Eternals

They had turned at a time when Pikachu was spending time with Mew. Mew had not seen it coming for they all were not crazy but calm and somewhat in their right minds. They were having the thoughts of both an Eternal and Team Force Update but their TFU side was more dominant than their Eternal side. Pikachuu shot a beam at Mew and had knocked the psychic Pokemon out. He had dragged the unconscious form of Mew to the others, his lover Nyarth, and his friends Kevin and Steven. A dark, black, shadowy smoke emitted from their bodies and a bright red glow overtook their eyes. They were all completely under the influence of Team Force Update.

They teleported to their base back in the Minecraft Daily world which was now under the protection of a powerful spell both supported by the magic of a Fourtellta and Dovahkiin. They were safe and there was no way the two BBFs could stop them. Sly and Aleks were not getting Mew back.

Before they were able to put the barrier up, another Pokemon had slipped in and found his way to them. First there was anger, with Pikachuu growling but Nyarth only smirked, silencing his lover as they realized who it was. Mudkip, Nyarth's loyal follower that would willingly follow him through hell and back and now, he was willing to side with TFU to protect him. No words were exchanged as Steven cackled slightly, in a way much like Master Meowth only more controlled.

Red eyes flashing slightly, the disguised wolf teleported to the top of the tower where he once fought Sly and lost, resulting in almost dying, protected by the carefulness of Kevin, the one he loved dearly with his heart. Even in their dark states, they still knew where love and friendship lay. Even though they were friends with Sly and Aleks, their hatred for them ruining their original plan was stronger than friendship. Steven knew the barrier around Mew was the strongest and no one could get through it, not even the Pokemon itself. The modder looked to their prized possession and smirked, waiting for the battle that would surely come from Sly and Aleks who would eventually come. The barrier would go down. and they would fight.

But Steven, Kevin, Nyarth, Pikachuu, and Mudkip would be the victors.

Sly and Aleks will surrender. Or die.

Kevin paced on the floor a little ways below Steven, having retaken his post from before. Now he was more prepared for the upcoming battle with Sly and Aleks. He took his Eternal side for granted and would use his poisonous abilities and get them where it hurt. He was positioned straight below Steven not because of security purposes, but because of his protectiveness for Steven. Even as TFU, his love for the wolf was strong, keeping him from being too far away from him. He had protected him before and now was going to be no different. Flashing his red eyes, he paced his floor, his eyes locked on the ladder reaching his floor. Powerful axe in hand and a seemingly endless supply of bread hidden in his coat, he stared intently.

He smirked at the thought of fighting Aleks again and this time, watching him plead for mercy or his blood once more dripping from his axe. He wanted him to feel the pain he once had to face. No friendships were here.

There was only hatred.

He was the most powerful of them all, but he respected Steven and Kevin. They were the firsts and therefore deserved to be higher on the scale of the tower. He was two floors below Kevin, and he knew he would be fine here, especially with loyal Mudkip besides him. Nyarth maintained a devious smirk, his paw gripping his revolver, imagining both Sly and Aleks falling over in pain from the bullets that came from his spiritually-attached gun.

The gun never missed a shot.

Curling his tail, Nyarth lifted his head and paced his floor, Mudkip keeping steady pace with his slow pace. He conversed with Mudkip, telling him their plans. Although Mudkip didn't hide his dislike for the situation and even spoke out against it, Nyarth still spoke energetically with him. He knew Mudkip would not betray him. Even though he had the seemingly endless supply of bread within his reach, he never truly got into Kevin and Steven's obsession with it despite being obsessed with stuff of his own.

Thinking of his lover two floors below him, Nyarth continued his pace, all the while practicing his aiming with his revolver.

This would surely be fun.

He didn't like fighting and didn't like Eternals fighting each other but Nyarth and the others were technically not themselves. Had a good portion of their minds yes and had the same bodies but not the same in form or head. But he had made a never ending-willing vow to follow Nyarth through everything. Even if he wasn't really Nyarth, Mudkip would follow him through anything.

As he began to practice his aiming with his revolver, Mudkip retreated to the side of the room, sitting down and intently watching the ladder leading up to their floor.

Even though he was dreading the arrival of Sly and Aleks, he somehow felt excited, knowing that he would be able to test out his fighting skills in a way never thought of before.

But this would be no spar.

This would be a fight. A battle.

He would be the first to see them and the first to fight them. And he was awaiting it. He stared at the entrance to the tower, waiting for the blue and orange colours of the two Bread Bandit Friends. They were not getting Mew. If they somehow got past him, they would be facing his lover, Nyarth and loyal Mudkip. Then Kevin and finally Steven, who he knew would not hold back anything to make sure they remain the victors and the two either prisoners or dead.

A low growl emitted from his throat every few seconds as he waited. Pikachuu was ready for them, static emitting from his fur, sparking from his already shadow emitting coat. The bread would definitely come in handy here. He was just imagining the blood on the bread as he defeated the Bread Bandit Friends.

It would surely be fun.

They had hours to kill and plus, he would do what Steven wanted him to do. He wasn't afraid of him, no he loved him, he just liked to please him. All leaders liked that. He had told Kevin to take a nap afraid Nyarth finished his extremely short one. Guess even with his TFU persona, nightmares still haunted his mind. It probably was about Pikachuu because he went to check up on him soon after. Sly and Aleks would soon be here in a little bit and sleep wasn't something he really wanted to do.

But he did it anyways. He had a nightmare. One that was entirely himself but still TFU. Sly and Aleks had somehow gotten through all their defenses and had gotten to Steven. They held him hostage and it was just himself verses the two BBFs. Sly seemed invincible as he attacked him, using his powerful axe but being thrown back with such force that he was sure he should've been dead by that point. Red eyes blazing with fury, he attacked once more by this time, Sly giggled his golden giggle and slammed to the floor. Aleks held Steven with his enchanted sword to his throat and before he could do anything, Kevin was forced to watch as Steven's throat was ripped open. Before it could sink in, Sly repeated the same to Kevin. Kevin didn't feel it for that was when he awoke, panting and his heart beating faster than he had ever felt before. It had felt so real but it couldn't happen, could it? Sly and Aleks surely wouldn't even be able to get through Nyarth, right?

Shaking his head, Kevin carefully slipped up the ladder leading the top of the tower where Steven was along with their prized possession, Mew. On the horizon, the sun was sinking and the sky was splattered with rays of orange and pink. A pretty scene he must say. What a strange thing to say, coming from someone of his darkness.

