ending of m13

The Stand trumpeted loud enough to shatter the sky, shining in the fractured light. It had the shape of a bipedal elephant, but the hide of a kettle. Tin and glass, ancient and new. Garlands of tea draped from its body, as water boiled in the hollow chambers of its body..

Gioia stared into the distance, gears turning frantically to form another plan. As their Stands attempted to struggle free, Charvet looked back to Verve, to see the man grinning, trembling, teary-eyed. He frowned a moment, trying to find the words.

“Are you doing this for him?”

Vasant’s face lit up even brighter, illuminated by the mention of his love. “Yes, yes of course! The things I’ve done, everything I do, it’s for him! It’s for our life together!” He laughed again, tears boiling and trailing down his cheeks. “It’s all for *love!”*


Charvet found a thousand insults boiling in his mind, words to strike right to the heart of this cloyingly naive, empty-headed, disgustingly desperate man, and the twitchy, heartless control freak that had latched onto him. But he paused, remembering the taste of curry and tea, and decided to temper that impulse one more time.

“You’re doing this for him–but are you certain loves you back? Does he love you if he’s plunged you back into a life you hate? If he’s putting all these expectations on you, and shaping who you are?” Charvet briefly struggled against the plants to punctuate his point, though he could feel them threaten to unravel Vasant’s stitches.

The man paused for a moment. “Of course he loves me. He gave me all of this–a life I can finally share with someone!”

“But is he the *only person* you can share it with? I recall that when you tried to share it with yours truly, he wouldn’t even let you! Are you content with that? What will you do when the excitement fades, and he’s still using you like a blunt weapon? What happens if he doesn’t let you leave? What then?”

The man paused for a moment…as ｢Bitter Sweet Symphony｣ caught Charvet’s eyes. Its head seemed to lower just slightly, in some kind of acknowledgement. Finally, Vasant opened his lips to speak…and someone else glided through the entrance.

“Oh, now what in the hell is this-” Charvet hissed, as a figure approached Vasant, glowing with pale light. Gioia sneered in turn, recognizing that light from the empty city, now taking the form of Xenagoras himself.

*”Excellent work, my love,”* Xen smiled, as Vasant basked in his ghostly presence. *”You make a wonderful protector. But you need not fight alone.”

Finally, ｢Love Kills｣ freed an arm, slicing at the leaves around it.

“What did you do to yourself?” Gioia demanded, sickened by the sight.

*“I made a deal,”* Xen replied simply, his voice echoing as if speaking from a distant place. *”I couldn’t stand to be apart from my man.”* Then, turning to Vasant, his voice insistent and commanding, *”I’m right here, Vee, I’m always with you. Once more, it is the two of us against the world, but we’ll prevail. I know just what to do.”*

Charvet heaved a sigh of frustration, throwing his head back and staring at the sky.

With a *snap,* Gioia managed to tear the plants off of both of them, grabbing the man by the scruff and pulling him to his feet.

“It was a good attempt,” she sighed, “but until we knock some sense into him, that man’s too far gone.” She clasped Charvet by the shoulder, as Love Kills watched their enemies.

“But if we succeed here, we may very well take down a major member of the Metropolis Suite. This is our first step at throwing off the chains that bind this city. That is why we must fight, as we have always fought. Are you ready, Charvet Champagne?”

Charvet paused for a moment, before a unit of his first ACT skittered down his arm, squeaking up at him. No, it seemed he couldn’t rest quite yet.

“Darling, I’m *always* ready. Let’s give these bastards a messy breakup.”

He glanced over to see Vasant smiling and shaking, burning in his boyfriend’s radiance, a kettle set upon a white flame. He reached out to touch the man’s face, but his hand passed through. Still, Xenagoras smiled back at him with cold adoration. He leaned in close, whispering into his lover’s ear.

*“Now, what do you say?”*

Above them ｢Bitter Sweet Symphony｣ let loose a cry, like the trumpets of war. Like wedding bells.

Giddily, Vasant smiled, and his heart was full.

***”Open the game~!”***