Published in it's own book but I want everything to be in one place. :")

~~~Pitch~~~

"Let him go!" Glitch yelled, furious, as he eyed the knife held to Puzzle's throat. Vex glared at the man holding Puzzle hostage, desperately trying to think of a way out of the situation. It was only one damn man against the two of them; him and Glitch. Surely they'd be able to handle him. Well, actually, they could Vex knew they could. With the two of them combined, they'd be able to kill that primitive for sure. The problem was that they couldn't get to him until he stopped being a coward and using Puzzle as a shield.

"And why should I do that?" The man sneered, pressing the knife closer to Puzzle's throat, drawing a few drops of blood. Puzzle stood still, overwhelmed by everything. It was his first time outside. His first time in seeing Glitch after so long. How long had it been? 180 years? Around that. He had been waiting for Glitch all this time, enduring all the torture and experiments, waiting, just waiting for Glitch to come back. He had kept himself going all this time, he had kept hoping and dreaming, enduring and enduring, no matter how bad it became for him. He had waited for Glitch because Glitch was his only hope. Glitch didn't disappoint him. Glitch came back for him!

Even if it hadn't been intended this way, Glitch had fulfilled something else he said he'd do. Puzzle got to see the sky. He hasn't seen much of it, but he's already so amazed by what he's seeing so far. The sky is beautiful, just like Glitch said it would be. It was so vast, with no limit or end, and it was just...Breathtaking. The air was so amazing out here too! It was... Fresh. It smelled of... Well, Puzzle didn't know what it smelt of, but it was so different from the normal smell of drugs, blood and burnt flesh. A smell he had gotten used to. But the air out here didn't smell anything like it, it was... Amazing, just amazing. It was bright too. Not the kind of brightness that was shone directly on his face or just bright enough to light up a hallway, but there was that massive sun thing Glitch had described! He could feel its warmth and the way it lit up the entire world. Puzzle loved it out here.

But his joy was short-lived because before he could properly comprehend it all, he was at knife-point, Glitch and what Puzzle presumed was, his friend, a little distance away. Puzzle's first thought was "He's finally here," and a massive grin had spread across his face, relief and happiness flooding into his veins. He doesn't know the last time he felt happy. It was a very long time ago. Probably back when Glitch was still with him. Glitch was the only one who had ever made him happy before. He recalls a man from long ago, his dad, if he remembered correctly, who had treated him with kindness as well. It was just barely there and there were times when Puzzle thought he was just hoping that the man was kind when in reality he wasn't, but Puzzle was sure that man from long ago had loved him. He hadn't made him nearly as happy as Glitch, but he had made his life a lot more durable during the time he was around.

Puzzle's head swam. So many things were happening at once that it was overwhelming him. Seeing the outside world, seeing Glitch again, remembering things from long ago, being free of his normal restraints... It was all so new and amazing, but he didn't have any time to process any of it properly with how quickly everything kept changing.

"Because if you don't let him go, we're going to kill you," Vex hissed, itching to draw his blade and kill the stupid primitive for his actions, but he held himself back. If he so much as took a step forward, the primitive would kill Puzzle and all of this would be for nothing.

"And what'll I get if I let him go, huh? Didn't think about that, did you?" The man scoffed, twisting Puzzle's arm a little further. Puzzle winced at the pain, tears naturally springing to his eyes.

"I'll let you live if you let him go," Glitch hissed. As much as he wanted the man to pay for what he did, he couldn't risk losing Puzzle. He just couldn't. So if he had to let that scumbag live in order to save Puzzle, then so be it.

"You might let me live, but as far as I'm concerned, there are plenty other Virus' out there, are there not?" The man asked, chuckling. He looked up at Glitch and Vex again, a smirk appearing on his face. "Even if you were to let me go, I'd probably end up dying anyway, wouldn't I?"

Puzzle felt his breath hitch and he attempted to lean back, away from the knife, but he only ended up pressing himself into the man behind him, the knife following his movement, pushing into the shallow cut on his neck. Puzzle looked down nervously, unsure if there was anything he could do. Glitch noticed Puzzle's small struggle and felt a pang in his chest, though he tried his best to ignore it. Glitch bit his lip in an attempt to keep himself quiet. He needed to think clearly. Any wrong moves or words could set the man off.

Just wait a little longer, and I'll get you out of here, Puzzle.

