Miracle

It’s midnight. The hallways and rooms of Monarch Labs empty. Except for one person. 

Trevor walks briskly, but still trying his best to remain quiet. He enters his office and looks around before shutting the door behind him. 

He walks to his desk and pulls up a screen, “Call Alfredo,” he says, 

“Calling Archen,” 

Soon an Eagle warrior appears on the screen. The warrior’s warpaint was silver with a ‘V’ on his forehead, on his eyes like eye shadow and on his lips like lipstick. He wore a shawl of eagle fathers, black pants with matching arms braces that go from shoulder to wrist. 

“Alfredo, excuse me Archen,” Trevor says, “It’s good to see you again,” 

Archen smiles, “Rolen, my hatchmate, how does it go in the city?” 

Trevor growls, “Not great my friend, something has come up, I must speak to the Queen immediately,” 

Archen nods, “Of course,” He walks off the screen, “You’re majesty?” 

“Yes?” 

“Rolen has called, asking for you,” 

“I’ll take it from here,” 

The screen shifted, and Trevor could now see Queen Leonidas, who smiles kindly.

“Rolen,” He greets, “Or is it Trevor now?”

Trevor places a fist on his chest and bows, “I do not have a preference, My Queen,” 

The Queen nods, “And what do I owe the pleasure of this call?”

“Bad news I’m afraid, my queen,” Trevor straitens, “The Mad King has been released from the asylum and has taken over the city,” 

The Queen’s face hardened, “How has he done this?”

Trevor bit his lip, “He didn’t take the city by force necessarily,” Trevor sighs, “He has framed the warriors for an attack on civilians. Everyone is now convinced that the warriors have attacked and killed innocent people. Even X-Ray has fallen under the Mad King’s sway,” 

 “Oh, I uh,” The Queen turned away, placing a hand to his face, 

“My queen?” Trevor asked, concerned, “I’m sorry if I’ve upset you,” 

 “No,” The Queen says, “I asked you a questioned, and you answered,” he looks at Trevor again, “Do you have any more information,”

Trevor nods, “The Mad King and X-Ray has been spending a lot of time together,” Trevor sighs, “They’re together all the time, My Queen,” Trevor pauses, “I think X-Ray has been compromised,”

The Queen gaps, “Are you sure of this?”

Trevor nods, “I am,”

The Queen takes in a deep breath, “Then we must act accordingly, keep up your post there until further orders,”

“Yes, my Queen,”

The screen deactivates, and Trevor is alone once again. He turned to his closet, on the racks inside, held a tiger pelt, with a blowgun and small knife. Trevor walks over and runs his hands down his hide. He hated not wearing it, but he had orders. 

He sighs, and closes to the door and leaves the room. 

*********************

X-Ray was shocked when he found out that the Mad King was summoning him; he walks down the hallway fiddling with his fingers, nervous. 

He’s been hanging with the Mad King lately. He wouldn’t really call it dating, but they did go out to eat a lot or hang out at Mk’s place. Maybe they were dating? X-Ray wasn't sure. 

Mad King, who X-Ray now knows as Ryan, smiled almost warmly when he knocked on the open door. 

“Ah, Ray come in,” he says, standing up, “I’m glad you could join me today,”

“Yeah,” Ray winced as his voice wavered, “What do you need, Ryan?”

The Mad King walked over and hugged Ray, “Well,” Mad King purred in X-Ray’s ear, “First I would like you to trust me,”

“T-Trust you?”

The Mad King takes X-Ray’s hand as if they were dancing, “Yes, X-Ray, do you trust me?”

“Y-yes,”

The Mad King pulls away, “Then I would like to ask you something,”

“Okay,” X-Ray was feeling a little dazed at the moment. 

The Mad King pushes a button, and one of the bookshelves moves to the side to reveal a suit. The suit was green and black. Similarly to his hero suit. However, the cape was much more worn, holes littered it. The arm guards and boots were black. Fingers green like the rest of the suit. A black mask attached to the neck would cover the bottom half of his face, and green glasses with red xs would cover the rest. X-Ray also noticed that his signature symbol was gone, replaced by the Mad King’s broken crown insignia behind a connected ‘N’ and ‘X’. Around the ankles and wrists were silver bands. Along with the suit was a silver crown, the metal made to look like branches, and the gems leaves.

