Back at it again at the Krispy Kreme, part three of the Star at night. Shout out to Shoya again for being my editor!
Before you read, this is a warning before the warning labels. This is legitimately considered dead dove according to the guidelines of DD. If there are ANY, and I mean ANY labels that you see that you know you CAN NOT handle. DO NOT READ! Take care of yourself. Seriously, heavy material is in this chapter. If you are still here, enjoy this chapter.
⚠️ warning ⚠️ dead dove 🕊️ , death, heavy themes of mental and physical abuse, use of unorthodox methods of punishment, attempted sexual assault (not Ray), manipulation, emotional unease, trauma, underage possession of alcoholic beverages, and alcohol in general.
If you personally need to take a break will reading, do so. The story will still be here. I promise, come back when ready if you need to. Enjoy the read.
The mask was held out for him to take. Its colors burned into his brain. FUCKING STEEL SHERIFF?! This had to be some kind of joke. Ray felt himself claw out past the Binary Star façade. Ray was supposed to be buried deep, wrapped up and lost in the light of Binary Star. This made Ray claw to the surface. Thoughts and feelings rushed to the surface like a dam that had broken and left damage as it went.
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Ray enjoyed the sun while he had it. Based on its position it was probably around three in the afternoon. The hottest part of the day but, hey, at least there was a cool breeze for a day in May like this. The brown sack of groceries held in his arm. He had to admit, having super strength was nice. Groceries felt like nothing. After exiting the store he even helped some old lady carry bags of groceries like it was nothing. Felt good. Ray looked down in the bag. The lady had much healthier stuff than he did. I mean, if Ray would choose he wouldn’t be one to drink beer in whiskey. Just an errand for his…dad. He practically gagged at the thought of that man being his father. He shouldn’t even have the title.
Ray was glad he walked instead of drove, that means he gets to be out of the house for longer. After all, he doesn’t hardly leave, he schools at home because the NAHA doesn’t want him out among other teens his age. Not sure if he’d get into trouble. Besides, the NAHA knew from a report given to them by the steel sheriff that Ray was still dealing with the repercussions of the southern war. He shivered at the thought. Thank goodness he was only a part time hero right now. He’d be stressed to the max. He liked it well enough. Being a hero. Then again, he was always nervous to do the wrong thing though. To mess up. What if he wasn’t the Hero the people wanted? What if he was a mess up? What if he wasn’t what the people needed.
Finally, Ray had made it to the little house that was a bit out of town. Away from prying eyes. He slow played it, walked at a slower pace, hey, the mail is probably here too. Might as well check that. The mail consisted of fan mail, bills, and other things that Ray didn’t really care about. With a sigh he moseyed on up the path to the door. That when a scream pierced through the air, muffled but for Ray, he heard it clear as day.
His blood ran cold, chest tightened painfully in his chest. Felt a little sweaty as his body grew hot. He knew what this meant, someone was inside fighting for themselves. Trying to get away from the hellish nightmare that was Steel Sheriff’s home. Ray felt stuck to that spot, he’s a hero. He’s done this before? Why did it feel so difficult? He knew the answer. Because when he played hero at home? There were consequences. He shook his head, that didn’t matter. Consequences or not…someone needed his help. The grocery bag dropped to the ground, glass breaking, the bag slowly soaking making the paper soggy. As Ray made bounding leaps to the door.
He burst through the door with fever, hurry. His eyes widened at the sight before him. He would think he’d be prepared for it but it’s still shocking every time. “I SAID ONLY ONE TIME! ONE!” The woman beneath Rick cried out as tears streamed down her face. She cringed as Rick kissed and prodded at her body. Her glossy eyes looked at Ray. Her face was bruised, left eye swollen shut. “H-help me. Please.” The woman whines making his heart drop to the floor. “SHE SAID GET OFF!” Ray screamed, rushing Rick, grabbing him by the shoulder tearing him off the woman. Rick flew through the air landing on the glass coffee table with a crash.
Ray knelt beside the woman. “Can you stand?” He inquired, taking the woman’s hand gently. The woman shook her head no. She was panicking, having a hard time trying to get her up. “YOU FUCKIN’ LITTLE BITCH!” Ticked yelled starting to get up. Making Ray panic a little. “It’s okay Ma’am. I’ll help you up but we have to be fast.” With that Ray stood up taking her hand with him pulling her up, before he pulled her along to the front door, making her stumble a little. The front door was still wide open. He pushed her gently out the door. “GO! GET SOMEWHERE SAFE!” Ray cried out, everything running on high alert. The woman stumbled down the walk way sobbing but still out of harm's way. A breath of relief was short-lived.
