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“Katelynn, please don’t go!” Jack called after her. He wanted to rush after her, but his feet felt rooted to the ground. She’s killed people? Please god, no, let it have been a bad dream, the drugs, anything … 

“W-w-we’ll take care of things! We’ll work this out, it’ll be okay! Just please, don’t …” His voice finally broke. Tears ran from his green eyes. “Don’t leave me again.” 

In moments like this, Bernard felt his heart tightening. Katelynn, his Katelynn, his innocent and sweet Katelynn… killing people? He felt raped by the sole thought of Katelynn killing people. If it wasn’t because his training had saved him from a possible death, he would have refused to believe it. The world never would be the same again.

But the friendship and love Bernard felt for her didn’t change. He got up, and rushed after her, grabbing her wrist. 

“NO!!” he exclaimed, shuddering slightly, yet not willing to let her go. “I’ve faced assassins, villains, cellmates, all the worst of this city, and you aren’t any of that! Katelynn…” he managed to reach her shoulder. “You aren’t a killer. Psycho FORCED you to do it. It was he the one who killed, using you as puppet. You didn’t kill anyone. HE DID.”

His voice was slightly harsh, full of venom in the Psycho’s parts, tender and soft every time he talked about her. If Katelynn had looked at him, she would have him she wasn’t the only one crying.

Bernard cried with her.

“It was still me..” she whispered with such a dead pan voice – trying to block out her feelings. It was too hard, much too hard having to deal with their pleading. She felt like she was letting them down.

When she had let herself down.

“It doesn’t matter..w-what you say..I should have stopped it..I-I…I’m sorry..I..have to go.”

How badly she just wanted to turn around, wanted to jump into Jack’s arms and let him shield the world for her. But she couldn’t. She had to deal with this.

“I..I do still love you Jack..I’m s-so sorry…”

And she ran, giving them a whispered “Goodbye…” as her bottom lip trembled, hoping Jack wouldn’t follow her.

She wasn’t sure if she could stand it if he did.

Oh, he wanted to follow her. He knew he should, and later on, he would rage at himself inside for not doing so. He was weak, just like he’d always hated and feared – he couldn’t even chase after the love of his life when she needed him most. 

But right now, in the moment, Jack was too stunned, and broken by Katelynn’s confession. He watched her disappear through the museum doors, unable to speak, or even breathe for a few moments.

It was only when she was gone that he finally found his voice. “Sh-she … she can’t … no …” Hugging himself, Jack leaned against the wall, silent tears running down his face. His voice was a weak, choked whisper. “What am I going to do now?”

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“Oh Katelynn, no.” A lump rose in Jack’s throat as he struggled not to cry as well. Unable to hold back any longer, he reached out for Katelynn, wanting to pull her tenderly into his arms and comfort her, the way he had so many times before. “Th-this isn’t your fault, none of it! It … we’ll fix it. It’ll be okay …”

He wanted so much to believe that. It had to be okay. Katelynn couldn’t have been brought back only to turn away from him again. The world couldn’t be that cruel. 

Bernard felt his heart breaking, watching her like this. This wasn’t fake, it couldn’t be. He could see now her ees more closely, they had returned to ther usual color. Looking back to Jack, he could see her lover needed to hold her. And who was he to keep them separated?

The curator touched gently the blue man’s shoulder, forcing Jack to face him just for a moment, and leaned forward to talk to his ear. “I-I think she’s OK. I’m going to open the cage. If things get bad, well… I’m ready.” he whispered, before pulling back. Bernard tok out the keys from his pocket, and opened the door of the cage, opening his arms to welcome her.

“Come here, Katelynn. Everything will be alright… Just come to us, please…”

They were trying to coax her, trying to be kind and tell her things were okay but they had no idea.

None.

Turning to look at them as she lowered her hand from her wound, Katelynn took a deep breath and willed the courage to keep looking at them in the eye – mainly Jack.

“I’ve k-killed…Jack..my h-hands are soiled..it will never be okay…”

She tried getting the necessary energy, pushing herself off the bars to get to the entrance and leave. She needed to be alone – needed time to deal with this.

Walking by them hurt. Not looking at them hurt but she held back her sobs and just let the tears flow. She would let herself cry until after she left.

“I-…I need to leave…d-don’t follow me…please.”

“Katelynn, please don’t go!” Jack called after her. He wanted to rush after her, but his feet felt rooted to the ground. She’s killed people? Please god, no, let it have been a bad dream, the drugs, anything … 

“W-w-we’ll take care of things! We’ll work this out, it’ll be okay! Just please, don’t …” His voice finally broke. Tears ran from his green eyes. “Don’t leave me again." 

will-never-be-a-swan:

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It hurt more than Jack could have imagined when she flinched away from him, even now. 

