Coding Error [OFF x Reader]

16. Apology

You held your breath the moment you heard that nickname, Zach could only watch in silence how the Batter immediately froze. Sugar lunges at Batter with a battle cry, tackling him to ground while Batter tries to keep her at bay with his baseball bat between them.

"Batter don't you dare lay a hand on Sugar, she's hurt! and I would hate to see her die again." you scold the man with a stern, almost motherly tone.

"Can't you see she's trying to kill me?!" the athlete responds.

You're unsure about getting between the two, knowingffull well how strong they are. Without speaking, you turn to Zacharie with pleading eyes. 

"Don't worry, I'll handle this," Zach reassured you. Even raising the sleeves on his shirt to make himself look tough.

He confidently made his way towards Batter and Sugar. 

"Alright, cut it out you two before someone gets hur-"

A loose foot accidentally kicks Zacharie in the face, sending him tumbling back with a faint stream of blood running on his shirt.

It's not looking pretty.

While you rush to Zacharie's aid, Sugar and Batter keep wrangling each other like a pair of wild cats, with one trying to overpower the other. Sugar claws at him with her hand puppets constantly scratching his face. Batter on the other hand, allowed Sugar to take her frustrations on him, if this were any other situation he would retaliate without hesitation. But his puppeteer gave him an order, and he'll follow it no matter how fast he's feeling his health drop

Feeling just as exhausted as Sugar is.

However, Sugar still has the strength within her to wrap her hands around Batter's throat, choking him whole smacking his head against the floor. Causing black spots to appear within his eyesight. 

Zach seems to be fine. Better than what the Batter is going through. You could feel your eyes sting at the sight of him gasping like an elsen. If you're gonna intervene, then this the time for it. 

"That's enough, both of you stop it now!" you try to shout in desperation. 

"Stay out of this clumsy," Sugar said in a firm voice. Almost sounding like a different person. "If I don't get rid of him now, then he might take me away from you and Zacharie again."

Your shoulder slump, your mouth going dry as you try to reason with her. 

"Sugar I know he's was a bad man before but..." you pause, unable to justify everything you two did.

Maybe you don't?

You helped the Batter purify the world, there's no justification for that. 

"In that case kill me too! I'm his puppeteer," you confess. "I controled everything he did, so that makes me responsible for your death. If there's anyone to blame then that should be me,"

Sugar eyed you in disbelief loosening her grip on Batter as she let him fall. 

"Clumsy...No, the puppeteer. You're the one who took me away from Zacharie...?" she asks, with a voice lacking any trace of emotion. 

You swallow the lump your throat, nodding solemnly.

Sugar removes herself from the Batter body. Her attention focused directly on you, taking slow and steady steps towards you.

"(Y/N), stay away from her-!" The Batter called out to you, trying to stand up but unable to move due to the paralyzed effect. "If you cause any harm to them I won't hold back, ya hear me dancer!" Batter threats, but Sugar doesn't hear him. 

Zacharie took it upon himself to stand between you and Sugar, trying to calm her down. 

"Easy now Sugar, let's not get too impulsive," the mask man tries to sound relaxed, but he's on edge just like you and the Batter. 

Sugar didn't take another step forward with Zach's interfierence, looking at you from above his head. 

"It was you wasn't it? The puppeteer Zach told me of?" She asks. "The reason Zacharie kept me hidden in zone 0"

You nod shamefully. "Yes, that was me."

"You killed me, and yet you apologized for something I couldn't even remember..." Sugar says, mostly to herself. 

"I'm deeply sorry for what I... We did to you," you spare Batter a side glance before returning to Sugar. "Batter may not show it, but I do regret what I did to you, to Zacharie and to everyone involved."

"I'm glad to hear that, but that's not what I care about," A faint smile decorates Sugar's dimple face. "I'm not gonna harm you if that's what you're thinking (y/n)," 

It's like everyone visibly relaxed at the sound of that. 

"Please let me make it up to you, we can heal you and even pay a pedalo ride for you. Isn't that right Zach?" you include the ex merchant, hoping to convince her. 

"Of course!" Zach places his hand on Sugar's shoulder. "You love swans don't you pajarita?"

"I do~" she nods.

You hold out the tickets for her, but Sugar rejects them by gently pushing your hand away. "I accept your apology puppeteer, but I don't accept your gifts. There's some things I need to contemplate, for now I'm just glad Zacharie is safe," she walks past you and Zach, weakly grabbing her own lantern. 

A single pedalo passes by the four of you, with a lone elsen noticing the whole situation. "Oh golly, are you fellas okay? Did you get stuck?" he asks worryingly.

Despite her condition, Sugar limps her way to the elsen, easily toppling the boat and carelessly tossing him in the river. "Sorry, Sugar needs this boat-" she apologizes, "I'll be taking my leave," 

"But you're hurt!" you insist. 

However, the dancer ignores your statement, dropping inside the swan that's already floating away. "Don't be sad clumsy, we'll meet again in the next chapter of our story together~"

"Story? What are you talking about? Sugar? Sugar!" you shout, but the dancer is gone.

Something about her choice of words unnerved you, and yet you don't know why.

Zacharie chuckles behind you. "Ah, just as enigmatic as I remember... And somewhat loony,"

You heard a pained groan behind you, rushing straight to the young man sprawled on the floor. You crouch beside him, opening up your team stats to check the damage.

"Damn Batter, Sugar pulled a number on you," you whistle, impressed at how fast his health dropped. Normally you'd get upset at knowing your friends are close to death, but your add ons have jokers and health items, they'll be fine.

"I agree, you're looking all battered up," Zacharie taunts.

Batter groans. "Player, do we happen to have any spare jokers? Cause I feel Zacharie might need one," his serious tone made you laugh more than it should have.