Chapter Text
Look, I never expected this “villain of the week” thing to get…well, serious. Every now and then some new villain would show up thinking they had what it took to become the next "big bad". It never really worked out. Until this one. This one was worse. Worse than Spider Queen and her creepy gowns…or even those two weird blue and orange demons I fought once.
What were their names again? Eh. Doesn’t matter. This was different. Bad different. And now it was just me and whatever "that thing" was standing in front of me. I couldn’t even really see it anymore. Just flashes of color—swirling shapes bleeding into the bright sunset behind it. Like my vision couldn’t decide what it was supposed to focus on.
Megapolis reeked of chaos. Smoke, heat, and burned metal hung in the air like a warning I was already too late to read. Somewhere in the distance, debris was still settling, little cracks and collapses echoing through the streets like the city was slowly giving up on standing upright. The summer sun pressed down on my face, sweat trailing down my brow.
My skin felt too hot in some places and too cold in others, like my body couldn’t agree on what was happening anymore. My side screamed every time I breathed too deep—sharp, ugly pain that shot straight through my ribs and made my whole body tighten without permission. Pretty sure I broke something this time. Or maybe more than one thing.
Every inhale felt…smaller than it should’ve been. Like my chest didn’t want to open all the way anymore. Great. I shifted slightly. Instant regret. Warm blood soaked into my sleeve, sticking my sweater to my skin in a way that made. every movement feel slower and heavier. It wasn’t just bleeding anymore—it was that slow, steady kind that you don’t notice at first until it’s already everywhere.
My fingers twitched when I noticed it. A small stain. Dark against the fabric. For a second my brain didn’t even process it properly. Then it did. And everything in me tightened at once. I hated blood. Not in a dramatic way. Not in a “battlefield warrior” way.
Just…my stomach dropped, my breathing stuttered, and suddenly it was harder to think about anything except the fact that it was "there". Real. Mine. Even standing felt wrong. Like my balance had been loosened at the edges. The ground wasn’t just tilted anymore—it felt unreliable, like it might decide to move without warning.
My ears rang with every shaky step I managed to take. A thin, high sound that filled in all the gaps where silence should’ve been. It made it harder to focus. Harder to think. Harder to tell how long I’d even been standing here. Or how long I could keep doing it.
Or maybe that was just everything catching up to me at once.
Catching my breath was becoming something I just…couldn’t do it anymore. Each inhale felt thinner than the last, like the air around me was slowly disappearing before it could even reach my lungs. Suddenly my surroundings got hazier. Darker even. That was weird…right?My heart pounded violently against my ribs, hard enough that for one awful second I thought it might break something else inside me.
Every beat hurt. Too fast. Too loud. My hands felt stingy. Tingly. Wrong. Like pins digging beneath my skin every time my fingers twitched around the staff. And if that wasn’t enough, the air somehow got thinner still, like the entire city was being drained right in front of me while I stood there uselessly trying to breathe what little was left.
My hands started shaking. Small at first. Barely noticeable.Then worse. Why were my hands shaking? I stopped walking abruptly, my legs suddenly locking beneath me like they didn’t belong to me anymore. Why is this happening? Why,Why wh-Oh. Oh God.I’m dying. That’s what this is, right? I’m dying…No no no not now, why now? My chest tightened painfully.I just needed to hang on a little longer. Just long enough to stop this thing.Then…then I could die after. Hahah Yeah Okay,Sweet. As long as they’re safe, then it’s fine.That’s all I need to do.
All I need to do is the Monkey Mech finishing move. That’s it. Easy. My grip on the staff weakened slightly. I could barely feel it anymore. The wood felt distant in my hands, numb against my palms no matter how tightly I forced my fingers to hold onto it. Each step toward that thing felt unbearable. Heavy. Slow. Like my body was resisting every command I gave it.
“H-Her-”
Pain tore through my chest immediately. Oh God. Talking somehow hurts even worse than breathing. Oh jeez…how was I supposed to do this now? The last time I used the Monkey Mech finishing move was…Lady Bone Demon. I remembered that.
