❝ i’ve never seen you ş̵̨͕̭͚̺̳̠̯̮̪̼͋͌̉͑̈́̇̓̊̽́̚͝ͅm̶̥̦̹͖͈͍͔̰͉̻̪̱̖̼͌͒̔̂͑̚͝ì̵̧̈́̕ļ̷̨̻̠̥̩͚̲̰̯͎͚̥̺̔̃͑͆̔̇͘͠ȩ̷͎̾̏̆̂̽̕͝ smile like that before. ❞
❝ What are you ᴛᴀʟᴋɪɴɢ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ﹐ Sᴀɪᴛᴏ﹣ᴄʜᴀɴ﹖❞
They're in the sentient depths that swallowed up Executive Proton nearly a decade ago, moving through the liminal space as it's electronic heart beat rumbled across an endless horizon. He is perched atop a street light that cascaded a pale yellow ray, body leaning to the side at just the wrong angle, smiling at just the wrong width, eyes wide and shining at just the wrong intensity.
❝ This is how I always lo- ▁▒▔❑▒▕𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝙸 𝚊𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚔. ❞
His legs slowly kick back and forth, distorting as if he were cutting through the air with every movement of his joints. Proton lowered himself down, the same grin on his face inverting for a split second, facial features widening and then settling-- he moves to the same beat that their bizarre prison pulsates to, an angry groan that seemed to come from the sky echos across the grounds, almost like an engine struggling to start-- is punctuated by Proton's laughter.
❝ ᵢ'ₘ ₜₕₑ ₒₙₗᵧ ₒₙₑ ₜₕₐₜ 𝒸ₐₙ ₕₑₗₚ ᵧₒᵤ. ❞
The "street" that they are standing on shifts, a faceless man crossing at the corner of the block, moving just too fast, with limbs that are just too long. Static trails this uncanny figure, another victim that had been dragged into this false reality.
❝ I came all the way here to help yooouuu, Saito-chan! 🎶🆃🅰🅺🅴 🅼🆈 🅷🅰🅽🅳! ❞
He's grinning, hanging off from the light pole, one hand and one foot anchoring him as an hand reaches down to Eli. Without permission, however, static-y fingers wrap around his subordinate's wrist. For a moment, they phase through his flesh before clamping down, and he yanks--
Boots clack onto the concrete of the Sharpening Stone's floor. They had emerged from the flickering fluorescent lights on the ceiling-- but how? Proton's body still carried the trademark distortion that always appeared when his corrupted state was agitated. Eli is on the ground, far worse off, but the wretched repo man does not care.
He's looking over his shoulder, eyes that are just the wrong shape peering at Eli, smile that is just the wrong curve still present.
Alone, and ｃｕ▁▒▔❑▒▕alone and ▁▒▔❑▒▕ ｒｓalone and ᶜᵒʳʳᵘᵖᵗᵉᵈ.
