#Quentin

[nickyrothfan]

What if everyone got super powers?(part 68). Remake

The night in Raven Brooks was as dark as ever. Not just "moonless"—it was sticky, thick, wrong. The Roth house creaked quietly like an old ship. Alicia, fortunately, was asleep—worn out and not waking the world. Nicky lay, staring at the ceiling, as if it was supposed to tell him something important.

He was almost dozing off when...

Tuk. Tuk.

He flinched.

Tuk. Tuk. Tuk.

He looks at the window. It's ajar. The curtain is moving. And in the gap—a face.

"Finch?"

"Open up, my ass is freezing," she whispered.

Nicky slid off the bed, still in his T-shirt and athletic shorts, and pulled the latch.

Finch climbed inside, gracefully as a cat. With her—a backpack. Her eyes were tired, her hair disheveled. No slingshot, no sarcasm. Just Finch.

"You..." he began.

"...don't ask. It's incredibly stuffy at home, the air conditioner broke, Dad is grumbling as usual. I bailed. You can consider it an evacuation." She walked to the bed and plopped down.

He blinked.

"You... want to stay here for the night?"

"Yep."

"And you... couldn't just..."

"Ask like a normal person? No. Sorry my dad monitors every call, and not because he's worried about me, but because he's worried about himself, lest I tell anyone what he's up to."

He sighed. He had no energy to argue.

She had already changed her shoes, let her hair down, and settled on the floor, pulling a hoodie from her backpack and rolling it up as a pillow.

"The floor is hard."

"Then give me the bed."

"No way." Nicky chuckled and sat down next to her on the floor.

"We'll suffer together."

Minutes passed in silence. Only breathing.

Then Finch turned on her side and stared at his desk. Scattered pages, diagrams, unfinished comics. A couple were about aliens, a couple—about strange girls with eyes like owls.

"You still write all this?"

"Yeah. Sometimes."

"You're weird."

"Thanks."

She turned again. Looked at the wall, where an old Guns N' Roses poster hung, next to it—a toy car with a broken door, drawings of guitars, even a map of Raven Brooks marked with pins.

But Finch's gaze was most drawn to the drawings. They weren't for an exhibition—simple, soft, almost childlike. But warm. On most of them—the same girl. Sometimes with an umbrella, sometimes with a book, sometimes sleeping on the grass. He was somewhere nearby. Sometimes—Aaron.

"Is that her?"

He didn't answer.

"Mya."

"Yes," he said quietly, almost a whisper.

"I can't erase them. Even if..."

Finch didn't laugh, didn't sneer.

"I get it. I keep some things too. Things I can't let go of." She took something round out of her pocket. A coin. Worn, almost without a pattern.

"From your mother?"

"No. From a cat."

"...What?"

"I had one. The dumbest, cutest cat. Died two years ago. The coin was from its collar. I always carry it. Even if it brings bad luck, because it was a black cat."

"Because you want to remember."

"Because if I forget, it means it's really gone." Finch stared at the ceiling, and her eyes glistened.

"It means I slept through everything."

Nicky closed his eyes. A few seconds—and he spoke, without pathos:

"I'm confused, Finch. Not in the sense that I don't know what to do. But in... how to feel. I remember Mya, and I still love her. But each of you... you, Trinity, Maritza, even Aaron..."

He stumbled.

"Each of you awakens something in me. I don't understand what exactly. It's like... I'm not alone anymore. But inside, it's still empty."

"You have the right to feel that way."

"I don't want to hurt anyone. Not you, not myself. I..." He stopped, clenched his fist.

Finch turned to him. Lightly, softly, without pressure.

"Hey, Nick."

"Mm?"

"We'll die before you figure it all out." She grinned. Then added:

"So don't worry about it. Just... be."

"That's the most ineffective advice I've ever heard."

"Well, you didn't ask a professional." Finch yawned and closed her eyes.

Silence.

A minute later:

"Finch."

"Mm?"

"I'm glad you came."

"Me too, Nick." Her voice was barely audible, already half-asleep.

He stared at the ceiling. Now it seemed a little less heavy.

…

In the morning:

"What the..."

Nicky's eyes snapped open.

The gap between sleep and awareness was as short as an electric shock. He flinched, trying to figure out why Finch's head was on his shoulder, why she had tucked her leg under his, and why someone was breathing heavily and angrily at the door.

"...Storm warning," Finch exhaled, not opening her eyes.

But enlightenment came a couple of seconds later.

"Finch."

"Mmm?"

"My parents."

"...Crap." She opened one eye. Then the other.

And looked directly at Jay Roth and Luanne Roth, standing at the door. Jay with a mug of coffee. Luanne—in a robe, with her arms crossed as if a court-martial was about to begin.

"Nicholas Michael Roth." Luanne said it quietly. But in that tone was all the authority of the universe.

"It's... not what you think."

"And what do you think I think?" Jay spoke calmly, but his gaze seemed to penetrate the walls.

