Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Puzzles ran frantically. He had betrayed WPNZ and Toomp to go after Le-Meggy, but she had also abandoned him. Now, all he did was wander the city streets, avoiding places where he knew WPNZ might be. But that night, the Death Cube found him. He ran as fast as he could; the cube was faster than he remembered. Puzzles wanted nothing more than to escape this, until he remembered the small detail that WPNZ and Toomp were also on the Death Cube's list because of him—another thing to add to the list of reasons he was a horrible person.

Puzzles didn't want to hurt WPNZ any more than he already had, so he came up with an idea. If no one else was going to stop the cube, why couldn't he? So he turned to face the cube of death head-on. He narrowly dodged being run over and started shooting at it, trying to damage it, but nothing worked. Then he remembered its weak point was inside. If he could somehow keep the cube's mouth open, he could charge a powerful shot that might destroy it. It was a risky plan, but Puzzles loved the extravagant.

He let himself be caught by the cube's tongue, and with his long limbs, he managed to prevent it from closing its mouth and swallowing him. He began charging the shot in his left hand, though it was difficult with the cube trying to close its mouth and eat him. When the shot was ready, Puzzles jumped... spun... fired... and... it worked! The cube shut down completely due to the damage, but Puzzles hadn't moved far enough away, so the arm he'd used to fire it was trapped in the cube's mouth, which slammed shut when it went out. It would probably be impossible to open it. After much struggling, the arm was finally ripped off, causing Puzzles to scream in pain. He knew he had to get out of there before it shut down completely, since that shot had used up all his energy and it would soon shut down. He also needed to flee the crime scene, as he didn't want any more charges on his record. After a long walk, he pulled out a notebook with only one page left; the others were apparently torn out. Puzzles usually wrote script ideas there, and if he didn't like something, he'd tear out the page. He also had a pen with him.

He hadn't thought it would be so difficult to write with a missing arm. It wasn't that he was left-handed, but it was still strange. He wrote a letter in case wpnz and toomp somehow found him someday. He went into a run-down alley, the kind of place wpnz would probably only go if he was hiding from the police. To his dismay, he sat down on the dirty, trash-strewn ground near some boxes. He grabbed a dirty tarp from there and partially covered himself to avoid being noticed. He gripped his notebook tightly and, with his last bit of energy, said, "I'm so sorry, toomp. I'm so sorry, Meggy. I'm so sorry, wpnz. I'm going to miss you." And with that, he finally shut down. His screen went black, showing the low battery for a few seconds. His body would probably stay there for a long time, but he believed it was for the best for everyone, including himself.

Puzzles woke up, but not in the alley. He seemed to be in a place where everything was static. He quickly recognized this place as his subconscious. It had been a long time since he'd been there, to be honest. He hadn't been inside a television or his own mind since he'd been imprisoned. He got up, confused, dusting himself off. He walked aimlessly until he saw a small, dark figure in the distance. As he got closer, he saw it was a boy, but not just any boy. It was him. It seemed like he'd been waiting for him because as soon as Puzzles approached, the boy gestured for him to follow and ran off. Puzzles quickly followed until they reached a large television. The boy sat down and clapped his hands on the ground next to him, inviting Puzzles to sit with him. Puzzles hesitated but agreed. He looked at the remote control in front of him and, just like when he was a child, turned on the television to escape the problems around him. One of the series that Puzzles loved began to play. At least he would have something entertaining to do for eternity. He could change the channel and another series or movie he loved would come on. His subconscious... He was considered, at least that way he wouldn't cause any more trouble around him.

The little puzzle boy turned his head to look at his adult self, then looked back at the television, but a sweet voice, one that Puzzles had forgotten, spoke to him—"Puzzles… are we so bad that we always end up alone?"—the question hung in the air. Puzzles continued watching TV, but his face showed weariness and a clear sadness until, with a rather melancholic voice, he answered the little boy—"Sometimes you're destined for a life that isn't what you want, even if you try to change, you'll always end up as you started… alone." The words came out brokenly. For Puzzles, his destiny was loneliness; it wasn't for nothing that even his father didn't love him, and his mother had abandoned him as soon as she had the chance. Perhaps that's why his only company was whatever series or movie was on television; some habits don't change with time, it seems.

Puzzles felt like he was being stared at. It was his younger self, who clearly saw him looking sad, tears threatening to fall. "I don't want to be alone..." Puzzles felt a lump in his throat. He'd forgotten it was his younger self. He smiled and placed a hand on the little boy's head, ruffling his hair. "Don't worry, little one, I'm here, right? So you're not alone. Besides, we have the TV to watch whatever you or I want. Is that okay?" It seemed to work, as the little boy's eyes lit up with excitement and a big smile spread across his face. "Yes!! I want to watch cartoons! Can we watch cartoons? Pleeease!" the little boy exclaimed, clearly thrilled. Puzzles, with a big smile, simply nodded, putting the cartoon on the TV. The boy almost jumped for joy as he watched the screen intently. Puzzles chuckled softly and also paid attention to the cartoon. Maybe his subconscious wasn't so bad after all; he could get used to it.

