SAHLO FOLINA < tyler joseph x reader >

< 27 >

"I am you."

The knife is still pointing at my chest, but I'm only thinking about it in the back of my mind. "What do you mean?"

He becomes even more frustrated. "I am you, you are me - we are the same."

"I am nothing like you," I reply, disgusted.

"And thank Neon for that," he says. "Let me rephrase: We are two side of the same coin. You're the good side, and I'm the bad - to put it simply."

"How?" I ask. "If that's true, how did we become separated?"

"The neon, Tyler. I wanted more power - not just over my district, but over all of them. But my moral compass was getting in the way - you were getting in the way. So I used the neon. I'll admit, I didn't really know what I was doing, but it worked. I got older and paler - which is why I implemented the netted hoods - and out of me, somehow, came you. A baby, because what could be more innocent than that? So, I put you into Dema as one of my citizens. Made a family take care of you until you got old enough to do it yourself. You were weak - the good side, the moral side - so surely I could control you easily."

"Well, you were wrong."

"I was," he admits, "but I'm still stronger than you."

"How are you stronger if we're the same?" I ask. "How are you stronger if I'm the one with the knife?"

He smiles. "You have limits. I have none." He moves toward me, but I press the knife into my chest a little to remind him that I'm the one in control right now.

"I'm holding our life in my hands," I say, drops of blood running down my front. "So here's the deal - either I kill myself and kill us both, or you surrender and come with me to live out your life locked up where you can do no more harm."

He laughs. "Seriously? You think that will work? You think you can keep me locked up?"

"I could kill myself at any time," I reply. "I could kill you. Would you really risk that?"

He goes silent for a few moments. Then, he claps. "Well played, Tyler - well played. You really thought this one out, didn't you?"

I worried by how smug he seems, but I don't show it. "Yes, I did - so option one or option two? Your pick."

He smiles. "How about I give you some options, hmm? So, here's three and four: You stop this ridiculousness or I send a Bishop to kill Y/N."

My heart stops. I can't breathe.

Why didn't I think of this? Why didn't I consider that he would do something like this?

He smiles wider. "Oh, so you really didn't think this through-?"

"I'll kill you before you do."

He laughs again. "Too late for that."

"You're lying," I say. "You're lying to save yourself."

"Drop the knife and I'll call him off," Nico says. "It's that simple."

"Nico-"

"One."

I can't. I can't let her die, I can't let Nico live. I don't know what to do. What would she want me to do? What would she do?

"Two."

"Do you ever wish you could stop?"

"Of course I do. Because the only way we'll stop is when there's no one left in Dema to save."

"Three."

My heart drops into my stomach, but the knife stays in my hands. I panicked. I'm too late.

Nico's smile says as much.

••••
•PROMISE ME THIS•