Dear Friends ♥️,
Dear friends ♥️,
In Gaza, we wake up to the sounds of destruction and sleep with the fear of what tomorrow might bring 🌙💥. But even in the darkest times, hope remains ✨. I’ve started a campaign on GoFundMe to provide urgent help to those most affected.
I ask for your support, whether it's a small donation 💸 or simply sharing my campaign with your networks 🌍. Every bit of help matters more than you can imagine. Let’s spread hope together and show that kindness knows no borders 🌈.
Thank you for standing with us 🙏,
Abdul Salam Al-Anqar
More Posts from Justanotherblogger and Others
Dear friends ❤️,
After surviving the devastating war in Gaza, my family and I sought safety in Egypt. While we have moved away from immediate danger, the challenges of life here remain significant. We are struggling to secure rent and daily living expenses.😢
We have decided to open a fundraising link to help secure a safe place for us, a place that will protect us and our children from the harsh conditions. Your donations will serve as a beacon of hope in building a home that provides us with safety and stability.😔🇵🇸
Every contribution, no matter how small, will make a big difference in our lives.🙏🏻
You can contribute via the following link:
https://gofund.me/abbc2759
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your support and generosity.🙌🏼❤️🩹
Help my family. War is devastating. There is nothing left to live. No schools, no universities, no home, and no dreams. All dreams have been shattered. I hope for help before it is too
This blog has been verified by many other posts! I'm not able to donate, so please try to donate or reblog if you can!
A World Without Him
Chapter 21
Tang only got a few seconds to process what exactly he was stuck with before he was hauled up by the back of his uniform shirt and onto his feet. He stumbled forward at the sudden force, broken glass crunching beneath his feet.
The scholar blinked indignantly at the rough handling, but he couldn't even get a huff of displeasure in before the soldier was already walking out of the curtained area and gunning for the front exit. Tang couldn't hide his annoyance as he groaned loudly into his hands and started to go after the guy, wiping his face with his sleeve while he tried to follow.
Every one of his steps crunched on the stone floor, somehow powering over all the other noises in the medical tent as he tried to pursue the guy, glass shards almost definitely embedded into the soles of his boots now.
It was uncomfortable, but the growing sense of exhaustion quickly drew more attention. He’d already been drained from that ghost intervention, but he didn't realize how badly he was affected until he couldn’t even take two steps without his lungs burning up. Tang knew that this was a losing battle.
He leaned on one of the empty beds when his head started pounding and looked ahead with bleary eyes. Squinting, he only saw a glimpse of how the soldier seamlessly passed by the staff and wandering patients, seemingly dead focussed on getting out as fast as possible with practiced ease.
The scholar could only grit his teeth as he pushed himself back onto his feet as the body's silhouette got smaller and smaller. As he tried to move forward, his body became more slow and lethargic; he felt disconnected to his limbs, almost numb.
I guess there just had to be side effects for anything giving me a boon here. He thought bitterly, pushing himself forward. He could barely keep the guy in focus as he was already so far ahead while he tried to dodge and swerve to get to the exit himself, noticing the feeling was achingly similar to the streets back in Megatropolis.
Pushing the small feeling to the back of his mind, Tang saw that the soldier was no longer in his line of sight, most likely frolicking outside in the grass while getting further and further away from his tag-along.
Tang clenched his fists at the thought and if you were to ask anyone in the vicinity, they would have said that smoke was billowing out of his ears. Tang silently prayed that he would make the trip to wherever he's being forced without his legs giving up and moving to the Bahamas because of unsafe working conditions.
He huffed a bit at the thought as his legs started to twinge even worse, almost as if they were dignifying his thoughts with a response. Tang just frowned, pushing himself past one more staff member before he was finally in front of the exit. He took no hesitation in pushing the tent flap open and stepping outside, the dirt cushioning the glass in his soles.
A breeze kicked up at his exit, blowing wisps of hair behind him as he quickly walked a few feet before plopping himself down onto the ground, relishing in the feeling of his legs not giving in their two weeks notice. This, along with the nostalgic feeling of grass swaying in the wind, helped him relax.
He squinted up at the darkening sky af6er a moment, seeing how rish blue started to fade into vibrant hues of magenta and navy. As the sun was no longer visible beyond the treeline, electric torches started being lit all across the clearing pathways, giving everything a soft yellow glow as the area began to darken.
Tang just sat still at the view, taking in the scenery as fragments of memories flooded into his mind. A glance at the willow tree showed its hanging branches swaying in the wind, a single torch laying under it for some light amongst the grass. He put his elbow onto his knee and leaned into his hand for a better position, even if he knew there was nothing stopping the pain he would feel from his hunched position.
Behind him, a surprisingly soft voice knocked him out of his trance. “It's almost beautiful by itself, isn't it? If you can ignore the lake filled with mush and the tents covering every inch of solid ground with patrolling officers.”
Tang sucked in a breath and snapped his head to the voice, half-expecting it to have come from his own head and for nothing to be behind him. Instead, he saw Harrison leaning against the monastery wall, a blank look in his eyes as he looked over the clearing.
Tang didn't know how to react, giving the guy a blank stare as he tried reasoning in his head. Did he wait for me here? I thought he really didn't like me. That’s surprisingly nice considering he looked seconds away from maiming someone a couple of minutes ago…
He didn't know what to respond with, only opening and closing his mouth as no words actually came out. He eventually decided not to say anything and looked back towards the clearing, his eyes trailing back to the willow tree. He heard footsteps approaching after a minute, stopping right next to him as Harrison spoke up yet again.
“We need to get moving. Make sure to keep up this time.” He mumbled, reaching a hand down for Tang to grab. The scholar hesitated for a moment before grabbing the offered hand and being hoisted up again, much more smooth and comfortable than the first time.