Chapter Text

In the apartment formerly shared by wpnz and puzzles, wpnz and toomp were having breakfast. Almost a month had passed since puzzles' betrayal. Although they were relatively okay, wpnz couldn't forget the cold words puzzles had said when he betrayed and abandoned them. Even though they were calmer, they had learned a few days ago that the Death Cube had been found turned off and more or less destroyed. The culprit was still unknown, but he didn't care; at least his life wasn't in such great danger anymore. But he was still hurt by puzzles. He didn't know if it was anger, sadness, or something else, but at least toomp helped him not to think about puzzles so much.

Their recurring heists had gone quite well; they had successfully escaped the police, and in general, their misdeeds were always successful. Although they had been successful before, currently it was a bit slower because they had to avoid being recorded by cameras. Since Puzzles was no longer there to prevent the cameras from recording them, they had to be more careful and observant, which they were both terrible at. Puzzles, being a perfectionist, was very observant and could detect the cameras quickly, but they didn't need him; they could do everything themselves. Why have a traitor on the team?

One rainy night, they hid in a random alley to escape the police after a robbery. One of them had triggered a laser at the bank, and they weren't able to steal much. They were both blaming each other, and after a shove, Toomp ended up crashing into some trash at the back of the alley—pretty hard for just ordinary trash. When he got up and saw where he'd fallen, they saw… Puzzles?! They screamed their heads off. Toomp jumped onto WPNZ's shoulder, and the killer transformed his hand into a gun, pointing it at Puzzles. They didn't know if they were scared because they hadn't expected him to be there or because they thought he was going to do something to them. After a few seconds, they saw that Puzzles wasn't doing anything. In fact, they noticed his screen was off, which was strange. They touched him—nothing. The fact that Puzzles hadn't reacted even to their touch made it even stranger, especially considering he was missing an arm. What had Puzzles been doing to end up like this? He remembered that Puzzles' head had a power button, so he tried it, but the screen only showed a low battery icon. They didn't know that Puzzles could run out of power, although now that they were thinking about when Puzzles used his powers a lot, he looked kind of tired and always plugged in for a while. Maybe back then he did have energy, but a very long-lasting kind. WPNZ was about to turn around and leave, but Toomp pointed to something Puzzles was holding against his chest. It was that notebook he had seen Puzzles use several times when he was bored. So the most logical thing to do was to grab the notebook and see what was in it. There was only one page, with text that turned out to be a letter to…them. The letter said the following:

“My dear Mr. Wpnz and toomp,

If you're reading this, you've probably already found me, although I doubt you will, to be honest. You'll notice I'm offline, and that's because I ran out of power, and there's no way I can recharge without being in a public place. I wanted to apologize for betraying you. I was hoping Leggy Meggy would forgive me, but as you can see, it didn't turn out as I expected.

I suppose you saw on the news that the Death Cube was deactivated. Well, you're welcome. That was possible because of me. I knew you'd be next on its list after it finished me off, so the most logical thing I could think of was to deactivate the Death Cube forever. At least that takes a weight off your shoulders. I wanted to at least solve one of the thousands of problems I caused, but as you've probably realized, it was a bit complicated, but at least I managed it.

I hope that with this, you can at least rest easier without worrying about a cube trying to kill you. I'm so sorry I can't go in person to I want to tell you myself how sorry I am for everything I did to you. I was an idiot to abandon you when you were probably the only people who truly loved me.

A hug for toomp and a kiss for wpnz. I don't think we'll see each other soon.

Sincerely, ★ Mr. Puzzles ★”

A heavy silence fell between them when wpnz finished reading the letter. Neither of them quite knew how to react. Puzzles, the same one who betrayed them and said all sorts of things to go and seek forgiveness from someone who obviously wouldn't grant it, was the same one who risked his life, losing his energy and an arm so they wouldn't be pursued by the Death Cube. They didn't know exactly what to feel. Pain? Sadness? Anger? Joy? They weren't sure. Toomp suggested taking Puzzles with him. wpnz was hesitant. Would it be right to trust Puzzles again? He wasn't sure, but Toomp insisted, and wpnz reluctantly agreed. He picked him up and placed him on his shoulder. He had forgotten how light Puzzles were; it was like carrying any old box. Toomp made sure there were no more police nearby and transformed into a motorcycle, and the trio set off for the apartment where they lived.

A while later they arrived. Wpnz was trying to remember where Puzzles used to charge himself, doing something Puzzles would have stopped him from doing long ago: taking off his shirt and searching for the damn charger. He'd never seen Puzzles' bare chest before; the unprofessional workmanship was obvious. He saw a star on his chest where Puzzles' heart should be. Touching it, he cracked the star, revealing a compartment with a heart-shaped core and a cable. Pulling on the cable made it incredibly long. He stretched it until he could plug it into the nearest outlet. A charging icon appeared on Puzzles' screen, so it was working. Puzzles would stay lying on the sofa until he finished charging. Wpnz went to sit in the dining room, and Toomp went to join him. They had a lot to think about and process. It had all happened very quickly, but at least they would have answers from Puzzles soon.

