Conflicting Lives- Chapter 1: Late Again

Conflicting Lives- Chapter 1: Late Again

Hi! I got this idea after reading a bunch of other hero/villain au fics, and wanted to try my hand at making my own! I hope you enjoy!

Word count: 1471

beep. beep. beep. beep.

Scythe groans as his alarm goes off for the…who knows how many times by now, likely the third or fourth. Finally looking up at his phone, he realizes what time it is.

8:30 “Shit!” Scythe curses as he rushes to get out of bed and get dressed. “I really need to get better at waking up.”

As he walks out of his room, still trying to pull on his shirt, Scythe sees Ella sitting on the couch, watching another random show that she must have found while browsing around. Without even turning around, Ella tells him, “There's food in the microwave for you. Hopefully it's still warm but maybe not since you woke up late again,” and only then does she turn around to look at Scythe with a glare shooting daggers.

Scythe sighs and looks down, “I know, I know you don’t have to remind me. I’m working on it,” he says defeatedly, knowing well that she was right. “Thank you for making food.” Instead of saying anything, she just turns back around and continues watching whatever she put on the TV.

Grabbing his cooling food and practically running out the front door, Scythe makes his way to his class. This would be the second time he was late to his 8am, and he only has this class, Feline Behavior and Psychology, three times a week. His professor isn’t necessarily keen on attendance, but he also isn’t the most lenient on it either.

Around 7 minutes of painfully speed walking from his dorm later, he arrives at his classroom and awkwardly walks in, praying he wouldn’t be noticed.

“Late again Mr. Cristaal.” the professor says, not exactly annoyed, but not happy either. Mostly disappointed honestly. 

Stiffening for a moment then accepting defeat, Scythe turns around, “Sorry Professor Scar. My alarm didn't wake me up.”

Sighing as Scythe walks to his seat, Scar turns his wheelchair to face towards the young ender hybrid, “That’s the 6th time you’ve used that excuse this semester.” shaking his head, Scar turns back towards the board. “Just see me after class and we’ll talk about it” he says, trying to be a bit more cheery, then continues with the lesson.

Scythe tried to pay attention to the lesson, but his mind inevitably wandered off somewhere else. This somewhere else just so happened to be the night before when him and the villain known as Tanuki were causing some mischief.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Damn Ender, you really got some spunk!” Tanuki credited Scythe. He obviously can’t go by his real name, and the media deemed him to be named Ender with his Enderman features being more prominent thanks to his illusion magic. He looks like a completely different person.

His horns are larger and thinner, he has almost no fair-toned skin (only a few spare patches down the right side of his body), most of his hair was purple instead of being split ginger and purple, and both of his eyes are purple instead of only his left. It definitely wasn't easy holding this major of an illusion for so long either; months of training and exercises were needed for the illusion to be completely stable. Funnily enough, he does the same kind of illusion while he’s working for the agency too, but that’s a different story for a different time.

“You’re not too bad yourself oldie! Can you catch up to me though?” Scythe replies as he teleports away to another rooftop.

Now Tanuki was the type of guy to never back down from a challenge, “Oldie?! I’m not even that old you blummin idiot!” he said, laughing as he pursued Scythe across the rooftops of Hermiton. 

Tanuki was actually a good friend of his, and he even helped Scythe get more confident and stable with his illusions. With this, he has seen Scythe without any illusion applied. Scythe had of course seen Tanuki outside of villain shenanigans as well, and his name is Joel. In times like this, when they’re just having fun after a night of doing who knows what and causing some chaos just for the hell of it, they tend to just chat.

There was one time where they chatted about Scythe's college work, another where Joel was talking about his two partners (being teased by Scythe the whole time, of course), then there was one night where they were just watching the stars move by in comfortable silence.

This night, however, the two were chasing each other and messing around all the way until the late hours of the night, and around probably 11:30pm, Scythe finally started to feel tired, and figured it probably best he get home to Cursia before he gets no sleep at all. 

“Well it’s probably about time I head home. See you another night Tanuki!” Scythe said, stretching, as Joel caught up to him on what would inevitably be the last rooftop of the night.

“Pleasure as always, Ender. See you next time!” Joel replied with a smile, and they both went their separate ways.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“...ythe, can you hear me?” Scythe sat up with a jolt, Scar next to him in his wheelchair. Looking around the room, he saw that all the other seats were empty, the projector turned off, and Scar looking at him a bit worriedly.

Scythe rubbed his eyes, “Shi- uh- crap sorry Scar. Apparently I didn't get back at as descent of a time as I thought I did.” He didn't meet Scars gaze. Not because it was angry or scolding, but because it was full of pity and worry.

Scar sighed and put his hand on Scythe’s arm, “Were you… out with Joel again?” he asked, and Scythe knew exactly what Scar meant by out.

Though to most Scar would seem like a simple college professor in a Cursian College, he had a few different tricks up his sleeve. This being said, he was well aware of what Scythe and Joel got up to at times, sometimes even joining in himself, even if only just to let off a bit of steam.

Scythe knew he couldn't pass it off any longer, and he just nodded and explained, “I thought I would be able to get home sooner than I did, but apparently I didn't have enough energy to be as fast as I hoped to be.”

“I can’t always get you the material from the day, you know that right Scythe? As much as I would like to help you as a friend, I can’t always help you as your professor.” Scar said as he turned his wheelchair back towards the front of the room, and his desk. Turning his head around one more time, Scar gave Scythe one last bit of advice, “Just try not to fall too far behind. I’ll email you the material that we went over today, just make sure you get your work done.” 

As Scar turned back and started heading towards his desk, Scythe stood up and replied, “I’ll try. You might have to help me when you join in some nights though.” He caught Scar chuckling and shaking his head before turning and walking out of the classroom, towards the opposite side of the building for his next class.

Bzzt. bzzt.

Scythe pulled out his phone, checking his notifications. It had to have been something important to go through his do not disturb; not many things do after all.

New Message from Spore: Agency, 30 minutes, mandatory attendance for all recipients.

Scythe sighs, turns around, and starts heading back towards his dorm to drop off his stuff. Swiping away the message, he pulls up his texts with Scar.

Scythe: Did you get it too?

Scar: Yup. Do you think you’ll make it?

Scythe: If I can get back to my dorm quick enough without needing to teleport.

Scar: Good luck then. Meet you there, and DON’T be late. It won't end well for anyone.

Scythe: I know I know and I won't. Meet ya there.

After the lovely reminder of his increasing tardiness and time management issues, Scythe decides to start speed walking back, which turns into a light run as he exits the building.

He makes it back to his dorm in 3 minutes flat, thankfully, and hurries into his room past a curious Ella. He changes into his uniform, hidden by an illusion to the public eye, and hurries back out. Before he can make it out however, Ella grabs his arm and he looks back.

“Where are you going?” Ella asks. “Agency meeting, mandatory and last minute, as always.” Scythe replies quickly, and Ella lets go immediately. As he closes the door, he hears Ella say something along the lines of “Good luck,” before running back out the door and heading towards Hermiton, and the Agency Building.

Next>>>