Chapter Text
“ Saraaa, you wrote down notes from the lesson, right? ”
“ Joe, I can’t be responsible for you all the time, you know. Couldn’t you have written it down yourself? ”
The answer was a resounding yes, but that didn’t stop him from flipping onto his stomach and staring down at Sara. She looked back up towards him, eyebrows furrowed and the can of soda placed between them the sole barrier. A blue spring sky hung above them as they relaxed on lunch break, the day almost half over already.
Eventually, with a groan, Joe’s head fell back onto his arms and he lazily kicked his legs. “ I know, I know, but why waste the paper…! If we share the knowledge, we can save the trees! ” he argued, hoping it would reach Sara’s heart. All he received is a sigh that betrayed a slight laugh, though she didn’t express anything past that.
Joe took his defeat with grace and promptly blew bubbles into his soda hard enough to get splashback. He watched the drink drip onto the rooftop with a pout before he flopped onto his back once more.
Eyelids fell shut and, with how warm the breeze was and how little rest he felt he got this past night, he could just…
“ Besides, how are you supposed to copy my notes when I’m dead? ”
Fall… asleep?
His eyes snapped open and he moved to look at Sara only to find himself paralyzed. The sky’s blue changed into a rusted red, the sun burned out into a black blotch that dripped… something off of it. Not that it mattered, especially when Sara’s face blocked his vision from it all. Joe screamed at the sight of how amethyst eyes no longer appeared that way, how beads of sweat were not on his face but the blood that dribbled out of Sara’s mouth.
No, this isn’t her! This isn’t Sara!
There was a cruel laugh as if she had read his thoughts, one hand that reached and caressed his cheek. Joe jerked his head away before he was forcibly returned to staring at her, both of Sara’s hands clasped around his face as she dug her nails in.
“ Joe, didn’t you say you would protect me? That anyone that hurt me would have to talk to Ryoko and you? Why did you fail then? Why did you let me die, Joe? ”
“ I…! ”
How could he defend himself? The flurry of events within the Main Game struck him repeatedly and he couldn't breathe, his vision was blurred and he was choking on all of the pain and sorrow that came to clasp around his throat--
Joe shot out of bed, foot tangled in the sheets before he toppled over onto the floor. He gasped, hand to his chest as he made an attempt to catch his breath from the awkward position he’d been put in. When everything finally felt like it was back in order (minus the fear that laced his veins and the pounding headache), Joe shakily climbed to his feet.
It took a minute for his eyes to adjust to the low-lighting and he blinked to knock the remains of sleep from his body. This room was… unfamiliar and that alone made it suffocating to exist within. He slowly moved about, noting that it was similar to the set-up of a hotel room in terms of bed size and furniture.
He glanced into the window and his breath caught before a shaky, exhaled laugh came out. The bags under his eyes were prominent. Joe moved his hands as if to hide them from sight. God, I look like hell…
He shook his head and let his shoulders slump. Joe ran a hand through his hair before he turned away. What a rude awakening, really. While sleep wasn’t a concept he wanted anything to do with at the moment, stepping outside of the room was out of the question until he could make it less obvious how hollow he felt and looked. Joe fixed up the bedsheets and pulled them back, only half-conscious of his own movements as he climbed back on.
Something wet made contact with his knee, where it soaked through the fabric instantly. Joe shifted, a chill shooting down his spine at the blotch of red slowly coloring more of the bedsheets. He jumped off and inched away until his back made contact with the mirror. The air stiffened until it was suffocating, his heart slowly picked up its pace until he could feel the pulse start to strangle him from the inside out. The room’s monotony was broken by the spot of red growing larger and larger, joined only by a new one that formed within the lamp and dripped off the lampshade.
Joe’s breath caught in his lungs. White noise filled his head, vision blurred as arms carelessly manifested from the glass and wrapped around him. Kai’s stared at him from his sprawled position on the bed, lifeless as he was drained at the wrist. Mishima’s head was set against the back of one of the chairs, the air soured by the odor of burnt flesh.
That iron grip around him only tightened when his chest heaved. Sara’s nails dug as hard into his forearms as they could.
“ Die with me, Joe! It should’ve been you, after all! ”
( She was right, she was right, she was right-- )
“ You… You aren’t Sara! ” he cried out. Joe thrashed until he was released, carried forward by the instinct to make space. Joe whipped around to face the ghost of Sara, eyes wild and heart pounding out of his chest with every second that passed. The spectre laughed, head tilted and arms out that beckoned him forth.
“ I know you miss me! You dreamt of me, of how you want to go home and go back to school! We’re close, aren’t we, Joe? The ‘you’ in your dreams would never let me down like this! ”
( He couldn’t take it. )
“ Shut up!!! ” he screamed as his fist flew toward the reflection. The glass shattered with hardly any effort at all. Pain shot from his knuckles to the rest of his body. Joe whimpered as it all set in, knees drawn to the floor. Everything hurt from his head to his heart and he couldn’t help but cry out for someone, anyone that could hear him to save him from this nightmare.