Chapter Text

It had been about a week since they had charged Puzzles. Wpnz and Toomp continued with their normal routine, just checking Puzzles' battery level from time to time. One night, while they were in the middle of a heist, Puzzles finally finished charging. His screen lit up, revealing his confused face. He sat down with difficulty due to his missing arm, looked around. He wasn't in the alley, and how did he recover his energy if there were no outlets or power sources in the alley? After looking around for a short while, he figured out where he was. He was in wpnz's apartment. Puzzles was startled. How was he there? He expected anyone but wpnz and toomp to find him. He unplugged the charger and put it away. He went to where his old studio should be. It was more or less the same as he'd left it, just a little neglected from the passage of time. Not that Puzzles wanted to go back to his studio, but he knew there was a tall tree near the window he could climb down. Everything was going well. He managed to climb out the window and was already at the top of the tree. He just had to get down, but it was very difficult. With only one arm, one wrong step caused him to fall, hitting several branches, breaking his screen, and landing hard on a trash can... which had a closed lid. Just as he fell, wpnz and toomp had just arrived, so they saw him and were obviously shocked. They hadn't thought that the first thing Puzzles would do upon waking up would be to try to escape.

Puzzles was recovering from that hard fall he'd taken when he noticed wpnz and toomp staring at him. To make matters worse, the fall had been humiliating; no one was moving, some looking more confused than others —Toomp, grab him before he gets away!— wpnz suddenly said. Toomp quickly obeyed and transformed into a rope, tying Puzzles up before he could even react. wpnz approached, looking both annoyed and confused.

"What the hell are you doing?!" he yelled at Puzzles, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him. "You barely wake up, and the first thing you think to do is try to escape by climbing down a tree even though you don't have an arm?!" he said, clearly annoyed, but he also seemed worried. Puzzles didn't know what to do. It wasn't in his plans for wpnz to make him carry in the first place. He tried to free himself from toomp, but toomp held on tighter. Seeing that he wouldn't get a response, wpnz simply picked him up and carried him back to the apartment. All the way there, wpnz scolded Puzzles for the betrayal, for the hurtful words, for being an idiot for going off to fight the Death Cube alone, and obviously for trying to escape by climbing down a tree. He kept scolding him, and as soon as they crossed the apartment door, Puzzles had had enough of the nagging. "If you hadn't made me carry in the first place, I wouldn't have tried to escape," he said in a dry, sharp, and annoyed tone. wpnz stopped dead in his tracks, stood still for a few seconds, ordered toomp to let go of Puzzles, and when toomp obeyed, wpnz threw Puzzles down. "What the hell are you doing, you idiot?!" But he got no response other than a look full of fury and sadness from wpnz, who I could tell he was holding back the tears that threatened to fall—I got you out of that damn alley because Toomp asked me to. If he hadn't insisted so much, I wouldn't have gotten you out of there. Be grateful you're not rusting away in that seedy alley— Puzzles stared at him, confused, then looked at Toomp. His screen showed static for a brief moment, then he started laughing as if he'd just heard the best joke of his life, which disconcerted the killer and the pink blob. It wasn't the first reaction someone would have upon hearing such harsh words from wpnz—And who said I wanted you to save me?! If it were up to me, I'd stay there for all eternity!! I don't need your help, not yours, not Toomp's, not anyone's!! I don't need anyone…—Those last words came out trembling. Puzzles was still trying to convince himself that he was condemned to eternal loneliness, and this wouldn't be the exception. Puzzles stood up. Even though he was taller than wpnz, the killer didn't even flinch—You know what? Get lost!! If you don't need me, fine, leave like you did once before, you'll still be an idiot, because at least I have toomp but you don't have anyone!!— wpnz yelled disdainfully at puzzles, he was partly right, but it was still painful to hear.

Puzzles froze. WPNZ was right, the killer had Toomp, but what about him? He had no one, and if he looked for someone, he'd probably just abandon them like everyone else had. Puzzles knew he told himself that, but the fact that it was someone who had tried to help him, and whom he'd driven away again because of him, had said it hurt even more. Puzzles' breathing became frantic, both his voice and his screen began to glitch—"Y-you're R-right… I'm going to be al-alone… forever!!"—he said while pulling at his antennae like he used to do when he needed to calm his anxiety, and then his body simply collapsed. His circuits overheated from the anxiety and he shut down. He would have to reboot. The silence that remained in the apartment was awful. WPNZ and Toomp could only stare at Puzzles' body, inert again on the floor in front of them, not knowing what to do.

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Half an hour had passed since Puzzles began to reboot. Toomp scolded WPNZ for saying that, though Toomp was still hurt by Puzzles' betrayal. He at least wanted to give him a second chance, since Toomp had given WPNZ a second chance; now it was his turn to do the same. WPNZ was also somewhat regretful for what he'd said. He'd let his anger get the better of him and spoken without thinking, though he hadn't expected Puzzles to shut down... again. Toomp decided to go for a walk, hoping that perhaps without him as a mediator in their disagreement, they could talk better. A while later, Puzzles finally finished rebooting, which disappointed him since he wanted to remain trapped in his subconscious. To make matters worse (or better), WPNZ was sitting next to him. He quickly explained Toomp's plan for them both to "fix things," but Puzzles was sure it would end badly. "I'm sorry for what I said earlier, but everything you said was really painful, and..." That increased the pain you left when you betrayed me…— said the gunman, looking at the ground to hide the tears that were beginning to form in his eyes. Puzzles was still looking confused at wpnz. Why was he apologizing? Wpnz had every right to say all those hurtful words; he'd already done it and needed to get revenge somehow. Puzzles didn't look at him, staring at the blank television in front of him. "Don't apologize... I deserve it anyway. Besides, what you said didn't really hurt. You're right, you weren't lying." Wpnz was confused and finally looked up at Puzzles. "What do you mean, I'm right?" Puzzles let out a low, bitter laugh, watching the blank television intently as if he were watching any old program. "Yeah, you're right, my life is destined for eternal loneliness. What you said isn't weird or bad since you're technically telling the truth." Wpnz froze. There was no sarcasm in Puzzles' voice, no hint that he was joking. Everything he said was... sincere, authentic, natural, and that made it all the more raw and painful.