Finch sat up. Abruptly. She stretched—as if she hadn't spent the night in a stranger's son's room, but had just come from a lecture.

"Mrs. Roth, Mr. Roth. I didn't... It's not... Nothing like that happened. It was just... stuffy." She shrugged, then pointed to the window.

"That's how I... well, I got in."

"That's not better, Finch." Nicky covered his face with his hands.

Luanne exhaled.

"Jay, I told you. The window."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll board it up." Jay finally took a sip of his coffee.

"Well, Finch. I'm glad you're alive, at least. Everything else—is debatable."

"Can I just leave... or disappear... or pretend this is a dream?"

"No disappearing." Luanne raised her hand.

"No running away. We're going to talk."

A brief pause ensued. Finch stood up. Picked up her hoodie. Adjusted her backpack. Tried to look proud.

"Do you want to yell?"

"No." Luanne looked at her attentively, as if trying to discern what kind of girl was really in front of her.

"I just want to understand."

"Well..."

"Finch."

"Yes?"

"Are you a friend to my son?"

"Well, yeah."

"Do you respect my son?"

"Very much."

"Then you'll have enough respect to tell me the truth. Without poses and lines from a teen drama."

"...why do you sound like you're using teen slang? Did you watch too much Netflix?" Nicky spoke up, but he was ignored.

Finch opened her mouth. Closed it. Then said quietly:

"I'm miserable at home. I didn't want... romance. I wasn't making a move on him. I just needed to be with someone who..."

"...understands," Luanne finished. Then she nodded. Not angry. Just tired.

"Then listen. For one night—it's foolish. But not a disaster. Running away is foolish. But not a betrayal. It's just..."

"...I should have told you?" Nicky asked.

"You should have thought," Jay finished his coffee.

"And by the way, not just you. Finch, you're strong, but you're not alone. And if my son is by your side, be ready to answer for more than just yourself. Understood?"

"Understood." Finch nodded.

"I'm really sorry. I just..." she hesitated.

"...didn't know where else to go."

"You could have said something."

"It's hard for me to ask."

"I know."

Silence. Then Jay shrugged:

"Well. Breakfast in ten minutes. Luanne is making pancakes. We're not terrible parents."

"Sometimes."

"Sometimes."

They left. Only Nicky and Finch remained. She let out a heavy sigh.

"That was awkward."

"That was very awkward."

"I still don't regret it."

"And I still don't know if any of it... means anything."

"Maybe nothing."

"Maybe."

They were silent for a moment. Then Nicky added:

"But if you want, you can come over. Better through the door."

"Boring. But okay." She smiled for the first time that morning.

…

A few hours later:

The forest rustled with a sluggish tremor. The trees didn't whistle—they seemed to whisper. And in that whisper, between the branches, two people walked.

Nicky walked slightly ahead, his backpack swinging as if it, too, was tired. Aaron—behind, hands in his pockets, his gaze scanning the forest. There were almost no birds. The air was thick and heavy, like before a storm.

"Did you even see how far we've gone?"

"Mmm." Nicky nodded, not looking back.

"Don't you think this is dumb? Trinity could have taken you with her; you're, like, the 'brains' too."

"She asked for us specifically. To check the surroundings. The movements. And..."

"...and you got permission to leave headquarters. Yesterday too. Disappeared. I didn't see you all day." Aaron's voice became even. Too even.

Nicky stopped.

"Were you following me?"

"I was worried. That's one. And two—you look like a bloody zombie. Blue circles, bags under your eyes, reactions like a duck in a freezer. I'm not judging you. I want to know."

Nicky didn't answer. He just stared off into the distance—at a rotten stump, at a spiderweb glistening in the faint light through the crowns. He wasn't trying to lie. He just... couldn't say it right away.

"I was with Finch."

Aaron was silent. Not because he was angry. He was just... processing.

"Hanging out?"

"Kinda."

"Kinda?"

"Then she came to my place at night. Said it was stuffy at home and her dad was being..." He waved his hand.

"I let her stay. Just. Stay. We... just slept."

Aaron nodded. Slowly. Without expression.

"Just slept."

"Yeah. I'm not lying."

"I know." Aaron sat on a gnarled root. He shifted, stretched his legs.

"And how do you feel?"

"What?"

"You know yourself it's not about that. Not about Finch. Not that she came over. But how you look, how you talk, how you're silent. As if the entire bloody forest is in your head at once. Trinity, Finch, Maritza, me. Mya."

Nicky lowered his head. The ground beneath his feet was cracked, the dirt long dry. He ran his finger along the bark of a tree.

"I can't cope. You know? All these feelings. They're like screws that don't fit the bolts. I still hear Mya in my sleep. I still see that roof. I still can't understand why I even get up in the mornings."

"But you do get up."

"Because you're here."

Aaron stood up. Slowly. Walked closer. Stopped next to him.