Harrison quickly let go as Tang got to his feet, brushing past him and heading towards the dirt stairs now illuminated with torch light. The scholar blew a piece of hair out of his face before following right behind, his hands unconsciously starting to fidget with the bell on his wrist.
He tried his best to keep close behind this time, never letting the guy more than 2 feet away from him lest he lose his next guide and get lost in the labyrinth of white fabric. He did trip more than once on the uneven ground trying to keep up, but if Harrison noticed it, he didn't care to mention it as he only kept his head forward.
As the walk went on, the talk with those voices(? Spirits? Ghosts? He didn't exactly know what they were still) pushed to the front of his mind as he got more used to the white noise of the camp, replaying the conversation over and over as he tried to find anything useful he didn't already know.
All he could remember in detail was not to go to the Monastery, avoid Cian as much as he could, and basically nothing else. He frowns at the memory, millions of questions flying through his mind at what was going on.
He did know they had some sort of master, though, maybe a higher up who also put them in charge of watching over him. But why did he need watching over in the first place? (The job itself seemed like a punishment, though, considering those voices were obviously displeased with the work.) What deities are they most likely working with, and who exactly is the master they were referring to?
He doesn't have much to go on. Maybe that's the point, though, as those beings seemed shocked that he could hear and see them while all the info they did reveal was mostly slipped out by the younger looking one in a panic.
The more he tries to think about those things, his powers, Cian’s whole deal, and the apparent upcoming demonic war going on at his hometown if the vague (and straight up) threats from human military with whole towns being blown up are anything to go by… he really just wants to go back to Megatropolis, sit down at Pigsy’s and talk that grumpy cook’s ear off with Sandy, Mei, and Mk while scarfing as many noodles as he can down his throat.
However, he knows he needed to go somewhere other than there; that staying any longer would either break him, or cause trouble to the people around him. He knows what's been going on is most likely highly dangerous with the burn marks, strange dreams, and magic voices floating around his head among other (terrible) things giving some indicators.
He really wishes that it could all go away, that one morning the voices, dreams, and stupid bell would all just disappear. But it can't, not really, unless Mk's mentor has been storing up some magical cure or curse that could cancel out the presumed magic in that cave somewhere.
He wishes that he could go straight to his friends, ask for help, get all the support he could ever want, and end up ok. But it's not like that would happen. They would definitely try to help, of course, they're his friends. However, what could they really do for this? What could they do for the voices? The outbursts? He doesn't even recognize what's happening himself, and he's the certified scholar of the group who's read every legend and story he could get his hands on!
Another problem is that he still doesn't know the extent of how bad his magical episodes can get, if he can even control them, if he could stop them from happening, if he could actually hurt his friends during one of them.
Mk would probably be alright, he's got a good amount of Monkey King's powers with decent durability and is on an all time high right now after LBD got put into the ground. But he can't exactly be that sure for the others, or the city, for that matter.
He remembered what happened during one of his episodes, the foggy memory bubbling to the surface; glass scattered all over the streets and sidewalks. The shards silently crashed onto the unforgiving floor. Did anyone get hurt from that? Did that actually happen?
Tang couldn't remember. No faces came to mind, no news report on the TV or gossip overheard on the street were talking about it. But he can't be too sure, as almost everything after the Megatropolis Library fell was shaky at best and he wasn't exactly focussing on his surroundings.
The Library still hangs heavy in his mind. The screams, the crumbling ceiling, Allan, the poor kid, Mk… he still doesn't know exactly how to feel about that, either. He's seen Mk be reckless before. Hell, he's seen entire buildings go up in smoke trying to destroy one villain, but he never batted an eye. Never really thought about the “collateral damage”.
Until he experienced it. The fear, not even from the fight itself, but from the careless swings that could send tons of rubble towards them at any moment. The fighting style solely focussed on the opponent, uncaring if the missed shots or flying bodies caused damage to the city as long as the enemy stayed down.
That was something so different from the fear he's experienced before. Something so different compared to facing a common foe. Those are straight up. You know what you're getting into, that these guys will try and take you down however they see fit. You know they're trying to stop you, that you have to stop them in turn. You can run, hide, fight, do whatever in combat, adrenaline keeping you standing until you can get away or win at least.
But that moment in the library was something so raw, from not knowing what could happen next, that powers beyond your control could send something crashing down at you at any second, and you couldn't do anything to stop it. That powerlessness, that feeling of dread growing bigger and bigger every time a piece of the ceiling or wall crashed to the ground, was eating him alive from the inside out.
Tang wouldn't want that to happen again, especially not because of him. That was a big factor in why he left, the faint feeling of hopelessness eating at his insides when he's alone with his thoughts for too long.
He frowns at the depressing thoughts, feeling his eyes start to burn again. He knows he should take more time to take these thoughts in, to take them seriously and pick them apart, but he's not exactly in the right environment to do so at the moment as he looks up and notices they’re nearing the edge of the clearing.
He rubs his eyes before focussing back into his surroundings. The glass in his soles still grate onto the floor uncomfortably, but it's lessened by the softer dirt path he's currently walking on. Looking past Harrison, Tang can make out a few vehicles lined up next to each other, most likely trucks based on the cargo beds full of people in each of them.
When they finally get close enough, Harrison leads him to a half empty truck and gestures half-heartedly for him to get in. He walks away quickly after and starts to talk with a different soldier in the driver's seat of the first truck, leaving Tang to awkwardly hoist himself up and onto the cargo bed.
He doesn't recognize anyone in the truck, and he’s silently grateful for that as he doesn't think he can take any social interaction at this point in time. He sits down a decent amount away from the other passengers as he sags in relief at finally getting a longer break.
