AUGUST SHOW-"
   "That's me!"
   Anyways, sorry for taking a bit to post, I was really tired :(
   I hope you guys are ready for Humphrey, cause... 𝐢 𝐚𝐦 >:D
   I love each and every one of you guys <33
   See ya! ^<^