"We're not asking you to choose. Not me. Not them. Not Trinity. Not Finch. But we're here, Nick. I'm here. Even when you just... sit in the dark and try to put yourself back together."

"Thanks."

"Just tell me one thing honestly. Even to yourself. When Finch is around... is it easier?"

Nicky hesitated. Then:

"Yeah. A little. But it's like a bandage on a broken bone. It feels nice, but it doesn't heal."

Aaron nodded.

"Then we'll find a cast."

They both fell silent. Then they continued on their way, combing the forest step by step. The silence no longer seemed frightening. Rather... comforting. As if the forest knew—between them, everything was honest again.

…

In parallel:

The weather station building creaked in the wind. The panels on the ceiling were askew, old instruments clicked as if someone was still trying to measure something. Not the weather, though—time.

Trinity walked ahead. Her hands glowed with a faint purple light, ready to repel an attack at any second. Quentin, in his heavy jacket, followed her, clearly nervous.

Ivan tapped on his tablet; the "Compass" projected a map of the catacombs under the floor.

Enzo walked at the very end—slightly to the side. He felt it. There was something here.

"Here it is."

"The pit." Trinity stopped at the collapsed floor. The depth—unseen. Only darkness. Only wind from below. And a muffled echo... as if something was still living down there.

Suddenly...

Enzo's eyes widened.

He froze. As if someone had grabbed his face and yanked him back.

"Enzo?" Trinity stepped towards him.

"What... what do you see?"

The guy didn't answer. He was no longer here.

(Franklin and Theodore Petersons as children enter the inventors' club (at school), but the members—Gerda, Abanante, Leslie, and Tavish—say that to join, they need to pass a test at the weather station. At night, the brothers go there, but the four bullies start a fight with them. The brothers run into the catacombs, where they hide from them, and find a huge chasm and a small passage leading to the school. The bullies find them and grab Theodore. Franklin stands up for his brother, but trips and falls into the chasm. Theodore tries to fight off the bullies, but suddenly a mystical light appears from the chasm, from which an unknown silhouette is visible. The bullies run away in fear.)

Enzo abruptly stepped back. As if he'd been hit. He grabbed the wall, his face—pale.

"He... fell. Into the chasm. It wasn't just an accident. It was... an unfortunate murder."

Ivan was already pulling out his tablet. Trinity—tense.

"Who is he, Enzo?"

"Franklin. He was essentially pushed. But he didn't die. He found... or IT found him. An entity. I... don't know what it is. Just a silhouette. A shadow. A light. As if something from another dimension."

Quentin said quietly:

"I knew he was different. But not why."

"Now we know. This light energy is unusual... it didn't affect Maritza because of the chaos power in her... but Franklin wasn't so lucky."

Silence.

Only the wind in the pit. As if someone was listening from down there.

And waiting.

…

In the forest:

"Do you remember back in sixth grade, when we broke into the old library, and then hid in the closet to eavesdrop on the biology teacher?"

"Yeah. And then you sneezed, and we both got stuck between the shelves. Good thing you didn't foul the air like that time with the fart synthesizer."

Aaron let out a genuine, heartfelt laugh.

"Hey, that synthesizer was an engineering marvel. It was as precise as a Swiss watch!"

"Yeah, except it sounded like someone dropped dumplings into a pot."

They both laughed. The laughter was real. Even the trees seemed to sway more gently. The leaves rustled in time with their steps.

"Remember when we played that prank on the town? The 'Alien Invasion Imminent' banner on the school roof, loudspeakers with noises, and fireworks shaped like UFOs."

"As if I'd forget that. I had to clean the toilets on Saturdays for two weeks. They almost sent you to the school therapist."

"And I went. I told him aliens were sending me dreams. Right through a satellite." Nicky snorted.

"He wrote it down in his notebook and said I was a prime example of imagination."

"You were a weirdo. But you were my weirdo." Aaron grinned. They stopped. Looked at each other—almost like before. Almost without pain. Almost.

And just as their faces grew dangerously close, and the air between them began to buzz...

SPLAP! Something dropped right into their clasped hands.

A silvery cylinder, blinking red. And a beep—peep-peep-peep—very unfriendly.

"What the hell, is that a bomb?!" Aaron, in a panic, threw the thing into the bushes.

Nicky screamed:

"Throw it!"

BOOM! Deafening, but not lethal. The ground shook as if someone had slammed a door loudly from across the street.

Both boys jumped up, in shock, ears ringing, faces dusty.

"Are you serious? Who throws bombs in the middle of a moment?!" Aaron yelled angrily, shaking sand from his ear.

"Maybe you should be less dramatic, Hamlet. Look..."

From the shadows—a figure.

Tall. A little taller than Nicky. Hair—a shade darker. The same features, but rougher, more angular. His gaze—piercing. Rings glisten on his hands and feet. Hands in gloves. On his feet—jet boots, humming with a light vibratory noise. The clothing is the same as Nicky's, only in red and black tones. The face...