He does jump slightly as the tailgate of his truck gets slammed shut almost immediately after he gets comfortable, but he quickly relaxes again from the utter exhaustion creeping back into his body.
As the trucks get started and slowly start moving forward, Tang can barely keep his eyes open any longer as he starts to succumb to his fatigue. His eyelids droop as he lazily watches the trees swish by and the torches from the clearing get duller and duller until they're fully covered by the foliage.
He wraps his arms around himself as the breeze comes by again, causing a chill to run up his spine. But that's not enough to stop his eyelids from closing completely and his mind to finally take a rest from the day's events, drawing him into a deep, deep slumber as more trees roll on by, branches and leaves shaking in the wind almost like a lullaby.
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A World Without Him
Chapter 10
Oh my goodness, what was I thinking?!
Tang had gotten over his shock when he finally walked far enough to actually think about what just happened. But in his haste, he had already walked a couple of blocks when he had been lost in the moment.
Now, though, he's stopped at that bakery with the make-it-yourself type deal that he remembered opening a couple of days ago. The only reason he could recognize it was because he was currently pacing past its window.
He had been freaking out ever since he got over his grogginess from the previous haze. He hasn't been out since last night, he doesn't have any supplies with him (including his dead phone left on the bedside table) other than a nearly empty backpack, and now he's walking aimlessly towards something he doesn't even know exists or not because of a random dream!
I should just go home. I dont know what to look for or what I'm doing. Tang thought, stopping his continuous pacing.
Now he was right in front of the store window, seeing his tired reflection looking right back at him with the sun highlighting his face from behind. He could only sigh before sitting on one of the outside tables in front of said window. Then he took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, releasing the tension from between them. The colors around blended together as his vision distorted and stretched.
It was only after he opened and refocussed his eyes agin, that he noticed the deathly silence around him. His surroundings now seemed blurry without his glasses, but he could still feel the lifelessness his surroundings now held.
The street looked dark and colorless, almost as if the color had been faded out of a photograph. The blurry shapes around him never moved, never made a sound. The only thing in his ears was his heartbeat, which steadily kept rising against his will.
He hastily grabbed his glasses, his eyes widening when the surroundings seemed to warp with his vision.
The street was now in full gray-scale, with the shadows being pitch black against the light gray buildings. Everything seemed frozen in time, with the people around him gaining soft, colorful outlines while frozen in place.
Tang didn't know what was going on, and didn't want to know what was going on. Maybe he finally snapped. Maybe he's full on hallucinating now. All he could think about now was getting back home.
So he violently stood up from the table and started to speed walk back home. The still, almost completely colorless figures of the civillians unnerved him to no end.
From closer inspection, they seemed to be in slow motion; it was just enough to where they seems like statues at a first glance. Tang didn't notice this until he saw one guy's drink slowly spread onto the sidewalk from a supposedly clumsy passerby.
I'm going insane.
He side-stepped another civillian on the street with their bright purple hue overpowering the soft sky blue of the person beside them. He tried not to pay too much attention to these strange details.
The one time I try to find some answers about my recent episodes and now I'm back into a worse version of one!
With an irritated grunt, Tang kicks a stray can on the street, now a block away from the start of this limbo type place. The can only went up about a foot before slowing down to the speed of its surroundings.
A small breeze pucks up through his street, not affected by the slowing time. Yet he didn't acknowledge the change, only focused on putting one foot in front of the other.
Why am I so unlucky to have this happen right after yesterday?
He yet again speeds up his pace, now almost a complete sprint past all the still moments around him. He needs to get home. He needs to be sane to actually know what's going on.
Is any of this even happening? I'm an idiot: of course this isn't real. I'm just having another episode, after another horrible dream, after another person died in my arms-
...Why can't I just get over it already. I can't change anything.
The breeze picked up suddenly, whipping past Tang's grimaced face. The intense force of the wind didn't seem to affect him, though, as it swerved around him and through his hair.
Wisps of messy hair flowed in front of his face as he continued on his way home.
Why do I always let something like this happen? When can this finally just stop? I can't keep helplessly watching from the sidelines as people like Allan risk their lives for cowards like me.
He could feel wet tears roll down his face. They dropped to the still ground in waves as he continued to walk. He couldn't waste any more time in this nightmare world unless he wanted his brain to snap.
He walked past many construction sites over the next couple of blocks. He didn't remember walking this far out, but he didn't want to think about the connotations of what that could mean.
He could see the foundations crushed to bits from the empty sidewalk; the concrete walls and floor were all cracked or completely torn through by what Tang could only assume was one of Mk's many battles.
His thoughts carried on to the library, with the sunken roof and the crumblibg walls, but he quickly shut down whatever he was about to think next. Mk was always reckless; it's just who he is. A bad feeling always seemed to overwhelm his stomach when he thought about Mk after yesterday.
Oh please, it's not like you would be any better in his position.
The wind kicks up again, slightly pushing him forward.
Do you think you're any different from the demons he fights every day? How you've probably done worse things than what those bastards could ever dream of?
The tears continue down his face as he walks by the many windows of the street. The shop fronts seem just as lifeless as the rest of the street. He stares as his feet when he walks, avoiding looking at the shops while creating a trail behind him as the waterworks don't seem to stop.
Harina would've left you there to die if she knew what you would become.
Tang's breathes were heavy as he slowed down his steps, almost stopping entirely in front of a stores window. He noticed it had sunflower motifs as he raised his head up to look in the window.
He could only see himself looking back. His hair messy and unkempt, his body highlited in a soft orange glow, his eyes puffy from sobbing all the way here, and his suddenly pale face as he noticed the figure standing beside him.
