A few days later, Reaper's POV
I carry the baskets from Life back to the house as they are stuffed full of either blue roses or food fit for a special meal. I set it inside, sorting the supplies away when I heard a glitched scream. I zip outside, recognizing it as Error and seeing him drop through a portal. Or at least someone looking like him. He now wears a large blue cloak and layers of clothes shaded in blue. Then I see two wings extend from his back, flapping to save his landing. The portal in the sky closes. He huffs, taking out his phone.
"CoUld'Ve aT lEaSt gIvEn mE a wArNinG iNsTeAd oF shOvInG mE hErE. LeT mE sEt tHe tiMeR nOw."He says, checking his phone.
His wings fold on his back and his phone starts ringing.
"ShIt, BlUe iS gOiNg tO kill mE fOr miSsInG hIs gArDeN pArTy. UgGh aNd i'M nOt evEN gLitChinG! THAt aSS chAnGeD mE uPoN eNteRiNg hErE. I sWeAr tHiS iS tHe lAziEst tEsT eVer mADe—-FoCuS. Do iT fOr hIm. It wiLl bE wOrtH iT."He says as he hangs up the call
This...This isn't my Glitchy...Right? Did the owner of that voice on the phone do something to him? His eyes are empty!
"OkAy, jUsT a yEAr hErE aNd i aM dOnE. NoW tO fInD tHe tArGeT..."He says, then pauses after reading a scroll.
He groans, shaking his head.
"OkAy, tHaT's cLevEr wOrdInG bUt nOt UsEfUl tO mE. DaMn iT...."
"Glitchy...?"I say hesitantly
"WhO yOu cAlLinG Gli-Oh."He begins to snap as he glances up at me
"Glitchy? Are you alri-?"I begin, reaching out to him
"DON'T TOUCH ME! I'm nOt yOuR gLitChY! AnD I dOn'T wAnT tO lOsE mY deAl bEcAuSe oF sOmE aCcIdEntAl deAth oF a rAnDoM iDioT!"He snaps
Yep, definitely not my Glitchy. He would never threaten to harm me...
"Then where is my Glitchy?"I ask
"HeLl iF I kNoW. NoW iF yOu dOn'T mInD, i'M tRyiNg tO fIgUre oUt whO tHiS rEfErS tO."He says, lifting a scroll.
"Can I see it?"I ask
"WhAt mAkEs yOu tHiNk yOu cAn hElP?"He asks
"I get a lot of scrolls for work and sometimes the directions for lists can be vague."I say
"LiStS...?"He says, tilting his head
"Mhm. Plenty of souls to collect."I say
"WaIt...YoU'rE...ThE gOd oF deAtH hErE?"He asks
I nod.
"TcH, I'd nEvEr imAgInE yOu cApAbLe tO deAl wiTh sO mAnY liStS."He says
He huffs, handing me the scroll reluctantly. I glance at it and frown.
"This...is my Glitchy's handwriting quoted here."I say
It quotes his handwriting that reads: "whom I love most." The rest of it said that who Glitchy is referring to must be found. Then this version of him must stay here for a year to complete a deal...Wait...That was the same amount of time Glitchy said he'd be gone...What is he doing? What happened to him?!
"What is this?"I ask
"My DeAl tRaDe wiTh dEsTiNy. Your GliTch iS pRobBaLy iN mY wOrLd doInG hIs end oF tHe deAl."
Deal? He made a DEAL? He hates deals! Especially with beings like Fate! What is he doing? Will I ever get him back?
"What's this deal? Why would Glitchy do this?"
"PrObAbLy tHe sAmE rEasOn aS mE: tO kEeP fAtE oUt oF oUr biZ. ThErE's nO waY fOr uS tO oVeRpoWeR fAtE, bUt dEsTiNy giVeS uS cOnTrOl oVeR oUr fUtuRe. AlLoW uS tO exPaNd aNd sTabiLizE iT beYoNd wHaT fAtE dEciDeS. DeStiNy's dEaLs ovErRiDe anY oF FaTe's aCtiOnS. So tHiS dEaL mEaNs a lOt tO mY fUtuRe aS lOnG aS I dO mY pArT. AnD iF yOuR gLitChY iS aNyThiNg liKe mE, hE'd d0 aNyThiNg tO sEcuRe a fUtuRe wItH tHoSe tHaT hE loVeS."He explains
I frown, bowing my head. Do anything for a future secured with his loved ones? What? So...he's doing this for me? For our family? Uggh, Glitchy...why do I love you even though I hate this scheme of yours?
"It's oNlY a yEaR iN yOuR tiMe. Be glAd tHaT iT's sPeCiFiEd sInCe a yEaR fOr dEsTiNy iS nEaRlY a dEcAdE f0r y0u. AnYwAyS, I'm g0nNa nAp."He says, climbing a tree.
"What exactly is the task?"I ask
"TeSt oF dEvOtiOn...nOw...g0 aWaY..."He says, dozing off.
I frown, shaking my head. That just sounds like pure nonsense. A test of devotion? Devotion to what? And why didn't Glitchy share this plan or deal with me? Maybe that's why he was really packing...He knew he'd be away for a longer time than he was sharing...He's planning something...Uuughh....I love him but sometimes he is so frustrating.
Then my phone rings with a call from Glitchy himself. I walk away from the version of him in the tree.