"Damn. That's..." Nicky exhaled, his blood running cold.

"Who is that?.. oh wait... Hold on, why does he... it's..." Aaron squints, staring.

"He's like you, but... worse. Like you're a Wi-Fi signal, and he's only getting two bars."

The figure smirked. Too familiar.

"I thought you were smarter than you look," Michael said. His voice—a little deeper, but definitely familiar.

"Nah. That's me. I was always the original."

"No." Nicky stepped forward.

"You're a copy. You're a fake."

Michael narrowed his eyes.

"Funny. That's exactly what I was thinking of telling you."

Aaron had already pulled out a crowbar.

"Okay, can someone explain why there are two Nickys here, and one of them looks like a creepy fighting game skin?!"

Michael snapped his fingers. A glob of yellow energy/electricity began to form in his hand, taking on the shape of a spear.

"Chaos Spear!" he shouts, throwing the attack.

Nicky and Aaron jump to the side; the attack hits the grass, scorching it. A clump of dirt hits the heroes' heads.

"The games begin. It's going to be fun," Michael growls.

[porcelain-pines]

God stood in the doorway

[thestudfarm]

Quentin

Explore the archives

[toppermostpoppermost]

Ladies and gentleman, the F word.

THE BOAT THAT ROCKED (2009) dir. Richard Curtis

[fionaapplerocks]

Fiona Apple

[slimespecter]

remember this freak? this is him now. feel old yet,

[simming-girl]

Quentin's Hawaiian outfit 😁

(Theodore holdin' Quentin's clothes.)

[vampyriclykoi]

i know literally nothing about quentin and beatrix but im in love with both of them i love their designs so much they’re like. etherial lesbian and her ratty gay best friend I LOVE THEM

quentin’s design has me in a chokehold i can’t stop thinking about him i need to watch a hello neighbor 2 playthrough or deep dive or something

[josethwitht]

[thecoffeelovingcat]

Finished more quentin art. <3 i love quen quen :3

[zaccosnacco]

This Quentin art i made for @that-weird-mime

He's such a fella

[porcelain-pines]

the day the world went cold

[thestudfarm]

Quentin

Explore the archives

[nickyrothfan]

What if everyone got super powers?(part 56). Remake

White energy pulsated, covering Nicky's body. A whistle cut through the air—and energy tendrils lashed out, like living whips. In the next split second—an attack.

Maritza vanished from her spot, flaring with flame, and reappeared about five meters to the side. Quentin lunged—his body almost dissolving into the air, leaving a mirrored trail behind him. One of the tentacles ripped through the spot where he'd been a fraction of a second ago.

Enzo twisted into a somersault, propelling himself with an air burst. Finch—as fluid as a shadow. A tendril grazed past, but didn't touch her.

Ivan opened a portal... too quickly.

"I'll divert it to a harmless place," he decided. The portal swallowed the tendril.

But at that moment, the tendril split like a virus, and burst out from inside the portal—as if the energy sensed where it had landed.

With a jolt and a crash, three friends vanished.

Murtaugh, Jay, and Luanne—were pulled into the portal.

Ivan panicked:

"No... NO! I... I calculated the trajectory! I thought I..."

"You made a mistake!" Aaron roared, unleashing lightning at another tendril to keep it from striking Trinity.

"This is Nicky. Not entirely him, not completely, but his chaos has become sentient!" Trinity cried, creating an air barrier.

And the tentacles continued to lash out.

The attack continued.

The tentacles grew more aggressive. The ground crumbled. Nicky, a swirling mass of energy, now unconsciously hovered above the ground.

…

Inside the Mind: Subconscious

Nicky stood in silence.

He looked at Nocky, no longer as a monster—but as a remnant of himself. Broken, cruel, yet understandable. Their fight wasn't just physical—it was a war for the right to become whole again.

But something had changed.

Nicky felt white light bursting forth. Not rage. Not tears. Pure electrical tension. He felt his body moving again, that the world beyond was reacting to his struggle.

But...

Where was Murtaugh? Where was Dad? Where was Mom?

He felt their... disappearance. Their connection—fading, as if someone had pulled a fuse.

Nicky clenched his fists.

"They're trapped... because of my carelessness. Because of my power..."

"All you do is destroy," Nocky rasped, with a sneer. "You couldn't even keep them. They believed in you. And you let everyone down again."

Nicky sighed. Lightning in his eyes.

"Yes. I did let them down. More than once. But..." he raised his head, "...now I have a reason not to stop."

"What reason?" Nocky snarled, pulling out an energy blade.

"To live."

…

Enzo froze.

A sharp jolt in his chest, as if his heart had been plucked. His eyes rippled. His gift, his sense of threat, always worked precisely and without compromise. And now...

It screamed.

"Everyone upstairs. NOW!" he shouted, interrupting Trinity and Quentin. "Everyone—TO THE SURFACE!"

"Are you sure?!" Maritza tensed.

