Chapter Text
The room is silent, tension fills the air. Everyone is looking at Gwen, who is looking at Finney.
“You need to undo this.” She remarks, her gaze never faltering. Everyone else looks over to Finney.
“Undo what?” He asks in a soft voice, innocence clear on his face.
“You know what.” Gwen leans back against the wall, her (Donna’s) pale pink hoodie slides off her shoulder. “This isn’t ethical. We deserve to rest.”
“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Finney stands up, tucking his hands into the pockets of his sweats. Other-Finney shines through, having taken the reins. “I’m as much of a victim as the rest of you.”
“Do not victimize yourself!” She snarls. “You have no right to hold us prisoners.”
Other-Finney sighs, gazing at the boys in the room. “I think my dear sister has finally lost it. Really hoped she could be in my happily ever after, darn.”
Gwen freezes, her teeth gritted together.
Happily ever after.
Happily ever after.
Happily ever after.
“I’ll make sure to explain to Donna why you’re gone, dear Gwendolyn.” For a second, Here-Finney takes control but Other-Finney overpowers them. “I’ll make this as least painful as possible, don’t you worry Gwenny!” He coos.
He snaps.
She explodes.
The boys scream in terror, some start sobbing and Billy runs over to the door, banging on it and begging for help. Griffin reaches up and wipes the blood off his face. Bruce shakes as he collapses into Robin’s arms, screaming the word no over, and over again.
Vance stares at Here-Other-Finney.
“Why?”
“She posed a threat to his happiness. And besides, it was her time.” He smiles as he waves his hand, a small window appearing.
Gwen lays unmoving in her hospital bed, the monitor beeping, There-Finney is curled onto a chair, eyes closed and expression peaceful. He’s asleep.
Their dad is near the door, talking to a nurse and doctor. He looks tired and miserable as he nods his head. He runs a hand down his face and a sob wrecks his body, the nurse consoles him as the doctor steps into the room and closer to the machines. He does something— they can’t quite see what it was. But suddenly the annoying beeping turns into a flatline and they shut off the noise. The doctor covers Gwendolyn’s body with a sheet.
She’s dead.
There-Finney stays asleep during it all.
Terrence cries, kneeling by her bed and holding her hand, he apologizes again, and again.
He’s not sure she’ll ever forgive him.
He stumbles back as they begin to wheel her body out of the room, he covers his face with his hands. He can’t bear to look. His babygirl— gone.
“You did that.” Robin pipes up, voice filled with rage. “You killed her! You monster!”
“I did what was right!” Other-Here-Finney snaps back, hurt and betrayal on his face. It looks unnatural— unnerving.
“No. You did what was convenient for you.” Griffin whispers, shakily standing up. Tears pour down his face as he points an accusing finger at Other-Here-Finney. “You killed her because you’re a selfish, narcissistic, apathetic monster!”
“I killed her because I love you guys!” He shouts, enraged. “She was nothing but a bump in the road of our lives! She would’ve ruined us all had I kept her around!”
“N-no. You’re wrong.” Bruce shakes his head, whimpering and curling into Robin. “This—” He gestures to the blood soaked walls, the organs on the ground. “This isn’t love. This is infatuation— obsession. It’s wrong. It’s gross. And I hate you.”
Bruce states it like a fact, it makes Other-Here-Finney recoil like he’s been burned.
“Am I wrong? I’M WRONG!?” He bellows, eyes red and skin turning ugly black. “YOU’RE ALL NOTHING WITHOUT ME!”
“You would be a loser had Robin not befriended you.” Billy voices from where he stands behind Griffin. A cold, calculating look on his face. “We only bothered with you because Robin loved you!”
It’s a blatant lie— but one that Other-Here-Finney doesn’t seem to catch.
“N-no. No, you’re lying!” He screeches, he grabs at his skin like he’s being burned.
“You need to let us go.”
“We’re not yours.”
“We never happened.”
That’s the straw that broke the camel's back—. Other-Finney howls and screeches and pulls himself out of Here-Finney’s body, he climbs out his stomach and staggers to his feet. Here-Finney crumbles to the ground and disappears with the wind, his body turning to dust.
“LIES!” Other-Finney hisses, horns pop from his hazel brown hair, his nails turning to claws and pimples popping up throughout his face. “You lie!”
“I don’t. You loved us— but we didn’t love you. We didn’t know you. He killed us before we could.” Griffin murmurs, taking a tentative step forward. Everyone glances at him with a confused look sans Other-Finney who half whimpers half growls. “Albert grabbed us. Why don’t you accept that?”
“Because he didn’t! You’re right in front of me!”