Noticing the one he was looking for on the far side of the top floor, he couldn't help but to smile a little, glad that his nightmare was just that and nothing more. Relief washing around him, he turned to leave but felt the presence of someone behind him. Smirking playfully, Kevin twirled around and locked his bright red eyes with Steven's narrowed wolf-like red ones. He wasn't angry or annoyed, that was clear on his face and he too was smirking with a playfulness that could only come from the leader of Team Force Update.

"Hello Kevin. I assume you slept well" Steven said with a flick of his ear.

"You could say that. I just wonder when those two will decide to show up" Kevin responded, remembering something from his Eternal mind. Why he had fallen for the disguised wolf. Why he still always felt safe no matter how dark his mind became around him. There was no real answer to the question as to why. He just loved Steven as Steven. Now even, he could see the Steven he loved, maybe more so.

Steven's smirk widened. Laughing a little bit, he responded, "Don't you worry. They'll come soon and when they do" He paused as he slipped up next to Kevin, not noticing one bit as they brushed up against each other. Red eyes glowing mischievously, he added, "They'll regret it" while gently poking His lover's side.

Despite his TFU side being dominant, Kevin felt his Eternal mind fill his brain for a few moments. They did not normally express their relationship openly. They were a couple, sure and loved each other but just never felt it was needed. But now, noticing the openness of Steven's dark side taking of their relationship. He wasn't mocking it but embracing it. Although he would not mention it, he could see the soft and gentleness of the real Steven's blue eyes whenever he stared deep into those bright red eyes. He kind of missed those eyes...

Shaking his head internally to rid himself of the thoughts, he decided to keep the conversation going. There was really no reason to stop when he oddly felt more safe and happy by his side than anywhere else, even among the Eternals. "I had a dream"

Steven obviously liked this for he lifted his hand up to quickly adjust his mask, much like a hat. "What about?" It was an innocent question and that was one reason he loved him so dearly. His innocence shined through even in the most dire of circumstances.

"Oh you know. You and the others and our victory against Sly and Aleks" he paused, a sly glow glinting in his glowing eyes. "But mostly you though" he added, tilting his head slightly to allow his own hat to fall forward a bit, covering a sliver of his top vision. The dream bit was a lie of course but he didn't care about that right now. Either way, he always dreamt about Steven and a dream without him was pretty useless to Kevin anyways.

Chuckling slightly, Steven reached up and gently fixed Kevin's hat with a carefulness someone with Team Force Update darkness should really not have. But Steven had a love for Kevin that couldn't be broken and his gentleness and carefulness was only fueled by these thoughts. He didn't smirk, he smiled a little as he said, "I dream about you too" were great sincerity as he locked their red gazes together. They stared at each other for a few good long moments, both lost in the other's gaze until Kevin broke it by gently releasing himself from the stare.

"I guess I should get back to my post. We need to all be ready when they decide to show up to lose to Team Force Update" Kevin reasoned, stealing a glance back towards his lover and could've sworn he saw a glint of sadness in his red eyes which only made more hatred build up on the two BBFs for taking away time from his lover, especially when he was prone to anger in this form.

Whatever sadness he was feeling was washed away as Steven retained his normal smirk and said, "Of course. But..." slyly as he quickly spun around and, in a mere few seconds, transformed somewhat into a wolf so his ears and tail were present, he wrapped his tail around Kevin's body and gently pulled him closer to him. Kevin felt his heart skip a beat and then pound in his chest as his lover's tail wrapped tightly but gently around him, pulling him gently to the one he had given his heart to. He smiled, his eyes flashing brown as he allowed himself to be transfixed by his eyes, the eyes he could stare into forever and never grow tired up.

Steven once more smiled and leaned towards Kevin, until he could feel his breath on his face. "When all this is over, we really need to spend some time together. Alone" he said, his voice soft and strangely, almost loving as he leaned towards him and gave him a common Eternal act of affection, a lick. Simple and quick on his head. Pulling back, Steven gently released his tail before withdrawing.

Kevin nodded to him and carefully made his way back to the ladders leading back down to his floor but he stopped to glance back to Steven who flicked his tail in a way that told him to go. But he noticed that it wasn't commanding. The flick was instead brief and gentle. Smiling to himself, Kevin slipped back down to his floor, his mind locked on what just happened with his lover and just how far he would go to protect the feelings he felt when close to him or even looking at him. How far would he go to protect Steven?

"Goddammit! Aleks come over here!" Sly yelled at the top of his lungs, gathering the attention of Aleks who immediately ran to his side. A memory trace and a portal besides it.

The memory laced into his mind, making a low growl escape him. "Those fucking assholes!" he whispered in anger, wondering how they had gotten Mew and had turned TFU at that very moment. This was bad. Very bad and they both knew it.

"I know right?! But we really can't blame the real them. They have no control" Sly answered, not wanting to hate them but really having no control of his own feelings.

"Mudkip does! He should've just turned on them, not followed Nyarth while he's out of his goddamn mind!" Aleks flashed his blue eyes with anger.

"'I'd follow him through hell and back' Mudkip would follow him through everything, Immortal. We can't blame anyone but Team Force Update. Their dark sides, I mean" Sly reasoned, poking his friend to calm him.

"Then what? Do we treat Mudkip the same?"

"Yeah, I guess it's safer to do it that way"

Aleks sighed before twisting his hand in a way to open the portal. "Where does that lead?"

Without noticing, Sly turned to his true form, a fox and sniffed his way to the edge of the rather small portal. His heart seemed to stop when he caught a glimpse of where the portal was located at on the other side. He pulled his head back, shock clouding his brown eyes.

"What? What is it?" Aleks questioned, slight fear lacing his serious tone.

He lowered his eyes to not make eye contact with his best friend. "It's the Minecraft Daily world, right near their base" he whispered, returning to his miner form. He didn't look back up.

His heart skipped a beat. No, he couldn't go back there. He was banned. His soul would suffer severe weakness bursts before he would just... Fade into nothingness and reawaken weak back in the Eternal world.

Sly noticed his discomfort almost immediately. Lifting his head, his brown eyes softened as he walked to his side and said, "I know Immortal. You don't have to go through, I can do it on my own"  It wasn't entirely true. He couldn't take the five of them on his own and rescue Mew too while he was at it. He was as good as dead if he did that.

Aleks shook his head and, shoving Sly away, silently summoned a needle. It was strangely long and filled with an acid like liquid. Needles scared him to be honest but the one he used when a druger didn't hurt, this one did.

