"As much as I appreciate it, kid, I actually need you to do something else for me."
While Red Son and Wukong distracted the Bone Demon, Macaque told Mei as quickly as he could about where the rope was and she nodded, face serious and determined as she dashed off in a streak of green light, her arc of lighting racing down through the cave and bouncing off the dim walls.
The Lady Bone Demon caught the light in her eye, turning to look only to be stumbling backward as Macaque appeared from behind her, tripping her up before slipping back into the shadows again before she could retaliate.
Now that she was on the ground, Wukong moved in to restrain her, kneeling on her back and grabbing her wrists to keep her still.
"How dare you!" She screamed out, kicking at him with her leg but Macaque grabbed those helpfully, his chest aching at how they were holding down their baby boy. Neither could see her eyes from there so for a second it was just MK being pinned down on the ground by them both, tossing and turning.
"Get your filthy hands off of me." She screeched and Wukong blinked away tears at the sight of his kid like this.
"Come on MK, I know you're in there. I'm here okay? I won't leave you again." He found himself saying, words spilling out. The Lady Bone Demon managed to get a grip on his arm, ice immediately spreading over his wrist in a cold burn.
He let go of her hand in surprise and pain, giving her the opportunity to swing around onto her back, facing up at him as he quickly pinned her again, ignoring the sting in his arm.
"What?" She hissed, eyes harsh now that he could actually see them.
"You really think some useless words will change anything? What are you even trying to accomplish?" She mocked and Wukong flinched but didn't loosen his grip, eyes staring at MK's round cheeks and soft ears and markings much like his own before he finally landed on her eyes, staring into them without flinching.
"You're stronger than her, kid. Don't let her tell you otherwise. I'm not going anywhere." His voice was soft and caring and the Bone Demon fell still, no longer straining against him as she blinked, expression dropping from hateful to confused.
He almost stopped breathing when the blue dimmed in his eyes, MK's bright golden showing beneath them as his kid looked up at him, blinking and trembling and eyes watering.
"Baba?" Wukong sucked in a breath at the sound of his kid's voice, as small, confused, and disbelieving as it was.
"MK." He choked his grip loosening.
"No, Wukong, don't-" Macaque bearly had time to shout his warning when MK grinned, a shard of ice in hand as he surged towards and struck it deep into Wukong's chest, putting pressure on it and digging it deeper with a sick grin as her eyes glowed blue.
"You really are so gullible, Sun Wukong." She purred next to his shocked face, driving the weapon deeper with a sadistic smile.
"Willing to believe anything just to see your sweet, precious son again." She mocked, pulling the spike out as Macaque went to grab her and sending more ice at him after shoving Wukong off her.
She watched as Wukong grabbed at his wound, blood seeping out as he forced himself to stand, taking a step away from her. It was a shame he couldn't bleed out, she thought to herself, but seeing him in pain was satisfying enough.
"You can- you can beat her, kid." He breathed out, determined even while his blood began to stain the ground.
Macaque growled at the sight and lunged at her with his staff, eyes wild as she stepped away from his attack, touching the end of it with her hand before ice spread up the weapon, forcing him to drop it.
"As entertaining as this is-" She started, waving her right hand and slamming a wall of ice into Macaque from both sides, trapping him as she stalked towards Wukong, her whole aura radiating power.
"I tire of your pathetic attempts." She summoned another shard of ice, holding it high as she grinned.
"Perhaps I should take your eye. Then you and the six-eared Macaque will have something else in common." Wukong's eyes widened at that, Macaque lashing out from where he was still immobile, trying hard to shatter the thick layer of ice as he yelled.
She froze Wukong's feet to the ground, leaning in close to his trembling form.
"Then I'll take your son's and you'll all be a matching set." She told him grimly, and Wukong shook his head, managing to get his mouth to work as he stared into her eyes.
"I'm so sorry, MK."
She watched him for a second, thoughtful, before swinging her shard down towards his eye.
