Chapter Text
The blast was larger than False expected.
She was knocked hard into her back and just stayed there for a sec. She knew she needed to get Grian and leave, but a sleepiness had overtaken her.
She just laid on the floor, looking up at the swirling smoke. It was slow, and… getting slower?
She sat up. Her head was pounding hard in her skull. The un-dancing flames surrounded her. Grian sat unmoved on the couch, his face frozen in the moment right after False lit the match.
For the first time in five years, time was frozen.
“Mreurp”
All except for Jellie, who didn’t mind the laws of time. In fact, her meow signified that she was more angry that False’s power had interfered with a really good nap.
“Did I wake you?” False laughed quietly to herself.
It hit her then how quiet things were between time. It was really just her and Jellie in this place. The rest of the world really had come to a complete stop.
The apartment was significantly brighter, that’s the first thing she noticed after time stopped. It made sense, seeing as she’d just set it on fire a couple minutes ago. Or was it seconds? Time powers made everything weird.
The second thing she noticed was that she was on fire.
“Oh shoot” she exclaimed quietly as she patted her arm out. The flannel was now missing the entire left cuff, including the ripped part.
Maybe she’d finally let Gem do something to it when she got out of here.
Maybe.
Speaking of getting out of here, she should probably get on that.
She went over to Grian, the frozen flames didn’t look like they were going to bother her, but she wasn’t going to test that theory.
She picked her way over to him slowly, carefully avoiding any flames or debris. She reached the couch he was sitting on, picked him up, and swung him over her shoulder. It wasn’t like he was about to complain! It hit her then that she didn’t know when time would unfreeze. She should probably focus on getting herself and Grian out of the currently, or maybe not currently depending on how you look at it, burning building. But still, what if she was in the middle of saving Grian? What if she kept it frozen for too long and brought on the accidental death of the universe? She didn’t want to be responsible for the death of the universe! Besides, False liked the universe! It was where she kept her stuff! And herself!
Get Grian and herself out, that was the goal. Focus on that, the other stuff can come later. And maybe, probably, a panic attack.
She moved Grian towards the door. He was lighter than he looked. Didn’t birds have hollow bones to help them fly? She wondered if he was like that. She’d ask him later.
They got out of Scar’s apartment, but then False realized that there was yet another obstacle in their way. The elevator wouldn’t work without time, ya know, moving. They’d have to take the stairs, and despite Grian being very light and not moving too much, False did not feel like carrying him down eighteen flights of stairs.
She groaned and sat down, setting Grian in front of her. How was she going to do this.
She never wanted to be anyone’s hero.
Why had she chosen this? Did she choose this? What else didn’t she know?
Rule number two; this is the Hero world. Don’t ask questions.
False just sat there for a second. Letting herself think for a minute. About life, time, the universe, and the possibility of rolling Grian down the stairs, when Grian touched her shoulder.
Time had unfrozen itself. “We should probably get out of here” Grian suggested, motioning to Scars burning apartment.
“So it worked?” She asked; the proof right in front of her.
“Yeah, but we should get going,” Grian said, motioning more intently towards the flames that were now licking through the door.
“Yeah, ok.” She said numbly. She was exhausted.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~——————————
False’s memory of the walk to her apartment is very foggy.
She remembers vaguely telling Grian her address at some point as he helped her along. Arriving and knocking on the door. Gem opening the door and running out to hug False.
False noted her strange outfit. Long brown boots with straps on the side, that she was ninety-percent sure were hers, on top of sheer white socks with butterflies on them. Those stopped just short of pink shorteralls over a bright green shirt. Gem had a dark green jacket with an impressively large pink bow over the shorteralls. A pink scarf and white mask covered her face. Her hair was in two braids that rested over her shoulders. False had seen it before, she was sure of it . She just didn’t have the energy to figure out where right now.
There was someone with red hair and green skin on their couch when she was finally allowed in. False went straight to her bedroom, not even bothering to introduce Gem and Grian. She figured that they could do that themselves. False was just so tired. Her head hit her pillow and she was out like a light.
There was a lot she’d have to explain tomorrow.
But that was tomorrow False’s problem.
Right now False was just going to enjoy sleeping in a bed for the first time in two weeks.