Crown: 

X-Ray slowly ran his hand down the suit, “What is this?” he asked, 

The Mad King walked up behind him, “I hoped it would be your new suit, I want you to be my Mad Queen,”

X-Ray gasped, “I don’t think I-”

“Oh Ray,” Mad King cooed, wrapping his arms around the hero, “We’ve had so much fun together,” Mad King’s arms slid down to X-Ray’s waist. 

(Play this in the background): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7umg6ZrIEH8

The Mad King rested his head on X-Ray’s shoulder, so he spoke directly into his ear, “I’ve made you happy, right?” 

“Yes,” X-Ray let his arms fall to his sides as he listened to Ryan’s voice. 

“I’ve treated you well, have I not?”

“You have,”

“I’ve comforted you, gone out of my way to make you smile, granted you your every wish, yes?”

“That is correct,”

“In all of that, have I hurt you intentionally?”

“No, not really,” X-Ray thought back to the claw and ‘lava.’ But it wasn’t actually lava. It was jello. The Mad King had made him sticky, yes, but not hurt. And back when they defeated him, X-Ray was given a choice to free Vav or obliterate him. It was only when X-Ray freed Vav that the Mad King got hostile, before that, he was ready to welcome X-Ray with open arms. 

“See? You know I’m not a monster,” 

X-Ray shakes his head, “No, you’re not a monster!”

The Mad King nods, “I’m the only one who truly cares about you. Vav and Mogar left to rule a kingdom. Hilda left because she was jealous of your friendship with Vav. They don’t understand you, they never have,”

“I want you, Ray,” The Mad King purrs, “I want you by my side till the day we die. No other person. I. Want. You,”

X-Ray felt himself smile at the Mad King’s words, turning around to hug him, “Really?” 

“Yes, really,” The Mad King then steps, away looking at X-Ray with a fond expression, “But I won’t force you,” he smiles, “If you don’t want to become Null-Ray, the Mad Queen, I won’t love you any less, the decision is yours,”

The Mad King then left the hero to his thoughts. Smiling to himself. 

The hero himself paced around the room, he thought of Vav and Mogar. Then the Wilds kingdom, then the attack on the civilians. His hands started to tremble, so he balled them into fists.

(singing, talking) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sSIdgrzRfA

X-Ray’s face hardens till it almost looks like it was made from stone,

“I am in control. I haven't lost my mind. I am picking up the pieces of the past you left behind. I don't need your condescending words about me looking lonely. I don't need your arms to hold me 'cause misery is waiting on me,”

X-Ray looks out the window,  “I am not alone! Not beaten down just yet! I am not afraid of the voices in my head! And down the darkest road, something follows me! I am not alone! This misery loves my company! Misery loves my company!”

X-Ray looks over to see a picture of himself and Vav after their first victory over the Corepirate. 

“Leave me in the cold. You better run away. I'm gonna dig a hole and bury all the memories we've made!” X-Ray tears the photo in half throwing Vav’s half into the lit fireplace, watching Vav’s face burn, “ I don't need your condescending words about me looking lonely. I don't need your arms to hold me, 'cause misery is waiting on me,”

X-Ray over to the suit, quickly pulling off his own and changing into the new suit. Gently placing the crown on his head. 

“I am not alone! Not beaten down just yet! I am not afraid of the voices in my head! And down the darkest road, something follows me! I am not alone! This misery loves my company! Misery loves my company!”

Null-Ray climbs out of the window and jumps from rooftop to rooftop until he sees the forest in the distance, he stops a little in front of it. Glaring through his new visor at the green trees and underbrush. 

“I am not alone! Not beaten down just yet! I am not afraid of the voices in my head! And down the darkest road, something follows me! I am not alone! This misery loves my company!”

An evil grin cracks Null-ray's face, “Misery loves my company!”