“But I’m not.” Griffin responds softly, his arms stretching out and he spins in a circle. “I’m not. My spirit is here because you’ve trapped me but I’m dead.” As if to prove his point, his body flickers from solid to transparent.
“Impossible!” Other-Finney makes a distressed sound, grabbing a chair and launching it at Vance.
Vance, for his part, freezes. But the chair fazes right through him.
“I told you, F̵̳̬͗̾̚̕i̵̢̧̢̛̜̖̊͆͌̍̎͜ͅn̶̼̦̤͂͆̋͛̕n̵̼̻͉̐e̷͕͔̰͈̠̊͠ͅy̵͓̝͔̻̿͊̇̚̚͘͜͝ͅ ̶̡̡̡̛͎̠̠̫̈́̀͝B̶̛͖̩̤̠̔͊l̵͕͑̂ḁ̸̣̫̇͂̀k̴͈̝̎̇e̷̛̗̺̬̥͕͜. We are dead.” Griffin glitches, his face and voice distorting briefly. “We are nothing but a figment of your imagination. Souls you’ve trapped in your mind.”
“N-no!” Other-Finney whimpers and whines. His clawed hands coming up to grasp at his hair. He doesn’t notice when Other-Gwen stumbles in.
“You must let them go, Finney. It is not fair to their families on the other side of paradise for you to keep them like this.” She speaks, her voice melodic and seeming to snap Other-Finney out of his confused daze.
“You’re- you’re not supposed to be here. You’re supposed to be dead!” He roars, enraged. He runs at Other-Gwen, preparing to punch her.
She raises a hand and he freezes in place.
“You are no longer in power here, Finney. When I was trapped, you had control. But now you have set me free. I was, and always will be, stronger than you.” She whispered, a hard look on her face. “If you will not set these children free, then I regret that I must take matters into my own hands.”
“You can not do this, sister. I forbid you to!” He gasps, breaking her control over him.
“I am afraid you are no longer in a position to forbid such things.” Other-Gwen says, her eyes turning a blinding color of white, wings sprouting from back and her clothes turn into a simple, flowy white dress. She looks like an Angel.
Other-Finney hisses and cowers when she transforms. “You must not do that in front of Mortals!”
“But they are not Mortals, are they? They are Kindred Spirits who have been unLawfully trapped in your dreamscape for years, with no prior memories.” Other-Gwen replies, a scepter appearing in her hand. “And because these Kindred Spirits have been held against their will, it is I who must repay them. It is I who must punish you, brother.”
Other-Gwen stands to her full height, her back straightening and her chin held high. “I am sorry, but it must be done.
You, Finney Terrence Blake are to be tried and charged under War Crime 2495395 and be accordingly punished. If you attempt to evade punishment, you shall be stripped of all magical prowess and cast into the Dark Ones territory. Our Father Almighty has given you a chance to redeem yourself, shall you take that chance, you will be cast into the Bottomless Pit, if you refuse our Fathers gift you will be accordingly dumped into Bartholomew’s Rabbit Whole.” Other-Gwen steps forward, raising her scepter.
“What do you choose, Brother?”
Other-Finney hunches in on himself, seemingly thinking of his options. Finally, he lets out a sigh.
“Goodbye, my Dear one’s. You have meant the world to me.” He flashes a small, tired grin the boys’ way before he snaps his fingers once more, disappearing with a bright flash.
Other-Gwen nods her head. “He has chosen Acceptance. Worry not, Kindred Spirits. Bartholomew's Sister will treat Brother Finney with the utmost respect. Now, time to return you to where you belong. Come closer.”
The boys stand up, shuffling closer to Other-Gwen until they’re all holding on to her one way or the other.
“It has been a ride, with you all. I hope you can pardon my Brother and Father Almighty.” Other-Gwen slams her scepter into the ground and the world screams and shakes, breaking in half and splitting— opening up into the world of Angels, Darklings, and Spirits. “Your families are just across Moses Ocean. The waves shall carry you to them, safe from harm.”
“Thank you, Gwendolyn.” Griffin whispers.
“You are welcome, Angeling Griffin.”
“It’s true, then?”
“Yes. And for now I say my parting words to you all, Goodbye and a toast to another Adventure sometime soon, Angeling Griffin and Kindred Spirits William, Bruce, Robin, Vance.” Other-Gwen nods accordingly to each boy as she says their names.
“To more Adventures.” Griffin responds back. With that, the boys step into Moses Ocean, the waves carrying them.
“And a Happy life.” Other-Gwen whispers, pressing a kiss to her scepter and thrusting it up to the sky.
The sky rumbles and the world turns black.
Smile.
You’re on camera.