awashlogs | april catch-all.

[ definitely they should be careful. dave hasn't really been good at that since arriving, a little reckless trying to keep from thinking about anything too hard. but this is maybe the stupidest move, because it isn't like he doesn't tinker how pale he is. how pale and washed out izuku got. the thing is those shades matter more than his own life does. he didn't explicitly say that when he told minato and ryoji about them. he never bothered to inform john. but dave strider has worn the ben stiller shades for three years and counting without removing them for more than a scant handful of minutes here or there.

it's reflexive to try to grab them back even when they disappear into his own shadow, and while he's more or less pretended to be fine the entire time there is something very quietly shattered about the expression found on his face without the shades. john lost the rabbit within the day but dave has always been cagily sentimental and militant about the sunglasses thing.

the too-genuine look of horror fades into abject surprise when his hand is swallowed whole and there's an aborted gesture with his right like he's going to call up his timetables but he promised john he wouldn't and anyway they're in the town - ]

[Shit.

There's no time. There's no time at all, and Minato's immediately fumbling for his Evoker, because he can drive the shadows away with light, if he can just summon Messiah quickly enough he can do it.

He can save Dave from this fate that's happening all over again in front of his eyes, his own breath hitching.

But the fumbling takes a moment too long, he's not able to yank his Evoker out in time to do anything when it would actually help--]

[Nope.

Nope, nope, nope. He drops the candle and he dives, not even really thinking about what he's doing. He's already watched one Strider disappear into glitchy, weird darkness. Letting his particular Strider go the same way isn't optional.]

Dude, move! [He knows about the flashstepping at this point, he knows Dave can start a loop or something and pop up elsewhere, somewhere, anywhere and he fumbles over his own words to try and tell Dave to call up the fucking timetables.

And his hand moves, trying to grab Dave's arm and pull him backwards.]

[ move. right. time travel is straight out unless he wants to freeze up seeing things that may have happened or may someday happen or whatever the fuck that is. he could try to freeze his shadow but more of his arm is already inside.

the only thing to come to mind, frazzled, is that it's like saw. cutting off the arm is still an option. struggling to yank it out isn't really working but he has a second hand until the shadow grabs that too and eliminates the option, dave's sword falling to the ground because yeah he's been about to try to cut himself free even if it had meant cutting himself. the second thing is that john reaching out is really fucking dangerous because the last thing in any universe dave wants is to put his best friend in any sort of danger.

so john says move and dave jerks out of john's reach thinking shit because if he's going down it's alone. ]

John, don't - [ at least he sounds calm like he isn't, eyes wide and eerie white as he tries to tell john to get back. the horror that had been there when his shades disappeared just isn't there as dave himself is swallowed whole. it's just another death (maybe?) and maybe it's final and maybe it isn't. his lips are pressed together in a thin line and he doesn't let himself flinch again, though at least he does at least try to keep moving to get free.

not that it helps. dave had been devoid of color entirely from the second he lunged for his shades and the pale ghost of him is swallowed up in seconds. ]

[It all happens so quickly. One moment Minato's yanking his Evoker free, watching John scramble for Dave as if that will help, and the next...

The next, Dave's swallowed up whole (just like Izuku, just like is going to happen to all of them if they don't do something) and Minato's breath hitches, the Evoker falling from where it'd been pressed to his temple to instead uselessly clatter to the ground.

A few more seconds.

With a few more seconds, he could have--

(Too slow, too late again)

For a moment, all he can do is drag in a slow, shaky breath, because it hurts, and he's panicked, and he can barely even process what just happened, that Dave is somehow gone, but he needs to pull himself together, because John--John is going to need him even more, especially after seeing that, and he has to make sure John doesn't go the same way. So he steps forward, slowly, steps heavy...to crouch next to John, slowly setting a hand on his shoulder, looking at him closely to make sure--

To make sure he isn't so pale as to be swallowed up whole, again. It's...all he can do, half-numb brain working on autopilot when there's someone there who needs help.]