Rays felt his leg leave the ground as he felt himself being yanked back by his shirt collar. “Boy what did I fuckin’ say would happen when you get in my way?” Rick’s tone was dangerously low before he stopped eating Ray, throwing him against the ugly cream sofa. Before Ray could even get up Rick sat on him, straddling him, keeping Ray pinned to the floor. “What did I tell you? Say it.” Ray swallowed thickly. He hated this, hated him. He should just kill him. Wait…no. No, Ray shook the thought away. No, hero’s don't think like that right? They shouldn’t. A good hero doesn’t think like that. Ray couldn’t fight back, he had nowhere else to go, Rick had ingrained into Ray's mind that no one would take him either.
A tight grip on Ray’s hair snapped him from his thoughts, making him grimace. . “I’m talking to you. I expect a FUCKIN’ ANSWER!” Ray swallowed the lump in his throat as Rick released his hair and pulled a lighter and cigarette from his button up breast pocket. “You…you said that…if I…” this was humiliating. He didn’t want to do this. Even if he tried to keep his voice even, it didn’t work. “If I intervene I’ll take what’s left.” Rick nodded “Atta boy.” Rick took a inhale of smoke before pushing it back out in Ray’s face, making his nose wrinkle. “You ruin everything.” Rick said slowly. “Say it.”
Ray looked up at him, his eyes widening a little. Really? Why? Why was he like this? Rick suddenly pushed the hot cigarette to the skin on Ray’s upper arm. “SAY IT!” Ray cried out, “I RUIN EVERYTHING!” Rick smiles, “SAY IT AGAIN.” Ray shook his head, “Please I-“ his sentence replaced by a yelp. “I RUIN EVERYTHING!” Ray repeated. “SAY IT FOR ME AGAIN BOY! MAKE ME BELIEVE IT!” Ray yelled out in anger, his teeth gnashing, “I. RUIN. EVERYTHING!” Rick nodded, taking another drag. “That’s right. You do ruin everything. Now. Where is my whiskey?” Ray felt his heart sink. A numb feeling coursing through his body. “I…I dropped it.” He mumbled. “What was that boy?” Rick inquired credulously. “I dropped it.” Rick let out a humorless laugh. “Well, today isn’t your lucky day, is it Sun Ray.” Rick reared his fist back.
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The memory stopped, the horrid movie in his mind halted. This is it. Sure he lied, he wasn’t going to let these people go. However, he doesn’t remember one thing. Hershel’s special request. Crime rate was going up again. There was an example needed. To be made. He knew he could use Red Diamond to cut them down like he wanted to. After all, there will need to be a cover story so…needs to make sure to leave as little recognition of him as possible. Maybe killing them slowly won’t be too bad. A good release. Binary Star is put up for the next little bit of time. Leaving Ray, and ONLY Ray. He killed the man in his grip gruesomely before the group's very eyes. Just so they can see what’s coming to them. Ray smiled, “I’ll give you a head start. Fair enough? 10…9…get running, 8…” The countdown of the beginning of his hunt.
The countdown felt like a threat, no, worse than that. A promise of impending suffering. Carol and Sam ran at your side down the hall, the countdown of Binary Star feeling as if it was racing with you. “We have to get out of here somehow!” Sam cried out, breath ragged. “The front door is a no go.” Carol commented. That’s when the image of the map flashes into your mind. That’s right, that's it! “I got it! There is an employee exit in the locker room that leads outside! That’s our way out!” You say to the women running beside you. “Perfect, we’ll head-“ Carol stopped talking, only leaving labored breath and the ending of the countdown. “Zero. Countdown is up.” Binary Star called in a teasing tone down the hall.
“We need to hide, we have to separate. We’ll meet in the locker room.” That sounded like a terrible idea. Carol continued on, “One of us has to make it to the locker room.” The way Carol said it left a pit in your stomach. What? One? But what about everyone else? We can- no, I can’t leave anyone behind. You think to yourself. You love these people, they have been here for you for the longest time. You couldn't leave them. They were your family. “Hide!” Carol called.
You push forward, turning down the hall into the Greek exhibit. The room's lights were dim, white marble statues stood tall, historic gods and goddesses stood tall, some of the walls were lined with shields and weapons of all kinds, and stands with vases intercity designed. Footsteps scared you out of your short admiration, practically making you dive for cover behind the large “Venus De Milo” statue. That’s when he started talking. “You know. When I was younger, in my teen years. I used to imagine that people would make statues of me. Would treat me like a god.”