Footsteps. Joe’s vision swam as he raised his head and caught a glint of metal from Sara’s hand. He fell back with a yelp, eyes blown wide as he tried to back away. Blood stuck to his palms, slowed him down, made that ever-present nausea settle into his throat–
“ Come on, Joe! I’m the only person that would’ve saved you here. Too bad you let me die, right? Here, how about I give you a sample of the pain you would be in! ”
She swung the knife, burying the blade deep into Joe’s shoulder before she ruthlessly ripped it out. Joe sobbed, a result that made the grin on Sara’s lips grow. His eyes were burning, his heart was ready to give out, and all he could do was feel rapid apologies fall from his lips, unheeded by the demon that laughed at his efforts and swung once more at him.
“ Joe… big bro Joe! Wake up, woof! ”
His eyes slowly opened again, peripheries lined with orange and pink. Joe couldn’t focus on his surroundings otherwise, but the carpet was no longer stained and his shoulder didn’t throb. All he deduced was his hand’s bruised feeling and the shakiness of it before he tried to pull himself further back into reality. “ … G… in? Why...? ”
The way his voice grated his vocal cords was telling that all that screaming he did moments ago wasn’t solely in his head. If not for how hard his heart still beat, he would almost be embarrassed. Joe removed himself from the child’s gentle grasp, hunched over and heels pressed to his eyes. He didn’t dare to look towards Gin, knees pulled to his chest and face hidden. Despite this, Gin moved closer and rested his forehead on the elder’s back. Joe hiccuped at the warmth that blossomed, a kindness that soothed his very spirit.
“ I heard you yelling, woof. I - I got worried, so I wanted to check on you, meow… ”
Joe rubbed his throat briefly and sighed, shaky. Gin cared enough to run to make sure he was okay. Did he see what panic plagued Joe after he entered the room? What was he doing? How far had he actually moved? The ache in his fist felt like evidence, but the glass was fine and the dim light didn’t reveal a single smudge.
Had he punched the ground? Joe flexed his fingers, frowning.
“ If you were having a nightmare, then… I’ll make sure to beat ‘em away, woof! I won’t let them hurt you anymore, big bro Joe! ” Gin promised with enthusiasm, arms extended to wrap Joe in a gentle hug.
Joe sniffled, fighting the urge to cry further with a rough swallow and a weak laugh. While it’s the definition of a childish promise, it brought a bit of joy back into his own demeanor. He shut his eyes, felt himself start to drift off once more before he snapped awake and bit the inside of his cheek.
“ Huh? If you’re still tired, I can protect you starting now, meow! ”
While the immediate need to protest this action was at the tip of his tongue, all Joe could do was glance at Gin and give a small nod. It’s returned with a determination in dark green eyes as he shifted backwards and flipped around, putting them back-to-back. The weight grounded Joe in a manner that relaxed his mind just enough to allow him to slip back into unconsciousness, snoring softly as sleep took hold of him once more.
( It was pitch black. Nothing happened and the vision of a saccharine scene melting away to reveal utter hell did not haunt him once during the brief rest. Joe was grateful, a silent thank you given to the young guardian of his dreams. )
When he woke up once more, his eyes still felt heavy. A restless sleep like that couldn’t soften the exhaustion etched to his face. Joe stared at the ceiling, blinking several times before realizing that his head was being cradled by something plush. He was back on the bed and, for a brief moment, his breath hitched in fear of having fallen into another hallucination.
Well, until a voice that wouldn’t show up to torment him broke through the growing heartbeat.
“ You doing okay, Joe? ”
Joe sat himself up, catching sight of the blond hair before it fully registered who was standing at his bedside. He leaned back and forth, searching around for Gin briefly before he opened his mouth to ask the question. “ I came to check on both of you and he was falling asleep so I took charge. Hope you don’t mind, ” Keiji answered with a wry smile.
I mind, Joe thought. There was a swirl of distrust in the pit of his stomach and his eyes narrowed somewhat, though he turned away after a moment in hopes that Keiji would make no comment on it. Joe sighed softly, throwing his legs over the side of the bed and standing up to stretch. Several pops later and he returned his attention to the policeman, one hand resting in his pocket while the other limply hung at his side. “ I… I’m fine. Had a nightmare, that’s all. ”
The gaze leveled at him was filled with disbelief and Joe felt the sweat beading on the back of his neck. From his further disheveled appearance to the lead-up of this moment… yeah, no doubt Keiji had reasons to not believe him. It didn’t stop the man from letting out a ‘wahaha’ and turning his back, one hand up as he took his leave. “ You don’t have to tell your friendly policeman anything you don’t want to. ”
Joe waited until Keiji’s out of sight and turned to the mirror once again. Fear pounded at his nerves, yet he stared at himself long enough to fiddle with his hair and fix his uniform. Past the eyebags, he figured this was the best he could do. A defeated sigh as he headed out of the room, door falling shut with a gentle click behind him.