A tall, young woman stood behind him, staring into his eyes over his shoulder. Her eyes were hollow and blood dripped slowly from her mouth and he long black hair swayed with the breeze.
You were, and still are a pathetic, worthless piece of shit that doesn't even try to live on in her memory as you just lounge over their hundreds of sacrifices-
"JUST LEAVE, ME, ALONE." Tang had shouted, grabbing his own head and crouching down onto the ground. The wind howled in his ears and started to harshly whip the street, shattering every window as far as the eye could see.
Glass rained down over him and the street as he looked up, not caring if he was struck with the shimmering downpour. The glass slowly fell onto the surrounding area, and eventually slowing to a stop like the rest of this hellish place.
He could only stare at the moment frozen in time. The reflections in them proved irksome as they seemed to drown in the orange glow from behind him.
He was yet again tired of this place. How many times does he have to go through this? Enough to please whatever God he had pissed off probably. He laughed bitterly to himself.
He didn't turn around. He closed his eyes. He didn't want to give whatever those monsters wanted out of him; he just wanted to go home.
So only when the whispers from behind finally faded, and the piercing eyes slowly disappeared, was when Tang opened his eyes again.
Now everything was truly quiet. No buzzing, no whispers in the back of his mind, just silence.
He slowly tilted his head up from his perch on the sidewalk, taking everything in slowly. A tall building was in front of him. He could already feel how it was steril, blank, and full of mixed emotions.
The doors in front of him show many different signs, but one caught his eyes immeadietly, "Metrapolis Springs Hospital: First Responder volunteers needed!"
The golden lettering was all it took for his eyes to widen from the initial numbness. Those letters important, he knew. It's just that he didn't know why.
And he would never find out at this moment, as looking too hard at the building caused his vision to blur once again, causing him to lean on a nearby electrical pole for balance.
It getting hard to keep his eyes open as his eyelids became heavy and the whispers started up again. However, there was only one this time. It talked smoothly through his head as his conscious slipped away from his grasp, leaving him up against the pole.
When he woke up again, the world suddenly gained more colors than before, causing Tang's eyes to hurt from the brightness. When he refocussed again, he could tell that the sky had darkened and the sun was about to set.
Where am I?...
He slowly looked around in his grogginess, coming to realize he was right outside of his apartment. He had been sat down on the outside electrical pole with all the posters. He could even see the one for the Metrapolis Library still up with some new tears...
He needed to go back home. Getting inside where it was safe was his top priority. He grabbed the side of the splintered pole to pull himself up and steady his unstable stance, letting him stand up after some struggle.
His mind knew he needed to do something today, something that was important enough to make him feel uneasy, yet his body didn't cooperate as it lead him through the double doors of his apartment building.
The golden letters repeated over and over in his mind as he walked up the steps. They were ingrained into his brain as he reached his final floor.
And then, yet again, Tang could only open the door and slam it behind him as he slid down on the other side. He put his head between his knees as he closed his eyes once again.
I can't keep living like this: these, these horrible trances everyday just kept getting worse and worse as I continue to stay here. I need to leave. I just need to... get away from it all...
And finally, he could only succumb to sleep at the end of it all. His body went limp, and he passed out even before his body hit the floor.
Previous | Next | Start
Hello dear
I am from the Baalousha family from Gaza.. 🇵🇸🍉
I hope you are well .
I write to you with a heart full of hope and faith, and I ask for your urgent help. My family is in great danger due to the war, and I am running a fundraising campaign to save them. My father and mother suffer from diabetes and high blood pressure. Help me secure them
Please, can you reblog my campaign post on my account? Every participation can make a difference in my family's life.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for any help you can provide. 🇵🇸🇵🇸
The campaign was documented by @90-ghost
I made some small rewrites in the ending of the latest chapter. The vibe was a bit too hopeful, in my opinion. In my defense, I finished this in one sitting with no beta reader. Hope this version reads better!
★ Soul Searching ★ 2
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tang had been in that bathroom for hours, taking deep, controlled breaths to calm himself down. He would never have wanted this to happen; not ever.
Mk, not knowing what he's gotten himself into drives his thoughts to that staff. He kept thinking back to Mk, too, how he would have that thing for the rest of his life...
He really hoped this was just a horrible dream his head made up.
However, his delusions were soon broken as the doors to the noodle shop slammed open. "Tang! We need to leave for Flower Fruit Mountain now!" Pigsy yelled throughout the restaurant.
Tang came running into the lobby. "What!?" He had a distressed look on his face before he shifted it to one of bewilderment. "Wait, that place actually exists, too?!"
Pigsy just grabbed Tang's hand, dragging him out of the building before responding. "Yeah, that place apparently exists, too, and we need a map to get there. That's why we need you and all your books on those myths you're obsessed with to make it there."
Tang stalled at that, looking back at the noodle shop. "Well, I left it in the shop... y'know, the one with all the sticky notes..."
Pigsy just stared, sighed, then let got of Tang's hand. "Just go quickly. We need to get there as soon as possible."
Tang just nodded before running back into the restaurant and sitting down onto a bar stool. He took the book off the counter and erratically flipped through the pages, settling on a hand drawn map.
He stared at it; taking it in that this is reality now. He took a final deep breath before pocketing the book and heading back outside.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"AHHHH-"
Pigsy rushed through the city, carrying Tang on his back. Tang, seemingly not being used to this speed, was screaming in terror the entire time.
When they finally reached Sandy's boat, Tang was panting and leaning on one of the rails. "Don't just, *huff* pick me up and run like that again!" He managed between breaths.
Pigsy just scoffed. "It was the quickest way to get here. You would've slowed us down on foot." Tang seemed offended, but before he could respond, Sandy came out of the boat door and onto the deck.