"Aleks... What are you doing?" Sly questioned, caution in his voice as the curer stepped back towards him, not recognizing the needle.

Aleks didn't respond. He shook as he gripped the needle and then, slowly opened the back of his helmet and pressed the needle into his head, pushing out all of the liquid with an agonizing slowness. He couldn't rush it or his whole body would feel the effects. Tears rolling down his face, he pulled the needle out and un-summoned it. Shutting his helmet back up, he leaned into Sly for support who had gently held onto him, comforting him as he injected himself with the acid.

"What did that do? If you don't mind me asking" Sly asked when it seemed like Aleks had himself under control.

Breathing deeply a few more times, he shook his head and steadily answered him. "It's an injection used to make me stronger in the Minecraft Daily world. I used it once before to check up on the town a few months ago" he explained, rubbing the back of his helmet slightly. Straightening, he walked to the side of the portal. "You can't do this alone, Sly. They'll kill you and plus" He pulled out his enchanted sword as his Minecraft Daily armour materialized onto him. As Sly approached, the same happened to him.

"I have a score to settle with the Team Force Updates as well"

Giggling slightly, Sly watched as Aleks jumped through the portal. Watching him, Sly followed him, his heartbeat stopping for a split second as the portal shut behind them. As he went through, his senses went black.

He woke up to a daze, not remembering where he was until he felt himself being shaken. Snapping his eyes opened, he recognized the form of Aleks. Good, he was okay. Showing no signs of weakness, he shook Sly awake and jumped up a small hill where he stopped, his breath catching in his throat. Shaking his head to rid himself of the haziness, Sly climbed up besides his best friend where he too caught his breath.

Team Force Updates' tower, surrounded by a slight visible magical barrier. Just by looking at it, Aleks felt a part of him break. He was around Nyarth enough, them both being drugers and all that he knew his magic when he sensed it. It hurt to know he would have to fight of his best friends, especially one he continually saw as a brother.

Before Sly could realize his moment, Aleks shook his head and hopped down the hill. Sly followed, his footsteps reluctant, having accidentally caught a glimpse of his mind and his thoughts of fighting Nyarth.

The barrier wasn't harsh and only was a protection spell. But once he touched it, it came down, giving them easy access to their tower. They must've been expecting them and that fact alone meant they were not going to catch them by surprise.

Aleks narrowed his blue eyes and charged forwards, parkouring his way to the entrance. Sly hesitated. Tilting his head up, he briefly caught sight of movement on the top of the tower and before the figure moved out of sight, he swore he saw the glow of two red eyes. Maybe he was just imagining it.

Shaking his head, Sly followed Aleks, a shiver of fright creeping up his spine.

Blue and orange. Aleks and Sly. They were here, finally. The static around him intensifying and the growl in his throat becoming louder, Pikachuu carefully stopped his pacing, instead settling in the middle of the room. Silently, he sent a mental message to Nyarth and Mudkip above him that their guests had arrived. Mudkip would then send it to Kevin and then to Steven. In a way, Pikachuu was kind of hoping he would lose to them, then they would be able to lose to someone with more power than he himself had. But he wouldn't hold back when he fought them. He was loyal to Team Force Update to the end.

Then they appeared, though their enchantment didn't matter to him, he still come feel weakness radiating from Aleks' body. He was a good target and one whom he could weaken if given the chance. And he will get the chance. He just would

Why did he not think that he was going to have to fight Pikachuu, the one Nyarth loved dearly and would protect him even against the others he loved. Including him. He looked dangerous and just by posture alone, Aleks knew this would not be easy, especially since he was sure Pikachu have enough power to take him down. Gulping, Aleks positioned himself, his blue eyes focused on the Pokemon, his sword gripped in his hand as he waited for a move to be made.

No move came. "Pikachuu. What the fuck are you doing?! Snap out of it! This is wrong!" Sly yelled across the room to Pikachuu, his half fox body tense as he allowed his ears and tail to appear. He swished his bushy, white-tipped tail, his eyes locked on those glowing red eyes filled with anger and hatred.

"You're not getting Mew back. Team Force Update will be the victors this time" Pikachuu growled, taking a few steps towards the two. Aleks felt the strange urge to run. "Now leave or you'll. Regret. It." he growled in a dangerous tone, his electricity spiking on the ground around him.

Sly narrowed his eyes and, without a warning, he whipped out his sword and held it defensively in front of him. "We're not leaving" was all he said.

Aleks, ignoring the urge to get the fuck out of there, shakily grabbed his own sword in the same manner, allowing determination to fill his eyes. He had to do this. There was no other way.

Red eyes blazing with fury, Pikachuu charged Aleks, who jumped out of the way at the last second. He jumped to the side, but not far enough that electricity didn't catch him and shocked his body. He was stunned for a few moments but Sly swung his sword at Pikachuu, catching his body and flinging him backwards. Carefully, Sly pulled Aleks back to his feet before leaping up to hang onto the side of the wall, his eyes searching for the yellow form of Pikachuu. He really didn't want to fight him and would not give the battle his all. He didn't want to seriously hurt the other Eternal.

With a screech, Pikachuu leapt from the shadows, striking a beam of electricity straight at him. With only a second to react, he held his sword up to deflect it. It hit and bounced back at Pikachuu. His red eyes widened as the beam hit him, causing him to fly backwards. But his claws grabbed the flooring, keeping him from going back even further. Aleks crept forward and aimed to slam his sword into Pikachuu's side but the mouse Pokemon twirled around and leapt, winding up pinning the druger down.

"Help me, Sly!" Aleks yelled to his friend as he felt the electricity flow through his body at great lengths. Tears brimmed at the corners of his eyes as he became too shocked to fight back and he felt the energy beginning to slip from his body. With an angered yell, Sly grabbed Pikachuu's tail and, ignoring the small amounts of electricity flowing through his body, he pulled him off his friend, focusing the Fourtellta's attention on Sly instead of Aleks.

Feeling the shocks stop coming, Aleks shut his eyes for a few moments before he felt his body beginning to recover. Rolling to his side, he reached for his sword and, very carefully, he stood up and locked his gaze on the two fighting. Sly jumped and slipped past as many attacks as he could as Pikachuu shot beam after beam of electricity and magic at him. Some hit, slowing him down and the two both had small cuts on their bodies though they weren't deep enough to bleed.