"Then what do you want?" Glitch asked, now digging his nails into his palms to keep himself calm. He was so close yet so far at the same time. Just a little further and he could finally hold Puzzle and take him somewhere safe... It wasn't such a distant dream anymore. Puzzle was right there. Now all he had to do was find a way to grab him. Then Glitch could protect him. Nothing would stand in his way once Glitch had him in his arms.

The man seemed to contemplate his answer but abruptly cut himself off as he looked at something behind Glitch and Vex, eyes wide. Vex decided to risk a glance while Glitch's eyes remained glued to Puzzle. Vex watched in satisfaction as the building used for the experiments began to collapse, giving in on itself, no longer able to stand up anymore. He already knew that anyone in the building who had been used as experiments had been rescued by some of his and Glitch's Squadrons. Puzzle was the last one left and he was the one that they really needed now. Vex turned back to the man, a shark-like grin on his face.

"Whoops," Vex sneered, snickering. The man stared at the building for a few more seconds, as if deciding something, then sighed in exhaustion.

"Well, guess there's no point in continuing this any further then," He mumbled. Glitch blinked, confused. A sinking feeling of frustration settled in him as he couldn't figure out what the man was about to do or say. He just wanted Puzzle back already! His frustration caused Puzzle's eyes to glow brighter, standing out against his pale skin. Puzzle blinked, more tears forming in his eyes and a small smile came onto his face as he switched his attention from Vex back to Glitch again.

"Thank you, Glitch. I'm really glad I got to see you one last time," Puzzle mumbled, just loud enough to be heard. Glitch's heartbeat sped up, beating even more frantically in his chest than before. That was the first time he had been able to hear Puzzle's voice since 160 years ago. It had changed. He liked it. Glitch took a step forward, however, confused by Puzzle's words. Vex's guard shot up, trying to rack his brain to see if he could decipher the situation that was currently taking place.

The man mumbled something Glitch nor Vex could hear in Puzzle's ear, a weird glint in his eyes. Puzzle looked down, his hair shielding his eyes from view. A few seconds after the man had finished speaking to him, Puzzle lifts his head up again, smiling brightly at Glitch and Vex, though mostly at Glitch, tears streaming down his face in waves. Then in one horrifyingly simple movement, the man sliced Puzzle's neck, blood splattering onto the ground.

The last thing Puzzle heard as his world went black, was Glitch's horrified scream echoing throughout the forest and Vex's desperate yell of "No!" as he leapt forward, before he fell to the ground, everything fading away around him.

Glitch's horrified scream echoed for a few seconds, even after he watches Puzzle's body fall as in slow motion. He continues to scream even when Puzzle hits the ground. He continues to scream even when Puzzle's blood begins to leak from his throat, creating a puddle underneath him. His screams only stop when he's completely out of air and he's left a complete mess, trying to comprehend the horror that just happened before him. He doesn't notice the tears stream down his face or the way his shoulder begin to shake rapidly. He doesn't notice how he's begun to gasp for breath through his heart-wracking sobs.

He feels his Trait shatter and along with it, his heart.

He just lost Puzzle for good. After all this time searching and refusing to give up, he found him again. Only to watch him die for certain, without a doubt. Puzzle had died before his eyes and nothing can or will ever take back the sight he just saw. He stares, horrified, at the puddle of blood that begins to stain Puzzle's white clothes. They always make them wear white, he never knew why. He had never seen another colour on Puzzle. It was always white. Now it was white and red. He didn't like it. He never wanted to see it again.

He had finally found Puzzle. He had been so close. But that man had just ripped it all away, just like that. Puzzle was dead and he wasn't coming back. After searching for so long, he had lost him. There wouldn't be any searching for him anymore. No believing that he had to still be alive after all this time. No hopes that they could safely together. No dream of finally being happy and showing Puzzle the outside world properly like he had promised. Puzzle was gone for sure.

Glitch doesn't even notice Vex springing forward, slaughtering the man in his rage. His eyes remain glued to Puzzle. The boy who had been lost for so long. Someone so lost had been found, only to be lost once more. Just like that. And for what? Why was he taken away from him so soon? Why didn't he get the chance to have a better life? To be happy, even if only for a little while. Why did he have to be born into those damn experiments and then live as one for so long, for his entire life? Puzzle was about 200 years old. Pretty much all of that time he had been used and abused, tortured and experimented on, thrown around and discarded, chained and held. He didn't deserve it. Puzzle had never done anything wrong! Heck, he never had the chance to do anything wrong, because he was immediately born into that hellhole!