He hulked over Tang and Pigsy before bending down with a smile on his face. "Hello there! You must be Tang; nice to meet you!" Sandy took Tang's arm and yanked it up and down, leaving Tang a bit disheveled.
Tang quickly fixed his outfit and hair before Mei popped out of the open door and started to speak. "Hey Sandy, is Pigsy back with Tang yet? We really need to get going."
"Over here, Mei." Pigsy gruffed out, getting Mei's attention. "Hey, you guys are back! Now Mr. Tang, you really need to give Sandy that map." Mei stated before walking back into the boat.
Tang just sighed as he walked forward to Sandy, taking his book out of his jacket and reluctantly putting it in the awaiting hands. "The map is at the end of the book. Please be careful with it."
Sandy smiled at Tang as he straightened his back. "Of course! I won't let anything happen to it. Let me treat you to a cup of tea when this is over."
Tang smiled back. "I'll hold you to that." He promised as he walked by the boat door and sat down on one of the deck benches.
Pigsy frowned at that, a worried look passing over his face as he looked at Sandy. "Something's wrong. I don't know what, but something's wrong with Tang." Pigsy looked back to where Tang sat down. Tang is staring at the open ocean, seemingly lost in thought.
Sandy hummed, "I could tell. That's why I offered some tea. He's stressed over something, but I'm not entirely sure what."
Pigsy sighed. "Let's just get this over with. Find the Monkey King and let him handle this." Sandy nodded before going back inside the boat, leaving the door slightly open.
Pigsy gave one last glance to Tang before going inside the boat and closing the door behind him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The boat ride was long for Tang. The inevitable slowly creeping forth as they got closer and closer to Flower Fruit Mountain. The waves became more fierce as they progressed.
Tang could already feel the heat and smell the ash as they approached they outer ring; a ring around Flower Fruit Mountain that consisted only of volcanoes. The lava in the water stops boats from getting through with all the volcanic rock in the way.
He still can't fathom why he's even here again. All they needed was his map to get Sun Wukong so he could go clean up one of his poorly-dealt-with problems.
But he's already on the boat, getting closer and closer to the one place he has tried to avoid all these years.
Tang just sighs as he looks towards the choppy water surrounding the boat. Sea breeze blowing through his hair and the occasional sea spray flowing up to the deck.
He almost misses the water as Sandy carefully docks the boat at the edge of the volcanic ring, taking out metal stakes and large rope to secure it. Mk jumps out first, followed by Mei, then Pigsy and Sandy.
"What is this?" Mk shouted out loud, gripping the staff tightly. Tang walked up to the rail, leaning over it so Mk could hear. "It's the defense measure of Flower Fruit Mountain. This ring of volcanoes protects it from unwanted visitors."
"Wait, does that include us?" Pigsy suddenly asks. Tang just shrugs at that. "Well, we better be quick, anyways. Demon Bull King isn't just gonna disappear." Mk suddenly says as he goes running into the ring.
"Mk, wait on us!" Pigsy calls out to an Mk growing smaller and smaller. "At least watch out for the lava walls!" Tang shouts to Mk, if a bit frantically.
"Wait, what- OOMF" Mk fell back onto his butt as magma spouted from a crack in the volcanic rock, simmering the edges of his Har.
"You better run after him." Tang groaned, rubbing his temples while leaning on the rail. Sandy and Mei immeadietly ran to Mk's side while Pigsy hesitated, looking back to Tang.
"Aren't you going to come with us?" Pigsy asked, leaning on the rail before looking to Mei, who was frantically patting Mk's head to put out the flames with Sandy fanning Mk with the same motive.
Tang's small smile strained on his face as he also looked to the trio. He took another deep breath before looking back to Pigsy. "I don't think I'd be useful out there. What could I do if a random villain showed up? Bore them to death with my constant rambling?" Tang huffed at his own comment.
"You guys will be okay without me this time. Besides, I don't want to go out in that heat and ruin all this hard work." Tang flipped his hair for added effect. This got a small chuckle out of Pigsy, so Tang counted that as a win.
"Ok, I'll stop botherin' ya. You can look after the boat while we're gone. Don't set anything on fire." Pigsy said with a serious tone. Tang full on laughed at that, doubling over the rail.
"Haha! Don't worry about it, Pigsy. I'll be fine. Just make sure you and everyone else stay safe on the way there, too. Also, make sure to step back if you feel vibrations under your feet."
Pigsy huffed in response, picking himself off the railing and starting to walk towards the group. He waves back to Tang before booking it up to the group and pulling them back before more magma could roast them alive.
Tang had waved back, watching as the bickering group slowly faded into the smoke and ash. After their figure were no longer visible, he let his face fall before heading into the boat, locking the door and sliding back against it.
He put his head into his knees, wrapping his arms around himself.
"You'll be fine." He whispered. "You have moved on from it all. You can't be affected by his mere presence or mention anymore." His vision started to blur.
Then Tang fell back into old habits, taking deep, slow breaths to regain his composure. In, wait, then out. Again and again.
After many rounds of breathing, he was finally able to raise his head, letting it smack against the boat door. He groaned, slowly stood up, and finally made his way to an actual chair.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tang had found himself wandering around the boat, picking up anything that seemed interesting and just rolling with how everything worked.
The cats had been avoiding him, hissing at his presence and then jumping onto the nearest surface away from him. Tang had just sighed as he picked up a boat manual and sat as a comfy blue couch.
The book was nothing particularly interesting, but Tang needed something to keep his brain occupied (and to silence his anxiety). It worked for the most part.
However, his thoughts always wondered to Mk. Why was he even able to lift the damn thing, how he had found that place where it was buried, and what his connections were to Sun Wukong.