Breathing heavily, Aleks narrowed his eyes and rushed forward, catching Pikachuu off guard as he flung him away from Sly and into the wall. His breath caught in his throat as he watched him. He didn't move but then struggled to stand but slumped back down in defeat and pain. He hated giving up but if he kept going, he would surely kill himself. But his lover would make sure they didn't go on. They were not getting Mew back either way.

Growling softly, his red eyes flashed black for a second as Sly walked cautiously to the ladder leading to the next floor. The half-fox stopped as he turned around to face Aleks. A sigh escaped him as he saw he was still recovering from the shocking fit. "Stay down here for a few minutes. I'll go up and see what's next" he said.

Aleks shook his head and stomped his foot to the ground, annoyed that Sly was treating him like a child. "No, you're probably going to face Nyarth and Mudkip next. You can't take them alone!" he argued but paused when he glanced back towards Pikachuu who had slumped to a sit in the corner, using the rest of his magic to create a strong bubble shield around him so he couldn't get hurt further and risk getting seriously injured.

"Just for a few minutes. Then come up" Sly giggled in a bright manner, hoping to get the mood up as he turned back around to climb up the ladder.

Sighing, Aleks turned around himself and looked to the form of Pikachuu who stared daggers at him, anger and hatred filling his red eyes. "I guess it's just you and me now..." Aleks said as he slumped to a sit in front of the other Eternal, wondering how they had let the TFU darkness grab a hold of their friends in the first place.

He was not expecting an immediate battle when he appeared up the ladder. Nyarth used his magic to hover Sly up off the ladder and slammed him into the floor without any hesitation. Groaning from the sudden pain in his head, Sly struggled to stand back to his feet but as he did, Mudkip leapt on top of him, using his paws to press onto his chest to keep him pinned to the ground. He struggled, gripping his sword and preparing to swipe at anyone or anything around him. Nyarth smirked, his red eyes blazing with hatred as he gazed at Sly. He left his friend with Pikachuu so he could run off. Well, wasn't he in for a surprise.

He strolled on over and wrapped his magic around Sly's sword and, with a strong tug, he ripped it out of his grasp. Dropping it to the ground, he kicked it away and motioned for Mudkip to remove himself from the half-fox. As he did, Sly attempted to jump up but Nyarth caught him with his magic, keeping him still. The pure evil look in his eyes frightened him and it seemed like the aura-reading Pokemon caught a hold of that feeling for his smirk only grew wider.

Unsheathing his claws, he carefully struck his claws into Sly's arm, slicing into his flesh with little effort. It sank deep and when his claws came back out into the opening, he realized the wound was deep enough to leak blood and continue to. Nyarth's three claws were dripping from his blood but he didn't notice, his smirk wide as he watched Sly try to not show his pain. But he could feel his aura. He was in pain. And he loved that.

Suddenly, Mudkip leaped to his side and telepathically told him what Pikachuu had been able to send him, from his weak state two floors below them. At first, Nyarth remained calm but a strong glint of anger filled his red eyes as his smirk turned to a scowl. Curling his tail in a certain way, Mudkip nodded and walked over towards the ladders. At first, Sly was confused as to what could possibly be happening but as the realization overcame him, his eyes widened as he broke through the mental barrier in his mind to yell telepathically to Aleks to tell him to run or prepare himself for a battle. It reached him but the barrier was once more put up.

Using his magic, Nyarth hovered Sly up into the air, so he was hovering a few inches off the ground. "Dun worry 'bout yer friend. Mudkip is just gonna get him up here ta join ya" Nyarth smirked once more and his words only sent a shiver to run up his spine.

Nyarth kept him hovered there until Mudkip appeared once more, his own magic holding the cursing and fighting form of Aleks. Mudkip slammed him to the ground, reaching a paw up to his head fin to wipe the blood from the cut Aleks had given him when he had tried to grab him. He had put up a fight but Pikachuu had insisted he stay where he was and rest for he felt too weak to actually help them in any real way. Respecting Pikachuu, Mudkip had done as he had asked.

Nyarth's smirk became larger as he ripped Aleks' sword away from him as well and kicked it to where Sly's was. Sly stared at Aleks, mentally hoping he would be able to get away and possibly free him as well so they could weaken Mudkip and Nyarth together.

Before they knew it, Aleks and Sly were released from their magic prisons but they then realized that their swords were protected by a barrier even they couldn't break. Nyarth smirked as he strode towards Sly who tensed and backed away. As he did that, Mudkip leapt towards Aleks and pinned him to the ground. Not this again. Without his sword to back him up, he resorted to using his own abilities, as weak as they were, to kick Mudkip off of him. It worked for he was pushed off but as Aleks climbed back to his feet, the water Pokemon had slipped up behind him and locked his claws onto the back of his helmet, rendering him unable to remove him from the thing that kept his heart beating. But Mudkip didn't pull on it. He just held on so that his back claws raked down his back. He ignored the pain and back flipped into the wall behind him, yanking Mudkip off of his helmet.

Sly was not having the same luck with Nyarth as Aleks was having with Mudkip. Nyarth was trained and powerful, even though he thought himself as weak and helpless most of the time. In a strange way, he feared him right now, those red eyes angered and his appearance already scared with his fights for survival. Growling slightly, Nyarth waited for Sly to attack. Sly did the same but grew impatient with himself. Adjusting himself, he instead spoke, his voice confident but hinted with a desperate tone. "Nyarth. You can stop this. Just snap out of it!"

Nyarth only seemed to become angrier as he leapt towards Sly and grabbed his arm. He struggled against him, trying to pull away but resulting in his claws slipping past his armour and slicing into his skin once more. Tears brimming in his eyes, he held himself together before he reached his leg up and kicked him backwards. This wasn't too great of an idea because his claws just dug deeper into his skin, allowing for blood to leak out faster than ever. Growling, Nyarth spun around and flung Sly across the way but he caught his balance and narrowed his black eyes with determination. Filled with anger, he pulled out his revolver and aimed at his leg. He tried to jump away but it caught his leg. Struggling to not cry out, he jumped backwards and prepared himself for his next move, hoping he wouldn't end up being filled with bullet holes by the end of this. But Meowth simply touched his charm and deposited the revolver back in before he focused back on the BBF.

Aleks was getting weakened more and more as he fought Mudkip but he realized something when he saw him stumble and his breathing intensify. He was hurting him. A lot. Scared he was going to kill him, Aleks jumped forwards and and gently hit Mudkip on his head-fin in a way that weakened him to the point of which he would be unable to fight anymore. Falling to his side, the water Pokemon focused his gaze on Nyarth and telepathically told him that he was done for and if he fought more, he would die.

