You have the shield, I’ll take the sword [shared w/ John Smith]

It was a still and a little bit chilly as the human walked along the shore, taking slow and calm steps, not minding the slightlest how the cold was nipping at his skin. It's been a long time sicne the temperature, be it hot or cold, could bother him. He had even 'died' a coupl of times thanks to it, and eventualy gotten immune to it's discomforts. Actually, he kinda wanted it to hurt, like with everythign else he's been through or gotten hurt by, the pain wans't unwelcome anymore. Gvae him the silly illustiona nd belifef that maybe, maybe this time he wouldn't wake back up after another 'death' of his.
For being so old and intellegent, he sure was stupid.
Micheal sighed, breath heavy and eyes tired. More than he usualy felt... Without havign realized it he had come to an halt, and casually turned his empty gaze towards the sunset at the horizon. One of the few things on this arth eh could still find to be a pleasent sight.
His blank expression fell then for a coupl fo seconds, replaced bya light forwn of pain as eh felt another one of those dman headaches starting to crawl back. Cursing quielty to himself, he lifted a scarred hand to his face, rubbng his temple and blocking the last bit of sunlight from reaching his eyes.
"Come on Mickey look! You're missing it!"
Michael wanted so badly ignore that annoying little brats voice, but knew he couldn't... He should, before he'd have another one of his 'episodes' and go crazy with hallucinations... but...
He glanced to his side craefully, and justa s he suspected saw two frgithentngly identical boys rn past him,one of them partically drgaggin the other by the hand.
The calmer of the two allowe dhimself to be dragged along withut complaint, an emotionless mask plastrd on his young face. How old had they then? 10 years old or something...Not to long after they'd escaped from that monster. A shudder sht throguh Micheal as his father reapeard in his mind for a moment, but it quickly vanished as the younger version of his brother interupted again.
"Isn't it pretty Mickey?" the wilder twin asked with a toothy and cocky grin, pointing excitedly at the sunrise, mesmerized by colours. When he recied no answear from the other, his smile quikcly changd into adisspaointed frown, and turned face the quiet twin. Only to his shock and great relief, see the young version of Micheal smiling.
The man stared wordlessly at the younger him. ...I could still smile back then?
His attnetion turned back to the other and louder twin, who wa sno beaming with pride and messing up little's Mickeay's hair. "I knew you'd like it bro! You're to fucking sensetive not too," he laughed, poking the other's cheek tesaingly and eaisly dodging a fist to the face.
Micheal blinked, starign wordlessly as the memory faded away liek snad in the wind.
Joey...
He rememberd that day... After having heard some physicians and sailors argument weather world was flat or not, Joey had insistied that they'd take a little trip to ocean (after stealing some food and stabbing a couple of knights for the fun of it) and ended up side tracked by the sunrise. And after having seen Micheal smiling, his idiot of a twinbrother had been happy for a week.... just beacuse Michal showed he could still feel.
Wonder what he'd thnk now, that stubborn idiot.
It hurt. His headache, just a she preditcit, staretd to worsen, just beacuse he elt himself be swept away by one of his few pleasnt memories.
I'm sorry, Joseph.
The most vivid and clear image Micheal has of his brother, was his unmoving and torn up corpse.



(guah laaaaaaaame..... sorry i took so long x'D)

"Never thought I'd see you here." A quiet voice said from behind Michael, he had been watching Michael for awhile. He had known it was him instantly, after all they had been twins once and now seeing him after so many years....it was more then John-Joey could have ever hoped for. He silently hoped that Helga had gotten a chance to talk to Michael before now otherwise he would have to deal with an angry Michael. Nothing he couldn't handle of course but he'd rather avoid a confrontation "You haven't aged a day Mikey." He added with a small smile.