"Now's not the time to argue!" Enzo yelled, already pushing Ivan towards the exit. "He's breaking out."

And they heard a crack. As if something was tearing through walls.

TENTACLES. TENDRILLS. ENERGY.

First two. Then four. Then eight. White, sparkling, humming, they tore the house apart from within, breaking through floors, walls, the roof. The house groaned mournfully and collapsed, as if it couldn't withstand a foreign god.

Finch rolled aside, becoming invisible, actively using her flexibility to escape. Maritza leaped and soared in flames. Quentin disappeared into a mirror. And Trinity—rose to the second-story window on a gust of wind, grabbing Ivan. Aaron flew on wings. Enzo escaped with leaps.

A thud.

And another.

An explosion of tentacles expelled shingles, debris, and light outward.

Nicky—was no longer in the house.

He was on the street.

His body was in a white haze, his eyes shining like two spotlights. Tendrils, paws, arms—now there were dozens of them. They grew from his back, from his shoulders, from the air around him. Like a whole system, like a living construct.

He was—more than human. Lightning crackled on his hands. He trembled not from weakness—but from overexertion. But he didn't move.

All the heroes were already outside, though slightly late, gathering.

"This is absurd... This isn't just energy... It's his... soul in the form of raw power. His psyche... bursting out," Quentin gasped.

"He can't control this!" Aaron said, dodging a swipe.

"And if he loses the thread now—he could... destroy the entire neighborhood," Ivan added.

Adults in the neighborhood had already run up to Nicky and tried to net him.

"Grab him!" a woman shouted.

But Nicky dodged, swiftly evading the attacks.

Suddenly, another tendril appeared, grabbing all the attacking adults. All their bravery vanished in that same second, replaced by screams and fear. They fled at top speed.

"Trinity!" the girl heard a cry behind her. Her parents stood on the porch of her house, calling.

The girl trembled... this was all she needed. She was already going to be sent to boarding school, so...

She created a barrier around her house, trapping her parents inside.

"This is for your own safety!" she yelled to them. Then she returned her attention to Nicky.

The heroes plunged into battle against this thing, but it didn't go well.

Delroy tossed Enzo into the air, who did a somersault, aimed, and shot cyan whips at the creature, binding a couple of its tendrils. But there were too many of them.

And Esposito made a mistake, being in the air... other tendrils immediately latched onto him, slamming him into the asphalt with a punch.

Maritza used her "Kinetic" ability, unleashing accumulated kinetic energy into a tentacle. Under the force, it flew into the already ruined Peterson house, damaging it further.

Ivan didn't know which universe he'd sent the adults to. And finding them would take time, and he was needed here now. So he decided to help.

Torre froze the asphalt, covering it with ice. Nicky's feet got stuck, immobilizing him.

But not for long... because sparks of lightning began to appear on his legs, and he broke the ice beneath him. Then Nicky was in front of Ivan in the same second, and with a lightning-charged fist, he struck Torre. Though Torre defended himself with an ice shield, he was sent flying.

"Chains of Imprisonment!" Trinity cried, seeing Nicky standing nearby.

Chains flew from her hands, binding the opponent's body. He struggled against them for a while.

"Dome of Restriction!" she added. And a violet sphere surrounded Nicky.

He resisted, energy hands striking the dome, forming cracks, and he broke free.

The creature immediately lunged at Trinity, but Delroy intercepted it, punching it in the chest, sending it flying. The contact, however, made his eyes widen instantly as he saw fear.

Finch saw an opportunity, climbed onto one of the houses. And began to unleash fireworks, crossbow bolts, constantly creating them.

Nicky constantly retreated, taking more damage. But then more tendrils appeared, and they knocked Finch off the house. But she managed to throw glass shards, which landed near Nicky.

From the shards, Quentin flew out with a steel fist, delivering multiple blows to Roth. He evaded the tentacles with his dashes, and when they almost touched him, he slowed down time.

Taking advantage of this, the journalist continued to punch Nicky in the face, drawing more blood from his mouth.

But at one point, he felt... lightning begin to gather.

Nicky activated "Lightning Boost," immediately creating an explosion of lightning around him, throwing Quentin further away.

"Dad!" Aaron cried, flying directly at Nicky.

He didn't care about fear, he had already faced it.

He activated Chidori, striking his best friend directly in the chest, wounding him further.

"Nicky! Come on! Fight!" Aaron cried, covering his other leg in fire, and striking the opponent's knees directly, causing him to bend instantly.

"I know you're in there! So take back control! Come back to us—" a tentacle snatched his throat faster than the Sharingan could react.

Nicky charged his fist with lightning, preparing to strike Aaron, but was immediately hit by a stream of water from a recovered Enzo.

He flew a considerable distance.

"Damn! Trinity, this thing is impossible to beat! What do we do?" Maritza approached Aaron and Enzo.

Trinity didn't know what to do, and didn't even understand why Maritza was asking her. All her friends had lost all trust in her, and now they looked at her as if she had a plan.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, she did.