Nyarth stiffened and backed away from Sly. His red eyes focused on Mudkip's sane black ones. For a brief moment, his own eyes flashed blue but when a thought struck his mind, his eyes returned to red, glowing with intenseness. Growling, he panted and began to work up the magic around him to a beam of magic that would weaken whoever it touched. He then used his other magic to hover Aleks and Sly together. Aleks attempted to break free as did Sly but Aleks was more so, fearing for his life. Nyarth wasted no time as he shot the beam in between them, attempting to get both of them but Sly was able to pull a good ways away while Aleks only took the pain that came from it.

Nyarth stumbled towards the wall as his vision blurred from the amount of energy he used but protectively put up a barrier around himself and Mudkip, his red eyes shutting as he drifted into a sleep too deep to easily wake him up.

Aleks fell to the ground, but was able to catch himself, ignoring his own blood on his body as he struggled to stand up, forcing back tears of pain as the weakness he was so scared of feeling filled his body. But his eyes were focused on Nyarth whom he had noticed while throwing that beam had been losing energy the most fast rate he had ever seen. Sly had rushed to his side but he allowed Aleks to walk himself to Nyarth. As he did, Mudkip growled at him, his black eyes saddened at having to do that to another Eternal.

"It's okay Mudkip. I just need to know he's fine" Aleks choked out as he slumped to a sit besides Nyarth's knocked out mind. Reaching his hand out, he gently touched his heart and hearing his heart beat steadily, a sigh of relief escaped him. He was fine and alive but he couldn't help but feel guilty for having to have fought and hurt those he loved.

"He'll be fine" a voice sounded a little ways next to him. Turning his blue eyes to his side, he focused his eyes on Mudkip who was resting in his protection bubble but smiling softly as he gazed at the BBFs and the one he was following. "He just was trying to protect what he thinks is right" His voice was calm as he spoke.

"But how is any of this right? If you're in you're right mind, then why side with them and fight me?" Aleks asked, his mind swimming with too many thoughts to comprehend.

Mudkip turned his head away, remembering the promise he made to himself, a promise he made to his heart when Nyarth saved his life so many months ago. Sighing, the weakened water Pokemon finally looked back to the two. "When he is under the influence of Team Force Update, he has some Eternal thoughts but he is fueled by the desire to protect. He believes that protecting everything TFU holds dear the them is right. And..." he trailed off as he thought of the reason he promised such a thing. He saw Meowth like a brother and no matter what, he felt he needed to follow him through everything to show his love and dedication. Nothing could break that bond. "Well, I made a promise to follow him through everything. Plus, I am technically a TFU member now so I was simply doing my job"

Sly seemed to understand this as he simply pushed himself to a sit as he examined his bullet hole in his leg. He winched at the touch and carefully tied his armour tighter around it to help him ignore the pain. Aleks simply remained besides Nyarth, watching him and trying to get into his thoughts. But a barrier too strong for him to break through was present. He was no way getting through that. Sighing, he adjusted his helmet before standing up, wobbling a little bit. Catching his balance, he strolled over to their swords, the barrier around them having been lowered when Meowth shot the beam. He picked up his sword and clutched it tightly. He carried Sly's with him as he walked back over.

Handing his friend the sword, Sly carefully swished his tail in gratitude before he pulled himself to his feet and shook his head to rid himself of his pain. He had to just live with it now and fix it up when this was all over.

As the two began making their way to the ladders, they heard a voice call out to them. Turning to look at Mudkip, they allowed him to speak. "I can give you a tip of advice when you face Kevin. He may be doing the same as me, Nyarth, and Pikachuu goal-wise but he is also protecting the one true thing he loves. Keep that in mind" he said calmly, his own reverting back to the one he loved most. Twilight Sparkle and Nyx and Multip whom they had adopted as their daughters.

Aleks understood what that meant. He himself loved Herobrine and continued to and he would protect him from whatever he could even using his life to keep his former arch enemy safe. Sly too understood. Although he and Nova didn't like to openly express their love, they were very much a couple. He remembered trying to protect him his hardest in the last Immortal versus Eternal battle but failing. Nova had protected him then. Yep, they were definitely a thing.

But Kevin and Steven didn't openly express their love either but was it that their relationship was instead more private and it had intensified over time. If he was going to fight the hardest of them all, then they would definitely have to be careful because they all knew that once love was messed with, whoever messed with it was as good as dead.

Ascending up the ladder, the two prepared for the worst, Mudkip's warning ringing in both of their heads.

No. How had they gotten through Nyarth, Mudkip, and Pikachuu? Had Nyarth used too much energy in a last ditch effort to declare victory? They were here and if they got through him, they would get to Mew... and Steven. The thought alone sent ripples of fear through his body. Steven would not give up in a fight and he imagined that the two he was once friends with would kill him to get what they wanted, Mew. And Kevin wasn't going to let that happen.

He gripped his axe with a power he never thought he could have and carefully, he adjusted his hat and his coat, lined with the endless supply of bread he would use in this battle. His red eyes focused on the ladder, his gaze dangerous and his posture like a wild, threatened animal.

It was Aleks he caught sight of first and he remembered the last time they fought. He had hit him off the tower and he had fallen into the lava. He had been banned from returning to the world and for some strange reason, he had saved him back there as he was sure he was going to die. But they had survived and they were here for a rematch he was sure to win.

Aleks seemed to stop dead when his eyes locked with Kevin's, seeing the emotions fueled by a feeling behind them all. Love. It took him aback. Seeing his friend so... different but fueled by the same thing that he himself felt on a daily basis, it broke his heart to know he would have to fight him. He really didn't want to but there was no other way. If what Mudkip was true that he was protecting the purpose of TFU but also the one he loved the most, then both he and Sly were not going to win easily.

Sly appeared besides him and also seemed to be transfixed by Kevin himself. He didn't attack. He just stared. Sly did the same for a good few moments before he shook his head slowly and without any confident emotions, he took a step forwards, his black eyes locked on Kevin's red glowing ones. "K-Kevin. We only want Mew. We don't want to fight. J-Just stop this" he said, attempting to reach into his heart and make him gain full control. It seemed to work for a few moments as his eyes turned brown once more but one word, one name rang in his head as he did so. He snapped. His eyes glowed red once more, his attention locked on Sly for trying to sway him away from Steven and TFU. No, he wouldn't allow it.

"Do you really think that I will just turn my back on everything Team Force Update stands for? Then you are hereby wrong" he growled with a fierceness they had never heard before coming from Kevin. He moved his hand and reached into his coat, gripping something he would not yet reveal. He stared at the two intently, waiting for a reaction.