Puzzles kept laughing softly, but then it turned into sobs that became tears, but not exaggerated ones, quiet ones as if he were ashamed to cry in front of wpnz, even though he had done it many times before. Ever since he turned back on after recharging, Puzzles had been wondering how he had reached such a low point in his life. He had had low moments before, of course, but for some reason, in his opinion, this was the worst fall he had had in years—"Why do you keep trying to forgive me?... Why do you or toomp even want to try to give me a second chance?... Why... me?"—he said, still not looking at the gunman. Digital tears fell uncontrollably. He hugged himself, feeling so miserable. God, he had never felt so ashamed to cry in front of wpnz as he did today. "I remind you that I didn't want to. It was toomp's idea to bring you here and give you a second chance," the assassin reminded him coldly and somewhat annoyed, although it was to try to deny that he really cared for him. Puzzles—I don't care whose stupid idea it was! Why would Toomp want to give me a second chance after everything I did to them?...— Puzzles was breathing heavily again, his screen only showed static and if he continued like this his circuits were going to overheat and he would have to restart again, wpnz acted quickly, he didn't know exactly why, his body simply moved automatically, he stood in front of Puzzles and took him by the shoulders— Come on Puzzles, calm down, breathe with me, okay? Count 1…2…3…and let go, again—and so he did the breathing exercises with Puzzles until he calmed down. WPNZ knew how to do them well because of the times Puzzles couldn't control his anxiety. When Puzzles calmed down, WPNZ hugged him. Puzzles was in shock. He knew very well that WPNZ wasn't at all someone who gave hugs; this was new. "I still haven't completely forgiven you, but I want to try. I need you to show me that I can trust you again like Toomp does…but I'm asking you to really try…for me," WPNZ said, closing his eyes. If Toomp could believe that Puzzles could change, then he would too, but he needed Puzzles to believe that he could change as well and not be stuck with the idea that he had only one destiny.

Puzzles took a while, but eventually returned the hug. Upon hearing wpnz's words, tears welled up again, but this time they were silent. He continued staring at the blank television screen. He wanted to retreat back into his subconscious to escape everything, as he always had, but… he also wanted to try to change. But it was difficult for someone who had been told his whole life that he was destined for something. He didn't believe he could change that prediction overnight. He didn't know exactly what to do; everything was so confusing… Did he really deserve that? People who cared about him? He didn't understand how anyone could want him to change for the better without any tricks or lies involved—"Why are you doing this?" he asked, his voice reflecting sadness and confusion. He still couldn't believe that wpnz really wanted to trust him, that puzzles could truly change for the good of everyone. He needed a real reason from wpnz because puzzles didn't have a single idea. "Because I really need you...because I really love you...and because I really miss you..." wpnz said, a few tears falling from his eyes. And so they stayed, embraced in the darkness of the room, one hoping the other would change, and the other wondering if he really could.

Chapter Text

Puzzles slept, quite a bit actually. Puzzles doesn't need to sleep that much. Before the betrayal and all that, Puzzles loved getting up early since he didn't need to sleep as much as his partner. Puzzles usually woke up between 5 and 6 in the morning, but now he woke up at 2 in the afternoon. He could have slept longer, but Toomp and WPNZ woke him up and took him to the dining room. They had made him some kind of breakfast with whatever Puzzles eats. While Toomp and WPNZ ate like... people who lack manners and talked about plans for their next heist, Puzzles just stared at his plate with a rather disheartened expression before going to the sofa to watch television. And that was more or less his routine: being woken up, eating whatever they gave him, and spending the whole day watching television, even when it was turned off, which WPNZ found very strange. Even on the occasions when he forced him to go outside to do something more "productive," Puzzles... He would get mesmerized watching any television on the street like a moth to a flame, but he would easily come out of that strange trance when wpnz spoke to him or toomp touched him.

One day they had to go to the supermarket. They agreed to split up to find everything faster. WPNZ was walking along with Toomp, calmly, until... he ended up running into Karen. Neither of them seemed happy to see the other. —What are you doing here, jerk?— she said, giving WPNZ a critical look. Even though it was his work hour, he didn't care about openly expressing his dislike for his ex. WPNZ wasn't happy to see Karen either. Toomp was standing between them, making sure neither of them tried to hit the other. —I came to do the shopping, not to see idiots like you, Karen. Shouldn't you be organizing the shelves or something?— WPNZ said sarcastically and annoyed. —Well, yes, but I have to make sure thieves like you don't try to steal anything or make a mess.— That really annoyed WPNZ, and he was about to fight, not with words, but with his fists, but Toomp was barely holding him back.