Everyone had been there with me. Mei,Tang,Pigsy,Sandy, even Macaque.I remembered him helping me get my staff back. I remember getting Monkey King back from Lady Bone Demon’s control.
And Red Son…Red Son helped too.
He helped Mei. He helped Mei control the Samadhi Fire.
He–Oh God.
Mei!
Where was Mei? Was she okay? Was she hurt? Oh God, where was she?! Panic slammed into me so fast it made my vision blur harder around the edges. Okay,Focus MK. Calm down. Breath–Ahh okay Nevermind. That hurt way more than I remembered. My chest felt tight enough to crack open. Oh God… what am I supposed to do? I’m going to die right here and I can’t even be there to protect them. The thought hit harder than the pain did. Oh wow. I really am pathetic.
The shaking in my hands got worse. I can’t do it. I-I-I just can’t. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I didn’t even realize I’d started crying until warm tears slipped down my face, soaking against already overheated skin. They blurred my vision even more, turning the burning sunset lights around me into smeared streaks of gold and red. But somehow…It felt soothing. Like everything around me had finally slowed down for just a second.
The noise,the pain,the panic.
It all felt quieter beneath the warmth running down my cheeks. Like the tears gave me something else to focus on besides the feeling of my body falling apart. I stopped moving completely. That’s when I noticed something approaching me through the blur, A shape. Fast and quiet. My stomach dropped instantly.
Oh God, it's that thing. And it’s running toward me. Panic shot through me all over again. Before I could even think properly, my body reacted on instinct. I ran. Or at least I tried to.Every step sent pain ripping through my side hard enough to make my vision shake, but I forced myself forward anyway.
I just needed to get away, as far away from that thing as possible.
Running with all the strength I had left, I somehow managed to get away from that thing,Barely. Every step felt catastrophic.
The city still glowed white long after the fighting stopped. MK stumbled through the empty street, one hand pressed tightly against his side as smoke drifted between the buildings. Every step sent pain shooting up his ribs, but stopping felt worse somehow. The silence after battle always did. His communicator crackled again. Nothing. “Cool,” MK muttered weakly. “Awesome. Love that.” Somewhere in the distance, metal groaned. Neon signs flickered overhead, casting the alleyway in uneven reds and golds. His staff felt heavier than usual in his grip. He should’ve stayed with the others. Another sharp pain hit his side and he sucked in a breath through clenched teeth. Okay. Maybe he was a little more injured than he thought.
Pain ripped violently through my body every time my feet slammed against the pavement, sharp enough to make my vision flash white for half a second before blurring all over again. Something inside my side shifted horribly whenever I moved too fast, like broken pieces of bone scraping against torn skin already drenched in blood.My sweater barely looked yellow anymore. Dark crimson spread across the fabric in uneven stains, soaking deeper and deeper the longer I ran. I tried not to look at it. God, I tried so hard not to look at it. But every accidental glance downward made my stomach twist painfully.
Too much blood.Way too much.
No no no…Don’t think about it.
Just keep moving.
The city around me had become unrecognizable. Megapolis no longer looked alive. Smoke curled through shattered streets while broken neon signs flickered. weakly overhead, casting warped colors across collapsed buildings and cracked pavement. Firelight reflected against broken windows like dying stars. And all I could think about was how this was my fault…I failed.
The thought repeated with every uneven step I took.
I failed…
I failed Mei,Pigsy,Tang,Sandy,Monkey King.
I failed everyone.
I failed every single one of them.
Another painful breath tore through my chest. I nearly choked on it. My lungs burned desperately for air that never felt like enough. Every inhale came shaky and uneven, catching painfully against my ribs before I could fully breathe. The world tilted slightly beneath me. Or maybe I was the one tilting. I couldn’t tell anymore. If I had just been stronger, If I had been faster, If I had stopped hesitating. Maybe none of this would’ve happened. Maybe Megapolis wouldn’t look like this. Maybe everyone would still be safe. Maybe Mei wouldn’t be hurt. The thought alone made panic claw violently through my chest.
Oh God.
Mei.
Where was she?
Was she okay?
Was she scared?
Was she calling for me right now while I ran away like some pathetic coward?