“I know you didn’t m-mean to.” He ignored Bernard for the moment – all his attention was on the woman he loved. He let her keep the handkerchief as he went on, “You were drugged. Out of your mind, like that other time. You c-couldn’t help it.” Hesitantly, he tried to touch her shoulder. “But it’s over now. You can come home.” His voice quavered on that last word. “Please.”

“Exactly!” Bernard agreed, feeling even more guilty when she pulled away. At least she hadn’t rejected his jacket -in her state, maybe she even hadn’t seen it yet. “It was all Psycho’s fault, not yours. We know you didn’t mean to. We forgive you…”

He wanted so badly to take her out of that cage and hold her into his arms. But with Jack there, it wouldn’t be appropiate, last thing he wanted was to cause more problems to the couple.

“C’mon, Katelynn… Jack is here… He needs you now…”  And me too…

Every word was like a stab as she winced, keeping her face away from them. “N-No..I..I can’t..” she whispered, feeling her heart break. Her evil self had already rejected Jack once, causing Katelynn to suffer such pain in her chest though how hard she had tried to fight it.

And lost.

And now she was doing it again. “I’m not…I don’t deserve kindness…I..I let it happen. I was weak..so weak…I didn’t stop it..I tried..I tried so hard..”

Her head lowered down, feeling so pathetic. Just like her other self had called her. Blood and tears mingled down her cheek as she soiled Jack’s hankerchief with her blood.

“I-I’m sorry for everything..but I can’t…”

Taking a shuttering breath, Katelynn tried standing so she could leave. She held onto the bars to support herself, face pale.

“Oh Katelynn, no.” A lump rose in Jack’s throat as he struggled not to cry as well. Unable to hold back any longer, he reached out for Katelynn, wanting to pull her tenderly into his arms and comfort her, the way he had so many times before. “Th-this isn’t your fault, none of it! It … we’ll fix it. It’ll be okay …”

He wanted so much to believe that. It had to be okay. Katelynn couldn’t have been brought back only to turn away from him again. The world couldn’t be that cruel. 

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Jack swallowed uncomfortably, chewing his lip as he listened to Bernard’s account of what had happened. He knew Katelynn had turned hostile, but he hadn’t realized just how violent she’d become. To go after someone with a knife … what else might she have been doing, during the days she was loose in the city?

“I-i-it’s all right,” he stammered at last. “You d-did what you had to do to defend yourself. If she’s hurt … we’ll take care of her. She needs help anyway.” That was the hope he’d been holding onto all this time – that they would find her and be able to bring her back to normal. Now that they’d found her, though, what would it take?

He watched as Bernard re-hydrated the cube. Oh, he wanted so badly to rush to Katelynn’s side, to hold her close and comfort her and make everything okay again – it took all his willpower to hold back until he was sure she wasn’t going to attack them. 

“K-Katelynn?” Cautiously, Jack knelt down beside her. “Katelynn, it’s okay. I’m here.” He dug into his pocket for his handkerchief (an old-fashioned habit, but he’d found it came in handy), and pressed it to the cut on her cheek. 

“Katelynn…? Can you hear us…?” Bernard trembled, very aware that his D-gun, being an older version, might have glitches. But he had repaired it, and he had been very careful with it… Alas, an old weapon was an old one. He might have hurt Katelynn more than he thought at first.

He knelt before her, and reached for her hand, wanting to touch it to reassure her. He remembered how cold he felt after being rehydrated for the first time, and he wouldn’t allow her to get cold. Even if she tried to attack them, she couldn’t do anything unless she was hiding more weapons, something highly unlikely. “Katelynn, it’s me, Bernard. I’m OK, you didn’t hurt me…” he sighed, and took out his jacket, leaving it over her body to warm her up. “Forgive me, please… I didn’t want to hurt you…”

When they both touched her, she flinched away as much as her energy would allow, not even looking at them as she tried going to the back of the cell. A cell? It was what she deserved to be locked up.

Her fingers covered her face as she shook her head. “Sorry..sorry..s-sorry!” she kept repeating, trembling even more and wondering how she was going to escape the two of them. “I didn’t..mean to..!”

She had caused nothing but worry to her fiancee as she looked at him for the briefest of moments between her fingers and hair. It was torturous. She had to get away from them somehow.

She needed time to regroup.

It hurt more than Jack could have imagined when she flinched away from him, even now. 

“I know you didn’t m-mean to.” He ignored Bernard for the moment – all his attention was on the woman he loved. He let her keep the handkerchief as he went on, “You were drugged. Out of your mind, like that other time. You c-couldn’t help it.” Hesitantly, he tried to touch her shoulder. “But it’s over now. You can come home.” His voice quavered on that last word. “Please.”

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Jack had been preparing to go out and scour the city again, when his phone beeped with a new text message. Sighing, the painter stepped back inside – it was probably a client, and even now, he couldn’t afford to ignore calls. 

