Brion had woken up in a cell with a slowly awakening Forager and a chained Sphere.
At the same time the same the duo was waking up, Violet's lifeless body was toss in front of them.
"May she serve as a reminder of your folly," Sensei said after tossing Violet into the cell like she was nothing more than a piece of junk. He then shut the door behind him as he left.
Brion crawls to Violet and held her in his arms.
"Oh Violet," Brion said with tears already forming in his eyes. "This is all my fault. I'm so sorry." He hugs her and placed his head on her chest, hoping to hear a heartbeat or feel any warmth from her. Anything that indicates a spark of life resting within her, hoping that she was still alive.
But he didn't find any sign of life. Only utter coldness.
"Please wake up Violet," Brion begs, expecting her to resurrect herself, as if he'd seen it before.
"Violet is dead Brion," Forager said, grabbing Brion's attention away from Violet. His eyes met a disappointed glare on Forager's place. "And Violet is not coming back. .Terra".
Brion woke up and shot up on bed with sweats covering his body.
Just a nightmare, Brion thoughts, but it had also been a reality as well.
"Is Brion Markov alright?" asks Forager from above their bunk beds.
Brion turns his head to his right to an upside down Forager. Well, only his head.
"Yes," Brion answers. "I'm alright. Just a nightmare."
"Does Brion Markov wish to talk about..."
"No," Brion cuts Forager off with malice in his voice, but none was aim at Forager, but rather the topic of discussing his nightmare. Of how he was the reason for Violet's death at how they were lucky Violet could resurrect herself or else she wouldn't be here now.
He had have the same nightmares for weeks ever since his foolish mistake of going after the League of Shadows.
Violet's death still haunts him, like it was just a recent event, being constantly replay in him mind to punish him.
He remember how before Violet could use her yellow aura to defend herself against Sensei when he held her hostage, Sensei snap her neck.
He remembers how Sensei let go of her to fall down. As he stare at her, time seem to had slow down. His yes, widen with shock and devastation, watch as her now lifeless body slowly fall down to the ground.
When she finally made contact with the ground, time resumes. Despite her body being lifeless, both brown her eyes was wide open,frozen in fear and shock. But they were voids.
Forager signs, expecting Brion to say no.
"Goodnight Brion," Forager as he place his head back on his pillow.
"Goodnight Forager," Brion reply before drifting back to sleep. Hoping not to have another nightmare, even those he deserves.
EPISODE 12: Nightmare Monkey
"Is this seat taken?" Brion asks Violet, attempting to be smooth and flirty, but knew he fail when Violet gave him a confused look.
A few minutes ago he'd been on his, or telephonic device as Forager call it, checking for any news of Markovia and Gregor was doing so far as king. He decided to take a break and went inside for some fresh air. He was surprised, but pleases, to find Violet outside, sitting on the ground and resting her back on the apple tree as she above at the night's sky.
"There no seat here, but you can sit down next to me." Violet answers as she scoots over to her left a little bit to make room for Brion to sit.
Brion sat down and smile at violet. Violet smile back and resume to admiring the stars while Brion was admiring her, how her smile could brighten any darkness.
If only her smile could brighten the darkness consuming my mind every night, Brion thoughts.
"Brion," Violet said, breaking the silence and Brion's train of thoughts. "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course," Brion reply back.
"If you had met…..Gabrielle, back at your castle," Violet stops with hesitation, but she continue. "Would you have like her and consider her a friend, or more, like you do with me?".
Brion was surprised by the question and his face shows it. He'd never pay much attention to the servants. Sometimes he would says a snarky remark at them, but only when he was upset. He treated them with respect, unlike his uncle who orders them around like dogs.
"To be honest," Brion starting ", I don't think so. We might had crosspaths, but I probably wouldn't had notice or pay much attention to you.".
"Oh," Violet said as she look down on the ground with a sadden expression.
"But,uh, only because I had a foot up my ass back then." Brion said, attempting to lighten up the mood.