[Oh. Just like that, huh? He doesn't say anything and Dave's sword is at his feet since he dropped it, and he doesn't want to think about what Dave was thinking he'd do. He doesn't actually acknowledge Minato yet either as he stares at the blank space in front of him.

"But now they don't have dream selves left! Who ever goes will be risking their life for good, won't they?"
"That would be the logical extension of those facts, yes."

"Oh god, Rose and Dave!!! Where are they now? Did one of them do the suicide mission thing? And what about the other? Did they get scratch'd???"
"Actually, they both went, and in a manner of speaking, their mission was a success"

Not to mention what he knows from Terezi, and what Dave's told him himself. It's...a grim picture, and he doesn't like it, and he's angry Dave pushed him off this time. They could have done something. Just a few extra seconds, anything.

Idiot. Stupid, stupid idiot. He doesn't even realize he says "stupid idiot" out loud and under his breath as he stares ahead, color leaving a little as frustration mounts.

Instead. He reaches forward just as slowly to pick up Dave's sword and he's not sure what he's going to do, but.]

We have to find them. [Firm. Determined. Angry. It's easier to focus on that than Dave's eyes and things he already knew but was hoping wouldn't be true. But Izuku's gone still, too, and now that the numbers are increasing they need to quit screwing up.]

[... The same reaction. It's the same reaction Dave had to Izuku disappearing (the same reaction Minato himself had to Izuku disappearing). That he had to be somewhere. That they just had to find him.

Minato already knows they're not going to find him.

But that's not...something he could ever say in this moment. Instead, slowly his eyes slide shut as he drags in a quiet breath. Dave disappearing just like that, neither of them able to save him in that brief, heartstopping moment--

That's going to be seared on the back of his eyelids for a long time.

But he can worry about how he feels about all of that later. Right now... there's John. John, and the fool's hope that somehow he'll find Dave, and John's color fading, and Minato knows he has to stay by his side here and now, no matter what. So...quietly, he nods.]

... Okay.

[They can look for them.

They can look, and look and look and never find them--but even so, they have to look.]

[He's determined not to be the failure again this time. He's slow to rise but he takes the sword and shoves it in his sylladex, hands still in fists at his sides.]

The forest? That's where he and Keith first saw the shadows, so maybe there. Maybe that is where they are all being dragged.

... Maybe.

[He doesn't think so, but he understands John's thought process--and regardless, if there's even the slightest chance, they have to try.

Besides, there's no way he can let John go into the woods alone.]

Let's go, then.

[He immediately starts walking. It's not his casual, leisurely pace like Minato's seen before but it's quick and anxious as he heads for the trees.]

I don't know how to fight them though. [The shadows, he means. That's just the first flaw in his plan.] But we can probably free them with fire or something.

[Minato keeps up--because after all, this is important.

He has to keep John in his sights.]

Large bursts of light seem to do the trick, but I have some light spells too if that's not enough.

Does the Death summon do that? I didn't know. [He's only seen Thanatos, so. It's a guess. His fingers are twitching and he kind of wants to fly to move faster but he's not leaving Minato behind either.] What kind of light spells?

The Death--

[JOHN.... PLEASE DON'T CALL THANATOS THAT... not that it's wrong but still...!!]

... No, a different one. The instant death kind of light spells, usually, but since shadows can't really die, it'll just be a really bright light.

[WELL HE IS??? But John frowns a little before he nods.]

As long as it doesn't instant-death us I think that will work best. We'll need it for out there.

It won't.

[He can guarantee that, calmly and quietly, as he follows John as quickly and promptly as he possibly can.]

It'll just keep us both safe.

[He guarantees that--because he won't let anything happen to John, too. Not after Izuku and Dave both. Not again.]

...okay. [His shoulders are tight and his head's up, and he kind of wants to suggest splitting up to search but that sounds like it'd be a bad idea.]

Let's start to the left and we'll search the closest parts of the town first.

Got it. I'm with you, so... go ahead.

[A slow breath in, and Minato squares his shoulders, Evoker loosely in hand.]

I won't fall behind.

I know you won't. [There's a nod...and they're off. They can search the woods for a while, but they'll come up empty-handed.]

april catch-all.

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