No.
No no no no stop thinking.
My legs nearly gave out beneath me again. This whole thing could’ve been avoided if I didn’t even exist. The thought slipped into my head quietly,softly. And somehow that made it hurt worse. Because maybe it was true,maybe everyone would’ve been safer if Monkey King had chosen someone else. Someone stronger,Someone smarter,Someone who didn’t destroy everything they touched. Someone who didn’t panic at the sight of their own blood.
Someone better.
I stumbled violently forward, my foot catching against broken concrete before I slammed hard into a massive piece of debris. Pain exploded through my ribs instantly. A broken sound tore from my throat as I collapsed against the rubble, my body curling in on itself automatically like maybe making myself smaller would somehow make the pain stop.
It didn’t.
God, it didn’t.
It just kept hurting.
Sharp.
Hot.
Endless.
Every breath stabbed through my waist so violently I could barely inhale anymore. My heartbeat pounded frantically against my ribs, so hard it made my entire body shake with awful uneven vibrations. My hands trembled uncontrollably against the pavement beneath me. I couldn’t stop them. No matter how hard I tried. Warm tears blurred my vision again.
Stop.
Just stop crying already.
Why are you the one crying?
You caused this.
You left your family behind.
You weren’t enough.
The thoughts came faster now…Crueler, Meaner. And the worst part? They sounded honest.
Worthless.
That’s what you are.
Worthless doesn’t even BEGIN to describe what you’ve become.
Pathetic.
Weak.
Useless.
A burden.
My body shook harder with every sob forced painfully from my chest. The crying made breathing worse, and breathing made the pain worse, and the pain made everything worse until it felt like my entire body was collapsing inward piece by piece. I pressed the heel of my hand hard against my eyes, desperate to stop the tears somehow, but it didn’t work. Nothing worked anymore, And still…
I sat there.Part of me wanted to survive…I think. But another part of me–A smaller, quieter part buried underneath all the fear–Was just tired. So unbelievably tired. Maybe dying here would be easier. At least then nobody else would get hurt because of me anymore. My trembling fingers tangled weakly into my hair as another sob broke violently from my chest.
Oh God…Mei!
The thought of her shattered something inside me completely. I never got to tell her how much she meant to me. Not really, Not enough. She stayed beside me through everything, every stupid plan, every fight. Every horrible mistake, she stayed. Even when things got hard. Even when I got hard to deal with. And now I was going to die without ever telling her she was the closest thing I ever had to a sister.
A horrible sound escaped me then.
Not quite a sob, Not quite a gasp, Something uglier…Something broken. I wanted her here so badly, just once more. I wanted to hear her laugh again. I wanted her to yell at me for being reckless again. I wanted one more chance to hug her. Pigsy, Tang, Sandy, Monkey King. The names alone hurt more than my injuries. Pigsy, who gave me a home when nobody else would. Tang, who stayed beside me no matter how dangerous things became. Sandy, who listened so gently it almost made the world feel softer. Monkey King, who believed there was something good in me worth saving.
And I failed them all. Couldn’t protect them,Couldn’t save them…Couldn’t even save myself.
Above me, the sky over Megapolis slowly darkened into deep shades of blue and black, the last streaks of sunlight disappearing behind smoke-covered buildings. Nightfall. Had that much time really passed already? Or was I dying faster than I thought? Honestly…I couldn’t tell anymore. My vision blurred harder. The pain in my side melted together with the ringing in my ears until everything around me felt distant and underwater. That’s when I saw it. A figure moving slowly through the smoke. Closer, And Closer.
And strangely…Warmth followed them. Not the violent heat of burning buildings. Something softer. Gentler, Familiar. The closer the figure got, the stronger the warmth became, wrapping weakly around my freezing skin like the fading memory of sunlight. The figure stopped suddenly at the sight of me. I weakly lifted my trembling hand toward them, desperate to hold onto that warmth before it disappeared too. But my strength finally gave out. The world tilted violently sideways. Darkness swallowed everything whole. And just before unconsciousness dragged me under completely, one broken word slipped from my lips.
“M-Mei?...”