All this shadow covered Nicky's entire body, like a gigantic shell. Perhaps they had to fight the shadow... from within.

"We must face our fear," she said, standing alongside the others.

"What?" asked Delroy, who had approached.

"Trust her. It's not a bad idea. Think about it, fear projects in our minds, that's why we see it. There's a chance we can reach Nicky not from the real world, but from the mental one. We can help Nicky from within," Ivan said. And Delroy immediately agreed... it was Ivan, after all.

"We'll give him the push he needs," Aaron said.

"To bring him to his senses," Finch added.

"...heh... I'm with you," Quentin said, grabbing Aaron's hand, as if to say he'd look after him.

"...I'm not a kid, Dad," Peterson chuckled.

Instead of running when Nicky approached, they simply froze. Trinity raised her hand and touched his arm.

Soon, everyone else did the same.

…

Nicky's Subconscious

The battle with Nocky reached its limit. Their blows roared like explosions, and the space distorted with every movement. Tentacles, lightning, silhouettes—everything mixed into chaos. White light intersected with black shadow, resonating on the verge of a mental breakdown.

But suddenly—the rhythm changed.

Nicky, gasping, began to remember.

First came the smell of popcorn and the flickering screen. He remembered Mya clinging to him when a jump scare popped up on screen. Both their hearts pounded, but not from the movie. He didn't even realize he was smiling then.

Then—Ivan's room, full of intricate details and soldered circuits. His first invention. It smoked and crackled slightly, but it worked. And then they both screamed with delight, as if they'd launched a rocket into space.

Next—heat, sand, sun. He and Maritza, a race, two stubborn bursts of energy. They crashed into the sandbox, buried each other, and laughed so hard that passing adults turned with smiles.

Enzo. Gamepad in hand. Victory on the last level. Hugs on the couch and an argument: "I carried more!"—"You just spammed!"

Finch. A dark tunnel. His back aching with tiredness, but she laughed on his shoulders: "So who's the hero now, huh?"—and he felt strong. Real.

Delroy. The restroom. By the faucet. The day he encouraged him in his own way.

Trinity. A hug. Not for strength, not for merit. Just—because he was. "You matter. Even if you don't believe it yourself."

Mom and Dad. They sewed an Omni-Man costume together for Halloween. Because their son showed them the drawing. He would never forget that day... or the name of the costume, "The Knot," because it tied them together.

Nicky opened his eyes.

And Nocky... trembled.

"What are you... what are you doing?.." he snarled, backing away.

"I remember. Everything worth fighting for."

He strikes. And with each blow, Nocky's tentacles crack. One. Second. Jaw. Stomach. Light shook the subspace.

The final blow—a direct hit to the chest.

Nocky screams, flies back, and... falls to his knees. His body begins to melt, like wax. Skin streams down. Eyes—empty. Tentacles contract into knots.

"Goodbye... fear," Nicky says, breathing heavily.

But before he takes a step, the air around him darkens.

From Nocky's burnt body, a shadow rises. At first formless. Then—it stretches. It outlines. The features... of a human.

But not entirely.

A shadow person. The Thing. Smooth, as if carved from emptiness. Only white eyes. Only a silhouette. Only a presence.

"You removed fear..." a voice sounds. Hoarse. As if coming from everywhere at once. "But fear... is not the root. I am the essence. I am you. Without all of them. Without love. Without faith. Without light."

The creature raises its hand—and black, viscous tentacles erupt from it, as if darkness itself has taken flesh.

"You've only just begun. And I am the end."

Under Nicky's feet, the platform begins to give way. The subconscious cracks, distorts. As if the mind itself cannot bear the presence of The Thing.

Nicky clenches his fists. His body glows. He feels them. Outside. His friends. The battle. Aaron's cry. Enzo's breakthrough. Trinity. Everyone. Memories flood him like crazy:

"Well, I broke her camera with my bat. She'll learn not to mess with my lo-... my beloved friend." —Maritza.

"But, for all that, you're my rival. My irritating, self-satisfied, always-scheming competitor. And I'm not going to lose you because of some crazy girl with a goddess complex and your... hand-torch." —Delroy.

"Thanks, Nicky. You're... a true friend." —Aaron.

"Nicky... you're... my friend. My best friend. I... I can't imagine my life without you now. And... I... I hate seeing you like this." —Trinity.

"Sometimes, all you need is a simple smile." —Murtaugh.

"You're Nicky Roth. The one who stopped Crowface. Saved me. Survived Peterson's basement. These walls—they're nothing. Hear me? Nothing." —Finch.

"Nicky's not here. It's me, Enzo." —Enzo, when he tried to save Nicky from the basement himself.

"Nicky... it doesn't matter how you were created. What matters is who you are." —Ivan.

"You're just something else, Nicky." —Lucy.

"Thanks for... being here. This is not what's needed." —Mya.

And finally... memories of his parents:

"You drew this?" Luanne leaned closer. Her eyes widened.

