Heyo, Happy early Halloween everyone! A dark and dreary holiday needs a dark and dreary oneshot, doesn't it? Except, this got so freaking long that I had to cut it into two parts, haha. Like, it's insane. The other oneshots (except Calibration) went from around twelve to over twenty pages. This one is close to thirty. That's gotta be like 9000 words yo. Also, it's T.K.O.-centric, though P.K.O. has a couple moments, don't worry.

Two things. One, you obviously need to read the other fics to understand this (or at least Make Up and Three's A Crowd). The second thing is that you need to familiarize yourself with some other sort-of-canon media: the mobile game, called OK K.O.! Lakewood Plaza Turbo. This fic isn't a rehash of the plot, but it does use some very crucial elements from the game that are not in the show. If you at least know the premise of the game, you should be fine, but if not, then this is going to read like a horrible, edgy badfic with plot points coming out of nowhere. If you need to brush up, the game is free, and rarely crashes if you avoid the ads (except the Dendy bit for some reason, which is optional anyway). A half hour or so of gameplay should get you up to speed.

So, I guess if you're prepped with expositional information, read on!

T.K.O. yawned, tired after a lazy Sunday around the house. He was already wearing his preferred sleepwear, an oversized gray shirt and purple sweatpants. Having brushed his teeth minutes before, he pulled out his ponytail- it was getting harder and harder to resist Carol's demands as the weeks went on- and removed his earrings, knowing that P.K.O. preferred not to wear them. He climbed into bed, waiting for his mom to tuck him in like she always did.

A few minutes passed, and Carol came in to do just that, lifting the blankets until they were just under T.K.O.'s nose, exactly how he liked it. "Good night, Teeks," she cooed, planting a kiss on his forehead. "I'll see you on Saturday."

T.K.O. blinked slowly at the nickname; ever since learning that he and P.K.O. were going to be around more often, Carol was determined to give them special names all their own. T.K.O. liked Teeks, but the same couldn't be said of poor Peekaboo. "Night, mom."

With a sleepy smile, Carol left the room. Not for the first time, T.K.O. glanced at the walls, adorned with posters of various bands, some of which he loved, others he couldn't care less about. The closet was bursting with clothes of every color, and the floor was covered in cards, toys, comics, and multicolored headbands that belonged to all three of them. An acoustic guitar was shoved into one corner by the door. The room was ugly as can be, but it was theirs. All of theirs.

Comforted by that simple fact, T.K.O. closed his eyes, smiling peacefully.

(~)

T.K.O. awoke with a start, eyes snapping open as his body buzzed in pain. His fingers and toes tingled, as if he had been electrocuted. He tried to rub one sore wrist, but something stopped him from doing so. He glanced down at himself, unable to move his head, and saw that he was strapped down to a metal table with leather straps.

Breath hitching, T.K.O. took in his surroundings as well as he could. The walls and ceiling were an off-white, blemished here and there with scorch marks. Roughly a quarter of the light fixtures were dark, leaving the room bleakly dim. Machines he couldn't guess the purpose of were spread throughout, one casting an eerie, swirling glow.

T.K.O. pulled hard, wrenching one arm free. He didn't know what kind of dream this was, but he wanted out of it.

"Oh, I see you're awake." T.K.O. froze when he heard the familiar robotic drone. The man the voice belonged to hovered just outside of his peripheral vision, speaking with a lilting tone. "Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't wake up sooner. I was careful bringing you here, but some jostling can't be helped."

"Shadowy Figure!" T.K.O. yelled, tearing free from his restraints and lunging. Shadowy Figure simply caught the incoming fist, ignoring the turbonic energy that had to be burning him through his glove.

"Now, now," he chided, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Teeth bared, T.K.O. swung his other fist, only for Shadowy Figure to catch that one as well. "Where am I?! Why did you bring me here?!"

"To answer your first question, I would think you'd have figured that out," the man replied conversationally. "And to answer your second, well, I won't answer that."

T.K.O. pulled his fists free, Shadowy Figure letting go easily. Taking a few steps back to recuperate, T.K.O. fired a volley of Power Fists, which his kidnapper dodged with little effort, the attacks only adding to the damage that already existed on the walls.

"I really do insist that you stop attacking me," said Shadowy Figure. "I wouldn't think you'd want anything to happen to your loved ones."