Tang was sure Mk had no ill intentions; his feelings were like an open book to Tang. This is how he had noticed the shift in Mk to begin with; how he had changed drastically.
And what was Sun Wukong planning with a successor? Tang could tell from the smothering gold covering Mk's spirit. Why would he let someone else wield the staff so suddenly, giving all his powers to a literal teenager?! And how would this affect everyone Mk is close to!?
Tang couldn't focus on the manual anymore.
He sighed. Stop thinking so much about it. This has nothing to do with you, he thought. You're completely fine; unaffected. It's not like he would've-
*WOOOOSH*
The boat creaks as a harsh gust of wind sends it tilting back and forth. Tang fell onto the ground with the furniture sliding along with him. With the therapy cats strewn across the entire inside, Tang quickly ran to unlock the door and look out from the deck.
He blanched at what he saw. Freaking PRINCESS IRON FAN was BATTLING THE GANG.
How did she find them!? Shit shit shit shit this was bad. He couldn't tell much from the distance, but Tang knew that this lady was mainly going against Mk. The continuous recoil from the staff was enough indication.
Plumes of smoke kept rising up at odd angles, with rumbles coming quickly and shaking up the boat even more. Tang quickly jumped over the rail and grounded his feet to the volcanic rock.
He started to madly pull out the metal pegs one by one, throwing them up onto the deck and wrapping all the rope on his shoulders as he could feel the gang getting closer and closer. The recoiling had stopped, and this is what worried him the most.
He barely took the small quakes into account as he finally got the last peg up on the deck, quickly jumping, grabbing the railing, and pulling himself over again. He could see them running straight for the boat, and he quickly through the rope/pegs into an open container before shutting it.
Now, he could clearly see their silhouettes as they ran from the now VERY active volcanoes. He could see Pigsy, Sandy, Mei... wait. Where's Mk!?
Tang's train of thought was shattered as everyone jumped up onto the deck, making it dip before Sandy rushed to the wheel. He steered that boat away from the ring so fast that no one had time to get inside.
Now they're silently speeding away. Total silence encompasses everyone out on deck. Pigsy was sitting down, arm around Mei's shoulders. Tang was right next to them, gripping the rail as he looked blankly at the ocean.
"What happened." Tang voiced blankly. Pigsy looked up with a concerned expression. "Tang....." Tang snapped his neck to look directly at Pigsy. "What. Happened." He repeated.
Pigsy closed his eyes for a second, slowly rubbing a sobbing Mei's back. "She... she was after the staff and took it from Mk. In the process she... she blasted him and sent him flying somewhere, and we don't know where he is or if he even survived the blast." Pigsy's voice wavered as he responded.
A shocked expression took over Tang's face before he schooled it into distraught expression. He never said anything back for the entire ride. Just looking back out at the ocean, a blank look stuck on his face.
He knew Mk wasn't dead. Before they ran, Tang could still clearly feel the strong thrum of Mk's spirit, even if it was weaker than before.
But Tang couldn't tell them this without proof; proof Tang couldn't willingly give. So, he kept quiet and eventually put a hand on Pigsy's shoulder for the remainder of the ride.
When the boat was finally parked, only Sandy moved to secure it and turn the engine off, eventually joining everyone else on the deck silently.
Tang couldn't take it anymore. "We can't just sit here doing nothing." He suddenly sputtered. Everyone looked to him with concern. "Demon Bull King and his family have already taken too much from us. We can't just sit here and do nothing while they continue what we already tried to stop." Tang looked up to everyone.
"Mk would've kept going. He would've wanted everyone to be safe and to be happy again. We have to finish what we started. For Mk, and for everything else we might lose at the end of this. We need to be strong for Mk, to honor his memory by helping his last effort. We can at least try for his sake."
This seemed to have shaken everyone out of their grief, even if by just a bit. "*sniff* yeah! We need to kick those guys butts for what they did!" Mei shouted out, wiping her tears as she stood up.
"There will be many robots trying to kill us, that with the added main family will not be east for us alone." Pigsy warned, rising back up next to Tang.
"We know. But we have to do something. Anything to help fight against the Demon Bull King. For Mk." Tang stated
"For Mk!" Mei shouted.
"For the kid!" Yelled Pigsy.
"For MK!" Sandy exclaimed.
For Mk.
Previous | Next
A World Without Him
Chapter 8
(TW minor violence against furniture and some self-loathing thoughts)
Tang could hear the voices through the piles of broken bookshelves and ceiling bits. He didn't think they were hallucinations, as they got more frantic near his safe area and how he heard big pieces being carefully dragged outside.
He didn't know what to do. It wasn't like he could move all the layers covering him himself. Maybe if he yelled out, someone could finally hear him.
"H-hello?! Is anyone out there?!" He shouted with a shakey voice. Almost right after, he could hear the talking stop and someone sprinting over the rubble towards his area.
"Hey there; I'm with the Metrapolis first responders! Where are you?!" A woman yelled out into the crash site.
Tang scrambles up to the edge of his collapsed prison. "I'm down here! There's lots of debris covering me, but I'm alright! Please try digging to my left first. My friend is down there, and please hurry!" He yelled with a bit of desperation.
"Ok, stay there and don't move sir! We'll have more people here soon to clear all this out!" She shouted in response, most likely sprinting towards where the ceiling fell...
Tang decided to stop that train of thought. He needed to wait for the backup to arrive; someone to haul him out of here. Like always, he supposes.
So he waits. The unusual silence gives way to the grating of stone, wood, and drywall as he knows they're digging out Allan. He'll be okay. Tang stopped him from running right underneath the collapsed ceiling, so he's still alive. He must be.
Tang also knew when reinforcements arrived. The harsher steps from heavy-duty boots along with the many steps he hears overlap basically gave them away.