It was Aleks that broke the silence that had taken over the three. Gripping his sword he looked to Kevin and lowered his head, his mind just wanting to give up to not feel anymore pain. He wanted everything to just be happy and normal again. But when he lifted his head, the same angered eyes filled with love and hatred filled his vision. He gripped his sword and approached Kevin, slowly. He locked eyes with him, his own blue eyes hoping to reach inside him and make him stop. But as he approached, he realized he was within two feet away from him. His hand shook as he slowly reached forwards, attempting to touch Kevin's shoulder. Kevin didn't respond until he finally reacted right before Aleks touched him. His hand clutching the bread whipped out and hit Aleks, sending his flying to the wall opposite him. He groaned as he felt the weakness return to him and then the axe hit him, the same axe that caused all of this in the first place.

Kevin held Aleks against the wall with his axe, his hatred burning through the sheer amount of force he put through holding the axe against his chest. His red eyes burned into his head, leaving a seemingly permanent mark. Aleks didn't fight him but held his sword tightly. Kevin had been too caught up in his act of attacking Aleks that he had forgotten about Sly. When he felt the presence of someone behind him, he twisted his free hand backwards and hit Sly with the same bread he had used to attack Aleks. It hit him and the half-fox found himself being thrown back, feeling droplets of blood rain off of him. Terrified of fighting his friend but also scared of his BBF getting seriously hurt, Sly gripped his sword and leapt, his sword hitting Kevin's arm. He barely reacted to the deep cut in his arm that began to leak blood, he just dropped Aleks and swung his axe around attempting to hit Sly.

Sly dodged it, barley. His hand catching it enough for his own blood to leak into the open air. His ears flattened to his head, he stared at Kevin while backing away. With a low growl, Kevin lunged towards him, hitting him again with the bread that held together with a substance he and Steven had put into it to make it unbreakable. Sly tripped and fell to the ground and when he tried to stand once more, he was hit down with the axe. The axe settled on his chest, rendering him unable to move. Aleks crept up silently behind Kevin and lifted hi sword, ready to hit him away from his BBF when Kevin kicked him back into the wall, a few droplets of blood falling off of him.

Panicking, Aleks jumped back up but stumbled much to his surprise. He was becoming more and more weaker as time went on and Kevin was surely not going to go easy on him. But before he could do anything, Kevin growled once more and dug the axe into Sly, allowing for him to begin to bleed to the point of when the tears he was trying so hard to hide streamed down his face and even his powerful kicks against Kevin weren't enough to free him.

Fear filling his body, Aleks leapt and grabbed Kevin. With as much force as he could, he pulled Kevin backwards and off of Sly. Sly groaned with pain as he opened his black eyes blurred with tears to see Aleks hold onto Kevin and not let go until he felt the power of the piece of bread hit him once more to the wall. The wall was now starting to become covered with his blood but he didn't mind it, not when he finally was pinned to the wall, unable to move and fearing for his life. As he gripped his sword, he found he was so weak his grip was barely hanging onto it. And as Kevin used his axe to push him further into the wall, he finally lost grip of the sword and it sank to the floor with barely a sound. He had no way of defending himself against his friend now. And it seemed he was becoming too weak to even begin to struggle against him.

Kevin seemed to pick up on this as he felt him beginning to feel the effects of unconsciousness. All he had to do was push a little bit harder and he would be one BBF dead. But he didn't do it.

Carefully, he pulled the axe back and narrowed his red eyes to slits as he watched Aleks weakly sink to the ground and then look up to him, blood splattered on the floor and wall and still losing blood fast. "You know, I should kill you" he said, his voice cold and dangerous. Kevin leaned down and carefully touched Aleks and transferred energy into a spell on Aleks. He thought it was poison and he was going to be dead within a few minutes but when he looked down to his wounds, he realized it was a spell to close open wounds. Still weak, he looked up to Kevin's red eyes and thought he say his true brown eyes but they were quickly replaced by the same red glowing ones.

He didn't speak for Kevin cut him off, his voice the same as before. "But it's not worth it"

Turning his back on Aleks, Kevin focused his eyes on his real enemy, Sly. He had not attacked because he had been transfixed by the sudden change of tone of Kevin. He hadn't killed him and instead helped him after he almost killed him. Was the real Kevin still there, doing what he knew was right and not killing his friend? He didn't know. Sword in hand, Sly held it up in a defensive manner, ready for whatever attack Kevin would most likely do next.

His heart stopped when he saw the energy beginning to build off of Kevin in a green, acid-like beam that he recognized all too well. Poison-beam. His signature move. Fear emitting from his eyes, Kevin took his time gathering the energy as he stared at Sly, ignoring the urge to say something to him. Once he had the beam ready, realization sprang onto Sly's features. He jumped upwards in an attempt to escape it but it hit him anyways but only a little bit he realized. The poison crawled inside his body, causing him to crash once more to the ground. He had fallen and was trying his best to hide the fact he was in pain but there was no use. He was helpless to do anything but allow the pain to flow through him. But then, it stopped.

Opening his eyes, he focused on Kevin who had reached down to touch him and did the same thing he did to Aleks but instead removed the majority of the poison from his system but he left a little bit, not going to be completely nice. Sly stared up at him for a long moment as he tried to understand what was happening. After a few moments, Sly finally pulled himself to his feet, his eyes locked on his friend as he gripped his sword carefully.

"Kevin, please. Stop this" Sly pleaded with him, lowering his sword in an act to show his dark friend that he didn't want to fight him. Kevin didn't respond but instead he gripped the piece of bread covered with both Sly's and Aleks' blood carefully. A ripple of fear snapped inside Sly as he raised the sword once more and attacked Kevin. He swung the sword, hitting him on the side of the head and knocking him to the side. Kevin had not seen it coming for he let out a rare whimper from his throat in shock and pain. Blood leaked from a wound to his head and only then he he realize just how weak he had become what with using the beam and two spells plus the multiple cuts on his body already.

Ignoring the blood leaking onto the floor besides him, he narrowed his eyes in anger and did something he knew was foolish to do. He was just too angered by the thought of Sly attempting to beat him and then possibly kill his Steven and reclaim their prize, Mew. He gripped the bread and threw it at Sly, it flying at a speed even he was shocked by. Sly had not seen it coming either and he did the only thing he could do, the only thing he could do to protect himself. He raised his sword and pushed it forward, allowing for the bread to boomerang off it's surface and fling back towards Kevin.