Elsewhere in the store, Puzzles had already completed most of his list. He was quite good at finding things when people asked for them. When he passed the electronics section, which was filled with televisions, he stood still, staring at the multiple screens, all of which were off. He seemed hypnotized. An employee named Erick approached Puzzles when he saw him standing in front of the televisions. —Are you interested in any particular model, sir? We have all kinds of televisions you might like.— Puzzles didn't even blink. He completely ignored him, as if looking at off televisions was more important than paying attention to his surroundings. The poor employee tried to get his attention, but nothing happened. He grabbed his radio and called Karen, knowing that her temper could make anyone react. Karen arrived, still arguing with wpnz. —What's wrong, Erick?" I have better things to do, like punching this idiot next to me in the face— Erick pointed towards where Puzzles was. Karen froze when she saw Puzzles and turned angrily towards wpnz —What is Puzzles doing here?! First you and now him?!— wpnz glared back at her, equally annoyed.—It's none of your business who I'm bringing or where I'm going, you idiot!— Poor Erick and toomp were trying to stop them from beating each other up. Suddenly, all the TVs turned on, showing different channels, from series to movies, and most of them wpnz recognized as Puzzles' favorite series and movies. Everyone was confused. —See, Karen, that's why I called you— Erick said, half scared by what was happening. They all tried to snap him out of it, but nothing worked; they were running out of ideas. Shortly after, the lights started flickering, turning off and on. Then a child appeared behind them, glitching like a TV screen. It was Puzzles as a child, who, as soon as he appeared, ran past the adults to get to Puzzles.

Karen glared at wpnz, thinking he was a new son. —I swear to you, toomp, I have nothing to do with that kid. I don't even know him— she said, trying to absolve herself of any guilt. The boy was crying and tugging at Puzzles' arm. —Well, if that kid isn't your son, then whose is he, and why is he so attached to Puzzles?— Karen asked. The boy seemed to know Puzzles from somewhere and love him dearly; otherwise, he wouldn't be clinging to him while crying. —You said we'd watch cartoons, you promised! You said you'd be back soon and we'd watch whatever cartoons I wanted!— the little boy cried. Puzzles finally did something. He placed his hand on the head of his younger self, who was now clinging to his leg. A few seconds later, he picked him up. The boy kept repeating that Puzzles had promised to watch cartoons. Puzzles stroked the little boy's back, still watching television. No one present knew what was happening or what to do. Without even looking at the others, Puzzles handed his share of the groceries to wpnz and walked away with the little one still in his arms crying; as soon as he left that area, both the lights and the televisions were back to normal as if nothing had happened, and everyone was quite confused.

Chapter Text

Puzzles didn't know how far he had walked until he realized he had arrived at the apartment. He went inside and sat on the sofa, leaving his younger self sitting next to him. The little boy was still crying, but Puzzles ruffled his hair and turned on the television, finally showing cartoons, which cheered the child up. But little by little, different things in the house became static, like any person or creature with powers. If the user is very unstable, their power is too. That's why Puzzles' subconscious was manifesting; that's why his younger self was there. Even places far away from where Puzzles was became static, including the store where they had gone shopping. wpnz, toomp, Karen, and Erick realized that something strange was happening because a lot of products had become static. Then the ghostly voices began. Fragments of Puzzles' memories could be heard: laughter, voices both familiar and unfamiliar, sounds that could be heard throughout the store. The confusion was interrupted when a very familiar voice demanded that an employee help him. It was smg3, accompanied by... Mario—God, someone please explain to me why my cereal box now looks like a TV with no signal— said smg3, looking at both Erick and Karen. —If I knew, I'd tell you, but honestly, even we don't know what's going on— said Karen, watching as an entire shelf turned into static. Puzzles' laughter echoed throughout the store even though he wasn't there. —Could Puzzles have something to do with all this?— asked Mario, curious. Everyone assumed the answer was yes. They looked at wpnz and toomp. —What?— asked wpnz, looking at everyone suspiciously. —Come on, he was with you. You must know where he went, or at least what's happening— said Karen, annoyed. Everyone seemed to agree with her. wpnz was about to say something, but just shut his mouth because, even though he didn't want to admit it, Karen was right. He said they'd have to see if he was in his apartment. When they arrived, they saw the whole building turned into static, but the worst part was when it started to rain. The sky became just like the building—static. The voices kept coming, but now louder. It was Of course, Puzzles was there. Upon entering the apartment, it was quite difficult to know where everything was. After a while of stumbling and going the wrong way, they finally arrived at the correct apartment. Inside, Puzzles was sitting, staring intently at the television, which was the only thing miraculously not made of static. Next to Puzzles was the happy boy watching his program. Everyone was confused. "Of course it had to be you causing all this weird phenomenon. I can't imagine anyone else messing up our lives every time you show up like you, Puzzles," Karen said, quite annoyed. SMG3 and Mario also looked annoyed at seeing Puzzles again. The only ones who looked uncomfortable were WPNZ and Toomp. "Puzzles, I don't have the time or patience to argue with you, so either you fix whatever it is you've done amicably, or we'll have to force you," SMG3 said, taking a fighting stance. He didn't mess around, especially not with someone as annoying as Puzzles, even though the latter continued to ignore them. "Puzzles, you're taking too long," Karen said in frustration, and there That's when Puzzles finally reacted, stood up, and turned sharply to face the group.