"Hello, Glitchy. You've been up to some trouble, huh?"I say
"HuH...? WhErE aRe yOu riGhT nOw?"He asks, sounding a bit nervous
"Just returning to the house. Found your handwriting on a scroll for a deal with Destiny apparently. Do you mind explaining?"I reply
"WhY dO iT sOunD liKe i'M iN tRouBlE? If tHe sCrOLl saId eVerYtHiNg I wRoTe tHen iT wOuLdn'T nEeD exPlaInInG."He says
"How much did you write in this deal, Error? Why did you do this?"I ask
I hear him grumble, sounding annoyed and mumbling stuff I couldn't make out.
"I'm gUeSsInG deTaiLs weRe lEfT oUT oF tHe sCrOlL tHaT yOu rEaD."He says
Tch, stubborn as always and avoiding questions.
"Why did you leave for this dumb deal, Glitchy? And for a year too? I-"I begin
"DuMb? WeLl I aM sOrRy tHaT I'd gO tHe dIsTanCe tO sEcUre a FuTuRe wiTh yOu tHat dOeSn'T inVolVe FaTe's BuLlShiT! So tHaT yOu dOn'T gEt hURt oR tAkEn fRoM mE! I'm nOt hApPy aBoUt tHe sUrPRiSe reQuIrEmNet oF a yEaR bUt i'M dOinG iT beCaUsE dEsTiNy aLwAyS kEePs tHeIr wOrD! It'S bEtTeR tHaN fAtE'S BS!"He snaps
My face burns hearing the affection underneath his rage. He wants a future with me.....And he's probably pouty now.
"I just wish you talked to me about it honestly."I say
"Oh aS iF y0u'Re tHe pOsTeR ChiLd 0f hOnEsTy lAtElY! I hEaRd LiFe aNd y0ur br0tHeR oN tHe lAsT cAlL! WhAt's s0 bAd tHaT y0u m1gHt pAsS 0uT fr0m, hMm?"He says
I sigh, shaking my head. He lets out a huff hearing this response.
"ThIS iSn'T h0w i wAnTeD tHis cAlL t0 g0."He says
"What did you intend when you called?"I ask
"T0 eXpLa1n tHiNgS aNd pLaN cAlLs uNtiL i cAn rEtuRn h0m3. v1de0 cAlLs 0r s0m3tHiNg t0 k3ep iN tOuCh. BuT s0me0n3 cHaNg3d tH3 diRect1oN oF th3 caLl....AnD aT l3aSt i aM h3r3 kn0wiNg tHaT iT's sAf3 aT h0m3. WhOeVEr I sWiTChEd pLaCeS wItH lEfT a dIsAsTer bEhiNd!"He says
I tap the switch to video call option and quickly see him glaring at me with a pouty expression. His clothes look torn, there's dirt on him and a few wound on his face.
"What happened to you?"I ask
"ThE iNk hErE tRiEd aN eXpErImEnt aNd eNdEd uP mAkInG a giAnT cYcLoPs tHaT's oN a rAmPaGe. I gOt puLlEd In tO hElP bUt eNdEd uP bEiNg iTs bAbY rAtTlE tO sHaKe aRoUnD for tHe lAsT tWo dAyS. AnD yEs, I knOw iT wAs tHaT lONg eVeN wHeN i crAsHeD bEcAuSe i hAvE a tImEr oN mY pHonE cOuNtiNg tHe dAyS uNtiL i cAn CoMe bAcK. It wAs jUsT hAnDlEd sO i tOok tHe cHaNcE tO gEt aWaY aNd dO sOmEtHiNg pOsiTiVe, liKe cAlLiNg....*sigh* bUt i sEe wHeRe tHaT wEnT."He explains, sighing and looking exhausted
I frown, gazing at him and taking in the sight of him.
Poor Glitchy....I can only imagine how many times he crashed and how bad it was with that freak holding him...He looks pretty bad....I did start off the call a bit strong and hostile by calling his plans"trouble"...Or calling the deal dumb...I'm sure that's the last thing he wants to hear after going through that for the deal...the deal that's supposed to help us...
"LoOk, i dIdN'T pLaN tHiS fAr. I diDn'T eXpEcT tO bE sEnT aWaY fOr a yEAr. I thOuGhT iT wOuLd bE qUiCk. I dIsCuSs iT wItH dEsTiNy, i gIvE dEsTiNy sOmEtHiNg iN rEtUrN, I cOmE hOmE. BuT tHiS iS wHaT dEsTiNy wAnTs fOr tHe deAl aNd I'm nOt bAcKiNg oUt oF iT. I'm sOrRy bUt tHaT's tHe tRuTh."He says
"Even if it can kill you?"
He chuckles, shaking his head.
"ReApEr, i aM cOmiNg hOmE tO yOu. DoN't dOuBt tHAt. We wiLl hAvE a fUtUrE. I pRoMiSe."He says
I smile a bit at him, feeling reassured by that.
"What's this test of devotion anyway?"I ask
"It'S pRobAbLy bEcAusE oF rEqUeSt aNd wHaT i wRoTe. DeStInY wAnTs tO bE SUrE tHaT i'M nOt bEiNg iMpuLsIvE aNd wiLl cHaNgE mY mInD."He says
"And what exactly did you request? I only saw a bit of your writing and don't think I got the whole picture."I ask
His face burns up a bright yellow and he glances away.
"ERROR! There you are! Let me see that skull of yours!"A voice shouts
Tch, saved by the bell.
"LiFe iS cAlLiNg. I'Ll cAlL yOu bAcK rEaPeR."He says
"Love you.~"I coo, knowing how it gets to him
His face burns and I smile.
"LoVe y0u t0o."He says, hanging up.
Well, today's...interesting. It has been five days since his last call so 360 days until he returns...I can't wait to have him back.
TBC