He stayed silent, though, so as not to disturb the now very delicate shell of debris surrounding him.
He waited for a while before he could hear a big chunck getting thrown from his left and on top of his area. The added weight caused pieces to break off and his "ceiling" to give way, now with it barely crushing his skull.
He gasped, then coughed from the debris that was shaken loose, covering him in a layer of dust. Pieces of splintered wood and some jagged metal now stick out in the corners.
More yelling started after that. Tang mostly just focused on his breathing again.
When he got back to his senses yet again, he heard picks and gloved hands clawing at his barrier of debris.
He almost cried in relief as the moonlight stone through the new cracks in his dome. He slowly watched as the hole got bigger and bigger, with more and more hands helping to carefully dig him out.
Once the hole was big enough, someone reached their hand down for Tang to grab. He gripped it tightly as he was slowly risen out of his confines.
He blinked at the sudden change in light, still out of it from his time trapped in that place. He was suddenly coerced to an emergency vehicle in the library parking lot, seeing the many paramedics wheeling in people from the library storage area.
He looked at his surroundings as they walked; he could see the ceiling was in total shreds at this point, with the standing walls looking like swiss cheese.
All the people who made it to the storage unit gained only minor injuries, as they all seemed to be walking, talking, and didn't have any blood on them.
As he continued to move towards the emergency vehicle, the ground covered in rubble turned to concrete as they made it to the sidewalk. He could feel his shoulder throbbing with pain as he sat down for the medics on site.
They did everything routinely, giving him a shock blanket, testing his cognitive ability, and so what. "You're all right, sir. Your shoulder just needs padding, and no sudden movements for it to heal up properly. You're very lucky, and you can go back to your residence now."
Tang just nodded in response, seeing them walk back towards another shock patient. He slumped into himself and took off his glasses, rubbing his temple.
Why couldn't I ever do something right, he thought. His thoughts stirred to Allan. Is he really okay? I should've done better. What if he's dead?! He can't be. He'll be okay. He'll be fine. You'll be fine.
He grumbled to himself, stopping his train of thought. He put his glasses back on and stood up, looking out for any free paramedics to ask about Allan.
He had only taken a few steps before a group of paramedics came barreling into the parking lot, rushing past him with many of them hurrying a gurney to the closest ambulance.
Tang could only catch a glimpse of the patient, but he saw their hoodie. Tang almost threw up when he saw him. It was Allan. Allan, who now had a severed leg. The bloody end of his leg dripped red liquid down onto the ground, with the jagged bone jutting out the end.
"Allan!" Tang yelled out, running up to the gurney. He was held back by the other paramedics, their words becoming jumbled as he only focused on Allan.
The rest of him didn't look much better from what Tang could see. Many scrapes and bruises covered his arms and legs, with debris covering his entire body. His eyes were glassed over with his matted hair falling on top of them. But he still had a heartbeat, even if it was a faint one.
Tang could have sworn he saw those eyes look towards him, but then the ambulance doors were closed before he could do anything else, the vehicle speeding off after they backed Tang away from getting hit.
All Tang could do was watch as they drove away, with another paramedic guiding him to a place to sit down. He had asked where the ambulance would drop off Allan so he could see him, but he was denied as he wasn't a guardian or family member.
So he walked away, back through the now dark sidewalk, and on his way home. His steps were sluggish, moving slowly as his mind went blank.
His body moved on its own as he walked into the building, up the many flights of stairs, and took out his keys to unlock his apartment.
He locked the door immeadietly after he got inside, taking off his shoes and throwing them at the wall. His other things got lost in the rubble...
Yeah, go and worry about your precious sketch book and comics as Allan is in the hospital.
Tang grimaced and looked at his apartment, everything tidy and stacked together in organized piles from his morning spree.
You were a hassle yet again. Always being dragged along because of your own incompetence.
Everything in his apartment seemed wrong. Too clean, too tidy, too nice for someone like Tang.
If you weren't there, maybe Allan would have made it to the storage room.
He didn't like the look of the room.
He could have been safe instead of carrying your weak ass around that library.
He walked up his coffee table, a vase with a single flower, and two stacks of books and papers on top of the brittle table.
He might have made it out alive if you didn't have him die-
He violently grabbed the glass vase and threw it against an empty wall.
*CRASH*
Glass scatters everywhere, some of the pieces embedding into his flimsy walls. Some even nicked Tang, but he didn't notice yet. The water from it coated the wall in a dark color.
It's your fault.
His heartbeat pounded through his ears. He took the pile papers next, ripping his useless scribbles up repeatedly until they became only scraps. His shoulder throbs with pain.
He's injured, and it's your fault.
He runs to his books after, taking handfuls and throwing them in every which way. Some hit picture frames, scattering even more glass, while some hit his other piles, causing them to tip and fall over with books, clothes, and other trinkets.
He's dead because of YOU.
"SHUT, UP!" Tang yelled. He swung his hand down onto the coffee table with startling accuracy. A sickening crunch resounded through his apartment. He could feel his tears run hot against his face.
He gasped.
The coffee table was now split in two, the impact of his hand steaming from small embers on the splintered wood. His eyes widened as he looked to his balled up hand. It had a faint orange hue.
But as Tang blinked, it was gone. Yet, when he looked back at the table, it was still steaming, just now simmering down to a small smoke.
Now, only his labored breathing could be heard as he stood still in the middle of his apartment. He could only stare at the destruction he had caused.
Now this looks perfect.
He smacked his own forehead, dragging his hand down his face. He wiped his eyes as a small breeze blew through the apartment. Maybe one of the windows got dislodged from his episode.
Tang sighed heavily before stepping carefully around the mess he made, flopping onto the ragged couch that somehow survived. His phone jumped up from his added weight before hitting the glass covered floor.