T.K.O. halted, eyes wide. Then his face twisted into something ugly, his already wild hair fraying. "What did you do to her?" he growled.

"I haven't done anything to Carol," Shadowy Figure replied, his response only adding to T.K.O.'s animosity. "The question is, what will you do to her?"

"What are you-?" Shadowy Figure tilted his head ever so slightly, and T.K.O. followed his gaze, landing on his own left shoulder. Confused, he pulled back his sleeve, finding a rather conspicuous bump, swollen and red like an agitated bug bite. "What did you do to me?!"

"That is a very special chip of my own design," Shadowy Figure told him, stepping closer. "Don't worry, it isn't a tracker or anything like that. It can, however, administer a potent strain of Villain Tonic. I wouldn't be surprised if you've never heard of it, it hasn't been commercially distributed in a very long time."

T.K.O. had actually heard of Villain Tonic. A few years back, Carol had told K.O., and by extension him, about an outbreak that occurred at the plaza back when he was still too young to be left home alone. It was only thanks to Mr. Gar's quick thinking that it hadn't become a worldwide epidemic.

Shadowy Figure hummed, mistaking T.K.O.'s horrified silence for confusion. "No matter. The name alone should tell you what it would do to you if I were to give the command to administer it."

T.K.O. ground his teeth, refusing to lower his fists. "...What do you want?"

"Oh, I want many things, T.K.O.," Shadowy Figure responded cryptically. "But for now, I want you to open the door to the sanctuary, and keep it open this time. I'm sick of you heroes sealing it up."

"No way! I know you're up to something with those glorbs, and I won't let you get your slimy hands on them!"

Shadowy Figure's confident smirk became a sinister frown. He stalked closer, T.K.O. holding his ground. "Either you do it of your own volition..." he snatched T.K.O.'s left arm, tugging him close so that they were nose to nose, "...or you do it against your will. It's your choice."

T.K.O. pulled free of his grasp, swallowing thickly as he realized the gravity of the situation he was in. "...I don't understand. Why does it have to be me? You could get through on your own, I bet. And why bother with the tonic at all?"

"Kids. Always asking so many questions," Shadowy Figure tsked. "It has to be you because you've forgotten who you are. You are a creature born of darkness and rage, but those heroes have made you soft. You've lost touch with yourself. The day after your creation, you wouldn't even hesitate to take your own mother's life. But now, a simple threat stays your hand. And you see, that just won't do."

"You're wrong!" T.K.O. shouted, scowling fiercely. "And even if you weren't, that has nothing to do with anything!"

Shadowy Figure chuckled, as if T.K.O. had just told a joke that only he could understand. "Oh, I assure you it does, little one. Now, if you've made up your mind, lead the way."

T.K.O. paused, sensing something odd. "...You're really gonna just let me walk out of your base? What's stopping me from coming back and trashing the place when I find a way to get rid of this chip thing?"

"It wouldn't matter. I have more than the one."

"...Of course you do," T.K.O. deadpanned.

Sure enough, Shadowy Figure let T.K.O. out of the room scot-free, following a few paces behind him and occasionally giving out short directions. T.K.O. tried to glean what he could from his surroundings, but the hallways were short and bare. Not that he would have had the time to find anything useful, because the exit opened up in front of him after only a handful of turns. T.K.O. found himself ankle-deep in murky water, and he was certain that he heard a rat skitter past; he'd ended up in the sewer. It wasn't surprising, considering the vile man who had to have lived there.

From there, the pair found the door in very short order, hastily boarded off and barricaded by large stones. Shadowy Figure grinned, thin lips peeling away from jagged teeth. "Open it."

T.K.O.'s stubborn scowl faltered, giving way to uncertainty. He looked at the palm of his hand, closing it in a loose fist. Throat dry, knees imperceptibly wobbling, he cocked back his fist. It trembled against his might, as if someone had grabbed it and refused to let it go; he'd felt the sensation enough times to know that K.O. was meddling. He fought off the mental tug, shaking his head. He would have loved to stop, but he didn't exactly have a say in the matter.

It took only a second for the barricade to be completely obliterated.

Shadowy Figure placed a hand on top of T.K.O.'s head, smirking. "Well done."