—Shut up for God's sake!! "They sound like broken records, repeating the same thing over and over. If you're going to try to insult me, at least be creative, because I'm sure if I made a list of everything you've ever said to me, it would have been written down a long time ago!— Puzzles said, quite annoyed. The boy next to him got scared and backed away. The group took a step back, but they became more defensive. "And if it bothers you so much, why don't you try to get them to say something positive instead of 'the same old thing'?" SMG3 asked, quite annoyed and ready to hit Puzzles if he tried to get aggressive. —Because nobody can change, idiot. Even if you or that stupid Karen say you're "reformed" you're still horrible people trying to justify yourselves by saying you're different now— Puzzles replied, crossing his arms. He looked irritated, tired of everyone's mere presence. Karen, annoyed, lunged to hit him, but Puzzles grabbed her by the collar of her work uniform and lifted her up, forcing her to look Puzzles in the face. —Karen Katphish, also known to some as Katana if I'm not mistaken—Karen tried to break free from Puzzles' grip, but it was firm. SMG3 and Mario tried to intervene, but Puzzles pulled Karen away from them and continued speaking—"Ex-assassin and ex-partner of WPNZ, with whom she had three children. Even now, having a 'normal' life, you're the most pessimistic person in the world. You hate your job and have violent outbursts. Who would have thought that even without being an assassin and being a mother of three, you'd still resort to violence as one of your ways to solve problems?"—and after finishing saying that, he threw Karen to the other side of the apartment, crashing into a piece of furniture and the wall. The child quickly went to Karen. Next was SMG3, who, after trying to hit Puzzles with a piece of furniture, was hit by Puzzles just like Karen had been a few moments ago—"Oh, SMG3, you're unbearable. You're the most negative and sarcastic person I've ever met. Yes, yes, you may now be part of SMG4's main group of friends, but you're still exactly the same. You get frustrated when something You want to, it doesn't work out like you're a little kid. I can't believe you weren't arrested sooner for everything you did before you reformed—and just like Karen, he threw it, but this one crashed to the ground. When the kid went to help him, smg3, for some reason, found that kid strangely familiar—"Oh Mario, you're the worst person I know. You're impulsive. It seems like the only thing you're good for is annoying others. Of all smg4's friends, you should have been arrested years ago. It's no wonder so many people hate you because it seems like you never use your damn brain. The day you use it, we can finally move forward as a society"—and Mario ended up with the same fate as Karen and smg3.

Puzzles watched the three of them lying on the ground, trying to recover, when he heard a gun being cocked behind him. Turning his head, he saw wpnz pointing one of his weapons at his head. Toomp, perched on wpnz's shoulder, glared at Puzzles, annoyed. Instead of feeling threatened or scared, the presenter was remarkably calm; in fact, he started laughing. His screen displayed a wide smile. —I told you, wpnz, no one can change. Even if you try, everything will always repeat itself. Otherwise, you wouldn't be trying to kill me like you have before, right?— When wpnz heard those words, he was shocked. It was true. It felt like when Puzzles betrayed him and Toomp. His arm trembled and fell, but Puzzles grabbed it and forced him to point the gun at his face. —What's wrong? Is the gunman afraid to shoot? Come on, go ahead. That's what you were created for, isn't it?" "To kill," Puzzles said sarcastically. The static around him disappeared, and the child Puzzles also disappeared, letting out a final cry. A very heavy silence fell where only the trembling breathing of wpnz, Karen, and... could be heard. Toomp was helping smg3 and Mario to their feet. Tears began to stream from wpnz's eyes. He wanted to kill Puzzles, but for some reason, his body wouldn't react, as if he were denying himself the hatred he felt for Puzzles. The host let out a dry laugh, released wpnz's arm, and headed for the apartment door. He stopped before leaving and, without looking at anyone, said, —I'm telling you, wpnz, you should never have gotten me out of that alley.— With those last cold words, Puzzles left. The silence in the apartment became even heavier than before. —What alley is he talking about?— smg3 asked, looking at wpnz. Toomp handed them the letter Puzzles had been carrying when he and wpnz found him. They read the contents and were shocked. —Puzzles was the one who destroyed the Death Cube?!— Mario exclaimed, clearly surprised. When everyone turned to look at wpnz, he was staring at his hand, the one Puzzles had taken when he forced him to try to kill him. Tears continued to fall from his eyes. He felt... Like an idiot for trying to trust Puzzles again—get out of my house— wpnz finally said. No one objected. Everyone silently left the apartment. When only toomp and wpnz remained, the pink mass approached the gunman, touched his foot with its head, and wpnz picked it up, hugged it, and began to cry even more. —I told you not to do it, toomp, I told you…He left again, just like he had before.He's right, he'll never change— wpnz sobbed loudly, clinging tighter to his companion, accompanied only by the heavy, sad silence that remained in the place.