"........"
Hearing the voice speak up, all Micheal could honestly do was stare at the younger looking male a few feets away from him, his emotinoless mask frozen in place as he took the blonde in. For a moment, he just stood there, silent and did nothing but simply look at John with no sort of reaction showing on his expression. But inside his mind it was the complete opposite.
At first, he was only seeing the the old image of Jospeh standing there, Micheal's exact look-alike, all torned up and bruised and bloody. Until his mind finally allowed him to see the new, younger and comlete different looking form of his long-dead twin.
Of course, he hadn't forgotten what Odet- Helga had mentioned, that Jospeh was back along with her, only this time he'd working for her (oh irony, how funny you are.) Still, Micheal hadn't exactly been mentally prared enough for this.... He didn't even know himself what he felt that this very moment.
"You're..." he began then, a light frown on his face. And then, suddenly and unexpected, he snorted. "You're blonde," he smirked, and quickly had to cover his mouth to not start laughing out loud.
Him, Micheal Korso, The Hunter, nightmare amongst both humans and supernaturals since centuries back laughing? Oh yeah, the world was defentily ending now alright.



(ohmygod it feels weird typing this x'D)

John glanced down at himself, "Yeah I suppose I am, younger too." He added with a little smirk. Hearing Mikey laugh after all these years was reminding him of everything. "It's been a long time since I heard you laugh." He added after a beat. He moved to stand next to him, "And you're taller then me...well that sucks." He said with a frown. He was sure Mikey would tease him over that for a few hundred centuries. He found he didn't care though, he was back with his twin brother and suddenly things were looking up in the world. "At least now people will be able to tell us apart." He added thoughtfully.

(I know what you mean x3)

Micheal had a hard time stopping his laughter, much to his own surprise. Maybe it was part of the shock, all the overwhelimg feelings bottled up inside of him...
he calmed down at hearing Jospeh speak again, almsot rolling his eyes at the 'younger looking' part. "Yeah, now you look one of those "pretty-doll-boys instead", he retorted with a smirk of his own. "Cute."
His teasing smirk fell however as his 'brother' moved next to him, his next words making something hurt inside of Micheal, but at the same time somethign else was starting to heal. What exactly, he had no idea himself. He just... Jospeh, Joey, his Joey was actully here.
He chuckled under his breath at the next comment, totally gonna enjoy teasing him about it later on. Joseph's always been the 'big-brother' of the two, leading and prtoecting, taking responsability and the blame for all the bad things thta happend to them, beign the strongest.... Even with this new look, that image Micheal had for him would not change. He was still Jospeh.
"How boring, no more fun missunderstandings for us to take advantage of then."

John chuckled, "That was always the best part." He said with a shake of his head before he let out a sigh. "Its different being back...of course now I have to play on the side of the "angels."" He said using air quotes to empathize his point. The bitter rage and resentment he had carried within himself when he was Joseph had died away, it wasn't completely gone but he no longer felt the need to lash out as much. He wouldn't say he was a better man, he wasn't....he never would be and that was something that would never change. He had spent over three thousand years in hell, had tortured other souls and had even been on the receiving end of it himself...no he wasn't the same person that he had been before. "I want to apologize, for how I was when I was still Joseph. I did terrible things to you and to the people you cared about, and I...I'm not the Joseph you remember." He said as he looked away.

(no.... Joey.... no, don't do that... staaaaaap ;3;  *cries*)


Micheal couldn't hold back another snort, but this time it wasn't one of amusment. They might be working for the 'angels', but neither of them will ever be one of them, luckily for them both. Thank hell for that.
The fainthes bit of a smile he still had left completly vanished at Joseph's next words, taking Michael completely by surprise. No... Joseph... His brother didn't apologize, it was just... not him. Of course there were always those rare few times Joey had apologized, but never for the other people he hurt.
But then again, Joey's been to the actual hell, been tortured in ways so much worse than the hell their father and put them through their first years of life. Michael understood it would change someone, even Joseph. Maybe that's why it hurt to hear him apologize now, not for the words he spoke but for how he sounded. So unlike him, like someone else entierly.

"I'm not the Jospeh you remember."