T.K.O. slapped his hand away, utterly disgusted, and shot him the most hateful, loathsome look he could muster. "There, I did what you wanted. Now get this thing outta me."

"No can do," Shadowy Figure drawled. "This was only a test to be sure you could follow orders. I'm afraid I won't be letting you go just yet."

T.K.O. bared his teeth, fists clenched. "What do you want from me, you freak?!"

"There's no need for you to know just yet," Shadowy Figure replied, amused. "I'll be sure to let you know when I have an order to give. Until then, feel free to stew on the matter."

Shadowy Figure knelt down so that they were eye-level, resting his hands on T.K.O.'s shoulders. When the boy tried to shrug him off, he dug his fingers in until T.K.O. stopped resisting, hissing through his teeth. "Let me make some things very clear. You are to do everything that I ask of you, no questions. None. You do not run, you do not remove the chip, and you do not tell anyone about the chip or about me. And don't try to get one of your alter egos to do things for you. If you fail to follow along, intentionally or otherwise, I will know about it, and I promise you that you will not like the consequences, and neither will anyone who ever tried to get close to you. Understood?"

T.K.O. paled, the weight of his words setting in. Feeling somewhat numb, he nodded.

Shadowy Figure was quiet for a moment, scrutinizing him. He must have liked what he saw, because he smiled. "Glad we could come to an understanding." He rose to his feet, letting his fingertips ghost over T.K.O.'s shoulders. T.K.O. knew that he had to be acting like a creep on purpose, but it still didn't fail to make his skin crawl.

"I'll give you your next orders tomorrow," said Shadowy Figure, strolling to the open doorway. "Make sure that you're ready to accept them. For now..." He turned his head sharply, piercing T.K.O. with his shadowed gaze. "Go back to bed."

T.K.O. felt a shock of pain, as if his insides were being liquefied. He lashed out blindly, fist striking something solid. "Teeks, it's okay! It's just me!"

T.K.O.'s eyes snapped open, breathing heavily as he took in Carol, arms raised to block a blow that would have landed on her cheek. She wasn't angry, being quite used to T.K.O. waking up violently when he didn't get up on his own, but he felt terrible nonetheless. He looked around and saw that he was in his room, everything exactly as it was when he'd gone to bed.

"Honey. Honey, it's okay," Carol shushed him gently, stroking his tangled locks. At her touch, T.K.O. realized how hard he was shaking. "Sweetie, did you have another nightmare?"

T.K.O. ducked his head, gripping the sheets. "Mm," he nodded. It was discovered early on that he was prone to having bad dreams, something he'd never experienced in the subconscious. Most of them tended to revolve around Shadowy Figure, but none of them had been nearly so vivid.

"Do you want to talk about it, pumpkin?" Carol asked. T.K.O. quickly shook his head. He'd never discussed his dreams before, and he wasn't starting today. "...Okay. Could you please send Peekaboo down when you're ready? He loves his French toast."

Despite the lingering phantom chills, T.K.O. snickered. "Yeah, sure."

Carol smiled softly, leaving the room to go make breakfast. The second she was gone, T.K.O. shivered, rubbing his arms in an attempt to quell the goosebumps. When his hands glossed over his shoulders, he stopped, considering. He pulled back one sleeve, his stomach turning to ice at the sight of the bump that stood out among all the others.

(~)

"How the heck did things get this bad?!" P.K.O. growled, pacing agitatedly within the subconscious. "Ugh, this is a mess!"

"You're telling me!" T.K.O. snarled. "He broke into the house, stole me from my bed, hid me in the sewers, and forced me to be his stinking henchman by injecting a freaking time bomb in my arm! On second thought, this isn't a mess! This is a disaster!"

"...Do you think he could have lied about the Villain Tonic?" K.O. asked timidly. "Villain Tonic has peanuts in it. It seems like he watches us a lot, so wouldn't he know we were allergic?"

"He's a dirty coward, but he's not an idiot," T.K.O. replied. "He probably considered that and changed the recipe or something. He wouldn't make something like that up, because if I called him on his bluff, he'd be dead meat and he knows it."

"Well, there's gotta be something we can do," K.O. frowned.