Nicky nodded, shrugging slightly.

"This... This is really cool. Very clear proportions. You have a talent for composition." Luanne took off her glasses.

"Who's this?" Jay asked, carefully chewing a gingerbread.

"A character from 'Invincible'. I... I want to wear this for Halloween."

"And you came to ask us to buy a costume?" Luanne crossed her arms.

"No..." Nicky hesitated. "I wanted to ask... maybe we... well, make it? Together?" Nicky didn't want to admit it aloud. But he missed the times when his parents were mostly free. Now they were constantly at work, rarely home, which was why no one discovered Nicky's disappearance.

He froze.

An awkward pause.

Jay dropped his mug. Into the sink, but still.

"You... want us to make a costume? Together?" his mother repeated, as if checking if she was glitching.

Nicky nodded. Slowly.

"You know how to sew... Dad—draw. And I'll help. I just..."

"Son, SON. OH, GOD. COME HERE, HUG ME." Jay turned and hugged Nicky with such unexpected force that he almost recoiled.

"You finally asked us for something other than 'Don't touch my tools'!" his father was almost ecstatic.

"We'll sew you a costume. The coolest one in all of Raven Brooks, damn it." Jay got carried away.

"Calculations first," Luanne interjected, already flipping through notebook pages. "We need two types of fabric: stretchy white and red. For the cape—satin. For the symbol—felt. And glasses, of course," she said.

"And hair gel!" Jay added. "You're not just a hero—you're a brutal hero! We need to make your hair—WHOOSH!" He made a strange hand gesture, mimicking an explosion on his head.

Nicky laughed. It wasn't a sarcastic chuckle, not a defensive reaction.

He just genuinely laughed.

"Dad, that sounds awful," he said through a smile.

"Exactly why it'll be perfect," Jay winked.

They spent the next two hours taking measurements, selecting fabric from old boxes, cutting up Jay's old college cape.

Luanne checked measurements, Jay picked colors, Nicky cut out patterns.

At one point, they were looking at a pattern together, and Nicky quietly mumbled:

"Remember when Aaron and I... made a fart synthesizer?.."

Both parents froze.

"Yes... And connected it to Mrs. Tillman's speakers at the eco-shop," Jay chuckled.

"$5,000 fine," Luanne added dryly.

And at that moment, all three burst into laughter.

…

Nicky knew his parents weren't even in this universe right now. But he felt them, their love for him. Their desire to save... Their warmth. Not even universal length would stop parents love.

"I'm not alone," he exhales.

Nicky stands face to face with The Thing. The black figure stretches, distorts, as if emptiness itself decided to walk on two legs.

But suddenly—a hum.

Somewhere deep inside—a splash of light.

Voices.

Screams.

Someone's consciousness enters his.

…

Ivan

The world around him—a white room, and opposite—himself, but bloody, with empty eyes. Beside him—a dead Nicky.

You always let him down. You're just a boy who builds toys while friends die. You couldn't stabilize his energy, which is why he's still suffering. You couldn't create a proper antidote.

But Ivan clenches his teeth, bares his wrist, from which energy begins to flow.

"You are not my fear. I chose to be by his side. I chose to consider him an older brother, not a burden. He taught me not to give up. So—go to Doom."

Ice breaks through the shadow.

…

Delroy

Darkness. He fights... another self. Tall. Strong. Ruthless. As if everything he feared—that he would become a soulless machine if he lost all the people dear to him, particularly Ivan and Aunt Star.

You're weak. Without them, you're nothing. They lift you up—and you? Just a mockery with fists.

But Delroy laughs:

"Did you even hear him argue? This guy—he's my rival, my best. If he falls—then I'll pick him up. Because he's the one who showed me what I could be. And everyone else is who supported me in my darkest times!"

He knocks down the shadow with a punch, and it crumbles.

…

Enzo

An apartment. Silence. A broken console screen. In the reflection—he, alone. Without laughter, without words, without friends. His fear—of being forgotten.

Do you think he considers you close? You're just scenery in his story.

Enzo wipes away tears:

"We've been through more than just friendship together. He's my best friend. Forever. Even if I'm not perfect—I'm with him. Always."

A tentacle of darkness breaks in his hand.

…

Quentin

A report. A camera. A dead Aaron. His fear—losing his son, just as he's losing Nicky now.

You only want to save him because you're afraid of losing your boy.

Quentin clenches his teeth:

"Yes. But also because Nicky—is worthy of saving. He showed my son what true friendship is. I won't allow him to disappear. Not for Aaron's sake. For my own."

…

Aaron

He is in emptiness. He hears Nicky's voice. But it says:

You didn't save me. I disappeared anyway.

Tears stream down Aaron's cheeks. He remembers everything: fighting for him. Arguing. Hugging.

"Yes, I'm imperfect. Yes, I've snapped. But you're my brother. My best friend. No... you're more than that! I love you! I'd go to Doom for you. And here I am. So get your butt back here."