MK was so cold. He was curled up in a ball, sure he was shivering as he tucked his head into his knees, tail curled around his body like a blanket. It felt like she was everywhere, all around him and in his head. That annoying, terrifying voice whispering at him that he was alone. That no one was coming for him.
It wouldn't have hurt so much if she hadn't been right but she was. He'd been here, trapped and feeling small and helpless for what felt like forever.
He thought he heard things other than her every now and then but couldn't make it out, couldn't hear those whispers in the darkness.
He just wanted to go home.
He was sure even death would be better than this eventually when he couldn't even bring himself to try to move, when he was so, so lonely and cold.
He didn't dare open his eyes. He didn't want to look.
Eventually, his ears twitched, picking out something familiar that he couldn't hear and for a second he thought about looking up. He didn't though as the voice faded into the background noise, swallowed by her taunts.
"-here okay? I won't leave you again." He jolted at the sound of that voice, breath stuttering in his chest at the painfully familiar sound. His Baba. He wanted his Baba.
Was he here? Was what he hearing real? He perked up, a small ball of hope bubbling in his heart until a laugh made it die again, her voice drowning out the warmth from hearing his Baba's.
"You really think he'd come back for you? Useless, weak MK? I'm sure he's glad to have a burden like you gone." She told him and he whimpered into his knees, sobbing and clutching his tail around him tighter.
She was right. They were all probably better off without him, glad to be rid of him.
Useless, useless, useless.
"You can beat her-" He thought he heard, his parent's voice making him doubt everything he was thinking. Was he really here? Did he come back? The thought made him want to cry harder, a different type of tears though and he grit his teeth when he heard her voice, annoying and predictable.
"You're useless-"
"Shut up." It was quiet but it cut through her taunts all the same as he clung on to the small bit of hope in his chest. Frustration bubbled up inside him and wishing he had the strength to be better he unclasped his hands from his ears, and sat up.
"Shut up!" It echoed through the space he was in, sounding impossibly loud as he breathed heavily afterward, hands tightened into fists.
There was an eerie silence that followed his outburst and MK felt his nerves settle back in after that small moment of adrenaline, ears listening out carefully at the creepy atmosphere.
"You think you have even a chance against me? You? You are nothing, worthless, pathetic, useless." He flinched at the words, at how loud they were, at how they rattled around in his head.
"I'm so sorry, MK." His eyes fling open at the sound of his name, springing to his feet as he called out.
"Baba? Where are you?" He wasn't imagining things! His Baba was really here for him.
"Insolent child-" He ignored her, shoving her as far back as he could, and then suddenly he could see. He was standing in front of the same cave he'd been possessed at, his arm raised with something in it and there was his Baba in front of him, and MK had never been happier to see him than he was at that moment.
Then he noticed the expression on his face, the gaunt look in his eyes. Something was wrong.
He tried to shout, to say something, or move but couldn't. Why wasn't his mouth moving?
"Wukong!" He heard his dad shout, desperation, and fear in his voice and MK tried to look, perking up that his dad was here too only for his head to stay angled at the Monkey King instead, not obeying his command.
He realized that the Bone Demon was in control and then, to his horror, realized that she was holding a shard of ice in their raised fist and he fought against invisible chains wrapped around him, trapping him, screaming as he saw his own hand fall.
(Damn, poor MK. I'm really giving our boy even more trauma, he just can't catch a break bless him. But also! A couple of things I really love! Macaque referring to MK as their baby boy. Like damn, I love how adorable this family is. And secondly, Macaque going absolutely freaking wild at seeing Wukong injured. Yes, protect him you absolute gay disaster! People going feral gives me serotonin lol. Thirdly! LBD Tricking Wukong like that is just so awful and I'm a bad person for enjoying it so much. (I live for drama)
So I hope you enjoyed this chapter 'cause I really liked writing this one. I'll see you all soon!)