A numb feeling spread through Glitch as he began to walk forward to Puzzle's body. Vex turns around from the man's body, stopping whatever he was doing. Glitch couldn't bring himself to care. As long as that man was dead, Glitch didn't care what happened to him after that.

"...Glitch," Vex mumbles, his voice full of pain, pity and sorrow, his eyes showing a surprising amount of emotion. It was uncharacteristic for Vex, but still, Glitch couldn't bring himself to care. Puzzle was gone. He was never going to get him back this time either. No, that was wrong. It had to be. There was no way... He had to still be alive. Glitch's grey eyes lit up with life.

"He's still alive, he has to be," Glitch mumbles, his voice raising, desperation sinking in. The next thing he knows, he's lunging at Puzzle's body. Vex drops his sword, allowing it to clatter to the ground, and jumps at Glitch and catching him before he can barrel into Puzzle's body. Vex immediately wraps his hands around Glitch, holding him tightly.

"Vex, we have to get him h-help! He could s-still be alive, he co-could still get help, he could sti-still... We... He needs..." Glitch trails off, staring at Puzzle's body desperately. He still has a small fragment of hope and clings to it with everything he has. He tries to ignore the emptiness he's feeling. The emptiness that his Trait left there when it shattered. He feels so cold. But he ignores that too. Puzzle is still alive, he has to be...

"He's dead, Glitch. I'm sorry," Vex whispers, tightening his hold. Glitch immediately feels the tears begin to burn at his eyes again and he claws at Vex to push him away.

"He's not! He ha-has to be alive! He has to be! He-!" Glitch screams but Vex cuts him off.

"PUZZLE'S DEAD!" Vex yells forcefully, forcing tears to stop forming in his own eyes. Glitch's struggles stop completely and he's left frozen, muscles tense. It takes a few minutes of just standing there, staring at Puzzle's dead body while Vex keeps him caged in his arms in a hug, for the information to finally sink in.

Glitch breaks down.

A loud sob escapes his lips, the tears streaming down ever faster, staining his face and falling onto Vex's shoulder. He begins to wail, hiding his face in Vex's shoulder, as he wraps his arms around Vex, reciprocating the hug to gain the comfort he so desperately needs right now.

"I'm sorry, Glitch. I really am. I'm so sorry," Vex murmurs, clinging to Glitch as tight as he can without completely crushing him. Glitch shakes like a leaf in his grasp, stuttering half-formed words that Vex can't make out with Glitch pressed so hard into his shoulder, all of his words coming out too muffled to be heard.

Eventually, Glitch's legs give in and instead of letting go, Vex goes down with him, the two of them falling to their knees. Vex doesn't give it any thought and just continues to hold Glitch, hoping the gesture at least brings him some comfort at the very least. Vex closes his eyes, silently wishing that he could rewind time so that scene never happened. So that he could stop this horrible outcome. He wished he knew how to comfort Glitch at the very least, but he was born for war, not for...this.

No one was born for this.

It takes Glitch a full half an hour to calm down even the smallest bit. He begins to pull away from Vex, who warily lets him go, eyes scanning his face. Glitch's eyes are red and puffy, fresh tear tracks stained to his face. He sniffs, followed by a hiccup. He wipes at one of his eyes with his sleeves, looking away from Vex. For that instant, Vex doesn't see the boy that he's known for the past 150 years. He sees the fragile, scared boy that just escaped from the horrors of Technika after having left the person most precious to him behind in order to save him. He sees the small version of Glitch, hurt and lost, with nowhere to go or return to. With no path to follow or any idea what to do. A small Glitch with no purpose or meaning anymore.

Vex cringes.

Glitch crawls over to Puzzle's body, meekly picking up the body of the person most precious to him. It feels real. Even in his dreams and nightmares, he'd never once been able to ever touch Puzzle. But now, sitting here, cradling Puzzle's cold, dead body, makes it seem so more realistic. This isn't a nightmare. This is reality. Puzzle was dead and wouldn't be coming back this time.

Just like that, the tears start again, as do the wails, as Glitch once more completely breaks down.



~~~

...I'll let myself out.

*Leaves*