Chapter Text

The next day, at SMG4's castle, Mario and SMG3 were still quite confused but above all affected by what Puzzles had told them. Meggy and SMG4 noticed this because since they had returned the day before from shopping they had been quite quiet —what's wrong with the two of them? You've been so quiet, and that's not like you guys—Meggy asked, genuinely worried about her friends. It was strange to see them so quiet and thoughtful, especially after going shopping. There was no way something frustrating could have happened to make them both so distant. —Well... yesterday, Karen and I went to where WPNZ lives, and... Puzzles was there, and he might have said some hurtful truths...— sMG3 said, still looking at the ground. Meggy was surprised. She hadn't heard from Puzzles since their fight, and she hadn't expected to find out he'd said hurtful things to her friends. —The atmosphere was so weird. Puzzles told us some painful truths, threw us around like we were old rags, and then left WPNZ crying and walked away... and then we found out he was the one who destroyed the Death Cube— Mario explained. sMG4 and Meggy were confused but genuinely surprised. How could all that happen in 15 or 20 minutes? It was surprising and worrying, but they both showed great support for their two friends cheering them up.

Between yesterday and today, Puzzles was also arrested. It didn't affect him that much, to say the least. He didn't resist or anything. When he arrived at the prison, he was very obedient, since it wasn't like he had anything better to do being out of prison without money, without being chased by the cube, or without an arm. The prison didn't sound bad at all, really, but he noticed something strange. He wasn't taken to a cell; he was being taken to a different area of the prison. He thought it would be a new cell or some kind of solitary confinement, but it was an area that resembled a large laboratory belonging to a mad scientist. A man was apparently waiting for him, since when he saw him, a crooked smile appeared on his face. —Well, welcome back to prison, Patrick. I've been looking forward to seeing you— said the mysterious man. Puzzles froze. Nobody knew his real name, and the fact that he was speaking to him as if he had known him all his life frightened him even more. —How do you know my old name?— Puzzles asked, trying to get away, but the police officers escorting him prevented him. —Please, Patrick,I work for the police, it's very easy to find out everything about you by reading your file— the man said, waving a folder titled "Patrick Misteri - Mr. Puzzles File." It was strange to see his old full name next to his new one. —I'm Richard Verdugo, and I'm the inventor and creator of the famous Cube of Death— the man said. Puzzles was in shock. This man was the creator of his worst nightmare and the reason he no longer had an arm. What did he want it for? It seemed the man could read minds because he answered the question seconds later. —I suppose you're wondering why you're here. I overheard a little cat telling her colleagues that you were responsible for destroying my beloved cube— "Which little cat?" Puzzles wondered mentally until he remembered, Karen!! WPNZ probably told him that information, and he heard her mention it to SMG3 or Mariohell, he shouldn't have mentioned it in that letter—it's quite admirable to see someone powerful enough to destroy an invention as strong as the cube, and that's why you're here—that raised more questions than answers for Puzzles, but he didn't have time to think. Richard snapped his fingers, and the police officers escorting Puzzles grabbed him and put him inside a capsule that closed when they released him. Then, inside, metal claws tightened their grip on Puzzles, preventing him from moving. —You're the only person who has been able to destroy the cube, so you have enough power to make my new invention stronger. And since you won't be free anymore, you won't be able to destroy it. You'll be its new power source for the Death Cube 2.0. This one is more efficient, and with you as its main energy source, it will be even more powerful— said the inventor, pressing a button that turned on a light, revealing the new cube. Puzzles was frozen solid. He tried to free himself but couldn't, and discovering they wanted to use him as a battery for a horrible invention terrified him even more. Thinner claws exposed Puzzles' chest, opening the compartment where his core was located, and a tube was placed inside, generating a shock of pain in Puzzles. He knew he would be left alone, but it wasn't in his plans to be the energy source for an invention that would endanger the people he was supposed to have kept away to protect them. The scientist looked with satisfaction at Puzzles' frustrated expression and left the room with the police officers, leaving Puzzles alone in that room that was his new prison.

The next morning, all television and radio stations were interrupted by an important news bulletin. It was a police announcement: —Citizens, the Death Cube has been repaired to prevent the risk of destruction that occurred previously. Anyone with a crime on their record will be executed by the cube. They will be denied employment and housing. The city will be safer if all criminals are executed. Thank you for your attention. Cube captures will begin tonight.—The entire city fell silent. No matter the crime you committed, whether you served your prison sentence, paid your fine, or if it was a minor offense, you lost all right to be condemned to the Death Cube. Karen was immediately fired from her job, wpnz and toomp were thrown out onto the street, and smg3 was in shock. Everyone was now condemned to the Death Cube. And as the bulletin stated, the Death Cube was activated that night. Its improvements were immediately noticeable: it was faster, more calculating, more brutal, more... Efficient, the victims were falling like flies, there was no record of whether they were good or bad, if you had committed a crime no matter how insignificant it was you were condemned, many people protested against it but nothing was done about it, once the cube was activated nothing could stop it, Karen left her children in the care of smg4, and she and smg3 lived hiding as best they could, wpnz and toomp ended up joining this group, making a peace truce between wpnz and Karen since it was more important to stay alive.

