Ego Stories

Cracked Hero

A/N: Art by Pumpkin-Demon on Tumblr/Instagram

"So, this is where you've been hiding all this time." The hero chuckled bitterly. He was on his knees, his hands tied together by an invisible force.

Jackie took a look at his surroundings, in search of something that could help him. He then realized where he was, Jack's old apartment; where he created him. The only thing left was the table and the foams that were placed around the walls, other than that it was empty. Only a few candles lit the room, and papers and books were sprawled all over the floor.

"Hiding away when your family needed you the most!" He spat those words like venom, but to Jackie's surprise, Marvin didn't flinch at them.

He just stood there, his back facing the hero. His hair had gotten longer than he remembered, green and dark brown mixing together giving it a mint chocolate look. It boiled the hero's blood, he's been looking and looking and yet...

"Hey! I'm talking to you!" Marvin turned around and faced him, his expression of boredom catching him off guard. Although, it didn't last for long for a smirk found its way to his lips.

He walked over to the hero, and with a wave of his hand, he knocked him back. Jackie grunted, blinking away the black spots dancing on his vision.

"You haven't changed a bit, Jackieboy." Marvin said biting back a chuckle, "Although, I'm a little disappointed. How could you let yourself get captured like this?"

"Y-you set that trap? All those civilians— my team!" Jackie yelled in rage and hurt, this wasn't his brother, he wouldn't kill just to get to him. "Is Anti behind all this?"

Jackie wipe his head around in look for the glitch, in look for the red strings wrapped around Marvin. He made an attempt to stand, but once again was knocked down by Marvin's magic, his face crashing first on the ground.

"Anti is not that smart" He shot back amused.

"You coward!" He finally screamed, "The Marvin I know wouldn't let his mind be possessed or corrupted!"

"Oh? I'm the coward?" Marvin prowled around Jackie, his hands behind his back as if he were having a casual conversation. "You are no match for my magic."

Then Jackie realized, Marvin was emitting the dark aura, stronger than he has ever felt. That is not his magic, the sense of it doesn't feel the same as he felt it the first time. A shiver ran down his spine, the air around him getting colder the more Marvin got closer to him.

"Tell me, Jackieboy, why am I the coward? Because I ran away? Do you even remember why I ran away?"

Jackie shut his eyes, the last time he saw Marvin still wrenched his heart. They were at home, Marvin was doing tricks for Jack when his magic suddenly activated, hurting everyone. He was so scared, he didn't even know he had magic. And then... he just disappeared. The look in his face got printed in Jackie's mind, and after that, he's been looking and looking. But he didn't expect to find this. Jackie's thoughts were interrupted when Marvin grabbed his chin with bruising force.

"You stood there, you watched me leave, and you did nothing." Marvin said through gritted teeth. And for the first time in two years, he saw his brother's eyes. Shock went through his body to see his right eye a bright red and the left one baby blue.

"I got captured, Jackie! I got tortured, my magic was stripped away from me! Before I even learned how to use it!" Marvin screamed, "I called for you, for Schneep, for Chase! I called for Jack... but no one came."

"Marvin, I— I tried to find you!" Jackie said with strain, "I... I'm sorry."

"Is that all you have to say? Hm?" His grip became tighter, his nails digging into the hero's skin. "How can you expect me to believe that?" His hand then clasp around Jackie's throat, taking him by surprise when he hoisted him with ease.

"M-Marvin—" Jackie gagged, kicking the air as he tried to slip off his grasp.

"I needed my brothers, and where were they? Where were they?" He then threw the hero to the ground, Marvin earned a gasp and coughs from him. An amused smile spread on his lips as he knelt in front of him.

"I'm—Hgn— I'm still y-your brother..." Jackie said hoarsely as he kept coughing. "Y-you can trust me."

"And I'm going to tell you this, Jackie." He lifts his face up, his dark blue eyes tearing up, his face full of cuts and bruises. He wanted to remember this face, he wanted to remember this moment. "Be careful who you trust."

Marvin stood up and arranged the cuffs of his shirt, and then put his White Cat Mask, the one that Jack gave him when he created him.

"Oh, and Jackie, next time you see Jack, send him my regards. I found a new family."

Jackie's eyes widen as he saw Marvin's leg rush with speed to his head, and at the moment of contact, everything went black.