"Do you even realize the gravity of the situation we're in?!" P.K.O. cried. "This isn't something we can fight, K.O.! If we do anything Shadowy Figure doesn't like, he'll use the tonic, and it will affect all of us. It doesn't matter who's out, if we turn bad, the whole plaza is doomed, maybe even all of Minnexploda! Something like this is way out of our league!"

"But... Are you sure we can't do anything?"

"It has to be me," T.K.O. answered stonily. "If you interfere, it'll only make things worse. I'm not gonna let you corrupt yourself trying to fix something that can't be fixed. This is something I have to do alone, even if I have to be a villain to do it."

"But you aren't a villain, T.K.O.," K.O. whimpered.

"Of course I'm not! But I don't have a doubt in my mind that Shadowy Figure's gonna make me act the part! That stuff's easy for me, so stay out of my way and let me do what I do best!"

K.O.'s eyes widened. "But... B-But..." P.K.O. gripped his shoulder reassuringly, both sympathetic and concerned. Neither of them had missed the waver in T.K.O.'s voice.

(~)

Carol hummed quietly to herself as she mixed her batter, turning when she heard the pitter-patter of bare feet. But it was T.K.O. she saw, not P.K.O., as she had been expecting. "He let me have his turn today," he explained simply at her perplexed expression.

"...Okay. Well, eat up, hon. You've got school today."

T.K.O. barely tasted his food, distracted as he was. He'd be getting his orders some time today. But how was he to know when he got them? Would Shadowy Figure give him obscure hand signals from the shadows? Would he receive them from an earpiece he doesn't know he has? Or would he just walk up to him and tell him what he needs to know? It could be anything, at any time, and from anywhere. He had to be mentally prepared for anything.

T.K.O. stomped into the tank-car, wearing the disastrous combination of work vest and pentagram shirt. He buckled his seatbelt, throwing his cheek into his hand and giving the window his best stone-cold stare. Carol must have noticed his sour mood, because she asked, "Is that nightmare still bothering you, Teeks?"

"I'm fine, mom," T.K.O. replied, rolling his eyes.

"Well, if you decide you want to talk about it, feel free to give me a ring."

"I know," said T.K.O., making his annoyance very clear. Carol dropped the subject, letting the rest of the drive go by in complete silence.

When T.K.O. got to school, he hopped out of the car without a word, offering only a short wave as goodbye. He roamed the halls, quickly finding his classroom. He threw himself into his seat, snarling at any student who looked his way as they filed in. It softened somewhat when Dendy came in, offering him a polite, if confused, wave. She didn't say a word, and neither did he.

When Miss Quantum started talking, T.K.O. tuned her out, letting his mind wander. He knew that Shadowy Figure would contact him today; the big question was what for. He might want something stolen, he seemed like enough of a kleptomaniac. Or maybe he'd tell him to beat someone up. He was sure the guy had tons of enemies, both good and evil. Maybe he'd tell him to do something so horrible that even he couldn't fathom such an atrocity.

T.K.O. looked out the window, certain that Shadowy Figure was out there somewhere, happily watching him squirm.

"If you aren't focusing on the lesson, K.O.," Miss Quantum addressed T.K.O. snidely, grabbing his attention, "then it must be because such things are beneath you, which should only be the case if you find it mind-numbingly easy. So this equation should be no problem for you."

T.K.O. leveled her with a deceptively calm stare, his eyes lackadaisically wandering over the blackboard. It was a fairly simple multiplication problem, something that even K.O. could solve. He let out a long breath, wondering if it was even worth gracing her with a response. In the end, he coolly replied, "Eighty-one."

Miss Quantum's brows raised, wholly unimpressed. "And the square root?"

T.K.O. leaned far back in his chair, enough that the teacher couldn't quite see him struggling to puzzle out the answer. "...Nine."

Miss Quantum narrowed her eyes, stepping out from behind her desk. "That's correct. Now, would you mind coming to the board and showing your work?"

T.K.O. stared in agony at the ceiling, asking Cob why the teacher was so intent on embarrassing him when all he wanted was to be left alone so that he could ignore her in peace. He sucked in a breath, leaning forward and giving Miss Quantum a toothy smile, voice overly cheery and laced with forced patience. "Actually, I would mind. Regurgitating the formula you literally just taught us won't prove anything except that I can remember something that happened more than ten seconds ago. I got the answer right, that should be enough. So please, continue. Don't let me waste your time."