A week had passed since the cube was activated. Every morning, the news reported the list of victims the cube had claimed the previous day. It was sad to hear the names of people who had already served their time or were guilty of something less serious. Karen, smg3, wpnz, and toomp hid in the sewers. They occasionally communicated with smg4 and the others to give updates on their condition. Since wpnz and toomp had to escape the police many times, they knew all the possible hiding places. Meanwhile, Puzzles wasn't doing much better than they were. The constant energy drain was causing him terrible pain, and his cries of agony could be heard daily. He kept his screen off because Puzzles had discovered that when Richard checked on him, he enjoyed seeing his agonizing face, and he didn't want to give him the satisfaction. He spent his time regretting his decisions. Perhaps his father had been right after all; everything he did would always lead to failure. He remembered wpnz's face... Did he regret doing that to her? Why did it have to be so destructive? Why can't he have anything beautiful in his life without ruining it? Why does he always end up pushing away the people he loves? Why does he always have to be alone? He couldn't bear anything anymore. An oil leak in his head made it seem like he was crying, which wasn't far from the truth. He spent his time crying and lamenting everything as if that would at least free him from there. He couldn't even access his subconscious anymore; the constant pain pulled him out. And the few times he did enter, everything was dark, and all he could hear were the memories of all the insults his father hurled at him. God was horrible, everything in his life was horrible. He couldn't even find peace in his safe place anymore. He always remembered his mother's last words before she abandoned him with his father: "No one writes your destiny, my child, you build it. And if the world tells you that you can't change your destiny, prove them wrong." Even remembering that didn't motivate him in the slightest; it only dragged him down further. It was like a reminder that he had even disappointed the only person in his family who truly loved him, or at least that's what Puzzles thought, because if she loved him so much, she wouldn't have abandoned him. Even so, Puzzles just begged that They will let him go free, because he just wants to return to his safe place, because he no longer wants to ruin the lives of others, he just wants to be at peace.

A month had passed since the cube became active. The city was safer, sadly safer. Everyone was afraid to break the law because the slightest crime meant facing the cube's wrath. Karen and the other three were exhausted. Even with good hiding places, it was incredibly difficult to survive a terrifying cube intent on killing you. They needed to think of a place where they could rest for a long time without fear of the cube discovering them. They offered suggestions, all terrible, until smg3 proposed the prison. —The prison?— Karen and wpnz said simultaneously. Of all the places they could stay, the prison wasn't even close to being one of the most viable options. —Think about it— smg3 explained.—The city is supposed to be free of criminals, and if there are no criminals, there's no one in the prison. Not even the cube would want to go near a place that's technically useless at this point.— They were about to dismiss the idea, but it was actually quite good. They thought it might be worth a try. It wasn't like they had many options, really. After walking a long way, they finally reached the prison, which was…empty? There weren't even any police officers nearby; it was as if it were abandoned. Upon entering, the place was quite depressing and dark, everything a mess. It was obvious the cube had already been there and that the prisoners hadn't even had a chance to defend themselves, but at least that indicated it would be a good place to hide. They walked through the entire facility, checking that no one was around or looking for anything that might be useful. Everything was going well until they reached an area they didn't recognize. There was a sign that said "energy zone," which wasn't in any prison they knew. They walked a little further and found a door at the end of the corridor. Upon opening it and entering, they found…puzzles?! But he looked bad, trapped in a capsule with a tube connected to his core, and he looked agonizing, to be honest. It was strange and quite depressing to see Puzzles' current state. They knew he'd done everything to them, but it was still shocking to see that painful fate. Nobody said anything; everyone was processing what they had just discovered. The only thing that could be heard, apart from some sparks, were Puzzles' small pleas for him to stop. Who? They didn't know exactly, but it was probably the one who did all that to Puzzles. After a few more moments of silence, WPNZ finally mustered the courage to speak. —Puzzles?— was all he said, and it seemed Puzzles recognized the gunman's voice very easily, as his screen lit up, showing his surprised and tired face. —WPNZ...Toomp...Karen and...SMG3?...W-what are you doing here?— Puzzles asked in a low, trembling voice, as if he didn't have the strength to speak. —We're hiding from the Death Cube. It's been after us for a month— Karen replied. This answer made Puzzles' face go from confusion and tiredness to absolute terror, as if he had seen his worst nightmare. —A month?! I've been here a whole damn month?!— the presenter asked, terrified. How could he have been used as a battery for a monster like the Death Cube for a whole month? That reaction unleashed a wave of confusion among those present. —What do you mean you've been here a month?—wpnz asked cautiously. Puzzles was about to answer when a horrible wave of pain coursed through his body, making him scream horribly. It lasted a few seconds, and then he was just gasping and breathing heavily, trying to recover. That really scared wpnz and the others; it was obvious on their faces. They hadn't expected that to happen. —What the hell was that?!—smg3 asked, terrified. —I... I'm being used as a battery for... the Death Cube...— Puzzles finally confessed. That was like a bucket of cold water being thrown on everyone. The energy and functioning of the Death Cube, which had been chasing them for a month and had already killed half the city, was because of Puzzles?! —So, half the city is your fault. He's already passed away and we're struggling to stay alive?!— Karen exclaimed, clearly upset. She'd already moved to try and hit Puzzles, but Toomp and SMG3 stopped her. —I didn't want to!!— Puzzles said, trying to prove his innocence. —I thought they were going to lock me up, but it turns out the inventor of the Death Cube overheard you, Karen, saying I destroyed the previous Death Cube and decided to use me as a power source. He also wanted to prevent me from destroying it again!— Puzzles explained, demonstrating his innocence. Given his state, his story was quite convincing. Toomp tried to open the capsule as best he could, but it was no use. They needed to figure out what to do next.