Watching You: A Refresh Story

Desert

   When Seven walked into the portal after his brother he felt fine. When he walked out everything went to hell. The anti-void looked different. There wasn't the light purple string lights everywhere or the lavender scent that always hung around. Error was here and Ink was hanging around like usual (even after Matthew and Error told him to leave several times he still shows up.) Crayola didn't sense anything. He just seemed oblivious as usual.

   And then there was him... He wasn't supposed to be here. Her looked dark where there was supposed to be light. Seven had no idea who that was but he had his arm slung around Error and he was happily chatting with Crayola and Ink.

   Seven opened his mouth to call him out. That was Matthew's spot. Where is Matthew? Why is Error touching that man? What is going on. "Hey–"

   A hand slapped over his mouth and pulled him through a portal. He pulled away but the portal was already gone. He whirled around to confront his attacker and froze. "Matthew?"

   "Hush." Matthew snapped.

   "What the fuck is going on?" Seven asked looking around at the bright sun and dark sand.

   "I used the last of my power to get you out of there."

   "What? Explain everything!"

   "Matthieu."

   "What about you?"

   "No! Matthieu. As in the french spelling. That's his name." Matt sighed and sat in the sand. He looked worn out. His handkerchief was missing from around his neck. "He's a Watcher. Like me."

   "Like you..? Why was he with them?" Seven sat down carefully. He had a bit of worry for the older yet shorter man.

   "Yes. He comes from the same place. He accessed the core code of this multiverse and inserted himself in my place. You were in the void between AUs and the anti-void and managed to avoid the wipe." He swiped a hand across his forehead.

   "What does that mean..?" Seven asked as he had a bad feeling.

   "It means that only one Watcher can inhabit a muliverse. And he's stronger. So I die and Error and Crayola have no idea."

   "What!? And you just accepted that!? You should have let me talk to them!" Seven jumped up kicking up sand.

   "It wouldn't help. They have no clue who I am. You'd only make Matthieu mad." He sighed softly and pushed his glasses up.

   "You've just accepted your death!?" Seven yelled.

   "I accepted my death a long time ago. Twice. Once before this multiverse existed. And then when the muliverse almost died. This is nothing new. It's just more permanent." He sighed.

   " There's gotta be something we can do. Get me back there."

   "Can't. We're stuck here now."

   Seven looked around and saw nothing around. Just a desert. A desert AU with no wifi. Shit.