Miss Quantum's eyes went wide, fully taken aback. A couple of students "oohed" and giggled under their breath, but were quickly silenced by the teacher's stern glare. She pointed her chalk accusingly in T.K.O.'s direction, squinting dangerously. "Another wisecrack like that, K.O., and I'll be seeing you in detention for the next week."

T.K.O. eased back in his seat, opting not to bother correcting Miss Quantum. He crossed his arms behind his head, staring out the window once more. He wasn't called on again.

Yeah, Shadowy Figure must be having the time of his life.

(~)

After school, T.K.O. walked towards the bodega, his nerves having only gotten worse as the day progressed. There had been no sign of Shadowy Figure all day. No beckoning from the hallway, no tapping on the window, not even a "psst" from behind a tree during recess. T.K.O. wondered if Shadowy Figure was messing with him. Rather, he knew Shadowy Figure was messing with him, just not how. Perhaps it was past midnight when he got taken away, and "tomorrow" really meant tomorrow. Not that the thought helped any.

T.K.O. found himself repeatedly glancing over his shoulder and peering at shadows, half-expecting Shadowy Figure to jump out and say "boo," but he made it to the bodega without incident. He only hoped that Rad and Enid would make themselves just as scarce.

"Sup, P.K.O.?" Rad greeted, immediately dashing his hopes. "Hey, wanna help me with the...?" He trailed off when he saw who was actually standing on the welcome mat. "T.K.O.? What're you doing here?"

It seemed he was forever doomed to have only the things he specifically didn't ask for. "P.K.O. gave me his turn," he answered shortly.

Rad blinked. "...Oh. Okay. Well, do you still wanna-?"

"No."

"But you don't even know what I was gonna ask you," Rad whined.

"I don't care. Whatever it is, I want nothing to do with it."

"...Well, fine," Rad muttered, antennae wilting as he trudged off. "I can have fun wrecking empty crates on my own, anyway..."

Satisfied that he was gone, T.K.O. grabbed the mop, pretending to be engrossed in the mundane task of cleaning the patch of floor in front of him. How K.O. could derive such joy from doing something so boring for hours on end every day, he would never understand.

A short while later, the alarm signaling a robot attack went off; apparently Boxmore was once again under new management, so attacks were gradually becoming more frequent. T.K.O.'s eyes lit up at the sound, fingers itching to tear out some hapless robot's copper wire insides. Despite that, he reigned in his brief excitement, gripping the mop a bit tighter. Despite what some would think, T.K.O. did have a basic sense of self-awareness. Taking his feelings out on an enemy leagues below him wouldn't satisfy his urges; if anything, it would only wind him up more, and that was the last thing he needed right now.

Rad and Enid ran past, but both skidded to a stop and turned when he didn't move. "You coming, T.K.O.?" asked Enid.

T.K.O. shook his head, trying to mask his disappointment with nonchalance. "What's the point? It'd be over and done with in two seconds anyway." Rad shrugged, easily buying the excuse, but Enid lingered a bit longer, eyeballing T.K.O. before following Rad outside.

T.K.O. sighed, leaning heavily on the mop. He could hear the crunching and screeching of tearing metal, and he felt his power bubble to the surface on instinct, but he hurriedly reeled it back in. Oh, how he wished he could let loose on that shady, demented freak who called himself a villain, but alas.

A hand placed itself on T.K.O.'s shoulder, and he whirled around, swinging the mop downwards like an axe. It harmlessly hit the ground, shattering on impact. Enid stood a foot or two away, hand still half-raised, looking unamused.

"Wh- Enid?!" T.K.O. angrily chucked the splintered handle to the floor. "What're you doing here?! Why aren't you out there with Rad?!"

"It's only a fleet of Jethros, he's got it," Enid replied. "Hey, T.K.O., are you doing okay? You've barely been here fifteen minutes, and I can already tell you're acting weird."

T.K.O. flashed a sharklike grin, eyes wide and intimidating. "Oh, I'm just being my angsty, brooding self, as always. Nothing unusual there."

Enid crossed her arms, hip cocked. "Okay. One, you and I both know that isn't what I'm referring to. And two, it isn't like you to call yourself out, even when you're being sarcastic. So what's eating you?"