Mickey's eyes widend, and opend his mouth to reply as he reached out a hand towards his borther. Anf then suddenly he frooze as images of their past ran rampage inside his mind, making him curse out and almsot fall over his shock and pain. Covering his eyes, he fell down to one knee, cursing over and over again to himself as he kept seeing all the people he cared about and allowed Jospeh to hurt. Rebecca, Odette, Alex, Alice, Jim.... and the worst part, Mickey had hurt them too... and only regretted it when it was too late.

Moving too fats for John to have time to react, Mickey was back on his feet now towering over the other with his hands wrapped around his throat. "Don't you dare...!" he hissed out throguh clenched teeth, blue pale eyes seethign with rage and sorrow. "Don't you fuckign dare apologize now after..."
His grip looosend up and he hung his head, looking defeated. "Just.... don't...."
It didn't change anything.

John didn't react to when Michael all but attacked him with sudden rage, knowing that it would die down eventually. Sure enough he loosened his grip and looked away, "I can never be the same Mikey....the things I did, the things I underwent after. You don't know what that does to you...how it changes you." He said with a shudder as he remembered the long days spent being driven to the breaking point and then re-living it every day for three thousand years. He had become insane, driven mad by all the things he had witnessed and was forced to do constantly without breaks. The only relief had come when Helga had arrived to forgive him and allow him the chance to redeem himself once more. He had thought himself invincible before he had died...but then he had seen just how wrong he was. "I know you don't want to hear it but its the truth, there are some things that will stay the same though." He said with a hint of a shadow.

Micheal bit his lip, hard enought until hetore up the skin and draw blood. How fucking dare he...?!
He punched Joey right in the face, with enough force and such anger held in it, it sent the blodne flying backwards. "You haven't changed... no matter what bullshit you keep spitting out," he rasied his voice, seeing nothing but red as he stomped over to the other, grabbing hold of his collar and lifitng him back up, only send another punch to his face. "You still don't fucking understand a thing!"
He raised his hand again for another hit, but froze instead as he chocked on his own breathe, not realzing a tear was now trailing down his face. "I don't care ok...?" he whisperd, lowering his hand, but still gripping tightly onto Joseph's collar, but this time as if afraid he'll dissapear if eh were to let go. "Don't apologize... it dosen't change anything, it doesn't bring them back..." he went on, more tears now flowing doen his cheeks. He felt so small then, so lost... so like that little boy crying and clingign to his brother for comfort after their father's abuse.
"It dosen't bring them back...." he repeated, falling down to his knees, but still not letting go of his hold on the other.

He accepted that Joey had changed, he understood why he had, and it hurt Micheal so much to know the reasons for it. Hurt so god damn much that he wasn't by his brother's side to protecthim for once.

"Oh....you feel guilty." He stated with some surprise. He wasn't sure why the revelation surprised him. "And would you stop punching me?" He asked as he rubbed his face. He was pretty sure he would get two black eyes now. "I may have a new personality but even I have my limits." He stated with a frown as he ran a hand down his face. He looked over to see Michael sit down and pull him down with him and begin to cry. That was something he definitely wasn't prepared for at all. John slowly put a hand on Michael's shoulder, "Hey, come on Mikey. You're the tough one remember?" He said as he crouched to a better sitting position. Ok he was terrible at the whole sensitivity thing, that was Helga's area of expertise not his.

(pfft.... aw Joey, you're lucky Mickey loves you so much<33333 x'D)

Micheal just went silent after this, and would've laughed at his brother's lack of knowledge in how to comfort. He was well aware of more thna anyone Jospeh wans't the type, changed man or not. And Micheal was the same. Neither of them knew how to ake people feel better, only the opposite.
He sighed, slowly letting his hands let go of the other and bring them to his head, not surprsied by the headache now making him dizzy and giving hima ahrd time to focus. He hand't even realized the tears rolling down his afce until first now, but frankly eh really could't give a damn.
Somehow, he felt a little relived now...