There had been no time to react as he felt the bread hit him in the chest, forcing him back against the wall. As soon as the momentum of the bread lessened, he found himself slipping down to the ground, his own blood leaking out onto the bread and hitting the floor. No. He couldn't be defeated. He couldn't give in. He just couldn't. For Pikachuu, Nyarth, and Mudkip. For Team Force Update itself. And what he himself truly cared about. Steven.

A cough radiated from his throat as he fought against the urge to fall unconscious. He had to fight. Slipping the bread back into his coat, he flung his axe at Sly, using the last amount of energy he could muster into the throw. He aimed it perfectly at his bullet ridden leg and as he heard the pained cry of Sly and saw his crumble to the ground much like himself. He smirked with pleasure as he felt unconsciousness overcome him. Of course he fought it but he was too weak. He was too beaten. He could do nothing but let his vision and mind go dark.

Sly panted, his breaths heavy and painful as he stared at first to the ground the  to Kevin who he could see as being unconscious but defiantly alive as his chest, although battered, rose and fell with each breath. He was hurt as was he himself but he seemed to just be needing rest. He hadn't meant to harm him in such a way, and a pang of guilt hit him with unrelenting force. What had he done? Ignoring the agonizing pain in his leg, the half-fox limped towards Kevin and, very gently, touched his chest, feeling his heartbeat and transferring a little bit of energy to close up his leaking wounds.

Smiling softly to himself, his attention snapped to Aleks as he heard movement a little ways besides him. Aleks weakly pushed himself to a higher sit. His gaze landed on Kevin as he did so. Tilting his head, he looked up to Sly, whom he noticed was just as hurt as he and Kevin were here. "Hey" he said simply, his blue eyes shifting from Sly to Kevin and back. "So I'm guessing he and you are alright?" he asked, slight concern lacing his tone. It was rare that Aleks would openly express concern but this was no time to hide his emotions. He cared deeply about everyone involved here and he wanted them to be safe when not having control of their actions.

A sigh escaped Sly as he slumped to a sit besides Aleks, resting his server oh injured leg that had stopped bleeding. It still hurt though. Of course it did. "I'm as I can be. So is Kevin. But what about you? Even with that spell, you still are pretty weak" Sly answered honestly, his attention focused mainly on the well being of his friend more than himself. As a Curer, he felt it was his job to do so but more so now that a close friend of his was hurt beyond normality.

Aleks shook his head, remembering something Herobrine had once told him when he had been injured all those months ago. He had been in a similar state and His lover had said something he took to heart and now felt like it was a good time to tell Sly the same. "Look, I'm fine but you need to focus on the present and not what could happen. Here, take my sword and go get Mew but don't do something you'll eventually regret" he stated as he gripped his sword and handed it to Sly. He hesitated at first but then gently took it from his hand.

"No. You're coming with me" Sly mused, a fearful and desperate expression in his eyes. Even determined Sly knew he couldn't take on Steven and win alone. He would be up against the Team Force Update leader who was surely the most powerful plus he had hurt his lover which would not settle well with him and now Aleks was making him to alone? He knew he was hurt too, weaken beyond normality but he didn't want to do this alone. He couldn't do this alone.

Aleks chuckled slightly, turning his head away to look up to a seemingly unknown and far away world. "Come on Sly. I can't fight Steven. Not now at least. Just go up there but be careful. I'll be up there in a few minutes" He sighed, lowering his head in a posture of defeat. "I need to rest a little bit longer"

Lifting his gaze back up to meet Sly's as he watched his friend nod and stand up, putting as little weight on his injured leg as possible. He gripped both his and Aleks' swords as he responded to his friend, "Alright. Just please be careful yourself" When he saw Aleks nod his head himself, another soft sigh escaped him as he began to slowly climb up the ladders, his mind ringing with what Aleks had told him and what he knew was true. That this would not end well and that if he failed, both he and Aleks were as good enough as dead.

Steven would not go easy on him and in his state, he feared for his life but not as much as he feared for all of their lives. None of them deserved what was surely to come.

He was sure of it. Kevin and the others had stopped the two Bread Bandit Friends and Team Force Update had had won. Every once in a while, he would glance towards the ladders, expecting to see Kevin and come to him so they could spend time together, as if the threat had never happened. As the half-wolf stared dreamily into the bubble shielded Mew, a statue now more than anything, his couldn't help but to allow his Eternal-like thoughts fill his mind. He knew Mew was his friend but more so than not, he was awkward around the psychic Pokemon, because he was terrified of turning TFU and taking Mew hostage.

The thought didn't settle though, because he immediately told himself that what they were doing was right and that Sly and Aleks were in the wrong for trying to tell them what to do and take something they didn't deserve. The the thoughts subsided as the thoughts of the other TFU members filled his brain. Pikachuu he wasn't too familiar with but he was a good fighter and loyal. He liked him despite not speaking directly to him too much. Nyarth was interesting character to him. His TFU mind was in the right place but he preferred to manipulate the world around him rather than to straight out fight his way through. He was strange. Steven's TFU mind would constantly feel something strange when he looked into the Pokemon's equally glowing red eyes. In a way, he kind of put him on edge at times. Mudkip was not one of them yet he was apart of the Team. He was the follower to Nyarth and despite not under their influence, he still put up a good fight and didn't turn his back on them. He was interesting. Steven thought this world needed more of him.

Steven didn't like the next thought, it even caused him to growl softly to himself. Sly and Aleks had once been his best friends but once they turned their backs on him and Kevin, he had snapped, allowing for the darkness of TFU take over him, and welcoming it. Sly was determined and rarely ever gave up on a fight but he more than often wanted to figure things out through words. Words were useless to him and he would much rather fight the fox than speak to him, at least now. Aleks was a different story. They had been friends but he always had called him out on things which only fueled more hatred from Steven now more than anything. Plus, he knew he was weak in this world. He had probably been taken out almost immediately.

When the thought of Kevin reached his mind, he visually became more calmer than usual. Kevin had that kind of charm on him, always able to calm him and make him feel safe, even more so when not under the influence of TFU. He was always so gentle with him and protective to everything that mattered, especially him. He gave him a sense of security no one else could bring, plus he was always by his side despite not liking to openly express their relationship around the others. Personally, Steven was fine with that. It just meant they could get along better in private, allowing for both of their feelings to come out at a more convenient time.