T.K.O.'s grin fell, expression turning sour. "None of your business, that's what."

"It became my business when you tried to hit me with a mop," Enid countered. "Whatever it is, it must be bad if it's got even you jumpy. Spill."

"I'm not jumpy, and I'm not spilling anything," T.K.O. bit out. "Just leave me alone. I don't feel like talking to people today."

Enid huffed, deciding that T.K.O. was a lost cause; he was even worse than P.K.O. when it came to talking about his problems, and that was on a good day. Her chances of getting an actual answer now were close to zero. "I don't know why you'd choose to come to work if you didn't wanna be around people, but okay. Just try not to make an attempt on anyone else's life, alright?"

T.K.O. scowled deeply, not appreciating the quip. Enid must have gotten the hint, because she vanished without another word, reappearing behind the counter with a pair of shades. T.K.O. growled, stomping off to find a new mop. If the whole day was going to be like this, he didn't think he would make it without going completely insane.

As the day wore on, that started to feel more and more like a real possibility. At times when the bodega got too quiet, T.K.O. could feel paranoia starting to set in. He found himself often in open parts of the store, avoiding the corners and narrow aisles where someone could easily hide from him, but watching them all the same. His mood gradually worsened alongside his nerves, and more than once he lashed out both physically and verbally at a customer that managed to get behind him without him knowing. A few hours into his shift, and it had gotten so bad that people were afraid to get within four aisles of him. Something desperately needed to be done.

"T.K.O.!" Mr. Gar barked, having enough sense of self-preservation to make sure the kid knew he was there before speaking. "Your unruly behavior is driving off customers in droves! I don't know what's going on with you today, but it's clear to me that you pose a serious risk to their safety and to my store's integrity. As such, I'm giving you garbage duty for the rest of your shift!"

T.K.O. opened his mouth with an angry retort at the tip of his tongue, but he realized that that was probably the best thing Mr. Gar could have asked of him. He knew that he wasn't handling things well, and this way he couldn't take his feelings out on anyone else. He'd already beheaded A Real Magic Skeleton, and nearly snapped Colewort in half. If that wasn't a sign that he needed to be away from everyone, he didn't know what was.

"...Fine," T.K.O. spat. "But only because I'm sick of being holed up in here, not because I respect anything you have to say." Mr. Gar pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing wearily, but didn't reply.

T.K.O. took barely a moment to remove the bags from the trash bins throughout the store, going out back with them as quickly as he possibly could. He rounded up the garbage there too, now taking his time carrying it all outside to throw in the dumpster. He took a deep breath, ignoring the stench in favor of relishing the silence. He leaned against the wall next to the dumpster and, for the first time that day, relaxed, letting himself be comforted by his solitude.

"I was wondering when I'd get you alone." T.K.O. jumped about a foot in the air, turning so quickly he nearly cracked his skull on the corner of the dumpster. "Oh, I hope I didn't startle you too badly," Shadowy Figure teased.

T.K.O. growled, letting his fists almost imperceptibly glow. "What do you want?"

In lieu of a reply, Shadowy Figure parted the bushes on his side of the ditch, waving one hand in a gesture to follow. Scowling fiercely, T.K.O. hopped over and pushed past, the encroaching shade giving him an eerie sense of déjà vu.

Shadowy Figure took the lead, walking calmly as if taking a leisurely stroll. He didn't stop until their view of the plaza was fully blocked by the surrounding trees. T.K.O. didn't ask why Shadowy Figure took him so far in; he didn't know how serious the threat of conversion was for asking too many questions. The one was probably bad enough.

The villain smirked, understanding and appreciating T.K.O.'s silence. "I have a very important request to make, T.K.O., and it would be in everyone's best interests for you to fulfil it."

"Like I have a choice in the matter," T.K.O. grunted. "But I can't do anything if you don't tell me what you need me to do, so cut to the chase."

Shadowy Figure frowned, voice somewhat clipped as he replied, "Those heroes you call your coworkers, your friends, have been a thorn in my side from day one, and they've been a great nuisance in particular as of late. What I need is for you to take care of them for me so that they'll be out of my way."

T.K.O. quirked a brow, confused. "...You want me to beat up Rad and Enid."

"Don't be dense," Shadowy Figure snapped. "I need you to put them down, take them out, get rid of them. I'm sure you know what I'm getting at."