But it was a failure, Violet still look like a kick puppy. Brion needed to fix this, and he know just how.
"Violet." Brion said, grabbing Violet's attention away from the ground.
"Let not focus on what could had been," Brion continues ",but rather what will happen."
Brion stands up, offering Violet a hand to help her get up. Violet look at him for a few seconds, before smiling at him and accepting Brion's hand. Brion help Violet up and then place Violet's hands in his own.
The duo stare at each other's for a couple of second.
"Violet, may I ask you something?" Brion aks.
"Of course," Violet responses.
"Can I ….Can I kiss you?"
Violet was taken aback by the question. But Violet decide to follow her instances and move closer until their chests were touching.
"Yes," she answers.
They move their faces slowly toward each other, their lips preparing to make contact with each other for the first time. And just as they were about to do so….
"AAAAHHHHHH!" Violet shrieks at the top of her lungs, awakening Brion from his current state of bliss.
Brion look down and what he saw horrify him.
A hook was pushing through Violet's stomach, blood oozing around the hook, staining the middle of her top.
Suddenly the hook flew out of Violet from the back.
Violet fell forward and caught her. He lay her down on the ground, and held her in his arms as he went down on his knees.
He look up to see where the hook could had gone, only to be staring at Lobo, who secure the hook back into place.
"You bastard!" Brion screams. "You kill her!"
"Heh heh," Lobo laughs. "No princey, that was all you. If you hadn't distracting her by trying to get into her pants, she would have defended herself. It's all your fault."
Brion look down at Violet, expecting her to had heal herself already with her purple aura. But she was pass out and bleeding out.
"Violet wake up," Brion begs. ""Please wake up. Wake up! Wake up!".
"Brion wake up!" Victor's voice echo.
Instead of Violet waking up, it was Brion. He'd awaken from another nightmare.
He look around and found himself in the living room of Conner and M'gann home with a worrying Victor in front of him.
"Are you ok?" Victor asks. "You was twitching and turning. Seven like you was having a nightmare."
It wasn't a nightmare at first, Brion thoughts.
His mind was replaying the first kiss he and Violet had shared. Only instead of ending with a kiss, it ended with Lobo killing her just like he'd done when he was sent to assinates Forager.
Lobo's hook butchering Violet now consumes his dreams.
Violet's hero outfit was run. Dick offers to make her a new one and ask if she wanted anything different.
Violet gave Dick a sketch of the outfit she wanted. Instead of the black and gray unitard, she wore a black unitard. While similar to her old outfit, such as still having the hood that resembles a hijab, her arms were now adorned with rainbow colored stripes and sparkles. On her chest was a white layered blouse. She have a skirt similar to it Violet was upset with how her old suit outline her breasts. She didn't say anything about it until then.
Brion was plead with the outfit. Not only because did it look good oh her, but because he couldn't look at her old outfit anymore without being reminding him of her death.
His nightmares took care of that.
"You wanna talk about it?" Victor asks.
"No," Brion answers. Victor took that as his time to exit, so he left Brion alone in the living room.
Alone with the nightmares consuming his thoughts.
A few weeks after Terra's Rescue
Stupid me, stupid me, Brion thought as he watch Violet heal herself, getting rid of the gun shot on her head.
Brion, Violet, Forager, Connor, M'gann, and Terra had just completed a mission. They'd ambushed a so called help center, which was actually a place holding kidnapped meta-humans.
Things was going fine. Until….
Brion had been attacking several of the guards and unknown to him, one of them was about to fire his gun at him.
Violet was nearby and saw what was about to occur.
"Brion! Look out!" She'd cried.
"Huh?" Brion said and turn around at the same time the guard fire his gun.
Violet immediately flew in front of Brion, tasing the bullet meant for him. The bullet went through her forehead. Violet's orange aura fade away and she fell down to the ground.
"NO!" Brion had scream and he enduld himself in rocks and had then attack Violet's shooter. He'd beaten him brutishly, showing no mercy.