He was thrown out of his thoughts when his sensitive senses caught the sound of someone coming up the ladders. A smirk crept onto Steven's face as he expected to find Kevin come up but who appeared made his already cold blood run cold and his heart to skip a beat in shock. It was Sly, the half-fox and his arch enemy. But Aleks was nowhere in sight. Was it that he had been left with Kevin like the last time and this was supposed to parallel that or was Aleks and Kevin... No, he wouldn't didn't like that. Not when he was so close to victory.

Anger filled him, fueled by hatred. Red eyes narrowing, Steven swished his tail, a low growl escaping his throat. Sly was hurt, in his leg. His wolf senses reached out to that, taking note of his injury and the swords he gripped in his hands. One was his and the other was... Aleks'. Maybe Aleks was dead, but then where did that leave Kevin? Why did the possibility of Aleks being dead hurt him? He hated the druger with a passion. Curse his stupid Eternal thoughts!

"Sly... Where is Kevin?" Steven growled, taking a small step towards his enemy. Although he himself didn't notice it, a spark of fear hit his glowing red eyes. Sly seemed to pick this feeling up for a radiant of fear himself overcame him. He gulped and shook a little as he addressed Steven, feeling suddenly as though he was stuck in a nightmare. In a way, he kind of was.

"He's fine. Steven... Just release Mew and we don't have to do this. I-I don't want to fight you" Sly's voice shook slightly as he stepped towards Steven, the swords pointed downwards and his injured leg dragging on the ground a little bit.

One a moment, Steven considered reasoning with Sly but it was instantly covered up by the hatred and anger directed towards the BBFs. He growled, staring daggers at him as he answered him, "Not happening" dangerously and without a hint of hesitation.

A pain hit his heart as Sly couldn't help but drop his two swords in a slow manner before he locked his eyes with Steven, his expression calm but desperate. Why? Why was he simply giving up? The thing was, he wasn't giving up. He was simply trying to reason with him. He knew it wasn't going to work but he needed to try. He needed to try to get to his heart. As he approached him, Steven only stiffened but didn't react. It was like with Aleks and Kevin but there was something different by the way he didn't react. It was kind of like he was considering fighting back against the urges of TFU.

Two feet away from him, Sly stopped and stared at Steven, silently begging him to understand. He wanted him to stop, to let things go back to normal. "Steven..." the half-fox breathed as silence fell over the two at the top of the tower.

Then the silence was broken by the sound of someone else climbing up the ladders. Steven was the first to pull his gaze away, followed by Sly. They silently waited until they Mudkip hauled himself up to the top. He shook himself slightly and glanced back downwards until Pikachuu hopped up, followed by Nyarth who had grabbed onto Pikachuu's tail for support. He groaned a little with annoyance for he felt too weak to even climb a ladder by himself. As Pikachuu helped Nyarth by transferring energy back into him to give him strength, Mudkip glanced briefly towards Sly and Steven and, catching Steven's red glowing eyes, he looked away. Turning his attention back to the ladders, he flicked his tail next to him as he reached down to grab onto someone. He pulled up Kevin who held Aleks gently to his side as he realized just how weak he was. Once at the top, Aleks nodded gratefully at Kevin and Mudkip and shook him, ridding the uncomfortable feeling from his body.

Sly was the first to realize why they seemed to be giving off a different vibe. The TFU members did not have red eyes and the smoke around them was nonexistent. It took a longer moment for it to click in Steven's mind as he felt a strange sensation in his mind. It was strange because he was ready for a fight one second and now this second, he felt wrong, like he was making a terrible mistake. He didn't react, his eyes emotionless as the red glow began to slip away. Sly stared at him as did Aleks who was now leaning onto Sly for support. Nyarth, Pikachuu, and Mudkip stared as well, but they were more encouraging than the BBFs.

But his attention flickered from them immediately to Kevin who had approached him more slowly than the others. His eyes cast downwards at first and he refused to speak to him. Steven's mind whirled with thoughts as he felt like breaking down into nothingness. He wanted to stay loyal to Team Force Update but at the same time, Kevin and the others weren't on his side anymore. It hurt. It hurt him so much.

His thoughts were interrupted by his lover as Kevin reached his arm around Steven and pulled him closer to him. Steven didn't fight it and he simply allowed Kevin to pull him into a hug, one that made his breath catch in his throat. He didn't feel confident like before or in control anymore. But the hug, it caused something to snap inside of him. He couldn't hold it back anymore. As his red glow diminished and he returned to normal, he felt tears stream from his eyes. "I'm sorry" Steven whimpered as he felt his own tail wrap around Kevin in an act of comfort. The dark thoughts left his mind, filled only with what he had been planning to do. It hurt him to know that he had been planning to do that to his friends and being fine with it.

A sound behind him resulting in Kevin gently releasing him from his embrace, one that made him feel safer than anything else. He noticed Kevin, Nyarth, Pikachuu, and Mudkip were all staring at whatever it was in a sense of guilt and slight fear. Sly and Aleks looked to whatever it was with understanding. Taking a deep breath, Steven leaned against Kevin as he turned around to face it. Mew. He liked Mew and considered the psychic Pokemon his friend unless under the influence of TFU, which he had just been. Mew hovered in front of them and telepathically contacted all seven of them at the same time, assuring them he had no hard feelings as he knew the ones under TFU influence had no control.

"Can we go back now? I think all of us need to get some rest after this" Aleks reasoned, glancing towards the others and then at Steven with a friendly smile. Mew nodded and enveloped them all in a bubble that teleported them all back to the Eternal world. Carefully, Mew hovered up both Sly and Aleks before he began to hover them away, possibly to go heal them. Pikachuu did the same to Nyarth and, with a careful flick of his tail, Mudkip followed them, leaving Kevin and Steven alone. Kevin was injured too, but his attention was not on him at the moment. His attention was all for Steven, and Steven alone.

He didn't have to guess when he saw Steven almost break down in front of him. He gently pulled Steven into his embrace once more, holding him tighter than before but gently all the same. Once more, Steven wrapped his tail around Kevin, giving them both a sense of security. Steven cried softly as did Kevin, who was better had hiding his sorrow than his lover.

"I love you Steven" Kevin whispered to him, holding him in a way that felt like he was trying to protect Steven from every danger in the world. It definitely felt like that. Heart beating in his chest, Steven returned his words with his own.

"I love you too Kevin" sincerely as continued to hold onto Kevin.

As long as they were together, nothing could break them apart. Not Team Force Update, the Bread Bandit Friends, or Immortals.

Nothing could break them apart now.

Nothing.