Oh, yeah. I threw it there this morning when it died...
Tang sighed slightly before picking his phone off the floor, dusting off tiny glass shards, and pressing the power button. Nothing came up. He grumbled before trekking over to his bedroom and plugging it into the charger.
He threw his glasses on his bedside table before falling face first onto his bed. The blurred shapes of his room comforted him as he rolled onto his back.
His eyes felt droopy as the colors around blurred even more. They shifted and coerced into a soft sunset orange-
*BANG, BANG, BANG*
"Tang! You better open this door RIGHT NOW!"
Tang sat up quickly, breathing fast as the knocking continued. He scrambled up and out of his bed before running to the front door, careful not to step on anymore scraps on his messy floor.
He opened the door right before his guest could harshly knock yet again. He almost had to dodge the pink fist coming his way before it pulled back suddenly.
Pigsy on all his glory stood outside Tangs door with a very peeved look on his face. Tang doesn't know if he could handle being berated for whatever he had apparently done to Pigsy after everything today.
But to his surprise, Pigsy's expression quickly turned to one of deep concern as he looked Tang up and down. "What is it, Pigsy?" Tang asked in a scratchy voice.
Pigsy didn't respond for a good minute. But when he did, almost nothing could stop that man's wrath as he started to stomp into Tang's apartment. "What the hell happened to you, Tang?! Everyone has been texting and calling you, and you never picked up! And now you look like total shit with your outfit in complete shambles! We couldn't reach you through anything, and I had to come up her myself-"
Tang hurridly pulled Pigsy back from his apartment carpet, with Pigsy now fully aware of the new "decor" he had recently put in.
Pigsy was seemingly about to go on another rant after a brief glance at his apartment, but Tang quickly hushed him. "Please, Pigsy. I don't think I can handle anything else happening today. I feel like absolute shit, I got stuck under a building for hours, and all I want right now is some peace and quiet. I promise to talk to you about this tomorrow, but for now, just give me a day, please."
Pigsy seemed conflicted at this, looking at Tang, and then past him at his apartment a few times. He eventually sighs in defeat but quickly puts up some gusto. "Tomorrow. Come by tomorrow in the morning, and you'll tell me everything. If I don't see you by noon, I'll go here and drag you there myself."
Tang just smiles at Pigsy; it's a bit strained but still genuine. "Thank you." Tang says softly. Pigsy just nodded, looking sadly at Tang as he closed the door.
Tang leaned onto the door, making sure that Pigsy's footsteps were actually leaving before letting out a breath of relief.
When he finally made it back to his bed, Tang was convinced he could drop in a heartbeat if he fell onto his bed right now.
But of course, he never got the chanceas his phone came alight and buzzed like over and over after it finally powered back on. He startled a bit, sighed, and then picked up his phone before sitting at the edge of his bed.
His phone had been blowing up with messages, missed calls, and... ads about textbook sales? Tang quickly saved the ad for later before looking through his call list.
Through his cracked phone screen, he just huffed when he saw about 26 missed calls.
Most of them were from Pigsy, with 6 from Sandy, three from Mei, and one from Mk. He hesitated a second before opening his texts. He winced as he saw there were over 40 unread messages.
Some were from the group chat, most of the first ones being pictures of Mk after the library fight holding up cheese tea a block from the library...
Tang scrolled past the pictures and instead looked for his name in any of the unread texts. He found out he was only mentioned after Mk specified where he had his most recent fight.
🌟 The Gang 🌟
8:08 PM
Mk: Yeah! It wss a HUGE guy witha a weird lookin sword this time
Pigsy: you sure you're doing ok kid?
Mk: yes im fine
Mk: the ppace we fought is in way worse shape thogh
Mei: Mk's right. When I went to pick him up, the place had been rly totaled! With the ceiling completely destroyed 'nd the walls left in complete shambles!
Sandy: Was everyone involved okay???
Mei: don't worry sm Sandy
Mei: Mk saw everyone head to the DA shelter, and they all came out fine afterwards
Mk: yeah at least the guy I fought had some sense not to aim for the flor
Pigsy: they had an entire shelter ready? Where did you even fight, kid?
Mk: it was at the Metrapolis Library
Mk: im so sad too because I can't get anymore comics from that place for awhile
Pigsy: Wait, isn't that where Tang started working a day ago?
Mei: oh yeah! I didn't see him come out of the DA shelter tho
Sandy: has anyone contacted him since yesterday?
8:09 PM
Pigsy: everyone try calling him
8:11 PM
Sandy: Tang hasn't responded to my texts or calls
Mk: i ended up having to call after texting him so many times nd he didn't pick up
Mei: he hasn't responded to me either
Pigsy: I'll keep calling him to see if he'll pick up
8:17 PM
Pigsy: he hasn't responded even once
Mk: does anyone know where he is?
Sandy: maybe someone should go to his apartment?
Mei: he has his own apartment????
Pigsy: I'm going up there to see him. I'll tell you guys if he responds or if he's even there
Tang turned off his phone after reading the last text. He could only sigh at the messages before moving to turn off all his lights, sweep most of the scattered glass to the sides, and close the open window.
When he finally got to fall onto his bed again, all he could think about was Allan. If he was okay, if he was alive, and if he could find a way to find him again.
Well, he should try that tomorrow after Pigsy's. I could try to ask about his name in any of the nearby hospitals... maybe if I... try enough of them...
And then Tang succumbed to his exhaustion, falling into a deep sleep as his world went black.
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Looks like the tang gang won this one! I'll try to post more about this au soon on Tumblr. I still don't have an ao3 account (sad) but I'll try to answer any questions on the post I make about the tang man
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