He would had continue until the guard was dead if Conner hadn't stop and grabs him back to the Bio-Ship, follow by a dead Violet in M'gann's arm.
Now they and the rescued meta-humans were abroad the Bio-Ship, flying to the Meta-Human Youth center.
Even those Violet was heal of her bullet's wound, that doesn't erase the scar in Brion's mind and heart.
Violet got back up and walk toward Brion.
"I'm sensing something from you Brion. Are you alright?" Violet asks.
"Yes.." Brion force himself to answers. "Yes, I'm fine".
"Are you sure?" Conner asks next. "I can understand why you're upset. You see see Violet just.."
"I said I'm fine," Brion interrupting Conner before he could even finish that sentence, not wanting to be reminding of Violet's death., cause by his foolishness and carelessness once again.
"Brother," Terra began. "Are you sure?"
"I SAID I'M FINE!" Brion shouts with rage in his voice and on his face. But his rage was soon replace with sadness once he saw his sister flinches from him.
"Terra I'm sorry," Brion apologizes. "I didn't means.."
"It's alright," Terra said sincerity in her voice and on her face.
The rest of the ride was in utter silence.
Few hours after mission
"Is this seat taken?" Violet asks Brion, who was sitting on the ground, resting his back on the apple tree.
Forager was standing next to Violet.
Brion smiles. "Yes," he answers as he scoot to his left to give room for Violet and Forager to sit. Forager and Violet sat down next to Brion.
The trio sat in silence for a few minutes.
"Brion," Violet breaks the silence. "What had been bothering you? I can sense something is going on with you. And I think..No, I know it involves me.".
Brion signs. He knew sooner or later he would has to talk about his nightmares. Now it was later.
"I'd been having nightmare...About you dying." Brion finally admitting, lifting a huge weight on his chest. "Ever since the first time I saw you die. You die because of me. I believe the nightmares are punishments for my recklessness and foolishness. And I deserves them. ".
Forager and Violet stare at each other before staring back at Brion.
"Do you hate yourself? For causing my death?" Violet aks.
Brion sighs. "Yes.."
"Does Brion hate Forager as well?" Forager asks.
Brion looks up surprise. "No," he answers. "Why would I?"
Forager is Brion's best friend.
"Because Forager brought Lobo here and Lobo killed Violet." Forager answers. "Forager had nightmares about Violet dying too, but Forager talks to Violet about it, and Viole forgave Forager, telling Forager that it wasn't Forager's fault."
Brion was surprised at the confession, but relive at the same time as out not being the only one traumatized by Violet's deaths.
"Brion," Violet began. "It wasn't your fault for me dying. But since you believe so, I forgive you." She kiss him on the cheeks as a extra reassurance.
"Can Brion forgive Brion?" Forager asks.
"Yes," Brion answers. "Yes I can. But that won't stop the nightmares."
Forager and Violet look at each other again and back onto Brion.
"Can we sleep with you?" Violet asks shyly.
"Excuse me!" Brion ask embarrassingly and blushes. His face was the face shade of the apple from the apple trees.
"What Violet means is can Forager and Violet help rid Brion of Brion's nightmare by sleeping next to him." Forager explains.
Brion's blush fade away. "Of course."
Forager and Violet move closer to Brion. Forager sat next to Brion on his right while Violet took his left. They both engulf him in a light hug, embracing him and lay their heads on his arms.
"Is this good?" Violet asks.
"Yes," Brion answers with a smile. "It's perfect."
They all close their eyes and drifting off to sleep.
Instead of being awoken by a nightmare, Brion woke up when he felt something soft place on him.
He woke up to find a blanket covering the him, Violet, and Forager. And a smiling Dick.
"Thanks you," Brion whispers.
Dick nod and went back into the house.
Brion went back to sleep, not before kissing Violet's head and whispering "Goodnight my aurora borealis ."
Notes:
Here's a link of Halo's new outfit by uncharted-constellations on tumblr.
post/182157861029/a-baby-a-pure-girl-no-longer-in-just-a-weird-skin
I got permission to use their redesign