T.K.O. balked, his face growing pale. "You want me... to kill them."

"If you think you can manage both, that would be excellent," Shadowy Figure replied, easing into a smile, "but killing one should suffice. You can hardly have teamwork without a team, after all. It would sure make it harder for them to thwart my plans."

Shadowy Figure found himself flat on his back before he could even react. T.K.O. loomed over him, utterly livid, his entire form sparking and crackling with energy he hardly bothered restraining. "I always knew you were demented even for a villain, but you're a monster! I don't care what you say about me, and I don't care what you do to me! I will never stoop to your level! And you know what? You can't activate your little chip like this, can you? I have the upper hand now, so you'd better get it out of my arm right now if you want to keep both of yours." To his chagrin, Shadowy Figure grinned, his chuckle quickly growing into maniacal laughter. "What's so funny?! Do you think I'm kidding?!"

Shadowy Figure didn't respond until he'd calmed himself down, his toothy smile still plastered on his face. "You're in no place to be making demands, T.K.O., though I do admire that spirit. Did you honestly think I would be stupid enough to try controlling you without a contingency plan? I may be a monster, but I'm a monster with allies. Your chip will be activated remotely, by me or by someone else, the second you are deemed a threat to my plans. The only reason that hasn't happened yet is because you aren't as in-control as you think you are. Even if you decide to kill me right now, it won't stop you from killing again. And again, and again, and again."

T.K.O. maintained his fiery glare, but the pressure on Shadowy Figure's chest lessened somewhat. "...You're lying."

"I could be," the villain purred. "But are you willing to take that chance to save two lives, at the risk of dozens of others, with no guarantee that you'll save them at all?"

T.K.O. redoubled the pressure, teeth bared defiantly, desperately searching for any sign of weakness. His gaze penetrated the man in the hood, hoping to find some indication that he was lying. But the grin never left Shadowy Figure's face, never wavered. T.K.O. couldn't sense any dishonesty, hard as he tried, only the self-assured confidence of someone who knew that he'd won.

Slowly, ever so slowly, T.K.O. eased back, his frantic energy calming and dispersing, shoulders shaking with effort. Shadowy Figure calmly rose to his feet, dusting himself off. "I didn't think so. Though it really is a shame that you can be so easily manipulated through those you think care about you."

"Shut up," T.K.O. whispered hoarsely. "Just shut up."

"If you can only manage to kill one of them, that's fine," Shadowy Figure went on as if he hadn't been interrupted. "I don't care who you decide on in the end. Just make sure it's done by tonight." He didn't receive a reply. "Now go. Wouldn't want anyone wondering where you've gone."

Shadowy Figure stalked off, his form quickly blending into the darkness between the trees. T.K.O. watched his back, hands curling into fists as his shock gave way to searing fury. With a frustrated cry, he turned, burying his fist into the nearest tree. He struck it over and over, not stopping until he'd cleaved its trunk in two, sending it loudly crashing to the ground. He panted heavily, fingers hooked and knuckles rough with splinters. He felt no better than when he'd started.

T.K.O. wasn't sure when he decided to walk back to the bodega, but next thing he knew, he was in the back room, supporting himself on a lone crate by the wall. He felt ill. There was just no winning, was there? No matter what he did, somebody was going to get hurt. He was either going to be some villain's mindless toy, or he was going to commit atrocious deeds with his own two hands, always painfully aware of his actions. He didn't know which was worse. At this point, it didn't matter. None of it mattered.

T.K.O. was glad to be in the back, because no one was around to hear his hopeless, pitiful whimpers.

Whew, poor T.K.O. Shadowy Figure had to go and be a dick, didn't he? Whether he's lying or telling the truth, and about what, I'll leave to you to puzzle out. ;)

I'm definitely going for bleak and depressing with this one, even though it isn't a genre I normally write. I hope I'm conveying it okay. X) I'm also trying to avoid outright spelling everything out like I usually do, and instead am trying to let feelings convey implications. If it's too vague to understand, please let me know. This whole fic is one big experiment for me.

Chapter two is almost entirely written, and it won't be quite as long as this chapter was. I'll try to have it posted tomorrow or the day after, but I may end up having to put it off until next week. You'll get to really see why I included the safe T rating then.