The number was unfamiliar, just as he’d been expecting. 

But he hadn’t expected what he read next. 

… I knew it.

I KNEW it! I knew something must have happened to her! That bastard – why can’t he just leave her alone?! Jack wanted to scream with rage and sob with relief all at once. Katelynn had been drugged, manipulated, and who knows what else – but at least someone had found her. She was safe in custody, and that meant he’d finally have a chance to help her the way she needed. 

He didn’t waste time texting the man back. He hailed a taxi as soon as he was out on the street, and minutes later, a wide-eyed and frantic Jack Maple was charging into the lobby of the Museum. “Bernard?! Katelynn?!”

“Jack! Over here!” Bernard waved at him, and waited for the blue man. Grace knew this man, she had told him Katelynn’s future hubby was truly a great person. Too bad they had they had to meet under these circunstances.

He pointed to the blue ice cube inside the cage. “Katelynn is here. I had to dehydrate her, or she would have killed me. We…” he sighed, knowing it would be better to admit the truth. “We fought, she was about to stab me with a knife. At the first sign of weakness, when we were struggling, the knife hit her face… So she might be bleeding when we recover her.” he voice was soft, full of guilt. “I’m really sorry, Jack. I did my best to save her… she’s my best friend, after all. Forgive me, please. I didn’t want to harm her.”

Bernard poured the water over the ice cube. “And forgive me you too, Katelynn…”

The blue cube expanded in a glow of blue light as Katelynn lay there, hair curtaining her head. Now that she was unfrozen – and what a sensation it was to be turned into a small blue cube – blood began to leak out from her wound without restraint as she groaned on the floor. She felt weak, hearing distant voices talking with tinges of worry lacing them.

Jack…?

Her first instinct was to curl up in a fetal position, the leather of her suit crinkling. Shame washed over her as she bit on her bottom lip, feeling like death warmed over and beginning to shake. She didn’t deserve to be around him after everything that happened.

She didn’t deserve him.

Tears leaked out of her eyes and she tried so hard to hold them back but her emotions wouldn’t let her as a tiny sob escaped. What would he think of her now?

Jack swallowed uncomfortably, chewing his lip as he listened to Bernard’s account of what had happened. He knew Katelynn had turned hostile, but he hadn’t realized just how violent she’d become. To go after someone with a knife … what else might she have been doing, during the days she was loose in the city?

“I-i-it’s all right,” he stammered at last. “You d-did what you had to do to defend yourself. If she’s hurt … we’ll take care of her. She needs help anyway.” That was the hope he’d been holding onto all this time – that they would find her and be able to bring her back to normal. Now that they’d found her, though, what would it take?

He watched as Bernard re-hydrated the cube. Oh, he wanted so badly to rush to Katelynn’s side, to hold her close and comfort her and make everything okay again – it took all his willpower to hold back until he was sure she wasn’t going to attack them. 

“K-Katelynn?” Cautiously, Jack knelt down beside her. “Katelynn, it’s okay. I’m here.” He dug into his pocket for his handkerchief (an old-fashioned habit, but he’d found it came in handy), and pressed it to the cut on her cheek. 

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Bernard tried to recover his breath. “Katelynn…?” he whispered, realizing he was alone in the room. “Katelynn…?” he called her again, weakly.

Nobody answered. Oh God please tell me that the the setting wasn’t on D-estroy… he begged inside his head, checking the gun on the floor. The setting was still on D-ehydrate, and right in front of him, there was a blue ice cube. It was her. His best friend.

“KATELYNN!!!” he jumped, and took the cube into his hands. There she was. Vulnerable. Her life was into his hands, quite literally. “Oh God, Katelynn… Katelynn… Katelynn…” No one coud see the curator’s tears. He was careful enough to wipe them before they touched the ice cube, but that didn’t stop them. He sure had turned her into an ice cube, but that wasn’t going to fix the strange evilness of his dear friend, and the cut he had hurt her. He hated him inmensely at that moment. If only he had been more careful, she wouldn’t have to end hurt. Bernard pressed a little kiss to the cube, trying to apologize. “I’m so sorry, Katelynn… SO. SORRY…”

Holding her protectively against his chest, Bernard looked back at his collection. Clearly all his arsenal was no longer safe. He had to call Jack, and Mets, anyone who could help them to fix the problem, and hopefully his phone would work this time. But, what if her madness couldn’t be healed? Eventually she’s run away, and knowing her luck, Pycho might use her knowledge to bring down Metro City, using his arsenal. The city could be destroyed… All by his fault.

“Hold on. This will end very soon. You’ll be alright.” he whispered to the ice cube, before saving it in the pocket closest to his heart. He took his D-Gun, and began to dehydrate all his weapons, all of them, and saved his three favourites in one of the pockets of his jeans. The rest of the weapons ended inside a metal box, and Bernard set up a small bomb inside of the box. If he couldn’t have his weapons anymore, none villain would own them.