…

Finch

An alley. Her fear—of being trapped again. Alone again. No way out.

She hears Nicky's voice calling her name.

You're just a bully. You caused his reputation. You gave him the nickname "Sick Nick." You wrote a newspaper article mocking his nervous breakdown.

Finch doesn't believe it.

"That's in the past. He carried me on his back. Thought I was braver than I am. He believed in me. He trusted me. He gave me a chance. He saved me. Now I believe in him. I'm ready to give my all to save him. I love him!"

She cuts through the shadow with light, crossbow in hand.

…

Maritza

She stands before a blazing sky. Around—ruins. And in the center—Nicky, charred, dead.

You didn't save him. You're weaker than him. Always have been.

Maritza remembers how they competed, how they laughed, how she protected him even from others.

"Go to Doom. I'm not just saving him. I'm bringing him back. Because he's not just strong. He's Nicky, my... my beloved idiot. And I won't let him burn."

…

Trinity

She is in a cage. And behind the bars—a shadow with the corpses of her parents, friends, all repeating her voice:

You lie. You let everyone down. And him too. No one forgave you.

She trembles, but clenches her hands.

"He's one of the few who accepted me without question. And if I have to go through fear to save him—I will. Because I love him."

…

Inside Nicky's Mind

He falls to his knees. Hears all of it. Feels it. This isn't just support—it's as if each of their souls stood beside him.

They share his fear. Share his pain. Share the battle.

He stands up.

The Thing freezes.

"Are you alone?"

"No." Nicky smiles. From his back, rays of light grow, each—the aura color of one of his friends. Blue, red, violet, green, yellow, white, cyan. And from Aaron, he has Sharingan eyes.

"I am all their chances. All their words. All their fears turned into strength. I am not alone."

He walks forward.

Ready to face the last darkness. No longer as a lonely child.

He is not alone, each friend appears beside him.

The Thing towers. Its form distorted, elongated, as if darkness itself wants to become infinite. White eyes glow with venom.

And now—all the friends stand beside Nicky. All who faced fear. Who defied. Who love him.

Trinity on her knees. Crying. Emotions gush from her chest, as if the sky has fallen.

"If we strike—we'll strike you, Nicky..." Aaron whispers.

"But you yourself said—live. And to live means to fight. Even if it hurts," Finch adds.

Nicky looks at them. At each one.

"I... I trust you. Strike. If that's what it takes—strike."

The Thing laughs.

"Touching. Suicides. You'll erase his soul while I merely hold it."

"You're not his soul," Ivan says, activating energy. "You're a parasite. And we will burn you out."

Delroy raises his fists.

Quentin activates time.

Maritza ignites the air.

Enzo squeezes water into a sphere.

Aaron ignites lightning.

Finch draws her crossbow.

Trinity... stands. Alone. In the center.

Her eyes shine. Her hair sways from the energy coming from everywhere.

The grass beneath their feet glows.

Tree branches in the real world sway, despite the calm.

Animals—from dogs to birds—raise their heads.

And beyond consciousness... people. Residents of the neighborhood. Parents. Even strangers.

They raise their hands. They don't know why, but they feel: it must be done.

Light gathers. From everything. From every atom. Every spark.

Trinity trembles.

"I... I'm not worthy..."

Nicky puts a hand on her shoulder:

"You are stronger than all of us. Because you carry light, even if you are in darkness yourself."

Everyone, everyone gives energy. Even Nicky.

A huge violet sphere appears in Trinity's hands. She holds it like a sun.

Tears stream down her face. Not from pain. From meaning. From love.

"I... I'll bring you back, Nicky."

She throws it.

The sphere crashes into The Thing. Light fills everything. There is no explosion. There is purification. The explosion doesn't destroy—it returns.

The Thing screams, losing its form. It hisses, writhes, howls.

"I am part of him! I am his darkness! Without me he is weak!"

But the light continues to shine.

"He's not giving up on you," Trinity whispers. "He accepts you. We—we accept all of him. Even with fear."

The Thing disappears. Dissolves. Transforms into light.

At that same moment, everything collapses.

The subconscious compresses like a spring.

And everyone is thrown out.

They won...

[loodgack]

I finished my HN storyline video scripts, so i watched a new interview with Nikita (I didn't want to do it, until I didn't finish it the writing!)

the following was confirmed about HG: 

Smith is rich af (there were signs, I'll mention in the HG video once) 💸💸💸

Smith bought the abandoned Golden Apple amusement park(??!)

Smith hired Bea and Quentin (boss AU is real!!!👀)

nobody knew wheres the mayak (it hid very well on the very top of a literal hill and as we see, Smith was busy watching the guards, instead of walking up a bit lol)

Smith was scared of the guest (visual representation below)

[notcryingtoday]

No one knows how much I love him

He thought that if magic existed, he would be happy. But then he got it and he was still depressed. Despite everything, it was still not enough.