"Being cold doesn't mean tough, dumbass," he snorted after a moment, sitting down properly in the sand with ahnd still rubbing his temple. Beacuse 'cold' had always been his thing, 'tough' was a different matter.
"....just don't apologize, ain't your thing," he went on slowly.

(ooc: right? lol)
John relaxed as soon as Michael did and moved to sit next to him comfortably, "Well it sure worked whenever you intimidated people." He pointed out.  At his other words, he frowned "Ok I won't." He said with a chuckle as he studied the horizon.  He let out a sigh, "Did you ever find him?" He asked after a beat, referring to the man who had killed him all those years ago.  He had put up a good fight on his own end and would have killed the man himself if he hadn't lost as much blood as he had.  In some ways he was glad he had gone down fighting, but in some he had wished he had been able to die on his own terms.

(oooooh.....i.... had an idea now but... it sounds bad when i think it out loud x'D i'lll pm you? x'3)

He chuckled, a tired sound, but not so empty anymore like it's been for so long. But still so very, very tired. "You're the one who taught me remember," he snickered, moving around until he was laying down o the sand instead, his left arm covering his eyes and keeping the last sunrays of of his face.

He didn't reply at first, really not wanting to recall that time from so long ago, but that his mind kept showing him whenever he closed his eyes over and over again. It was one fo those memories that had made Micheal put a bullet throguht his head more than once. That one, along with her death.
"...I did," he replied after a long pause, his throat dry. He had been suppose to die too that day, aloong with Jospeh... But then he had woken back up, and to first be greated by sight of Jospeh, dead. If people ahd thoguht him mad before that, his behavour after that was nothing compared to his older self. He only remembers seeing red after failing his 100th atempt at staying dead. And then a city burning, people screaming as flames ate them alive and...
.....
"I killed him," he finally said, seeing himself standing above the slaughterd and burned body of their killer. "...along with Jim."
And his oldest son hadn't even screamed in his last moment, or showed any hint of regret or fear. Just given Micheal one last cold glare, so much like his own and Jospeh's, full with raw hate.... and then, much like she had gone out, his breatheing had just stopped.

John chuckled, "Yes I suppose I did, but I didn't have to teach you a whole lot." He pointed out. He reclined back as well, years before he never would have taken the time to appreciate a sunset such as this. As Michael told him that he had killed his murderer and Jim, John smiled. "I'm sure it wasn't pleasant for them." He said thoughtfully. Michael became very different when someone he cared about died. John had seen it when....she had died, a new side of Michael had been revealed that day. "Do you ever miss it? When it was just us...us against the world?" He asked after a moment.

Micheal removed his arm covring his face, staring up at the darkening sky. When he had killed Eric, most of the whole incidnet wa snothing but blur for him, but he knew it had been painful for the stupid, young man. He didn't need to remember every detial to know he had made sure Eric regreted ever being born. But after he was done with that shit, and focused on Jim... it had been different. Unlike his cousin, the yunger boy had just stood there and waited, fearlessly and cold as Micheal  turned his full attention on him.
"...It wasn't," he murmured quietly.

Another silent moment passed by at the older twin's question, and Micheal barely even notcied himself as he gave a faint, sad smile.
"All the time," he replied honestly, feeling a very fmailair longing to that time, yet at the same time dreading just remembering it. Their life had been so simple back then, when all they ahd to do was care and think about each other while the rest of the world could rot in hell. Jospeh had been all Micheal needed to survie.
"But I don't wish to return to it," he said then as he pushed himslef back up. "You, her, are here now. That's the only thing I really care about."

John smiled thoughtfully at the thought of Michael taking care of his son and Jim. He had no doubt, both deaths were brutal and not at all painless. "I know what you mean, who would've thought that Helga would have taken care of me?" He asked out loud. When he had known her before, he had made her life a living hell. And yet she had forgiven him of all the evils he had done to her and to her family. Something he never would have thought possible before now. He was silently grateful for it though, she had allowed him the chance to be reunited with Mikey.