The curator closed the huge metal door, and activated the bomb. The explosions was small, just as Bernard predicted: when he opened the room, there were only remains of blue ice cubes everywhere. Nothing which could be fixed. He sighed in relief, and after ten minutes of cleaning, he left the room again… and this time, hoping he never would have to return to it. He had saved his four favourite weapons, it was all he needed.

Once he returned to his office, Bernard began to look for his cellphone. First thing was to call Jack, and while he was coming, he’d get a good cage for Katelynn. That was the plan.

She scoffed at her words though winced because any facial movement caused a sting of pain. And the blood continued to flow. Trying to wipe it off, she took a step toward the real Katelynn.

“So prissy, do gooder…” her evil self remarked with a hiss, blood and leather causing a squeaking sound as she walked. “You’re pathetic…Can’t even defend yourself against master—”

“Shut UP!” Katelynn cried, fists clenched in her lap. Her eyes stung, she was tired –  all the constant fighting back and none of it had helped. She had been unable to stop the murders committed by her own hand, the words she had told people she cared about. You couldn’t take any of it back.

It was all her fault.

“I’ve tried..fighting you..tried getting my body back…to stop you..” she brokingly whispered, her vision blurring from the tears. “You’ve hurt so many people..killed..with my hands…”

“And master will be so proud!” Her other self merely laughed, appearing like the harlequin as she gave a little spin. “I’ve done it all for the Doom Syndicate!”

“No!” Katelynn cried as she stood up, taking determined steps toward the intruder. “This isn’t me! And I won’t let you have my body anymore!”

“What are you going to do, weakling? Fight me?”

“Yes.”

The conviction surprised her, eyes widening as the woman charged at her, probably fueled by the anger that had been simmering for days. They became a blur of peach and brown as they wrestled, Katelynn’s tears falling though she tried her best to overpower the woman. If anyone was going to die it would be the intruder in her body.

“You won’t..have my body!” Katelynn sobbed out, trying to hold back all the emotions that had been bubbling underneath her skin like a crock pot, entire body trembling. Her hands tightened around her throat as the woman underneath struggled for breath.

It took several minutes as Katelynn kept her pinned, not allowing her to move. Perhaps all the blood loss had weakened her down but as time went on the woman’s body began emitting steam, rising and curling around Katelynn. It was like what Psycho Delic could do and it blinded her with rage.

It had been his fault – drugging her and turning her into this.

She had lost track of time as the body below her began disintegrating, flying up into the air and disappearing.

Nothing was left. Only silence.

And the sounds of Katelynn’s broken sobs.

“AHA!” Bernard grinned when he found his cellphone. Now things would be easier. “Things are going to get better, Katelynn, hold on…” he whispered, petting gently the pocket where he kept her. He grabbed the little machine, and began to type a quick text.

[Text: Jack, I’m Bernard’s, one of Katelynn’s friends. I don’t know if you know it, but I think she has been drugged by Psycho, since she tried to dehydrate me. I managed to capture her. Come to the Museum, and try to contact Mets if you can, my cellphone has been giving me a lot of problems lately. I’ll be waiting for you in the hall with Katelynn. -Bernard Jones]

Bernard tried to send again that text to Metro Man, hoping this time it would work. Grace’s life was still in danger, but they’d have to do something with Katelynn first. Picking up the biggest cart he had, he took one of Megamind’s old cages he kept in the Museum’s depot, and used the cart to take it to the Museum’s hall. He left the ice cube inside the cage, and Bernard waited for Jack’s arrival, with a glass of water in his hand.

“I’m so sorry things had to end this way, Katelynn…” he whispered at her. “But, if you can hear me… I’m not angry at you, even if you tried to shoot me. I’m the one who is sorry. I’m sorry over putting you in danger, telling you about Grace. And I’m sorry for cutting your face. I’m so sorry, dear… I hope you still could forgive me in your heart. I still love you a lot.”

Jack had been preparing to go out and scour the city again, when his phone beeped with a new text message. Sighing, the painter stepped back inside – it was probably a client, and even now, he couldn’t afford to ignore calls. 

The number was unfamiliar, just as he’d been expecting. 

But he hadn’t expected what he read next. 

… I knew it.

I KNEW it! I knew something must have happened to her! That bastard – why can’t he just leave her alone?! Jack wanted to scream with rage and sob with relief all at once. Katelynn had been drugged, manipulated, and who knows what else – but at least someone had found her. She was safe in custody, and that meant he’d finally have a chance to help her the way she needed. 

He didn’t waste time texting the man back. He hailed a taxi as soon as he was out on the street, and minutes later, a wide-eyed and frantic Jack Maple was charging into the lobby of the Museum. “Bernard?! Katelynn?!”