You peek your head around The corner of the statue, there he stood looking up at a statue you went familiar with. He wiped some dust off of it. “And they do. They just don’t tell you how…difficult it really is to be treated as such. The more you are seen. The less you are heard. Well, the fact is that, no one truly sees me. Not really anyways.” Binary Star chuckled a little. “Enough about me. I’d rather talk about you. You and your little “family” as you put it. I have to admit, you have an interesting family trade you have going on.” What? Family, how did he even know that? You never said anything about it? “I can read minds. Just how out of the loop are you?” He jests. That made this so much worse.
Binary Star took a deep breath. “Do you want to know something else? I have great hearing too. I can hear the sound of your heart. The fear. It is funny, two hearts almost beating at the same pace.” What did that even mean?! His words only made your heart beat faster, sweat forming on your brow. He knew you were there, so why did you keep hidden? Your thoughts suddenly were interrupted by the sound of a case breaking. That…wasn’t you. “Ah, someone made the first move. I was waiting for that.” He cooed.
Looking around the statue there stood Sam. Frozen in place, the vase broke to bits on the floor. She looked at you. Her eyes were not even trained on the figure stepping towards her. In a flash he ate up the distance snatching her up by her throat. “What to do with you hm?” He inquired to himself. “What do you think, (you)?” He was calling you out. He must have read her mind or something to get your name. “Ah, creative-“ he looks back at you. Who was now standing away from the statue, Afraid.
He looks back at sam. “Your friend here has quite the wild imagination. She’s thinking of all the possible things I could do to her. Only thing she didn’t account for is that I would use her imagination to think of something. Worse.” In that time of talking you panicked, you could just let Sam die like this. Not if you were there. Your eyes scanned the wall, there wasn’t much but you saw it. The metal throwing disk on the wall. With a tug it came off, you swung it around to throw it at him, hoping he’d drop Sam giving her time to escape. He caught it just before it reached his head. His head slowly turned to face you, a huge unsettling smile on it. “I like the way you think. (You).”
Those words made your heart drop to the floor. “NO!” You screamed as he took the disk and slammed it right into her face once. Just one hit and teeth fell to the floor, drop falling in droplets. She moaned in pain, eyes wide in shock. “SAM! STOP! PUT HER DOWN YOU BASTARD!” You scream, grabbing another weapon, a spear. It’s what you got. You’d use it. Just as you turned around to face him. It was as if he was waiting just for you to look. Sam was gagging, the disk set in her jaw. “Don’t be angry with me, you picked how she dies. Gave me the weapon with your own hands sweetheart.” With a sharp jerk of his gloved hand, Sam’s has fell to the floor with a sickening splatter. Making you drop your spear.
Another scream of horror escaped your lips. Binary star set her down gently, Adam took two wobbling steps toward you, reaching out. Her tongue hung from the absence of her lower jaw. Blood soaking her dark clothing and skin. Sam gurgled and choked before dropping to the floor with a thud. You could stop the tears that began to fall, that quickly turned into sobbing, the sobbing turned into throwing up. “Awww, don’t feel too bad. Her death was decently quick. Besides, kudos to you, you gave me some good entertainment so far.” You couldn’t stay. You couldn’t, you’d be next.
As fast as your legs could carry you, you ran down the hall with fever. Sobs are still wracking your body. The locker room was just up ahead. Not too far. Just as you passed the dinosaur exhibit, Carol came barreling out at the same time. Slamming into you. Her eyes widened. “(you)? Hey, it’s alright. Come here.” Carol grabbed you, pulling you back into the Dino exhibit, cradling you close. “No it’s not alright,” you cried. “I tired to save Sam and he fucking killed her with the disk I threw at him.” Carol attempted to sooth you. “Shhh, you did what you could. We can’t stay here though. We have to leave. Come on. Get yourself together.” With a nod. You follow her out your hand in hers.
Just as you two left the dinosaur exhibit, Binary Star was waiting right there for you with a smile. “Ah, funny running into you here.” Carol and you paused, before she shoved you right into his arms before making a mad dash down the hall. Leaving you in his arms in shock. She just…she just left you. She actually left you! “Mmm, maybe you aren’t really family.” You try to move from his grip, only for his grip to tighten on you. His head turning from Carol's disappearing figure to you. “How does that make you feel? (You)?”
It honestly made you feel disgusted. She was like your mother when you separated from yours. You trusted her. “Say it.” He said giving you a tight squeeze making you yelp. “DISGUSTED! IT MAKES ME FEEL ANGRY!” You cry out. “That’s what I thought. Let’s go pay her a little visit shall we? Maybe even have a little, heart warming chat.” His tone was anything but warm as he dragged you down the hall with him after Carol. Your fighting means nothing against him.